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.
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The series aired in Adult Swim for a while in a crappy time slot and has never really developed an American audience, which is a shame.I can not stress enough how good the series is.
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Great anime, watch it.
Saint Seiya 1986
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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.
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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!!
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it's about 5 (more like 4, Ikki shows up not very often) 'saints' trained to serve and protect everything that represents good. They always face new adventures and keeps us in the edge of our seat.
Also special mention to the music. wow the music is probably the very soul of Saint Seiya, it suits to every single ocation, a sad moment, a fight, a happy moment, etc.
Masami Kurumada es definitely a genius, and now with the new Hades OVAS coming, is definitely something to look forward.
Well if you want to see a good anime filled with action and entertainment, you can not miss this one! ***** out of *****
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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!
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I've read 'greatest anime ever' on the reviews here. This, if anything, is highly reductive. Of course it's by an infinite measure the best Jap Manga/anime thingy ever, but it is also unparalleled greatness in the realms of literature, poetry, fictional philosophy and cinema altogether.
- The level of emotions (I cry on a bunch of episodes !) - The depiction of absolute purity - The quality and adrenaline rush in the directing and writing of the action scenes/battles. - The overall class of the characters/scenes/settings. - The intelligence of the script and screen writing: the villain isn't simply a bad guy who wants to kill everyone, there's a very specific motive each time that is brilliantly wrought. - Aesthetics: of the women, the armors/cloths (esp. Gold saints and Poseidon Shoguns), never too violent (decent enough to let you understand the guy lost an arm, but not to show it explicitly)
This is the highest piece of cinematography you can get in terms of myths/symbols/poetry/wisdom + enormous emotions + classic tale-telling + and just CLASS overall and incredibly layered.
For what it does, it's more perfect than the most perfect thing you could think about. It beats your highest expectations.
And I think above all, it sure is informative but above all: HEALTHY. It's hyper positive. You can show this to anyone who's down, and even amongst the most depressed, this can only help and perhaps instill a new breath of life for a few days.
This is legendary, it's beyond greatness. No exaggeration. Perhaps the only thing I'd ever want to rate 11/10.
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The mythological elements used in the story worked very well, being a key factor in what concerned to the character development, their personalities and abilities. The excellent music composed by Seiji Yokohama deserves a special mention, as it is one of the main components that serve to recreate the perfect mood and atmosphere for each story arc, capturing the emotion, excitement, sadness and solemnity of the plot.
Considering the time when this series was made, the animation and the designs (done by Shingo Araki) were pretty good, and have a very good quality. It is true than some episodes are better animated than others, but the overall series keeps a good level. In many ways, this anime adaptation exploited very well the original story and concepts created by Masami Kurumada in order to create a fascinating epic tale with several elements from Greek and Norse Mythology, resulting in one of the most iconic anime series from the eighties.
It is true than in the last two parts of the original anime series (And in the movies) the story was somewhat simplified, focusing only in the quest done by the main heroes in order to save another character (in this chase, Saori/Athena) which plays the role of damsel in distress, following a predictable pattern of events, while many of the characters introduced in the first part of the series are reduced to a secondary role (Or are completely forgotten or mentioned again) some characters which were especially created for the animated series in the first season are simply killed off or just disappear as the series advances.
However, despite those flaws, this series never stops as being funny to watch, and even those parts that could be seen as melodramatic and cheesy (At least from a modern perspective) have an undeniable level of charm, the main quality why I still enjoy watching this series in the present.
It seems that this series was poorly dubbed in North America, receiving lots of censorship and lots of absurd changes done to the animation and the story. Too bad.
'Saint Seiya' is an iconic anime series that is in the same level of 'Dragonball' or 'The Fist of the North Star'. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Japanese animation done in that decade, having many good qualities that made it worth of appreciation. It is an entertaining and well done anime series.
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If someday Saint Seiya is released in the USA i'm sure that everybody will like it and all the people will know that this show is a lot better than Dragon Ball Z and they say some things that are true like in one of the episodes that love and beautiful memories in the battlefield are useless, they're just ridiculous but love makes us stronger a lot of times.
The best Saint of all the 5 main characters which are the 5 most powerful saints is Ikki the Phoenix, he's the best and the strongest of all 5 of them and the eldest, Seiya is the main character, most people believe that he's annoying, and a lot of people say that Ikki's brother Andromeda Shun, is gay, that is right he is gay because he is calling for his brother the whole time when he is in major trouble.
When this show came out in the Dominican Republic, it was the number one kick ass show in the country and the best anime of all time before Rurouni Kenshin came to the Dominican Republic and everyone who was serious about Saint Seiya doing their homeworks earlier so they can go and watch the show like most children, teenagers and adults did when they went home from their school and work a lot earlier to go and watch Dragon Ball Z.
Lots of people in that country we're addicted to Saint Seiya, like I was addicted to that show. This show is the best animation but not as better as Rurouni Kenshin is, I give this show a big 10/10 and if it comes out in America it will be the second most popular anime in America.
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The anime is rather good but the French version is a catastrophe ! The dubbers are, for the majority, very bad and the translation is really awful ! There are lots of mistakes ! But to defend a little the French version, the introduction songs are very funny.. 'L'aventure est sur ton chemin', 'Les chevaliers du zodiaque'.. The French-speaking fans will understand.
There the anime added a story, which was very interesting: the Asgard Part with the God Warriors (it wasn't successful in Japan).
'Saint Seiya' is nonetheless a good anime, the story is respected and it's always cool to watch our heroes speak, move and fight on TV ! And I want to say that the Hades Part (not translated into French yet, I saw the beginning in original version) is great !
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Its basically a good vs evil fight,where the good guys (the Bronze Knights) kick ass the bad guys, over and over again,always to save Princess Athena from the evil ones which always tend to rule the world.
Its an original story based on mythology, legends and myths, an eternal fight of light and darkness.
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other animes i like:
Neon Genesis Evangelion Sailor Moon Akira Ghost in the Shell
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Watch the Series
Episodes
Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
In an 18th-century European village, with the Holy War looming, live two friends, Tenma and Alone, whose world is shaken when Alone meets Pandora.
The Gold Saints meet with Athena in her Sanctuary to prepare for the new Holy War against the Specters of the Underworld. Tenma begins his training.
Tenma and the other Saints head toward a village in Italy in search of the Specters of the Underworld. Tenma is worried about Alone.
Even after hearing about Tenma's death, and that her brother is the reincarnation of Hades, Sasha stays her tears, determined to do what she must.
One of the most powerful Specters, Griffon Minos, uses his attack to invade the impenetrable Sanctuary. Albafica faces off with the Specter Niobe.
Albafica is defeated in battle. Minos heads to the village outside the Sanctuary that Albafica wanted to protect and begins to lay waste to it.
Tenma, Yato and Yuzuriha are informed that the immortal Specters can be defeated with the fruit of the Sapindus, the Tree of the Sacred Fruit.
Pokemon black free download. Tenma withstands Asmita's mighty assault, and suddenly the Sapindus responds to Tenma's Cosmos and begins to yield the Sacred Fruit.
Saint Seiya Online Download
Taurus Gold Saint Aldebaran uses his great strength to defeat the Specters attempting to invade the Sanctuary, but the Specter Bennu Kagaho shows up.
Aldebaran withstands Kagaho's attack, the 'Corona Blast', an attack so powerful it causes an earthquake.
Tenma finally returns to the Sanctuary to challenge Alone to battle, when the Grand Pope shows up and generates the 'Talisman Cage' to trap Hades.
It is said that the painting that covers the sky, 'The Lost Canvas', will kill all mankind. Tenma realizes the meek Alone wants to destroy humanity.
Tenma leaves, determined to fight alone. Now he knows the Specters won't rest until they see him dead, and he doesn't want more Saints to die for him.
Pandora locks Alone in his studio so he can concentrate on his masterpiece, the 'Lost Canvas', to fully awaken King Hades. Ableton live 10 keygen torrent 2017.
After entering the Forest of Death, Yuzuriha is separated from the group. Yato is attacked by a giant centipede.
Tenma, Yato and Yuzuriha are surrounded by Veronica's zombies, when Manigoldo comes to their rescue with orders from the Pope to protect Tenma.
Manigoldo finds the place where the twins are, but it's useless against the power of Thanatos, God of Death. The Sage Pope arrives to aid him.
Thanatos finally gets serious after Manigoldo injures him. Mims drug book. But even in the worst position imaginable, Seiji doesn't hesitate.
Hypnos gathers the four gods who control dreams. One of them, Icelus, appears in Sagittarius, avoiding Capricorn El Cid's attack.
As they near Hades's castle, Tenma, Yuzuriha and Yato find themselves in a thick fog. Suddenly, Tenma finds himself in the town where he grew up.
Phantasos, one of the Four Gods, has fallen, and now El Cid must face Icelus. Meanwhile, Tenma will have to face his dream.
Tenma and El Cid fight hopelessly against the combined power of Oneiros and the other three gods. Athena appears in the Dream World to save Sisyphus.
Athena enters Sisyphus's dream, where she finds him feeling guilty for having separated Tenma and Alone.
The seal of the four gods has been destroyed and Hypnos's Dream Seal is lifted. Now the forces of The Warriors are marching against Hades's castle.
Hakurei enters Hades's castle on his own bearing a sword bathed in the previous Athena's blood. He destroys all Specters in his wake.
Hakurei uses a powerful attack with the help of the souls of his fallen comrades to seal Hypnos. King Hades himself appears.