Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to get right? Despite the ongoing debate about whether Avatar (2005–08) is indeed an “anime” (since it’s made by US creators), the series has nonetheless gone down as a favourite among Western anime fans. For the latest news & views from every corner of the world, Worldcrunch Today is the only truly international newsletter. Sign up here. Netflix’s new rendition has been rated highly by fans and critics alike. Vi…