Knights of the Zodiac Creator Shares Reaction to Live-Action Film

Soon, Hollywood will give us its latest take on anime, and we have Knights of the Zodiac to thank. If you did not know, the team at Toei Company came together to release its own take on the hit sci-fi fantasy. As the movie’s release date nears, all eyes are on Saint Seiya to see what this live-action anime can do, and now the author of the original Saint Seiya series is speaking up about the project.

And what do they think? Well, Masami Kurumada is pretty pleased about the whole situation. In a new note to fans, the Saint Seiya creator called the live-action movie “exciting” and passionate ahead of its Japan premiere.

“The young men and women who grew up watching Seiya across the ocean have made such an exciting movie. I believe that everyone who watches it will feel the passion behind this just as I did,” the writer shared.

Of course, there is no one fitter to comment on Saint Seiya or the Knights of the Zodiac movie than Kurumada. The man created the sci-fi fantasy way back in 1986. He went on to oversee the sequel to Saint Seiya upon its release in 2006, and Kurumada has yet to give up on his Saint Seiya journey.

Now, the creator is about to see an all-new side of Saint Seiya thanks to its live-action launch. Toei Company and Stage 6 Films came together to produce their own big-budget adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac. According to Kurumada’s past interviews, he has been eager to adapt Saint Seiya in live action for ages, but Toei Animation didn’t get such an opportunity until recently. Back in 2016, the company confirmed it would be bankrolling an adaptation of Saint Seiya, and the cast of Knights of the Zodiac came together quickly.

Now, Saint Seiya will bring its heroes to theaters in a matter of weeks. Knights of the Zodiac will debut in Japan on April 28th before the film launches stateside on May 12th. If you want to catch up on Saint Seiya, the series is published by Viz Media in English, so you can find the Saint Seiya manga in stores. You can also find pre-existing Saint Seiya anime series streaming on everything from Netflix to Crunchyroll. 

How do you feel about Knights of the Zodiac based on what you’ve seen so far of the movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.