After the controversy sparked by the Netflix adaptation and its high-profile changes, Saint Seiya — or Los Caballeros del Zodíaco, for those who had more contact with the Japanese material — is back in the news in a very particular way: the rediscovery of a live-action pilot called Starstorm, produced by Bandai in the 1990s. Kurumada spoke about that project on more than one occasion, but if you want reasons to confirm its cancellation, you only have to press Play…
A Long History of Live-Action Disappointments
We still remember very well what happened when Dragon Ball entered the world of live action. Even the series’ screenwriter offered a public apology, acknowledging the damage that project had caused. The vast majority of fans believe that no anime series can be successfully transferred to live action, and every time Western cinema tried, that belief only gained strength.
However, bad results don’t diminish interest. A notable case is Death Note. The Netflix adaptation was very poorly received, but it seems to be getting a sequel. Mentioning Netflix brings us directly to Saint Seiya. Technically, its series isn’t live action, but the PlayStation 2 CGI and the gender change for Shun started a firestorm. Can you imagine a live-action Saint Seiya? How bad could it be? Well… don’t imagine any longer:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZZQyOqjND-wThe Starstorm Pilot
What you just watched are 15 seconds rescued from a strange pilot known as Starstorm, produced by the folks at Bandai (the mastermind behind games, figures, and other merchandising developments in the Saint Seiya universe) in the 1990s. The plan was for Starstorm to become “the” live-action Saint Seiya in the United States, though it never went anywhere. What can we extract from this pilot? Apparently, the idea of turning Shun into a woman isn’t new or original, Ikki is Black (or at least, I think it’s Ikki), Deathmask’s abs could grate cheese, and everyone has their torso bare (except “Shun”, of course).
Kurumada’s Comments
The first time Masami Kurumada spoke about Starstorm’s existence was in 2003, during an interview with Anime Land. At that time, he said Hollywood had a 15-minute pilot, but it “did not respect the essence of the series”, the overall design reminded him of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there were several name changes, and it was abandoned due to a lack of satisfactory results. The second time, speaking to Fuji TV, he complained about “the big muscles” of the actors. Finally, in another interview with Anime Land in 2005, Kurumada concluded: “It’s good that it never came out.” My sympathy for Kurumada ran out a long time ago… but I’ll give him that. That thing is horrible.
https://old.neoteo.com/seiya-y-shiryu-seran-parte-de-jump-force/
