Article

2016 Live Action Adaptations from Shoujo and Josei Manga – UPDATED

Note: If the videos don’t appear the first time – refresh the page.

This list seems to be getting longer all the time, so I thought it would be helpful to have a cheat sheet of sorts. There have been a lot of announcements of manga being made into movies or drama series recently. Here’s a list of everything we can find that has recently premiered or will premiere this year.

Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai – TV Drama

Manga by Aya Nakahara. English translation: Please Love the Useless Me

Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai vol. 8

The manga revolves around an unemployed woman named Michiko Shibata who is around 30 years old. Michiko has just broken up with a younger boyfriend whom she supported financially until she drained all of her savings. Her company also recently went bankrupt and her job hunting is not going well. Michiko then has a chance meeting with Ayumu Kurosawa, a former boss she used to dislike. Ayumu offers to let Michiko work at a cafe he now runs.

Kyoto Fukada stars as Michiko Shibata, Dean Fujioka plays Ayumu Kurosawa, Shohei Miura plays Machiko’s co-worker Daichi Mogami at her new workplace, Maho Nonami plays Kurosawa’s former girlfriend Akira, and Mimura plays Haruko,a flower shop lady and Kurosawa’s childhood friend with a deep connection to him.

The series will premiere on TBS and its affiliates on January 12, 2016, and it will air every Tuesday at 10:00 p.m.

 

Kurosaki kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai – Movie

Manga by Makino. English translation: I’m Not Just Going to Do What Kurosaki-kun Says

Kurosaki-kun 5

The manga centers around Yū Akabane, who has just entered high school, and has her sights set on the “White Prince” Takumi Shirakawa. But when she crosses the “Black Demon” Haruto Kurosaki, he steals away her first kiss, and devises a punishment for her where she has to do anything he says.

The movie stars Kento Nakajima as Haruto Kurosaki, Nana Komatsu as Yū Akabane, Yudai Chiba as Takumi Shirakawa, Yūta Kishi as Yūsuke Kaji and Sara Takatsuki as Meiko Ashigawa.

The movie will premiere in Japan on January 27, 2016.

Senpai to Kanojo – Movie

Manga by Atsuko Nanba. English translation: Senpai (Senior) and Girlfriend

Senpai to Kanojo 2

The manga is only 2 volumes and tells the story of Tsuzuki Rika, who has just started her high school life, hoping to have a “sweet love”. But she fell in love with a senpai, who’s in love with another girl… No matter how hard she tries, her love is unlikely to be returned. A sweet, yet painful adolescent love.

Jun Shison plays senpai Keigo Minohara, while Kyoko Yoshine plays Rika Tsuzuki.

The movie premiered in Japan in October and will coming to DVD in February 2016.

Sumika Sumire – TV Drama

Manga by Mitsuba Takanashi. English Translation: Sumika Sumire (Both are names for the heroine)

Sumika Sumire 5

The manga is about Kisaragi Sumi, who continuously took care of her grandmother, father and mother until she turned 60 years old without ever falling in love. One day after finishing her mother’s funeral service, a cat calling himself Rei appears and grants her wish to “experience her youth again”. What happens when Sumi gets a second chance as a 17-year-old high-schooler once more?

The drama stars Kiritani Mirei as Kisaragi Sumire, Matsuzaka Keiko as Kisaragi Sumi, Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Rei, and Machida Keita as Mashiro Yusei.

The TV series premiers on TV Asahi starting February 5, 2016.

Omukae Desu – TV Drama

Manga by Meca Tanaka. English translation: Death Pick Up Service (Not Literal)

omukaedesu01

The manga is about Madoka, a high school student who is recruited by Nabeshima (a guy in a bunny suit) to work for the GSG (Gokuraku So Gei: a transportation service to heaven). Nabeshima is just way too busy, and since Modoka seems to have the power to see lost souls, he’s recruited to help lighten the workload. But many of the dead are reluctant to leave this world, feeling they have not accomplished all that they should have in their lives. Madoka must assist the deceased in performing tasks that will help them finally feel closure and make them willing to leave everything behind for good.

Sōta Fukushi (left) will play protagonist Madoka Tsutsumi, while Tao Tsuchiya (right) will play Sachi Aguma.

The drama will premiere on NTV in April 2016, and it will air every Saturday at 9:00 p.m.

Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji – Movie

Manga By Ayuko Hatta. English translation: Wolf Girl and Black Prince

Wolf Girl Black Prince 14

The manga of Wolf Girl & Black Prince centers around Erika Shinohara, a vain 16-year-old girl who tells her friends about her romantic exploits, but she actually has no boyfriend. She claims that a handsome boy in a candid photo is her boyfriend, but it turns out that boy is a schoolmate named Kyōya Sata. She has no choice but to make him her fake boyfriend. Unfortunately, Sata may look like a sweet person, but he is actually an ultra-black-hearted sadist. Sata takes advantage of Erika’s weakness and treats her like his dog.

Fumi Nikaidō is playing the heroine Erika Shinohara, while Kento Yamazaki is playing Kyōya Sata.

The movie will premiere in Japan in May 28, 2016.

Koudai-ke no Hitobito – Movie

Manga by Morimoto Kozueko. English Translation: People of the Koudai Family

Koudai-ke no Hitobito 4

The manga centers around Kie Hirano, a 30-year old female office worker with a large-scale imagination. She gets to know Mitsumasa Kōdai, a handsome colleague, who also happens to be a telepath who can read people’s thoughts. Mitsumasa is charmed by Kie’s personality, and they start a relationship. Mitsumasa’s mother Yūko judges Kie to be unfit to marry her son, but the family matriarch Ann makes Yūko retract the statement. Now Ann teaches Kie how to be a proper lady, and Kie’s life becomes intertwined with the Kōdai family.

The film will star Ayase Haruka as Hirano Kei, Saitou Takumi as Koudai Mitsumasa, Ichimaru Masachiki as Shigamasa Jr., Daichi Mao as Koudai Yuuko, Mamiya Shoutarou as Koudai Kazumasa, and Mizuhara Kiko as Koudai Shigeko.

The movie will premier in Japan on June 4, 2016.

Mars – TV Drama

Manga by Fuyumi Souryo. English Translation: Mars

Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 8.29.46 PM

mars 1

The manga revolves around Kira and Rei, two high school students. Kira is an extremely introverted artist, and Rei is an outgoing playboy with a frightening violent side. The two start a friendship and eventually a romance after Rei sees a drawing that Kira drew on the back of a map she gave him. However, both Kira and Rei are hiding troubled pasts, and through their relationship they confront their past demons. Masao, a student at Kira and Rei’s school, has a connection to Rei’s violent past. He enters Kira and Rei’s lives to try to force Rei to return to the person he used to be.

The series will star Kis-My-Ft2 member Taisuke Fujigaya as Rei Kashino and Masataka Kubota as Masao Kirishima.

The television series premiers June 19, 2016 on Nipon TV. Nipon won’t even let someone from the US watch the PVs on their website. 🙁

Hapi Mari – TV Drama

hapi_mari_drama

Chiwa Takanishi works in an office in the morning, and as a hostess in the evening to make ends meet. One day, she gets into an argument with a customer at the hostess bar, and she gets fired. The next day, when her superior at work calls her in, the one waiting for her was Hokuto Mamiya, the one she argued with the night before. Suddenly, he proposes a contract marriage to Chiwa. At first, Chiwa rebels against the prideful and selfish Hokuto, but soon learns about his past, and finds herself drawn to him. Hokuto also begins to be touched by the kindness and cheerfulness in Chiwa, and their marriage that began by contract slowly progresses to one where they are truly husband and wife.

The series will star Nana Seino as Chiwa and Dean Fujioka as Hokuto.

The television series will stream on Amazon Prime Japan starting June 22, 2016.

Seisei Suru Hodo, Ai Shiteru – TV Drama


Seisei Suru hodo, Ai Shiteru centers on Mia, who works in the public relations department of a cosmetics company. She meets Kairi, the married vice president of her company, and begins to fall in love with him as he saves her as soon as she faces any trouble.

The series will star Emi Takei as Mia, Hideaka Takizawa as Kairi, and Aoi Nakamura as Aya, Kairi’s love rival.

The TV drama will premier on TBS starting July 5, 2016.

Aozora Yell – Movie

Manga by Kazune Kawahara. English Translation: Yell for the Blue Sky

Aozora Yell banner

Aozora Yell 19

The story centers on Tsubasa Ono, who joins the brass band club at Shirato high school in Hokkaido. Her dream is to cheer on the baseball team with her trumpet in the stands of the Koshien ball park someday. Her classmate Daisuke Yamada, who is a member of the baseball club, always supports her and tries to achieve the dream of Koshien with her. Then she gradually realizes her true feelings toward him…

Tao Tsuchiya will play main heroine Tubasa Ono, while Ryoma Takeuchi plays Daisuke Yamada, and Shono Hayama plays Aki Mizushima.

The movie will open in Japan in August 2016.

Oboreru Knife – Movie

Manga by George Asakura. English Translation: Knife That Sinks

Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 8.58.17 PM

Oboreru Knife 17

Main character Natsume Mochizuki was a magazine model in Tokyo but moves to the rural town of Ukigumocho. Mochizuki, feeling depressed about living in the boring countryside, meets Koichiro Hasegawa, a member of a local prominent family of Shinto priests, and gets caught in an intense attraction… It’s an epic love story that intensely and beautifully depicts the feelings of omnipotence and frustration that comes with being a teenager.

Still no word on the cast of this movie. The movie is slated to premiere in August 2016.

Itazura na Kiss The Movie Part 1 High School-Hen

Itazura na Kiss The Movie Part 2 Campus-Hen

Manga by Kaoru Tada. English Translation: Mischievous Kiss The Movie Part 1 – High School Arc & Part 2 – Campus Arc

ItazuraNaKiss_Movie_1

Itazura na Kiss 23

In Tada’s classic unfinished manga, a high school girl named Kotoko Aihara finally tells a fellow senior named Naoki Irie that she has loved him from afar since she saw him on their first day of high school. However, Naoki, a haughty “super-ikemen” (handsome male) with 200 IQ and sports talent, rejects her offhand. Fate intervenes when a mild earthquake ruins Kotoko’s family house. While the house gets rebuilt, Kotoko and her dad stay at the home of her dad’s childhood friend…whose son is Naoki.

Itazura na Kiss the Movie ~High School-Hen~ (Mischievious Kiss the Movie: High School Arc)  is the first part of the story that follows Kotoko and Naoki’s introduction and high school life. In part 2 Itazura na Kiss the Movie ~Campus-Hen~ (Mischievious Kiss the Movie: Campus Arc) the characters go to college. The story follows the love polygon relationships that form with the introduction of the beautiful genius Yūko Matsumoto and the tennis club senpai Sudō.

Fanta Satō will star as Naoki, and actress Reina Bisa will play Kotoko.

Filming will begin in April, and we do not have release dates yet for either movie. Part 1 is predicted to premier in the Fall of 2016.

This is what’s on the docket so far this year. As more is announced I will continue to update this post. Hopefully we will get more PVs for the movies that are scheduled for later this year. There’s a lot of shoujo and josei manga getting adapted in 2016!

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Me!
Latest posts by Laura (see all)

15 Comments

  • We should know that many of the korean drama are based from japanese manga
    Even some famous dialogs

  • Your lie in april will premiere as well, around September.

    • Thank you for this article! Will definitely stay tuned.

    • “Your Lie in April” is shonen/seinen, so it would not be included on this list.

      • What is the mening of shonen, seinen, shoujo, and josei?

        • Shoujo is typically for young girls.
          Josei is typically for older women.
          Shounen is typically for young boys.
          Seinen is typically for older men.

  • I really wish more people would give Jdramas a chance. Most people who get into Asian dramas only watch Kdramas and won’t give Jdramas a chance because the cast hasn’t all done plastic surgery and look gorgeous. I’m really looking forward to these releases, though I’m not a fan of Itazura and how terrible Naoki is. I really wish that Kotoko ended up wiht her friend. He actually loved her.

    • Ermm.. i am fan of itazura na kiss.. the manga, anime.. their adaption.. since 1996 until now.. all i had watch n read it.. including the campus version will be premier in the fall 2016.. well people have their own opinion

    • Yes I wish people would consider Jdramas too. I think the fact that they think Koreans are more attractive is one reason, one of my friends said that she is not really into Jdrama because she find the hair of the characters disturbing.

      I guess another reason is that, what’s usually more accessible are Korean dramas . I for myself experienced waiting for the English subtitles (of movies) to be released for almost a year.Or worse, not only the subs is not available, but the movie itself. Whereas in Korean series, subs are up after a day the episode was aired in Korea.

      Or on the other hand, because more and more people are into Kdrama/movie, providers and subbers of JDrama/movie decreased.

    • I watch dramas from everywhere! Thai, Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese, etc. they are all unique and have their own charms! I really enjoy them! 🙂

    • Im agree with you
      Its true that many of korean casts beauty is because of their plastic surgery
      But japanese people have their real face

  • You know what stinks? Korean and Taiwanese dramas outnumber Japanese dramas a lot. Even Crunchyroll doesn’t update its J-drama catalog a lot. DramaFever’s catalog is okay, but Viki has more J-drama options. I’m not sure if there are many (if any) J-dramas that get simulcasted. Given the popularity of manga and dramas, you’d think there would be more J-dramas available. It’s even worse for Japanese movies (compared to Korean films released with English subtitles). I think I might examine this and put my journalism skills to good use and ask the major streaming companies what’s going on ;). That’s a lot of good stuff I’d like to see.

    • I’ve felt that way for a while. There are a lot of recent Japanese movies based on manga I would love to watch subtitled in English. Why is it not anywhere legally? I’d love to see it on Crunchyroll. I’m sure I could find it on youtube that someone did without copyright permission. Not how I’d prefer to watch it, though. I’d rather pay to see it so that the movie gets revenue.

      • I think they won’t legally stream it because most ppl only flock to kpop related things bc it’s the popular thing right now and on Crunchyroll, jdramas don’t get much attention. Same.

        Toshokan Sensou was really good, same with Heroine Shikkaku.

    • For sure. I wish they’d try and step it up a little, but I think they did try this year. Plus Heroine Shikkaku was REALLY good, there’s Chihayafuru coming out, and then Mars, Ita, and other classics. Kimi wa petto remkae also. I hope people start giving jdrama more of a chance.

2018 Shoujo and Josei License Announcements
Contact Me
Subscribe to Heart of Manga

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. Your info will not be used for any other purpose.

Archives