The next live-action adaptation of an anime seems to have been ruined. Even prominent actors can’t help – childhood dreams are stifled in their infancy.
Some of the best stories in entertainment media are told in anime and manga. Therefore, the film industry keeps trying to turn these works into blockbusters that are supposed to be successful at the box office. But fans know that this has almost always been doomed to fail in recent years. And the same fate has now befallen “Knights of the Zodiac” – a series that many might still remember from their childhood.
What is “Knights of the Zodiac” about? In the world of “Saint Seiya” or “Knights of the Zodiac,” the goddess Athena is reborn among humans every few centuries to protect the world from impending disaster. She is supported by the titular “Saints” – humans who are elevated to the legendary status of a Knight of Athena. The series follows the protagonist Seiya, who is assigned exactly such a role.
The manga of “Saint Seiya” has existed since the 1980s. Anime adaptations appeared shortly after, with the latest currently available on Netflix.
Here is the criticism of the film: The film has already been released in Japan and the first reviews are mostly devastating. It is even compared to the “Dragonball Evolution” film – in the anime scene, this is considered the worst adaptation of all time, which was rated 2.2 / 10 on IMDb. As stated on 3D Juegos Latam:
Knights of the Zodiac repeats the same mistakes as Dragonball Evolution and feels like a film from 15 years ago. (…)
[There are] plenty of meaningless action sequences, special effects from the early 2000s, and a script with lousy character development. (…) The more the film progresses, the more one notices the absence of a coherent narrative. (…)
For some, just seeing Seiya training with Marin or building the armor may be enough to justify a cinema ticket. But those are just brief emotional bursts in a slow, boring production that is far from what one remembers from their childhood.
Not even the fact that they managed to recruit prominent actors like Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings) seems to save the film.
It’s almost ironic that “Knights of the Zodiac Movie” is abbreviated to “Kotzmovie” – by the way, that’s also the title of the official website for the film.
In Germany, the film will only be released in theaters on May 16. Until then, you have plenty of time to weigh whether you really want to see this adaptation.
Why do adaptations mostly fail? It is difficult to pinpoint exactly. One of the biggest problems is the representation of drama. In manga, anime – and generally Asian entertainment – drama is often pushed to the extreme. Internal, long monologues and seemingly “exaggerated” reactions are more reminiscent of theater performances than of Western films, which are usually told in a more sober manner.
Additionally, anime adaptations almost always have a rather “cheap” touch. This is often due to the costumes, which try to capture the colorful original, but just work better in animation. Outdated special effects then ensure that many of these films often feel more like an episode of “Power Rangers.”
That live-action adaptations of popular anime are doomed to fail and often turn into a “cringe-fest” will likely remain a reality. But fans of Death Note or Cowboy Bebop can sing a song about it by now…
Will you still go see the film in theaters and give it a chance? Or are you afraid of tarnishing the beautiful childhood memories?
