Seinto Seiya

If you've just happen to stumble across this series by accident, or are in fact a true Saint Seiya fanatic, please feel free to read this commentary on such a great animated series.

First of all, it is a great break from the typical anime where you have robots and tons of martial arts; the idea behind Saint Seiya is truly original and that is why it still impacts on the world today: Imagine our modern world protected by mythological Gods of hallowed antiquity. We have Palas Athenea, or Athena, protecting our world from evil. She is reborn when the presence of evil is strong. (Around 200 to 300 years usually). Then imagine her sitting on her throne in her Sanctuary, protected by 12 golden saints, each one representing a Zodiac sign, each with a unique power, armor and cosmos. (Cosmos is from where these Saints obtain their power, taking it from thier constelation).

But there are more than 12 saints. The Saint order has three different ranks: Golden, Silver and Bronze. Each Saint holds the power to a different constelation, and this is where our main characters come in: the Bronze Saints are also twelve, and are the destined ones to replace the Golden Saints in the future, but till then, they hold their own armor representing minor constelations. And from these twelve, five stand out as the strongest and bravest: Seiya of Pegasus, Shiryu of the Dragon, Shun of Andromeda, Hyoga of Cygnus, and my personal favorite Ikki of Phoenix (not the city), who happens to be Shun's older brother and probably the most troubled of the five.

To sum things up, each character has their own unique personality, their own unique and cool repetoir of attacks, problems and existential angst. But they are the sworn protectors of the Goddess Athena, and all that is good on Earth. (No matter how corny that sounds)

The series back in 1986 saw these five Saints battle it out in the Sanctuary against the false High Pope (keeper of the Sanctuary until Athena is reincarnated) and the Golden Saints who did not realize the High Pope was evil; against Madam Hylda and her Seven Warriors of Asgard in the frozen regions of Scandinavia; and against Poseidon's reincarnation and his Generals: the Marine Scales. The series finished with them defeating Poseidon, but the Manga (comic) actually had a continuation, where they battled Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, and his 108 specters (of which only about 20 are important). For any of you interested, TOEI animation has decided (after 17 years!!) to continue the series where it left off. And it will be aired in english and spanish later this year!!!

So to sum up, imagine a series where the characters each represent a myth, and hold in their soul the power of a Constelation. Battling Gods, monsters, and even their own troubled minds. So if you do get to watch this series, be delighted because it is a rare gem in the TV World. (Check out Cartoon Network, I think they're playing it now on a regular basis).

So the only thing I can say (and all you fans know what this means) is: Pegasus RyuSeiKen!!

There'll never be enough space to describe how special this series really is here, but maybe it can't be said with words as it is. Saint Seiya is very much a visual experience, after all.

The story, in a nutshell, is about five young boys who's task it is to defend the modern-day reincarnation of Athena against several threats. This translates into loads of very theatrical duels between these five Bronze Saints and their rivals, who happen to all be pretty boys with groovy armors and hairstyles. At a glance, it sounds terribly daft, but there's so much -more- in here than in your average boys-oriented battle series.

For starters, the overall quality of the presentation is quite a surprise. Of course, for such a long TV series there are always one or two episodes that look a bit drab. But taking in the big picture, Saint Seiya has an immediately recogniseable visual style of it's own that really leaves an impression. Long, fluttering strands of hair (in some very groovy colors) surround faces with dreamy eyes, and the fine, stylised bodies of the characters are shot from many inventive angles and animated with lots of flair. Kudos also to the one behind the backdrops; Saint Seiya sports some of the most gorgeous background paintings I've ever seen. From ruins of Greek temples to snowy wastelands, every setting is painted with rich and exquisite detail.

The music would really deserve a full review of it's own, as composer Seiji Yokoyama has done a marvellous job. Rousing, dramatic themes are the order of the day, who fit the scenes wonderfully and amplify the impact of the series no end. They also stick in your head forever, as do the punchy rock songs in the opening credits (it's the music that drew me into this series to begin with, actually. One listen of "Soldier Dream" and you're marked for life).

The plots and structure of the battles have their own "typically Saint Seiya" style as well. What is remarkable is how much cruelty and sadness shows through here. Not just meaning that the fights get rather bloody at some points (Hyoga's duel against Milo of Scorpio), but also that a lot of the characters have painful pasts and deep traumas. This makes for a rich, and very interesting cast. The opponents of our heroes aren't plain "nasties", they usually have their own ways of thinking which pushes them to fight for their cause. They're often misguided, or being used for someone's other dark means, which makes it all the more tragic to see them bravely dying in a battle to the limits, after they've shown such rich and fascinating personalities. There are only one or two truly "evil" characters among the enemies (and even they are very captivating to watch).

The five young heroes have equally likeable and deep personalities (with the exception of mister big hero Seiya, perhaps), and develop distinct styles of thinking and of fighting throughout the series. It makes for a gripping experience, full of rich and very dramatic moments.

Another interesting touch is the clever use of mythologic references. Each character is affiliated to a constellation, and often to a mythological figure as well. These are usually well-researched and very clever references, and it's probably the best job I've ever seen of bringing ancient myths up to date again, all while respecting the tone of the original myth.

With such a long series (114 episodes), there are ups and downs, inevitably. Particularly during the first "Sanctuary" series, Toei larded on a big dose of filler episodes and soulless extra characters, purely for marketing purposes, who just hamper the series as a whole. The later "Poseidon" episodes are also rather dull and empty. The best of the series is concentrated in the latter Sanctuary episodes, and the tremendous Asgard series. Next to the TV series, there are also 4 short movies, worth watching just for the eye candy (the Abel movie is really wonderful to look at).

All in all, Saint Seiya is and always will be one of the greatest works Japan has produced. It has gathered a huge lot of very faithful fans, simply because once you've gotten into the flavor of Saint Seiya, you'll never be able to forget it again. Some may be put off by it's delicate visual style and baroque touches, but this was never intended for those who can't appreciate beautiful stories in the first place. Just a shame this is hardly known on the English-language market.

Saint Seiya - The Sanctuary Chapter is a treasure not only in the anime world, but in fiction in general. With features of unusual quality, it is more like a show to enjoy and admire than to entertain us. The only thing that is in contradiction with this is the high number of episodes, which makes the series losing quality sometimes. But these few low moments are easily forgotten when you look at the series as a whole and you can get its real value.

The technology, although not excellent (as the series dates from 1986), can present us with splendid effects of light radiation involving the bodies of the knights. The drawings are the most beautiful I have ever seen: characters, armors, environments – they have an outstanding creativity and beauty. A wonderful story, which uses the tireless theme "Good versus Evil", is based on a perfect combination between the Greek mythology and the world today. The fights are spectacular, with diversified moves and strategies that almost always have something to teach us. The knights are often invaded by memories of training with their masters, through which they apprehend important lessons and motivation for the battle, and they have a carefully written (sometimes Epic) speech, through which they explain their ideals.

The bronze saints have a strong spirit of sacrifice, and thus can bring me a huge energy and willpower to face the difficulties of day-to-day and to achieve my goals (you can make an analogy between their combats and the obstacles that come in lifetime).

Another analogy that I found is the fact that Seiya, a little guy, can defeat Cassius, when the latter presents a physical condition disproportionately higher. Indeed, the Cassius muscles are only due to a superficial and repetitive training that relies on brute force, while Seiya achieves a high energy level (the cosmos) because of the passion that he deposits in training and in combat and the noble ideals it stands for. Therefore, we should also get interest for our work, by doing something that is really good for the society we live in, even if it does not result in better personal profits (such as money and credit), because only the passion for what we do can move us to the level which Cassius was unaware.

Saint Seiya "The Knights of the Zodiac" is a cult anime that marked an entire generation of fans, which had enormous success worldwide at the turn of the 80s and early 90s.

The animated series, produced by Toei Animation in 1986, is based on the famous manga of the same name by Masami Kurumada, and tells the adventures of a group of young warriors, the knights of Athena, who fight to protect the goddess and the Earth. The story of the anime is fascinating and has several elements of Greek and Nordic mythology and religions including Buddhism, Shintoism, etc.

The characterization of the many characters is one of the anime's strong points.

The knights (saint) designed and created by Masami Kurumada are all beautifully characterized, with strong and distinct personalities, which make them unique, and many of them are memorable characters.

The main characters are: Seiya of Pegasus, the protagonist, a good, impulsive and courageous boy who never gives up in the face of countless difficulties; Shiryu of the Dragon, a stoic and wise warrior, who fights for others; Hyoga of the Swan, a cold boy, who however hides a great pain in his heart; Shun of Andromeda, a kind and compassionate boy, who sacrifices himself for others; Ikki from Phoenix, a strong, rebellious and lonely boy, who hides a dark and sad past; Saori, a girl, reincarnation of Athena in the 20th century, torn between her human feelings and her duties as a goddess who protects humanity.

And then there are several secondary characters, including silver knights, golden knights, warriors of Asgard and marine generals, some of whom are wonderful antagonists both in terms of visuals and characterization.

Shingo Araki's character design is another very positive element of the anime, an effective, beautiful and very suitable design, which makes the anime immediately recognizable, which stands out from the mass of anime.

The armor of the knights and enemies are a real spectacle, with their bright colors and fascinating details. Some of the armor designs created by Masami Kurumada are amazing ideas.

The music of the anime is another memorable element, a pleasure for the ears. The background music is epic and engaging, and helps to create a very evocative atmosphere.

Another honorable mention are some duels present in the anime, unforgettable and of great charm.

In conclusion, "The Knights of the Zodiac" is an anime of great quality, obviously we must and must contextualize it in the period in which it was released, that is, in the mid-80s: contextualized in that period, it is one of the best anime ever of the late 80s, a true cult, which has managed to conquer audiences of all ages. The series is a true jewel of 80s Japanese animation that conquered the whole world of that period, and which in Italy (and not only) has remained unforgettable.

Rating: 10. I give it the best, because it is an absolute cult anime of the animation of the late 80s and early 90s.

Saint Seiya is the best anime ever, it's about 5 young warriors "The Bronze Saints" who defend the reincarnation of Godess Athena (Saori Kido) against threats such as the "Silver Saints" and the deadly "Gold Saints" (the zodiac signs, from aries thru pisces) in which the bronze saints come out victorious, and with the 5 remaining gold saints alive as their allies, who repair the heroes' destroyed armors

Then comes the Asgard saga, where the heroes have to fight against the threat of a corrupted Hilda Polaris (the representation of Odin on earth) and her 7 god warriors

And the 3rd part of the series, the heroes fight Poseidon and his 7 marines to protect not only Athena, but the whole world..

The series are great, the characters (in my opinion) is what makes a show (or an anime) great, and in saint seiya all the characters are awesome, both in apperiances and personalities... I really can't choose who my favorite character is, they're all cool... but one thing is for sure: this is my favorite anime of all the time!