I think the main problem with live action adaptations of animes isn’t that they stray too far from the original. It’s that they try to replicate it so much. Live action adaptations are so focused on trying to match the original that they never make it their own. And as a result, the quality suffers and it just feels like a cheap copy of the anime version.
Take, for instance, the American version of The Office. In the beginning, critics hated it because it was trying too hard to copy the original. Once they started putting their own spin on it, the reception became warmer. And now, it’s universally praised.
Take, for instance, the hair color in live action adaptations. In anime, a lot of characters have these unique hair styles and hair colors. So, in the live action adaptations, they try to replicate that, which I feel is a mistake. Some hair styles and hair colors is so intrinsically anime that when you put it in a live action setting, it comes off as cringe and phony. I’m sure there’s a way to do it, but a lot of times when it’s done it just takes me out of the world they’re trying to build.
Overall, I think the biggest problem with live action adaptations of anime is it tries to replicate the original series too much. They should instead replicate it without going all the way. Essentially make the characters the same but don’t just do a carbon copy. Because otherwise, what’s the point?