Real Bout the Teenage Witch?

[doughboy]

From Anime Tourist:

"Tokyopop has made good on its pledge to "take manga to the big screen and beyond." The graphic novel publisher has inked actress Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) and screenwriter Dan Gordon (Wyatt Earp, The Hurricane) for a live-action feature film development project inspired by Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School (SG: RBHS), one of its top manga and anime properties. "

http://anime-tourist.com/article.php?sid=850


Sounds interesting, Melissa is a hottie when she wants to be. Apparently though it's being produced as a family oriented series... So, I guess she won't be very attractive after all.

Probably won't be too overly violent, but I see that as a good thing. If it were matuer I'm afraid they'd overdue the fight scenes to make it hip (more in favor of style than soul), but hopefully they'll make it more traditional samurai-style dueling with very occasional bouts of slick whoop-ass.

We'll only know once we see a budget and what format it'll be (probably TV).

[angelx03]

Can she really do martial arts? I mean, in the Sabrina episode about her using magic in order to make herself a kung-fu master made it seem like a stunt double has been used.

[Hitori]

[Sentient Satire]

Good for western exposure to properties. I'm sure the original mangaka didn't expect this turn of events.

Probably the stunt coordinator, director of photography, coreographer will all be veterans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Somehow... it just seems probable.

[doughboy]

Can she really do martial arts?

If Keanu Reaves can learn...

I'd say it depends on the budget and how much they care. Since it's based on fighting, they're gonna have to give her some training... even if it's basic karate from a place down the street.

[Dark_Matter]

It all depends on the team that makes the movie. Whether they care about the origenal or not. I can really see the movie going either way. As far as Malissa. I don't like Sabrina, but I remember liking Clarissa Explains it All.

It would be interesting if they added all the anime effects to the live action characters.

[Sentient Satire]

We really do not have a parallel to draw from here, in terms of American film doing manga properties.

Now Japanese film, has a few examples to illustrate anime effects in live action. Azumi is a good example of manga live action. Sure some of effects didn't have the glitzy budget of Hollywood counterparts, but it was still well above B-movie standards.

[Dark_Matter]

The closest thing I can think of is the cartoony effects used in Ally McBeal.

[doughboy]

Slight update on 10/6:

"Melissa Joan Hart has signed a deal with manga publisher TOKYOPOP to produce and star in a film based on the Japanese comic book and anime Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School"

Now she's officially onboard and it seems it'll be "a film." That still doesn't mean a thing given how many cable networks make "exclusive films" these days. It'd be neat to see it come out in theaters... but who knows.

[DTJB]

Never read a lot of Real Bout High School, but it sure looked interesting enough. I'd give the movie a chance if it ever did come out, at all.