If you, the reader, are used to reading my video game reviews, I should warn you that this time will be a little different. My goal here is to describe the experience I had watching the first season of this "remake" of Knights of the Zodiac, which premiered last Friday on the Netflix streaming service. This opinion comes from someone who is a fan of the classic series and who, in 1994, at eight years old, watched his favorite "cartoon" every day in the late afternoon on the now-defunct TV Manchete. So I will say up front that my judgment will be based on childhood nostalgia, although I always try to avoid that in my reviews. I hope you enjoy this new format of quick writing without extensive research into behind-the-scenes matters and market context.
The group together, but a little different.
As for the plot of our beloved anime, I will avoid spoilers involving entirely new moments included in this production, but I will discuss details already present in the classic anime and original manga. So be warned, all you "first Pegasus Meteor sailors": the following text contains plenty of information relevant to the plot.
The opening of Netflix's Knights of the Zodiac turned out very well.
The plot itself took considerable creative freedom, adding new characters and conflicts to the story, which I believe was a very positive factor, since there would be little point in watching everything we already know again. Even so, the foundation is quite similar to the classic, and below is a trailer that quickly explains the work's background.
Speaking of creative freedom, the change that stands out most to fans of the classic is the gender of Andromeda Shun, who was originally male and became female. I do not know the exact reasons for this, but I imagine an androgynous character might somehow have generated controversy that Netflix decided to avoid, which we can understand considering how much more sensitive the "world" has become in recent years. I confess that it is strange to get used to, but it is nothing that would make us stop following the series.
It may feel strange, but we will soon get used to it.
The most important points about this Knights of the Zodiac would be the following:
1) The level of violence everyone knows from Knights of the Zodiac has been reduced considerably - As a result, what attracted children in the 1990s who were accustomed to Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker is quite different. I remember the shock of seeing Cassios with his ear cut off and his arms covered in blood, moaning in pain from the humiliation of defeat. In this "remake," there is almost no blood, and Cassios's ear remains on his head. The production was undoubtedly intended to make the content more family-friendly. We can therefore almost rule out future iconic moments involving Shiryu, such as blinding himself against Perseus Algol or cutting off Capricorn Shura's arm;
As we can see, Cassios's ear is no longer on the floor.
2) The humor was greatly emphasized - The classic series had few humorous moments; in fact, many consider it a highly melancholic anime whose characters endure constant suffering and few happy moments. Everything in this new version has a different, relaxed tone. The characters and situations provide lighter content that can genuinely draw laughs from viewers. This came mainly through the dubbing, which used and even overused popular Brazilian memes. In other words, you will hear things like "you really are the man" or "you know nothing, innocent one." It may be more irritating to purists, but hearing our beloved voice actors with their characters in this kind of setting was at least interesting;
3) The plot was based primarily on the manga - Complaining about creative freedom here is even curious, since the classic anime also made extensive use of it at the time. This "remake" uses manga elements that were ignored in the old series, such as Shaka being sent to Death Queen Island after Phoenix acquired his Cloth, or Aiolia watching Seiya obtain the Pegasus Cloth. These details are interesting for those who follow the series in both forms. Even so, elements from the anime were retained, such as Mr. Kido not being the father of hundreds of children, thankfully;
We notice the Gold Saints' presence from the beginning in this version, unlike the classic, which brought them into the plot later.
4) The incredible soundtrack is absent - In my view, the classic Knights series' greatest quality was its peerless soundtrack. I would even go so far as to say, quite subjectively, that the music in this anime is the best I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Who does not remember Hyoga's themes or Ikki's classic resurrection? Although the tracks that are present do not disappoint, this is still a negative point. Speaking of which, the new version of the opening is incredible, as is its image editing; here I can only offer my congratulations. It appears below.
5) The anime's "graphics" - Many complained about the animation quality while it was in development and, although it feels strange at times, it is truly rich in detail. The quality of the light and shadow effects is incredible, as are certain landscapes shown. One highlight is the mask of the Devil Saint (Ikki's master), in which we can see small cracks, shadows, brighter areas, and more. There is nothing to criticize about the production quality here; one can only understand the clear aversion some fans have to seeing something so different from what they had known for over 20 years. Incidentally, the "magic" effects are incredible, a tremendous delight;
Hearing a Rozan Rising Dragon with these new animations is cool, yes.
6) The dubbing is excellent - Although some may dislike the humor in the dubbing, it is what most makes fans of the classic want to continue watching the series to the end. Hearing Seiya and his group with the same voice actors playing the same roles after so many years is an explosion of nostalgia for older viewers. Unfortunately, we cannot expect everyone to be present, as many of the professionals from that time have since died, but those still here do everything with the determination and affection we have come to expect;
7) The first season's length - Unfortunately, only six episodes were made available this time, which, let us be honest, is little for an anime with so much content to explore. Across these approximately two hours of content, we see just how condensed and brief the storytelling will be. It is worth highlighting that a large portion of the battles already shown were decided with a single blow, which may create an anticlimax for those who enjoy action-packed anime.
The feeling of a broad summary is present across the mere six episodes.
Some Personal Observations
Although I have already described practically every positive and negative point I encountered in the first season of Knights of the Zodiac, there are a few details I would like to mention: the improved relationship between Mu and Dohko, which makes sense since they are the only ones who know about the "coup" Saga carried out at the Sanctuary; Esmeralda's death being clearly intentional on the part of the Devil Saint, which I say because the classic version left more room to interpret it as an accident; and Seika apparently having special powers, increasing the chances that she is Marin in this "remake."
Just to please the longtime Knights of the Zodiac fans.
