I Thought Nothing Could Be Worse Than Dragonball Evolution Until This 2023 Live-Action Movie Proved Me Wrong

Summary

  • Knights of the Zodiac was as bad as Dragonball Evolution, if not worse.
  • Knights of the Zodiac lacked a clear identity or vision.
  • Good anime adaptations need a solid vision and a sufficient budget for success.



For years, I believed that no live-action adaptation could be as bad as Dragonball Evolution (2009), but Knights of the Zodiac (2023) proved me wrong. As a huge anime fan, I always found it frustrating how most Hollywood live-action anime adaptations turned out to be very disappointing. Still, there was no debate on which of them had been the worst โ€“ Dragonball Evolution. Based on one of the most popular anime of all time, Dragonball Evolution had a disastrous reception and suggested that Hollywood would never be able to tackle major anime properties like DBZ or Saint Seiya.

Fortunately, things have improved since the Oozaru form was turned into a spirit living inside Goku. The biggest example of this is One Piece, which succeeded not only as an adaptation but as a standalone series that could be enjoyed by both new audiences and fans of the source material. That said, many of the mistakes made in the 2009 Dragon Ball live-action movie continue to be made. Like Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya could have been turned into an exciting live-action movie franchise, which did not happen.



Knights Of The Zodiac Was As Bad As Dragonball Evolution (If Not Worse)

Knights Of The Zodiac Gets Everything Wrong

As the first-ever live-action Saint Seiya feature, Knights of the Zodiac had the difficult mission of bringing one of the most popular anime series of all time to another media. Still, as tricky as it is to adapt something like Saint Seiya, I was not expecting Knights of the Zodiac to be that bad. Sadly, there are little to no redeemable qualities about Knights of the Zodiac, which can also be said about Dragonball Evolution. The 2023 film has no clear identity or vision and wastes its cast.


Movie

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score

Worldwide Box Office

Dragonball Evolution (2009)

14%

$56 million

Knights of the Zodiac (2023)

21%

$7 million

Mackenyu played Pegasus Seiya in Knights of the Zodiac, an interesting cast choice that could have worked greatly in a better movie. Having actors of the caliber of Sean Bean and Famke Janssen in a Saint Seiya movie also sounded exciting, but neither of them was given much to work with. Knights of the Zodiac completely misses the point of Saint Seiya and does not even include the Bronze Saints, focusing instead solely on Seiya. The movie repeats the capital mistake that ruined Dragon Ballโ€™s first live-action film โ€“ it seemed afraid of adapting its source material.


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What Went Wrong With The Live-Action Saint Seiya Movie

Knights Of The Zodiac Never Had A Chance

Marin and Seiya in Knights of the Zodiac

Knights of the Zodiac had a reported budget of $60 million, which itself suggested the movie was not going to live up to the anime. Although less can be more when it comes to adaptations, an accurate Saint Seiya movie would need a significant budget to bring the animeโ€™s world to life. From the settings to the costumes to the visual effects, it is arguably impossible to make a proper adaptation of Saint Seiya without a blockbuster-level budget. This is one of the reasons why live-action anime movies are rare and often leave a lot to be desired.


Knights of the Zodiac
‘s story shares many similarities with that of the 2019
Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya
show, which itself made big changes to the original anime.

The live-action Saint Seiya movie was also not treated as the major event that it should have been. It was unclear whether Knights of the Zodiac was even going to have a theatrical release, or if it was going to be sent straight to home video. Even without considering how different it is from the manga or the anime, Knights of the Zodiac is a deeply flawed film in every other aspect. Lastly, the movie strangely adapted the 3D-animated Knights of the Zodiac reboot instead of pulling from the more traditional source material.

Knights Of The Zodiac Is A Reminder That Live-Action Adaptations Are Still Tricky

Good Anime Adaptations Require A Clear Vision & Enough Budget

Mackenyu as Zoro and Seiya


Having watched Dragonball Evolution on the first week when it came out in 2009, Iโ€™m glad that live-action anime movies and shows have come a long way since then. One Piece and even non-Hollywood Netflix live-action anime adaptations such as Yu Yu Hakusho and Parasite: The Grey have created the impression that the industry has finally learned how to properly adapt beloved anime properties. However, Knights of the Zodiac is an important reminder of how difficult it is to bring series like Saint Seiya to live-action, especially when they donโ€™t have a solid vision or the necessary budget.

Hopefully, the success of
One Piece
will set the tone for future live-action projects based on anime (…)


The worst live-action anime movies and shows are the ones that are too afraid of embracing the source material or do not have the resources to do so. Sadly, Dragonball Evolution and Knights of the Zodiac had both of those issues. Hopefully, the success of One Piece will set the tone for future live-action projects based on anime, be it on the big screen or in TV shows. With a Naruto movie in the works and a My Hero Academia adaptation in early development, Hollywood has the chance of finally nailing the live-action anime genre.

  • Dragonball Evolution - Poster - Justin Chatwin With A fireball

    Dragonball Evolution

    Dragonball Evolution is a live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Directed by James Wong, the film stars Justin Chatwin as Goku, who embarks on a quest to collect the seven Dragon Balls and prevent the evil Lord Piccolo from destroying the world. The movie diverges from its source material, offering a modernized take on the beloved franchise.

    Director
    James Wong

    Release Date
    March 12, 2009

    Cast
    Justin Chatwin , Chow Yun-Fat , Joon Park , Jamie Chung , Emmy Rossum

    Runtime
    85 Minutes

  • Knights of the Zodiac Poster

    Knights of the Zodiac

    Knights of the Zodiac is a 2023 fantasy movie based on Masami Kurumadaโ€™s manga titled Saint Seiya. The film was originally released at the end of April 2023 in Japan before hitting select theaters in the United States in early May. The film centers on Seiya, a street orphan who discovers he is destined to protect a young girl that is a reincarnated goddess.

    Director
    Tomasz Baginski

    Release Date
    May 12, 2023

    Cast
    Famke Janssen , Madison Iseman , Sean Bean , Mark Dacascos , Nick Stahl , Diego Tinoco , Caitlin Hutson , Mackenyu

    Runtime
    112 Minutes