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Chakushin Ari
Known in the United States as One Missed Call, this 2003 Japanese horror film was a truly creepy story for the mobile phone age. However, the 2008 English-language remake was critically panned and failed to convey any of the horror of the original.
Rashomon
Kurosawa’s 1950 masterpiece is notable for its dazzling ambiguity. The 1964 Western remake, The Outrage, made the mistake of trying to fill in the blanks, completely robbing it of the point about the power of story and the nature of truth.
Nanjing Monogatari
The 1983 Japanese film Antarctica is a harrowing drama depicting an actual Antarctic expedition. The American version of Eight Below was a family-friendly adventure film that significantly toned down the harsh and tragic reality of the original.
dragon ball
The 2009 live-action film Dragonball Evolution is infamous among fans. This is often cited as a perfect example of a Hollywood adaptation that fundamentally misunderstands everything that made the original animation and manga beloved around the world.
Hokuto no Ken
The 1995 American film version of Fist of the North Star was co-produced by a Japanese studio but still failed to capture the epic tone of the manga. Now it’s mostly considered a cheesy action movie from the 90s only for die-hard fans.
Kyoshoku Soko Gaiba
Known as “The Guyver”, the comic was adapted into two American films in 1991 and 1994. These cartoons have a huge following for their practical effects, but they’re a much dumber, less intense version of the original.