A live-action Knights of the Zodiac? Yes because what the world needs is another live-action anime adaptation.
I don’t mean to sound cynical here, but I’m gonna take this opportunity to be a lil’ cynical anyway. After the recent disaster that was Cowboy Bebop, I don’t think my heart can take another disappointment. I’ve been hurt in the past by live-action anime adaptations, and I think that I need to assert my boundaries. I ignored the red flags with the unfortunate Ghost in the Shell remake with Scarlett Johansson, and I allowed toxicity to enter my life when I fell for a pretty face in the Death Note remake. Whose pretty face? Willem Dafoe’s, of course.
Now it seems like the world wants me to swipe right on ANOTHER live-action adaptation, but I feel like my therapist would tell me that I need to take some time for myself so I can heal. I don’t need to watch a good live-action anime adaptation to feel valuable. I can create my own value for myself. I need to know that I can survive on my own, without live-action anime adaptations to hold my hand.
But I’m not gonna listen, ’cause this live-action anime adaptation has Sean Bean.
WTF is ‘Knights of The Zodiac’? And what are its intentions with my heart?
The new Knights of the Zodiac live-action movie is an adaptation of the anime Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya, which itself is an adaptation of the 1980s manga Saint Seiya by Masami Kurumada. The plot of the original is this: a headstrong young teenager named Seiya is recruited to join a group of warriors called the Bronze Knights (Bronze Saints in the manga). The Bronze Knights are dedicated to fighting evil in the name of the goddess Athena. Their chief enemies are the Black Knights, a group of renegade Knights that wish to bring about Athena’s destruction, and the Gold Knights, who are the most powerful Knights in the whole Knight order. To top it off, Seiya is also on the hunt for his missing sister, and something tells me his knightly quest is gonna lead him right to her.
The movie plot is similar, but with a lil twist of adaptation lemon! A goddess of war has been reincarnated as a young girl, and Seiya has to become a Knight of the Zodiac in order to protect her! Sweet! Kickass superpowers in exchange for defending some kid? I’d take that deal. Just don’t try to make me care. I’m still getting over my last anime adaptation experience, and I’m not emotionally available for another one right now.
Which actors will convince me to watch this Knights of the Zodiac adaptation?
Pretty faces in this movie include former Bond Girl Famke Janssen, who later played Jean Grey in the X-Men movies. We’ve also got Madison Iseman, who starred in the horror film Annabelle Comes Home. And we have the legendary Sean Bean, who has appeared (and died) in countless movies and shows. Ned Stark. Boromir. That dude from Equilibrium. All dope; all dead. The only question is if Sean Bean will die in this movie, too. I promised my emotionally unavailable heart that I wouldn’t cry, especially over a live-action anime adaptation, but Sean Bean’s skillful ability to die really emotionally every time might just get me all over again.
As for the lead role, that’s going to perhaps the prettiest face of all: the Japanese-American actor Mackenyu. You can tell that he’s all that because he only goes by one name. Beyoncé. Prince. Zendaya. It’s just a thing that cool people do. Cool people who would all probably break my heart should they, too, be cast in a live-action anime adaptation.
The other person to make me cautiously excited about in this film is Mark Dacascos. You may not have heard of Marky D., but you’ve probably seen his face. He’s a legendary martial artist and stuntman who played opposite Keanu Reeves in John Wick 3: Parabellum. This dude is a serious badass, so we know that we can expect some killer fight choreography in this film. Also, he’s the host of Iron Chef. That still won’t be enough to convince me to open my heart to live-action anime adaptation-love, though. I’ve just been hurt too many times.
Is there a trailer for Knights of the Zodiac?
Yep. Here it is. Careful, it’ll promise you everything, but might break your heart anyway.
When will Knights of the Zodiac be released?
The live-action Knights of the Zodiac movie will be released in theaters on May 12. The first two seasons of the anime are available to stream on Netflix.
(featured image: Sony)
