How do you know when a manga has reached a wide enough audience? I suppose it is when the beloved manga becomes adapted into a new-fanged live action movies or series. This is, after all, a debatable point. Some absolutely mind-blowing manga has been overshadowed by superficial drivel whereby the latter receives a few movie deals and perhaps a stationary selling deal. On the other hand, some noteworthy comics have made it to the big screen, showing that truly creative works can sometimes reach beyond its niche market. Here is my list of manga series that was made into live action movies:

Death Note

The story about the lone-vigilante turned sociopath has been made into quite a few movies. Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name draws inspiration from both the manga and the anime. Actually, a number of fans gushed about the movie, noting that it was faithful to the original storyline. L: Changed the World is the third installment. This one is all about L, the detective with a sweet tooth and focuses on how he chooses his successor, Near. And yes, it is set close to L's death and is an interesting depiction his relationship with the boy who will eventually catch Light.

Antique Bakery

Antique Bakery had its run in late 1990s and is older than Death Note and some of the more popular titles making the rounds today. For this reason, it was initially not very well-known except amongst its small group of fans. On the other hand, the live action series did gather more fans during its heyday in 2001. Plus that wonderful little movie from 2008 called Antique did wonders for its image. According to Wiki, this one reeled in crowds like never before in Korea. Not bad for a manga from the shojo genre! My only complaint is that some of the adaptations toned down the gay relationship and introduced a guy-girl love affair.

If you are curious about the story, here's how it goes. It's about four guys working in a bakery. There is the main plot where the owner of the eatery has a hidden agenda about running the bakery. This topic is enhanced by the life stories of the other three as well as the snippets of events involving customers. All in all, it is a feel-good movie with elements of romance.

City Hunter

Of course, by now, every self-respecting martial arts fan knows what I am talking about. That's right - it's that famous Jackie Chan movie. But do they know anything about the manga? City Hunter is pretty old, it is even older than Antique! Dating back to the 1980s, it offers a vastly different art and narration style. In a strange way, the main character, Saeba, seemed more sleazy than the movie version. At the same time, the manga had its own dose of vigilante justice which was toned down from the movie. On the other hand, City Hunter - the live-action movie – is one of the funniest detective stories around and I can't think of a better tribute to the series.