Saint Seiya Complete Collection - Anime Frontier

• Media Source:Anime Frontier
• Reviewed By:Jared Elswick
• Review Date:02/15/06
• Read the original review click here

"...a really good show that shouldn't be missed if you're a fan of action shows."

"...it delivers a great time with an interesting storyline filled with a ton of great action that you really can't pass up..."

"...definitely one to pick up."

The Verdict
Audio
Offered up in English and Japanese 2.0, Saint Seiya features one of the few English dubs that I have a hard time listening to. The quality is just fine with the overall sound on the English track, but the voices just kill me, and not because they?re bad voices but because they just don?t fit the characters. Thusly, I went with the Japanese for my viewing and it does a great job of filling the character roles with adequate voices, so it definitely makes a better choice for this show as far as I?m concerned Where the voices are somewhat lacking, the soundtrack picks up though. The opening theme is pure 80's anime music that is readily identifiable, and the music throughout the show is just as good, offering up a great rock inspired score that melds with the overall feel of the story and ambience the tracks provide.

Video
Saint Seiya originally aired in Japan in 1986, and it's quite evident by the quality of the animation here. While it's not the greatest animation ever to grace the screen, it's still pretty good and is better than some anime of that time. Overall, the whole look and feel of the show is decidedly 80s-esque, so that immediately means I have no problem with it, but it is outdated to say the least. As far as the transfer here goes though, ADV has done a pretty good job of making sure this show looks as good as it can for DVD. Even though there is some aliasing and cross coloration here, it really can?t be helped and for being 20 years old, Saint Seiya looks good enough as far as I?m concerned.

Characters
Seiya ? The main character of the series, Seiya fights for the chance to find his sister again and reunite with her after so many years apart. He holds great power in himself that is unlike anything a Bronze Saint should wield and creates a great problem for Pope Aries in protecting the Gold Cloth from him.

Shiryu ? Seiya?s best friend among the Saints, Shiryu is the logical one of the bunch, the thinker of the group who doesn?t rush into danger as he knows his limits. The first to lose his armor though, Shiryu ends up creating a great relationship for the Saints in nearly dying.

Shun ? A rather effeminate young man, Shun is Ikki?s younger brother and commands the odd Andromeda Chain, a weapon that basically has a mind of its own.

Hyoga ? The most reserved of all of the Saints, Hyoga lives his life with a constant regret that his mother passed away with him not being able to help her. Trained by the great Crystal Saint, Hyoga learned how to become one of the most powerful of the Bronze Saints.

Ikki ? Shun?s older brother, Ikki was trained to be a Saint in the harshest of environments on Death Queen Island. Because of that he grew to resent the rest of the Saints who had it so much easier than he did, leading him to become the first villain the Saints must face.

Saori ? The proprietor of the Galactic War tournament, Saori turns out to be more of a pivotal character than she first appears. She reveals her personal involvement in the organization of the latest batch of Bronze Saints and becomes a person of great importance to Seiya as the story develops.

Story
Starting out with a fairly mundane premise, Saint Seiya introduces us to Seiya, a young man from Japan who has trained in Greece for the past six years. He?s trained with some of the most powerful men and women in the world and has finally gained the honor of wearing the Bronze Cloth of Pegasus. At the moment, however, he is vying for the right to wear one of the twelve legendary Gold Cloths in what is called the Galactic War where numerous lesser Saints are fighting amongst each (in a tournament fashion) other for this unique and powerful cloth.

While there are many different Saints in this tournament, we eventually only focus on a few, although Seiya is the main focus since he doesn?t want to compete in this fight but he has to if he ever wants to see his sister again because the proprietor of the fight, Saori, is keeping the two apart per her late grandfather?s wishes. In addition to Seiya though, we?re also introduced to Shun of Andromeda, Shiryu of Dragon and Hyoga of Swan. We?re also introduced to Ikki of Phoenix as well, but he?s no hero as he make his appearance with his Black Saints to steal the Gold Cloth. What?s interesting here though is that these Saints are all friends and that Ikki and Shun are actually brothers. However, as we learn about their pasts, all of the Saints were taken from their homes at an early age and were trained very harshly all over the world, with Ikki being trained on Death Queen Island where he was trained the harshest of all, making him rather hardened toward the rest of his fellow Saints.

Its here that the series really takes off because we begin to learn more about the overarching storyline that involves the protection of the Gold Cloth because it is an unwieldy power that cannot get into the wrong hands. Interestingly enough, the main person after this Cloth is known as the Pope, Pope Aries that is, and he helms all that involves the Saints, making him the de facto leader of the all powerful Gold Saints, Silver Saints and the Bronze Saints, which are Seiya and the others, putting them in a defiant place in this show. The show continually plays off of the same motif, with the Pope sending someone after the Bronze Saints and the Gold Cloth, but along the way the Saints all develop their powers through different means all the while keeping the Cloth and Saori close to them at all times.

This can present both an interesting story and a bit of boredom at times because the fights are incredibly predictable but they always lead to some interesting backstory or character progression. Eventually the Saint ranks open up a bit to include Ikki as one of the good guys, sort of, and we get to meet more of the mystical people involved in this story such as a man named Mu, the only man who can repair any type of Cloth, and just before this first collection reaches its climax we get the introduction of three pseudo-Saints, the Steel Saints. Their cloths aren't really cloths though, as they are mechanical replicas that can transform into modes of transportation. And each Saint has an elemental association as well; we have Ushio the Marine Saint, Daichi the Land Saint and Show the Sky Saint. They enter the picture just in time to save the day, making sure the Bronze Saints can continue to fight the good fight against the Pope?s increasingly powerful lackeys that continue to come after them.

Afterthoughts
Overall, Saint Seiya is a really good show that shouldn't be missed if you're a fan of action shows. There are definitely some moments that basically happen again and again, but Saint Seiya makes for a good time throughout, especially at fifty bucks for thirty episodes. Saint Seiya may not be the best show around, but it delivers a great time with an interesting storyline filled with a ton of great action that you really can't pass up at this price, even without any extras this collection is definitely one to pick up.

Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 (Archive on Wednesday, March 15, 2006)