diogo_mmj
Joined Nov 2020
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diogo_mmj's rating
Saint Seiya (1986-1989) was a fever in Latin America and Europe in the early 90s. They were everywhere: toys, sticker albums, music CDs, candy, caps etc. The anime didn't make it to the US, so it's not as well known in that market. But there are few animations that manage to break the North American cultural hegemony and create a fever, other cases are Dragon Ball or Pokemon.
Saint Seiya is an action anime series that mixes Greek mythology, mysticism and astrology to create a world of its own. The series has similarities with Dragon Ball Z because it has the same target audience, debuted in the same Japanese magazine (Shonnen Jump) and both were contemporaries, Dragon Ball in its original version. The success of the series led Toriyama to relaunch Dragon Ball as Dragon Ball Z using the team of animators from Saint Seiya.
We also see similarities in the animation work of Saint Seiya that we would later see in Dragon Ball Z. The anime masterfully applies shading and colour gradation, with the characters and movements having various lighting effects and layers of tone on their faces and armour, although it also reuses many scenes. The direction manipulates suspense as in kung fu or spaghetti western films: lots of close-ups on the characters, an immersive soundtrack, moments of tension before each blow.
The beginning is a little slow, but around episode 15 the series takes off and acquires a fascinating sense of urgency. The story is told with a high degree of drama and tension. Seiji Yokoyama's soundtrack is a stunning: engaging, passionate, it often steals the show. Moral and ethical discussions permeate Saint Seiya and the villains are often confronted by the heroes about their motivation and their answers are believable. There is a clear reference to Plato in one of these debates between the master of Libra and the Knight of Cancer.
The violence is impressive, limbs cut off, bodies pierced and blood everywhere, which explains why Saint Seiya didn't come to the US. Even so, Shingo Araki's character design is beautiful and, despite the repetition of techniques and powers, the mythology created by Kurumada keeps the actions scenes interesting (cosmos, seventh sense, faster than the speed of light etc). The references to Greek and Nordic mythology are extremely educational without being preachy. It serves the purpose of the narrative.
The weak point of Saint Seiya is the one-dimensional characters who have little life outside the main narrative. The story becomes a little repetitive and formulaic after the Sanctuary Saga (episode 73). Some moments are just to sell toys, like the steel knights or the introduction of new armor in the first episodes of the Asgard saga.
Nevertheless, Saint Seiya is an animation classic that has gained cult status in many countries for its fascinating qualities.
Saint Seiya is an action anime series that mixes Greek mythology, mysticism and astrology to create a world of its own. The series has similarities with Dragon Ball Z because it has the same target audience, debuted in the same Japanese magazine (Shonnen Jump) and both were contemporaries, Dragon Ball in its original version. The success of the series led Toriyama to relaunch Dragon Ball as Dragon Ball Z using the team of animators from Saint Seiya.
We also see similarities in the animation work of Saint Seiya that we would later see in Dragon Ball Z. The anime masterfully applies shading and colour gradation, with the characters and movements having various lighting effects and layers of tone on their faces and armour, although it also reuses many scenes. The direction manipulates suspense as in kung fu or spaghetti western films: lots of close-ups on the characters, an immersive soundtrack, moments of tension before each blow.
The beginning is a little slow, but around episode 15 the series takes off and acquires a fascinating sense of urgency. The story is told with a high degree of drama and tension. Seiji Yokoyama's soundtrack is a stunning: engaging, passionate, it often steals the show. Moral and ethical discussions permeate Saint Seiya and the villains are often confronted by the heroes about their motivation and their answers are believable. There is a clear reference to Plato in one of these debates between the master of Libra and the Knight of Cancer.
The violence is impressive, limbs cut off, bodies pierced and blood everywhere, which explains why Saint Seiya didn't come to the US. Even so, Shingo Araki's character design is beautiful and, despite the repetition of techniques and powers, the mythology created by Kurumada keeps the actions scenes interesting (cosmos, seventh sense, faster than the speed of light etc). The references to Greek and Nordic mythology are extremely educational without being preachy. It serves the purpose of the narrative.
The weak point of Saint Seiya is the one-dimensional characters who have little life outside the main narrative. The story becomes a little repetitive and formulaic after the Sanctuary Saga (episode 73). Some moments are just to sell toys, like the steel knights or the introduction of new armor in the first episodes of the Asgard saga.
Nevertheless, Saint Seiya is an animation classic that has gained cult status in many countries for its fascinating qualities.
Speed is the movie that launched Sandra Bullock's career and put the already well-known Keanu Reeves on the action movie route.
The movie is divided into two clear parts: the first on the bus is an action thriller, with a sense of urgency, in the style of Die Hard. And the second, shorter, in the subway where it becomes an action movie like Mission Impossible. I didn't like the twist and I think the movie should try to continue with the action and suspense style until the end.
Jan de Bont, the director, was great at creating an atmosphere of danger for the protagonists on the bus. The pace of the scenes, alternating between the action on the bus, at the police station and in the villain's hideout, is great. Although, the jump bus scene, one the most expensive in the movie, seems cheesy and wasteful, it's amazing that the final product turned out so well, when we found out that the movie ran dry of money before it was completed.
Speed would benefit greatly from a villain less generic, and if the whole movie took place entirely on the bus, as was the original idea of its creators. To do this, they should better develop the bus passengers, without losing the sense of adrenaline.
Even so, it's a great and efficient action movie.
The movie is divided into two clear parts: the first on the bus is an action thriller, with a sense of urgency, in the style of Die Hard. And the second, shorter, in the subway where it becomes an action movie like Mission Impossible. I didn't like the twist and I think the movie should try to continue with the action and suspense style until the end.
Jan de Bont, the director, was great at creating an atmosphere of danger for the protagonists on the bus. The pace of the scenes, alternating between the action on the bus, at the police station and in the villain's hideout, is great. Although, the jump bus scene, one the most expensive in the movie, seems cheesy and wasteful, it's amazing that the final product turned out so well, when we found out that the movie ran dry of money before it was completed.
Speed would benefit greatly from a villain less generic, and if the whole movie took place entirely on the bus, as was the original idea of its creators. To do this, they should better develop the bus passengers, without losing the sense of adrenaline.
Even so, it's a great and efficient action movie.
At four hours long, the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics was very long and drawn out. It could easily have been cut down to three hours. The ceremony was also controversial, criticised by religious groups and praised by the LGBTQ+ community.
The idea of the delegations being presented on boats was very creative and the synchronisation of the small events worked perfectly. It's a wonder that such a long ceremony, with so many people involved, had no sound or synchronisation problems.
However, the joke with the headless Marie Antoinette was in extremely bad taste for an event that claims to be pacifist and in favour of women. And the presentation of the Minions was strange since the characters have nothing to do with French culture. It looked like a disguised marketing for Despicable Me 4 (which, coincidentally, is in the cinema) and that's not what the Olympics are about.
It was a ceremony with ups and downs, long and controversial.
The idea of the delegations being presented on boats was very creative and the synchronisation of the small events worked perfectly. It's a wonder that such a long ceremony, with so many people involved, had no sound or synchronisation problems.
However, the joke with the headless Marie Antoinette was in extremely bad taste for an event that claims to be pacifist and in favour of women. And the presentation of the Minions was strange since the characters have nothing to do with French culture. It looked like a disguised marketing for Despicable Me 4 (which, coincidentally, is in the cinema) and that's not what the Olympics are about.
It was a ceremony with ups and downs, long and controversial.