TOKYO — Japan is in the middle of a live-action anime and manga adaptation boom, producing more movies and TV series based on animation and comics than ever before. But the transition isn’t always a smooth one, and sometimes films inspired by even phenomenally popular anime end up being skewered by critics and avoided by audiences.

Still, fans seem to be keeping an optimistic outlook for the upcoming live-action version of samurai/sci-fi tale “Gintama.” The Japanese live-action film industry has a slightly stronger track record with anime-sourced adaptations set in Japan and focused on Japanese characters, and when the “Gintama” movie’s principal trio was shown in costume for the first time back in December, the overall response was a positive one.

As the movie progresses towards its summer release, new costumed cast photos have been revealed, with the most recent batch introducing model Nanao as pistol-packing revolutionary Matako Kijima.

Nanao’s pet peeves include people who smoke while walking, something we wouldn’t recommend doing around her when she’s armed with multiple firearms.

Playing Matoko’s blind cohort in the secret Kiheitai organization, Nizo Okada, will be actor Hirofumi Arai. Jiro Sato will appear as Henpeita Takechi, yet another Kiheitai adversary. The live-action “Gintama’s” version of engineer Gengai Hiraga, portrayed by Tsuyoshi Muro (who’s only 41), has a fuller, thicker mohawk than his anime/manga counterpart.

Also confirmed to be making the jump to live action are Tae Shimura, played by Masami Nagasawa and Kotaro Katsura, a role filled by Masaki Okada.

The live-action “Gintama” still has quite a ways to go before it opens on July 14 in Japanese theaters, but considering the skill shown so far in the casting and costuming departments, hopefully the producers will be able to resist the temptation to just phone in the rest of the movie-making process.