A Lost Piece of Anime History Has Been Uncovered After 20+ Years

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As an avid gamer and anime enthusiast with over 25 years of experience under my belt, I must say that finding lost media is like discovering hidden treasure for us nostalgic folks! The unearthing of the long-lost live-action pilot of Saint Seiya has sent shockwaves through the community, and it’s been a joy to watch Ray Mona unravel the mystery piece by piece.

As an avid fan, I can’t think of anything quite as exhilarating as a captivating mystery, and that’s no different for anime enthusiasts. From whispered whispers about films to fleeting TV series, collectors have cataloged countless vintage productions throughout the years. However, some classic anime titles have remained shrouded in mystery for decades, leaving fans yearning for answers. Now, one of those elusive projects has been discovered, and this recovery of lost media is over 20 years in the making!

Have you figured it out? If you’re familiar with obscure media, then this might not be too hard. It turns out that the long-lost pilot of the live-action adaptation of Saint Seiya has been discovered! The scoop came from Ray Mona on YouTube.

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A Piece of Saint Seiya History

As you can see above, a full documentary has been posted by Mona about Saint Seiya. The curator was able to track down the full pilot episode of Saint Seiya‘s live-action adaptation. The project dates back to the ’90s, but it was first mentioned publicly in 2003. Masami Kurumada, the creator of Saint Seiya, told a French publication that he was approached by a Hollywood company about a live-action adaptation. A fifteen-minute live-action pilot was made, but ultimately, Kurumada pulled the plug. According to the creator, the Saint Seiya adaptation did not align with the series and its core story elements. In 2005, further reports detailed the pilot’s existence, but it has not been seen by the public until now.

Mona recently revealed to her audience that it’s been a year since she discovered ‘Guardians of the Cosmos’ in part 2 of ‘The Secret Stories of Saint Seiya’. She also announced that the previously cancelled live-action pilot episode of ‘Saint Seiya’, titled ‘StarStorm’, has been located at last.

I truly appreciate your ongoing understanding as I work through things. My dear audience, I’m deeply grateful for you all and feel incredibly fortunate to have helped discover countless lost treasures over the past three years while being part of the lost media community.

When Anime Meets Live-Action Film

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It’s evident that the pilot for Saint Seiya differs significantly from the anime, which aligns well with the initial assessments of the project. The documentary further explains how Renaissance Atlantic, known for producing Power Rangers, brought this live-action series to fruition. Initially, it seemed that the U.S. team held high expectations for Saint Seiya, but Yoshihiko Togashi (Kurumada) did not share their vision. Nevertheless, as many are aware, the creator of Saint Seiya eventually agreed to a live-action adaptation.

2017 saw Toei Animation assisting in the creation of a live-action Saint Seiya movie under director Tomasz Baginski. Fast forward six years, and I was there, front and center as Mackenyu stepped into the role of Seiya in the film’s release in April 2023. Sadly, the movie didn’t quite strike a chord with audiences worldwide, raking in only $7 million globally. Critics were less than impressed, and it seems that this production added another chapter to anime’s tumultuous journey when it comes to live-action adaptations.

It appears that the trend of poorly received live-action anime adaptations under big studios has been persistent, with titles like Dragon Ball and Death Note falling short. However, this pattern seems to have shifted with One Piece. In 2023, Netflix and Tomorrow Studios collaborated closely with series creator Eiichiro Oda, resulting in a successful first season that catapulted One Piece to the top of Netflix’s charts. Now, a second season is in production. Given One Piece’s success, it seems other franchises might find success in adapting their stories for live-action productions as well.

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2024-10-01 22:09