Live-action anime/manga adaptations still seem to be hit or miss. While some recent ones like Alice in Borderland and One Piece have slightly restored hope, it is hard not to remember how terrible adaptations like Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, and Fullmetal Alchemist have been. Among all of these, though, Dragonball Evolution is still considered the worst because it completely missed the point of its source material.
A closer look at another anime adaptation from recent years, however, reveals that Dragonball Evolution might have a worthy rival.
Knights Of The Zodiac’s 2023 Live-Action Movie Is No Better Than Dragonball Evolution
Many live-action anime adaptations have left audiences disappointed. However, Dragonball Evolution is often touted as the worst offender. The movie not only misinterpreted the original anime and manga but even whitewashed almost the entire cast and re-imagined the story as a coming-of-age drama set in a high school. To make things even worse, the movie could not even get the name of its source material right.
It spelled “dragon ball” as one single word in its title, which was the first telltale sign of how disastrous it was going to be. The 2023 live-action adaptation of Saint Seiya, fortunately, did not mess up its title. Titled Knights of the Zodiac, the movie also seemingly did a decent job of casting the right actors for some of its parts.
However, in terms of storytelling, it is arguably whether Knights of the Zodiac is any better than Dragonball Evolution.
Instead of staying true to its source material, the live-action anime movie repeated Dragonball Evolution‘s biggest mistake by trying to ground itself in a more urban and “relatable” setting. It portrayed Seiya as a street fighter in a dusty basement and reduced its source material to a generic sci-fi military action movie.
Its heavy focus on Seiya alone even prevented it from capturing the brotherhood of the Bronze Saints, which made the anime so compelling. What makes Knights of the Zodiac even more underwhelming is that it even shies away from embracing the quirkiness of its original anime. Everything from costume designs to character dynamics feels toned down and overly simplified.
While Knights of the Zodiac still has a few redeeming qualities over Dragonball Evolution, its 21% Rotten Tomatoes score against Dragonball Evolution’s 14% rating highlights how it is somewhere in the same league of subpar anime live-action adaptations.
Knights Of The Zodiac & Dragonball Evolution Have Proven That We Don’t Need More Big-Screen Live-Action Anime Remakes
Knights of the Zodiac and Dragonball: Evolution are prime examples of how long-running anime franchises should not be reduced to two-hour movies. Even if they are getting live-action movie adaptations, the films should aim to expand the existing lore of the franchise instead of simplifying it for the masses.
Considering the recent success of small-screen manga/anime adaptations like One Piece and Alice in Borderland, television seems to be a far superior medium for live-action treatments.
Some live-action shows, like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, have also been no less controversial. However, they at least have enough runtime to capture their source material’s lore and spin it in a way that works in the medium.
Since anime live-action adaptations still “miss” more than they “hit,” it is arguable whether they should even be made. However, shows like One Piece will hopefully start changing this trend and pave the way for better live-action adaptations that can make up for the damage caused by Dragonball Evolution and Knights of the Zodiac.