Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Review - A new adventure for the legendary warriors

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac

■ Public Media

WEB

■ Original Media

comics

■ First appearance date

July 19, 2019 - July 19, 2019
0:00～

■ How it first appeared

Netflix

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 6

■Original Story

Masami Kurumada

■ Director

Yoshiharu Ashino

■ Production

・Production: Toei Animation

■Works

©Masami Kurumada / Toei Animation

■ Story

Seiya, a boy who was separated from his sister at a young age and now lives in an orphanage, one day awakens to an inner power called Cosmo and becomes embroiled in a conflict between the Saints and the goddess Athena.
Seiya is told that if he becomes a Saint he will be able to find out where his sister is. After undergoing rigorous training, he wins the Pegasus Cloth and heads to the Galactic Wars venue.
Among them were young Bronze Saints who had also gathered after completing their training as Saints.
As assassins appear one after another trying to kill Athena, Seiya and his friends must confront the Sanctuary's plot.
The fate of humanity and Athena rests in the hands of the young Saints.

■Explanation

The legendary saint will make new history for the whole world.

When evil is rampant in the world, the Saints, warriors of hope, always appear. They wear armor called Cloths, which represent the 88 guardian constellations, and gather to protect the goddess Athena, who is born once every few hundred years. The story follows the "Silver Saints" arc of the original work, with new settings and developments added.

■Cast

・Pegasus Seiya/Morita Masakazu・Dragon Shiryu/Sakurai Takahiro・Cygnus Hyoga/Miura Yoshiro・Andromeda Shun/Sato Satomi・Phoenix Ikki/Konishi Katsuyuki・Kido Saori/Orikasa Fumiko

■ Main staff

・Original work: Masami Kurumada ・Director: Yoshiharu Ashino ・Character design: Terumi Nishii ・Saint Cloth design: Noriyuki Okazaki ・Music: Yoshihiro Ike ・CG directors: Jae Hoon Jeong, Nobuhiro Morita

■ Main Characters

Pegasus Seiya lived in an orphanage, but in order to find his sister, he went to Shamos Island to train and became a Bronze Saint with the Pegasus constellation as his guardian star. His special move is the "Pegasus Meteor Fist," in which he punches the enemy at the speed of sound.
Dragon Shiryu: After training at Goro-Feng in China, he became a Bronze Saint of the Dragon constellation. His special move is the "Lushan Shoryu-Ha", which he mastered by reversing the flow of the great waterfall of Mount Lu.
Cygnus Glacier A bronze saint of the Cygnus constellation who grew up and trained in Siberia. His special move is "Diamond Dust", which he unleashes with his Cosmo that is enveloped in freezing air.
・Andromeda Shun Trained on Andromeda Island and became a Bronze Saint of the Andromeda constellation. Abandoned by his parents at a young age, his only living relative is his older brother, Ikki. His special move is the "Nebula Chain."
Phoenix Ikki is Shun's older brother who trained on Death Queen Island and became a Bronze Saint of the Phoenix. He fights wearing a Cosmo of flames. His special move is "Ho-yoku Tensho".
・Saori Kido A girl who was raised as Mitsumasa Kido's granddaughter.

■Subtitle

・EPISODE 1 / Seiya・EPISODE 2 / Burn the Cosmos・EPISODE 3 / The Dragon Appears・EPISODE 4 / Nebula Chains・EPISODE 5 / Dark Saints・EPISODE 6 / The Resurrection of the Phoenix・EPISODE 7 / Silver Saints・EPISODE 8 / Crossroads・EPISODE 9 / Fight for Athena!
・EPISODE 10/Challenge ・EPISODE 11/Prophecy ・EPISODE 12/The End and the Beginning

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song・"PEGASUS SEIYA"
・Lyrics/Machiko Ryu, English lyrics: TIM JENSEN
・Composition: Hiroaki Matsuzawa, Nobuo Yamada ・Song: THE STRUTS

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac - Detailed Review and Recommendation

"Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac" is a Netflix original anime series based on Masami Kurumada's legendary manga "Saint Seiya." It was released worldwide on July 19, 2019, and has received a great response from fans of the original work as well as new audiences. The series depicts the story up to the "Silver Saints Arc" of the original work, and adds new settings and developments, providing a fresh experience for existing fans.

Story and Characters

The story begins when a young boy named Seiya, who was separated from his sister at a young age and lives in an orphanage, awakens to his inner power, "Cosmo." In order to find his sister, Seiya undergoes rigorous training to obtain the Pegasus Cloth and participates in the Galactic Wars. There, he meets the young Bronze Saints, who have also completed their training as Saints. Together, they throw themselves into the battle to protect Athena.

The main characters' character development remains faithful to the original, while also being given depth and growth to suit modern audiences. Morita Masakazu's passionate performance as Pegasus Seiya leaves a strong impression of Seiya's courage and determination. The star-studded cast, including Sakurai Takahiro as Dragon Shiryu, Miura Yoshiro as Cygnus Hyoga, Sato Satomi as Andromeda Shun, Konishi Katsuyuki as Phoenix Ikki, and Orikasa Fumiko as Kido Saori, bring each character's personality to life.

Visuals and animation

The visuals of this work are drawn using modern animation techniques while respecting the image of the original work. The collaboration between character designer Terumi Nishii and costume designer Noriyuki Okazaki has recreated the charm of the original work while providing a new visual experience. In particular, the detailed design and movement of the costumes are realistic and dynamic thanks to the technical skills of CG directors Jung Jae-hoon and Morita Nobuhiro.

In the battle scenes, each character's special move is vividly reproduced, creating a visual impact. Moves familiar to fans of the original work, such as Pegasus Seiya's "Pegasus Meteor Fist," Dragon Shiryu's "Rozan Shoryuha," Cygnus Hyoga's "Diamond Dust," Andromeda Shun's "Nebula Chain," and Phoenix Ikki's "Ho-yoku Tenso," have been made even more powerful with modern animation technology.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Yoshihiro Ike, and the soundtrack has been created to retain the atmosphere of the original work while adding a new touch. In particular, the theme song "PEGASUS SEIYA" has lyrics by Machiko Ryu, English lyrics by TIM JENSEN, music by Hiroaki Matsuzawa and Nobuo Yamada, and is sung by THE STRUTs, reviving the energy of the original work for the modern age. This song will capture the hearts of viewers with its powerful melody and lyrics that symbolize Seiya's adventures and battles.

Storytelling and development

This work depicts the story up to the "Silver Saints" arc of the original work, deepening the story and depicting the growth of the characters. While retaining the essence of the original work, it adds new settings and developments, providing a fresh experience even for existing fans. In particular, the challenges that Seiya and his friends face in the fight to protect Athena and the deepening bonds between them will move viewers.

The subtitles of each episode are also symbolic of the story's development, drawing the viewer's attention. Subtitles such as "Saint Seiya," "Burn the Cosmos," "Appearance of the Dragon," "Nebula Chains," "Dark Saint," "Resurrected Phoenix," "Silver Saint," "Crossroads," "Fight for Athena!," "Challenge," "Prophecy," and "The End and the Beginning" indicate important milestones in the story of Seiya and his friends' adventures and growth.

Recommendations and ratings

"Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac" is a work that fans of the original will find nostalgic and refreshing at the same time, and new viewers will be drawn in by its epic story and fascinating characters. In particular, the intensity of the battle scenes, the growth of the characters, and the strength of the music will leave a strong impression on viewers.

The series is available to a global audience thanks to its distribution on Netflix, and is available in multiple languages, so it can be enjoyed across language barriers. It is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who like action, fantasy, friendship and stories of growth.

Overall, "Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac" is a wonderful work that revives the charm of the original work for the modern age and provides a new visual experience and excitement. Please watch it and experience the world.