Saint Seiya - Power of the Cosmos Lies (Vol.1) - With Series Box

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.


Great Show - Great DVD   November 23, 2003
Richard A. Martin (Dayton, OH United States)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

The Saint Seiya TV show and its 4 movies are one of my favorite animated programs. Back in the late 1980s and in to the early 1990s, I watched the whole series and even translated it for fans to enjoy even if they couldn't speak Japanese. This DVD is a great release of a show that I hope will catch on with non-Japanese speaking anime fans.

The basic premise of the show is that a group of young warriors fight for re-incarnations of the classical gods who have materialized in to the modern technological world. It's rather like "Highlander" meets "Clash of the Titans".

The first 10 episodes or so are rather slow but after that the action and plot really picks up. By the time the series gets to episode 40 or so, it is a sight to behold. Although the animation may seem to be targeted at kids, the show is very violent and has lots of adult situations so parents beware.

The Japanese voice acting, scripting and musical scores are truly some of the best work in Japanese TV animation. Skip the dubbed, edited American TV version of Saint Seiya and watch the uncut show.

First rate fun!


Saint Seiya is one Anime you don't want to miss!   July 8, 2004
David Arana (USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Yes, Saint Seiya is as good as all the reviews in here says it is. The creator of the show was very passionate of his work and you can see that in every episode of Saint Seiya. The battles between warriors are great and there are a huge selection of warriors that the knights of Athena battle. The armors and their costallations are fantastic and they are some of the most creative things I have seen in any Anime. The story is just great and it really pulls the viewer into seeing each and every episode (there are more than 100!). I especially love the music and all the sound effects that appear with the mood of the scene (especially when Shun and Ikki meet again or when a Saint dies...its just awesome). The series just gets better with each episode and I can't wait to see the battle with the Gold Knights on dvd! I recommend this show to everyone who likes Anime, you will not be dissappointed! Saint Seiya is the best. Thanks ADV!


greatest anime series ever   August 22, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

i have seen these series both in raw jap. and spanish they rock.these can be considered one of the few anime titles that will beat the snot out of dragon ball fans for sure. the fighting scenes and animation are beyond good, highly recomend it to anyone who just heard about their release in the usa and airing in cartoon network.