10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saint Seiya in the USA... I never would have believed it., November 1, 2003
This review is from: Saint Seiya - Power of the Cosmos Lies (Vol.1) - With Series Box (DVD)
Saint Seiya gets at least one of those stars from pure sentiment. While the series has much to recommend it, it isn't at the level of Vision of Escaflowne or some of the other Greats of anime. But Saint Seiya WAS the anime that introduced me TO anime.
Saint Seiya is also significant in that it essentially defined the "God-warrior" subgenre of anime, which includes such entries as Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (AKA Ronin Warriors), Shurato, and several others, with strong influence on shows like Sailor Moon.
The basic outline of Saint Seiya is that there is a cycle of mystic significance in which Athena (Goddess of Wisdom and War) is reincarnated on Earth, along with her chosen guardians the Saints (empowered mystical warriors, wearing armor that signifies the various mythological constellations and grants its wearers powers that derive from the symbolism of the constellations) to do battle against the forces of darker nature, ultimately represented by the god Hades (her uncle and lord of the Underworld).
The show itself is strongest in the first story arc (the Sanctuary story arc). All of the show's unique ideas -- the power of the Cosmos and the Saints, their particular abilities and the rationale behind them, etc. -- are developed in this season. The show is a classic "Five-Team" adventure, sharing many characteristics with the live-action Sentai series (such as the shows from which Power Rangers was derived), but with its own peculiar mythos and charm. The main characters are clearly delineated and developed -- Seiya, the stubborn one who just won't give up, Ikki the grim loner, Shun the sensitive one, Shiryu the wise one, and Hyoga the Just -- with more than their simple roles would require.
The character designs are interesting, and the armor designs utterly unique. The power combats are highly stylized, however; those used to the much more detailed and "realistic" power-combats of Dragonball Z and similar shows will have to adjust to this much more impressionistic/artistic approach, which sometimes works and sometimes leaves a bit to be desired.
Do not, on any account, listen to the hideous dubbed version on Cartoon Network. The translation is okay, but the voice acting is horrendous -- I have the impression that the poor VAs were given maybe five minutes with the script before doing a dub -- and with a show that has many potentially cliche'd moments and situations you need GOOD voice acting to carry it off.
Saint Seiya is a piece of anime history, and worth a viewing by any fan of shonen (boys) anime.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome series., October 16, 2003
This review is from: Saint Seiya - Power of the Cosmos Lies (Vol.1) - With Series Box (DVD)
I think this is one of the single coolest anime shows ever created. The character designs are flat out awesome and although the animation isn't up to today's standards, I like it better. It has more heart than most crap series today. Characters are full of personality and the series' themes of friendship, camaraderie and perseverance are timeless. The character artwork, though old by some people's standards, is gorgeous and the artists- Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno- are two of the industry's greatest. Masami Kurumada is a genius with fight scenes and they translate beautifully to the anime. The series does get a bit repetative but, if you like Ronin Warriors, Fist of the North Star, Dragon Ball Z or Yu Yu Hakusho or even Flame of Recca then you may well enjoy this. Look past the age of the series and enjoy it for what it is: A good storyline with cool characters and incredible dramatic fight scenes.
-Alex Keefe
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saint seiya best anime ever, February 23, 2004
Saint seiya is simply one of the best anime ever created. I watched
the entire series back in mexico and I never got tired of them,plus the music is simply beatiful it really catches the moments within the story I strongly recomend this series and please stay away from knights of the zodiac wich really makes saint seiya look real bad.
I personally like the battle of the santuary because it has a lot of gore and action unlike dbz this story never repeats itself and you will never get tired of watching this anime.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
