Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

"Saint Seiya" was a very important part of my childhood, mostly because it was one of the very first anime series that I've watched in my life. Along with "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The Simpsons", this anime changed forever my way to see cartoons, being darker and way more violent than anything that I've seen before. But besides of that, "Saint Seiya" had a very entertaining plot and many interesting characters.The mythological elements used in the story worked very well, being a key factor in what concerned to the character development, their personalities and abilities. The excellent music composed by Seiji Yokohama deserves a special mention, as it is one of the main components that serve to recreate the perfect mood and atmosphere for each story arc, capturing the emotion, excitement, sadness and solemnity of the plot.Considering the time when this series was made, the animation and the designs (done by Shingo Araki) were pretty good, and have a very good quality. It is true than some episodes are better animated than others, but the overall series keeps a good level. In many ways, this anime adaptation exploited very well the original story and concepts created by Masami Kurumada in order to create a fascinating epic tale with several elements from Greek and Norse Mythology, resulting in one of the most iconic anime series from the eighties.It is true than in the last two parts of the original anime series (And in the movies) the story was somewhat simplified, focusing only in the quest done by the main heroes in order to save another character (in this chase, Saori/Athena) which plays the role of damsel in distress, following a predictable pattern of events, while many of the characters introduced in the first part of the series are reduced to a secondary role (Or are completely forgotten or mentioned again) some characters which were especially created for the animated series in the first season are simply killed off or just disappear as the series advances.However, despite those flaws, this series never stops as being funny to watch, and even those parts that could be seen as melodramatic and cheesy (At least from a modern perspective) have an undeniable level of charm, the main quality why I still enjoy watching this series in the present.It seems that this series was poorly dubbed in North America, receiving lots of censorship and lots of absurd changes done to the animation and the story. Too bad. "Saint Seiya" is an iconic anime series that is in the same level of "Dragonball" or "The Fist of the North Star". I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Japanese animation done in that decade, having many good qualities that made it worth of appreciation. It is an entertaining and well done anime series.

"Kights of the Zodiac" or "Saint Seiya" is one of my favorite anime shows. The animation was very well made for the time it was made, the story made was very interesting, filed with references to the mythology, and excellent characters. The character designs made by Shingo Araki are very stylish, and improve the original designs made by Masami Kurumada (creator of "Bt'x") The history was filled with adventure, drama and action, and one of the best things besides the excellent animation and the story was the music, that suits very well with the atmosphere of the different arc of the series( Specially the music of the Asegard saga, inspired in the Norse mythology) Too bad that the English dubbing of this series wasn't so good as the original (They made a lot of horrible changes, add too much censorship, and changed the music and the original names)No wonder why "Saint Seiya" wasn't so popular as in other countries. However, this show was amazing.Try to see the original version, which deserves all the good reviews.

There'll never be enough space to describe how special this series really is here, but maybe it can't be said with words as it is. Saint Seiya is very much a visual experience, after all.The story, in a nutshell, is about five young boys who's task it is to defend the modern-day reincarnation of Athena against several threats. This translates into loads of very theatrical duels between these five Bronze Saints and their rivals, who happen to all be pretty boys with groovy armors and hairstyles. At a glance, it sounds terribly daft, but there's so much -more- in here than in your average boys-oriented battle series. For starters, the overall quality of the presentation is quite a surprise. Of course, for such a long TV series there are always one or two episodes that look a bit drab. But taking in the big picture, Saint Seiya has an immediately recogniseable visual style of it's own that really leaves an impression. Long, fluttering strands of hair (in some very groovy colors) surround faces with dreamy eyes, and the fine, stylised bodies of the characters are shot from many inventive angles and animated with lots of flair. Kudos also to the one behind the backdrops; Saint Seiya sports some of the most gorgeous background paintings I've ever seen. From ruins of Greek temples to snowy wastelands, every setting is painted with rich and exquisite detail.The music would really deserve a full review of it's own, as composer Seiji Yokoyama has done a marvellous job. Rousing, dramatic themes are the order of the day, who fit the scenes wonderfully and amplify the impact of the series no end. They also stick in your head forever, as do the punchy rock songs in the opening credits (it's the music that drew me into this series to begin with, actually. One listen of "Soldier Dream" and you're marked for life).The plots and structure of the battles have their own "typically Saint Seiya" style as well. What is remarkable is how much cruelty and sadness shows through here. Not just meaning that the fights get rather bloody at some points (Hyoga's duel against Milo of Scorpio), but also that a lot of the characters have painful pasts and deep traumas. This makes for a rich, and very interesting cast. The opponents of our heroes aren't plain "nasties", they usually have their own ways of thinking which pushes them to fight for their cause. They're often misguided, or being used for someone's other dark means, which makes it all the more tragic to see them bravely dying in a battle to the limits, after they've shown such rich and fascinating personalities. There are only one or two truly "evil" characters among the enemies (and even they are very captivating to watch).The five young heroes have equally likeable and deep personalities (with the exception of mister big hero Seiya, perhaps), and develop distinct styles of thinking and of fighting throughout the series. It makes for a gripping experience, full of rich and very dramatic moments.Another interesting touch is the clever use of mythologic references. Each character is affiliated to a constellation, and often to a mythological figure as well. These are usually well-researched and very clever references, and it's probably the best job I've ever seen of bringing ancient myths up to date again, all while respecting the tone of the original myth.With such a long series (114 episodes), there are ups and downs, inevitably. Particularly during the first "Sanctuary" series, Toei larded on a big dose of filler episodes and soulless extra characters, purely for marketing purposes, who just hamper the series as a whole. The later "Poseidon" episodes are also rather dull and empty. The best of the series is concentrated in the latter Sanctuary episodes, and the tremendous Asgard series. Next to the TV series, there are also 4 short movies, worth watching just for the eye candy (the Abel movie is really wonderful to look at).All in all, Saint Seiya is and always will be one of the greatest works Japan has produced. It has gathered a huge lot of very faithful fans, simply because once you've gotten into the flavor of Saint Seiya, you'll never be able to forget it again. Some may be put off by it's delicate visual style and baroque touches, but this was never intended for those who can't appreciate beautiful stories in the first place. Just a shame this is hardly known on the English-language market.

Saint Seiya, no doubt, is the best Anime Japan has to offer. It is fast, exciting, and moving. The story line and the character are so real and deep that you'll be attached to them right away. The fierce and fast action is spetacular even using today's standards. But you really have to know the series first in order to enjoy more from the movie. The movie itself, for a first timer is still great, but there are missing details, which by knowing the series will help to fill them.Great anime, watch it.