Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~ Review: The beginning of an epic story

A comprehensive review and recommendation of Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

February 14, 2004 - January 1, 2000

■Distribution company

Toei

■Frequencies

83 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Masami Kurumada

■ Director

Shigeyasu Yamauchi

■ Production

Produced by: Toei Animation Produced by: "Saint Seiya" Production Committee (Toei Animation, Shueisha, Toei, Bandai, Bandai Visual)

■Works

©Masami Kurumada/Shueisha, Toei Animation

■ Story

Seiya lost his powers in a deadly battle with Hades, the god of the underworld, and became an empty shell. However, Athena's sister, Artemis, one of the twelve Olympians, the Moon Goddess, sends three Heavenly Warriors to destroy Seiya, who rebelled against the gods. However, Saori stands in their way and saves Seiya's life on the condition that he give up his position as Athena and hand over the world to Artemis. Artemis, who has taken control of the world above, tries to destroy the corrupted human race, while Saori, who has lost her goddess powers, tries to protect humanity by shedding her own blood. At that moment, Seiya's fingers, which should not move, start to move! Seiya crawls towards the sanctuary to protect the world above and Saori. Shiryu, Hyoga, Shun, Ikki and others also head towards Athena, but the Heavenly Warriors appear in their way. Seiya and the others continue to fight, even though they are completely injured. Soon, not only Artemis but also Athena's brother, the God of Olympus, appears before them. Will Seiya and his friends be able to defeat the most powerful god in the universe? Will they be able to protect Saori and humanity?

■Explanation

The famous "Saint Seiya" will be coming to the big screen for the first time in 15 years! "Saint Seiya" was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) in 1986, and was made into a TV and movie anime, which became a huge hit in the late 80s. More than 10 years later, in 2002, the original anime "Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs" (13 episodes in total) was produced and aired on Sky Perfect TV (PPV), reviving the boom. With the enthusiastic support of fans, "Saint Seiya" will return to the big screen for the first time in 15 years in spring 2004! The long-awaited latest movie is the phantom episode "Heaven" that the original author Masami Kurumada, who celebrated his 30th anniversary as a manga artist in 2003, had envisioned as a sequel to "Hades". The prologue to the phantom "Heaven" has been made into an original movie animation based on Kurumada's original idea! Character design and general animation direction are handled by Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno. A new "Saint Seiya" legend is born, with the powerful staff of "Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs" including director Shigeyasu Yamauchi taking on the challenge!

■Cast

・Pegasus Seiya/Toru Furuya ・Dragon Shiryu/Hiroshi Suzuoki ・Cygnus Hyoga/Koichi Hashimoto ・Andromeda Shun/Ryo Horikawa ・Phoenix Ikki/Hideyuki Hori ・Athena (Saori)/Keiko Han

■ Main staff

・Original story, original story concept: Masami Kurumada・Planning: Hiroyuki Sakurada・Script: Michiko Yokote, Akira Yamatoya・Music: Seiji Yokoyama・Art director: Yukiko Iijima・Character design, animation director: Shingo Araki, Michi Himeno・Color design: Kunio Tsujita・Digital photography directors: Takeshi Fukuda, Tomokazu Shiratori・Editor: Shigeru Nishiyama・Director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi・Produced by: Toei Animation, Shueisha, Toei, Bandai, Bandai Visual

■ Main Characters

・Pegasus Seiya Age: 13 Height: 165cm
Weight: 53kg
Birthday: December 1st Blood type: B Birthplace: Japan Training location: Sanctuary, Greece Special moves: Pegasus Meteor Fist, Pegasus Comet Fist, Pegasus Rolling Crush

・Dragon Shiryu Age: 14 Height: 172cm
Weight: 53kg
Birthday: October 4th Blood type: A Birthplace: Japan Place of training: China, Goroho Special moves: Lushan Honglongha, Lushan Shoryuha, Lushan Hyakuryuha, Lushan Dragon Flying

・Kygnus Glacier Age: 14 Height: 173cm
Weight: 60kg
Date of birth: January 23rd Blood type: O Birthplace: Soviet Union Training location: Eastern Siberia Special moves: Aurora Execution, Diamond Dust, etc.

・Andromeda Shun Age: 13 Height: 165cm
Weight: 51kg
Birthday: September 9th Blood type: Type A Hometown: Japan Training location: Andromeda Island Special moves: Nebula Storm, Thunder Wave, Nebula Chain, etc.

Phoenix Ikki Age: 15 Height: 175cm
Weight: 62kg
Birthday: August 15th Blood type: AB Birthplace: Japan Training location: Desqueen Island in the South Pacific Special moves: Phoenix Genma Fist, Phoenix Wing Tensho

・Saori Kido (Athena)
Age: 13 Height: 155cm
Weight: 44kg
Date of birth: September 1st Blood type: Type A Birthplace: Greece, Sanctuary Training location: None Special move: Unknown

■ Related works

・Saint Seiya・Saint Seiya the Movie・Saint Seiya: Battle of the Gods・Saint Seiya: The Legend of Crimson Youth・Saint Seiya: Warriors of the Final Holy War・Saint Seiya: Hades: The Twelve Zodiacs・Saint Seiya: Hades: The Underworld・Saint Seiya: Hades: Elysion

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Never -Saint Seiya Theme-
Lyrics by Nobuo Yamada, Music by Yogo Kono, Singer by MAKE-UP

■Detailed evaluation

"Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~" is a new chapter of "Saint Seiya" that has appeared on the big screen for the first time in 15 years, and is a long-awaited work for fans. This work is positioned as a prologue to the "Heaven Chapter" envisioned by the original author, Masami Kurumada, and was produced as an original theatrical animation. Below, we will provide a detailed evaluation of the story, characters, production background, visual effects, music, and fan reactions to this work.

story

The story of "Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~" depicts the process by which Seiya, who lost his powers in the battle with Hades, rises again. As Athena's sister, the moon goddess Artemis, sends the Heavenly Warriors to kill Seiya, Saori gives up her position as Athena to save Seiya's life, symbolizing the series' theme of "friendship, effort, and victory." The scene in which Seiya crawls toward the sanctuary leaves a strong impression of his indomitable spirit. This story has the power to move not only existing fans but also new viewers.

character

In this work, the main characters, including Pegasus Seiya, make a reappearance and their growth and bonds are depicted. Seiya's indomitable spirit, Shiryu's loyalty, Hyoga's calmness, Shun's kindness, Ikki's strength, and Saori's devoted love deeply move the audience. In particular, Saori's decision to give up her position as Athena further enhances the depth of her character. In addition, the new Heavenly Warriors are also unique and add new tension to the story.

Background

This work was produced based on the original idea of ​​Masami Kurumada, and Araki Shingo and Himeno Michi were in charge of character design and general animation direction. The director was Yamauchi Shigeyasu, who also worked on Saint Seiya: Hades Twelve Zodiacs, and the strong staff has been brought together to ensure the quality of the work remains high. In terms of the background to the production, it is worth noting that this is the first time the series has been on the big screen in 15 years, thanks to the passionate support of fans, and efforts to meet the expectations of fans can be seen everywhere.

Visual Effects

The film's visual effects have been highly praised, especially in its battle scenes. Seiya and his friends' special moves and battles with the Heavenly Warriors are depicted realistically and dynamically, making full use of color design and digital photography techniques. Additionally, scenes featuring Artemis and the Olympian gods are depicted with beautiful visuals that exude a sense of sanctity and dignity, leaving a strong visual impact. The quality of the visual effects is an important element in enhancing the overall appeal of the film.

music

The music is by Yokoyama Seiji, and the theme song "Never -Saint Seiya Theme-" is sung by MAKE-UP. The music plays a role in enhancing emotions as the story unfolds, and is particularly effective in amplifying the tension in battle scenes and the excitement in moving scenes. The theme song is also a symbol of the series, and for fans it brings back both nostalgia and new emotions at the same time.

Fan reactions

"Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~" has received very positive reactions from fans. As the first new work in 15 years, expectations were high, and it has lived up to those expectations, receiving high praise from many fans. In particular, the story, which depicts Seiya and his friends' growth, their battles with new enemies, and Saori's devoted love, has captured the hearts of many fans. The visual effects and music have also been highly praised, making it an overall satisfying production.

■Recommendation details

"Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~" is a work that can be recommended not only to existing fans but also to new viewers. Below, we will explain in detail why we recommend it and how to watch it.

Reasons for recommendation

1. **A moving story**: The story of Seiya and his friends' indomitable spirit and Saori's devoted love will deeply touch viewers. In particular, the themes of friendship, effort, and victory will resonate with many people.
2. **Charming Characters**: The growth and bonds of the main characters, including Seiya, are depicted, and their personalities and humanity are explored in depth. The new Heavenly Warriors are also unique, adding new tension to the story.
3. **High-quality visual effects**: Battle scenes and scenes featuring gods are depicted realistically and dynamically through the use of color design and digital photography techniques, creating a strong visual impact.
4. **Emotional Music**: The music by Seiji Yokoyama and the theme song by MAKE-UP enhance the emotions as the story unfolds, and are highly effective in amplifying the viewer's emotions.
5. **Highly praised by fans**: As the first new work in 15 years, expectations were high, and it lived up to those expectations, receiving high praise from many fans. In particular, the story, characters, visual effects, and music have been highly praised.

How to watch

You can watch "Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~" in the following ways.
1. **Theatrical release**: It was released on February 14, 2004, so it was possible to watch it as it was being shown in theaters at the time.
2. **DVD/Blu-ray**: Currently, they are sold as DVDs and Blu-rays, so you can purchase them and watch them at home.
3. **Streaming services**: It may also be available on some streaming services, so you can sign up for the relevant service to watch it.
4. **Rental**: You can also watch movies at a video rental store or through online rental services.

■ Summary

"Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter Prologue ~OVERTURE~" is a new chapter of "Saint Seiya" that has appeared on the big screen for the first time in 15 years, and is a long-awaited work for fans. It has been highly praised in all aspects, including the story, characters, production background, visual effects, music, and fan reactions, and is a work that can be recommended not only to existing fans but also to new viewers. In particular, the moving story, attractive characters, high-quality visual effects, and moving music will deeply move viewers. You can watch it by purchasing the DVD/Blu-ray, using streaming services, or renting. We hope you will watch this work and enjoy Seiya and his friends' new adventure.