Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs: A thorough evaluation of the myth of the revived Golden Saints

Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs - The Resurrection of the Golden Saints - An Emotional Reunion and a Fierce Battle

"Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Houses of the Gods - The Resurrection of the Golden Saints" is an OVA based on the original work by Masami Kurumada, and was released by Bandai Visual on October 24, 2003. It consists of two episodes, each 45 minutes long, directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and produced by Toei Animation. This work depicts part of the "Twelve Houses of the Gods" arc, which is an important part of the "Hades Arc," one of the most popular arcs in the Saint Seiya series, and shows the reappearance of the Golden Saints and their fierce battles.

■ Story

A few days after the deadly battle with Poseidon, something strange happens in the Sanctuary. Hades, the king of the underworld, rises from the depths of darkness, and his loyal servants of death, the Specters, attack Athena, aiming to kill her. With Athena facing imminent danger, will the Saints and Seiya be able to protect her from the clutches of evil? This work depicts that tense battle.

■Explanation

Saint Seiya was a huge hit in the 1980s and 1990s, and its popularity has not waned. In this "Hades: The Twelve Zodiacs" arc, the Golden Saints make a comeback and the story is told in greater depth and with more character development. In particular, the Golden Saints' pasts and feelings are explored, making it a touching story of reunion and new battles for fans.

■Cast

The cast of this work faithfully recreates the atmosphere of the original work, and the voice actors' performances are superb. Many of the original cast members have been retained, including Furuya Toru as Pegasus Seiya, Suzuoki Hirotaka as Dragon Shiryu, Hashimoto Koichi as Cygnus Hyoga, Horikawa Ryo as Andromeda Shun, Hori Hideyuki as Phoenix Ikki, and Han Keiko as Kido Saori (Athena). The voices of the Gold Saints are also a spectacular lineup, including Yamazaki Takumi (Aries Mu), Tobita Nobuo (Aries Shion), and Okiayu Ryutaro (Gemini Saga).

■ Main staff

The original work was written by Masami Kurumada, the planner was Hiroyuki Sakurada, the production was Yoichi Shimizu, the series composition was Michiko Yokote, the series director was Shigeyasu Yamauchi, the chief animation director was Shingo Araki, the character designers were Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno, the art designers were Yukiko Iijima and Nobuzo Yuki, the color designer was Kunio Tsujita, the digital photography was Takeshi Fukuda, the CG director was Kodai Kawase, the music was Seiji Yokoyama, and the production was by Toei Animation, bringing together professionals from a wide range of fields. The work, created by this team of staff, faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while bringing out new charms.

■ Main Characters

Pegasus Seiya is a 13-year-old bronze saint whose guardian star is Pegasus. Having become a saint in the Sanctuary, he is a hot-blooded man who does not flinch from any strong opponent, and has an indomitable fighting spirit that stands up no matter how many times he is defeated against the evil that targets the earth. Dragon Shiryu is a 14-year-old bronze saint whose guardian star is Dragon. Having become a saint in the Wuling Peaks of China, he is sincere and thoughtful, and is not afraid to sacrifice himself to protect justice and his friends. Cygnus Hyoga is a 14-year-old bronze saint whose guardian star is Swan. Having become a saint in Siberia, he appears cool at first glance, but in his heart he has deep feelings for his late mother, Mama, and a passionate fighting spirit as a saint. Andromeda Shun is a 13-year-old bronze saint whose guardian star is Andromeda. He became a Saint on Andromeda Island, and has a kind personality that does not like fighting, and even after gaining the power of a Saint, he still hates hurting his enemies. Phoenix Ikki is 15 years old and is a Bronze Saint with the Phoenix as his guardian planet. He became a Saint on Desqueen Island, and hates getting close to his friends and acts alone, but he is faithful to his mission as a Saint and is the strongest Bronze Saint who rushes to fight against evil. Kido Saori (Athena) is 13 years old and is the incarnation of Athena, the goddess of war. It is said that she descends to Earth once every few hundred years to defeat the evil that infests the Earth. Aries Mu is 20 years old and is a Gold Saint with Aries as his guardian planet. He has a quiet personality and is one of the most powerful Gold Saints, and fights against the Hades Army's Hades Saints as the guardian of Aries, the first of the zodiac signs. Aries Shion is 248 years old and was a former Pope, but was resurrected as a Hades Warrior at the invitation of Hades and attacks the Sanctuary aiming to take Athena's life. Gemini Saga is 28 years old and was a Gemini Gold Saint, but was resurrected as a Hades Warrior at the invitation of Hades and attacks the Sanctuary aiming to take Athena's life. Aquarius Camus is 20 years old and was an Aquarius Gold Saint, but was resurrected as a Hades Warrior at the invitation of Hades and attacks the Sanctuary aiming to take Athena's life. Capricorn Shura is 23 years old and was a Capricorn Gold Saint, but was resurrected as a Hades Warrior at the invitation of Hades and attacks the Sanctuary aiming to take Athena's life. Cancer Deathmask was 23 years old and was a Cancer Gold Saint, but was resurrected as a Hades Warrior at the invitation of Hades and attacked the Sanctuary to take Athena's life. Pisces Aphrodite was 22 years old and was a Pisces Gold Saint, but was resurrected as a Hades Warrior at the invitation of Hades and attacked the Sanctuary to take Athena's life. Pandora is Hades' representative in the underworld and is the one who oversees all the Hades Warriors. Radamanthys is a Wyvern Hades Warrior and one of the three great leaders of the underworld. Master Libra Dohko is a Gold Saint whose guardian star is Libra Libra, and is the only Saint who survived from the previous Holy War to the present, and the leader who unites all the Saints after the death of the Pope. Aiolia of Leo is a Gold Saint with Leo as his guardian planet, and is known as the "Golden Lion" for his strength. Shaka of Virgo is a Gold Saint with Virgo as his guardian planet, and is called "the man closest to God" and is one of the best Gold Saints. Milo of Scorpio is a Gold Saint with Scorpion as his guardian planet, and his special move, Scarlet Needle, fires 15 shots at the enemy before forcing them to surrender or die. Kanon of Gemini is a Gold Saint with Gemini as his guardian planet, and was imprisoned because his evil heart was too strong. He later called himself Sea Dragon and revived Poseidon, but after touching Athena's heart, he changed his ways and decided to fight in place of Saga.

■ Related works

There are many related works in the "Saint Seiya" series, and this is one of them. Various stories have been developed, such as "Saint Seiya", "Saint Seiya: Hades - The Twelve Zodiacs", "Saint Seiya: Hades - The Underworld", "Saint Seiya: Hades - Elysion", "Saint Seiya: Heaven - Overture", "Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas - The Myth of Hades", and "Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold". By watching these works in order, you will be able to enjoy the world of "Saint Seiya" more deeply.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme of this work is "Chikyugi", with lyrics and music by Yumi Matsuzawa and Uru Takai, arrangement by Yumimania and Masala Nishida, and singing by Yumi Matsuzawa. The ending theme is "Kimi no Ichinosera" with lyrics and music by Yumi Matsuzawa and Uru Takai, arrangement by Yumimania and Masala Nishida, and singing by Yumi Matsuzawa. These songs are important elements that liven up the atmosphere of the work.

■ Evaluation and impressions

For fans of the original work, "Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs - The Resurrection of the Golden Saints" is a story of emotional reunion and new battles, and the OVA format allows fans to enjoy a deeper story and character growth. The reappearance of the Golden Saints is a scene that fans cannot watch without crying, and the film has also been praised for delving into their pasts and feelings. The battle scenes are also impressive and beautiful, making it visually appealing. The music and voice acting also add to the atmosphere of the film, and it has received high praise overall.

■ Recommendation points

The reasons why we recommend this work are as follows:

• The reappearance of the Gold Saints and their fierce battle are depicted
• The characters' pasts and feelings are explored in depth
• Power and beauty of the battle scenes
• The music and the voice actors' performances add to the atmosphere of the work.
• The fact that it faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while bringing out new charms

From these points, "Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs - The Resurrection of the Golden Saints" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original work, but also to those who like anime and battle movies. Please give it a watch.