INTRODUCTION
Seiya, Shiryu, Ikki, Shun and Hyoga
CREATION FACTS
Saint Seiya originates from manga (comic) stories created by Japanese mangaka (comic artist) Masami Kurumada. The stories were serialized on Weekly Shonen Jump magazine owned by Shueisha publishing company from the January 1986 edition. Saint Seiya first tankobon (comic book) was released in September 1986 under Jump Comics (Shueisha). There are 28 volumes of Saint Seiya comic books, with the final volume out in April 1991.
Toei Doga--now Toei Animation--then produced the anime (animation) version of Saint Seiya with 3 seasons in 114 episodes. These TV series episodes aired by TV Asahi were directed by Kozo Morishita, while the characters designs were made by Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno. The first episode was aired on 11 October 1986.
There are some differences between manga and anime versions. Asgard Chapter doesn't exist in the manga, while Hades Chapter, the final chapter in the manga, doesn't exist as TV series episodes. Obviously, there are characters who appear and plots which occur in one version (either manga or anime) only.
Another project was Saint Seiya movie. There are 4 series of Saint Seiya movie: "Saint Seiya Gekijoban" (1987), "Kamigami no Atsuki Tatakai" (1988), "Shinku no Shonen Densetsu" (1988), and "Saishu Seisen no Senshi Tachi" (1989). All were still produced by Toei Animation.
In the year 2002 Toei eventually produced the anime version of the final chapter of Saint Seiya: Hades. This chapter is realized as OVA (Original Video Animation) in 13 episodes (1/3 of the whole original storyline) and aired by ANIMAX, one of the cable channels on SKY PerfecTV. The Saint Seiya OVA was first aired on 9 November 2002, with Shigeyasu Yamauchi as the Series Director and Araki and Himeno still plays the role of Character Designers.
Following the OVA was a new movie, "Tenkai Hen ~Overture~" (Heaven Chapter), released on 14 February 2004 with the same production staff as the 2002 OVA. This chapter is referred to as the ultimate ending of Saint Seiya. It is said that Kurumada had been planning to continue Hades Chapter with Heaven Chapter, but due to his encountering problems with Toei, he was made to finish Saint Seiya up to Hades, and left Heaven Chapter as a project of dreams.THE AUTHOR
Masami Kurumada was born in Tokyo on 6 December 1953. He's created many manga stories and created Saint Seiya in 1986. His other works are: Sukeban Arashi (1974), Mikeneko Rock (1975), Ring no Kakero (1977), Mabudachi Jingi (1978), Shiro Obi Taisho (1979), Jitsuroku! Shinwakai I-III (1979-1981), Fuma no Kojiro (1982), Raimei no Zaji (1983), Saigo no Jitsuroku! Shinwakai (1983), Otoko Zaka (1984), SHAKA (1987), Koori no Kuni no Natasha (1988), and BT'X (1994).STORY
There were 12 Gold Saints (symbolized the 12 zodiac signs) who lived in Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was led by a Kyoko (Pope), but the real ruler was the goddess Athena, who was believed to be reincarnate in every 200 years.One day, entranced by god Ares who was obsessed to have Sanctuary and world under his authority, Gemini Saga killed the Kyoko. He then attempted to kill a baby who was the reincarnation of Athena, but she was saved by Sagittarius Aioros. Aioros tried to run away from Sanctuary to protect Athena, but was caught and killed by Capricorn Shura. When he was going to kill the baby, Shura suddenly felt pity, so he left them and returned to Sanctuary.
The dying Aioros was found by a Japanese, Mitsumasa Kido, the founder of Graude Foundation. Aioros told him that evil was getting rampant in the Sanctuary. He handed Kido the baby and his Sagittarius cloth, and told him to save the world by growing up the baby. To realise Aioros's message, Kido sent 100 orphans to various places in the world to be trained as a saint. When they finished the training, they got a cloth and returned to Japan to protect Athena and fight against evil.
Seiya was sent to the Sanctuary. He was trained by Eagle Marin, and won the fight against Casios to win the Pegasus cloth. Shiryu went to the Five Old Peaks of Ro Mountains in China. Libra Dohko trained him. He was successful in getting the Dragon cloth. Hyoga returned to his homeland, Eastern Siberia. He was trained by Aquarius Camus (in manga version) or by Crystal Saint (in anime version, and Camus was Crystal Saint's sensei). Hyoga got the Cygnus cloth. Shun's was frightened that Death Queen Island was hell, and nobody could be a saint from the island. Seeing his brother's fear, Ikki took the initiative to replace him, and so Shun went to Andromeda Island. He was trained by Cepheus Daidaros and got the Andromeda cloth after passing the hardest part of his training. Ikki went to Death Queen Island and trained by Mysterious Saint Guilty, who made his training felt as hell. Ikki got the Phoenix cloth after killing his sensei.
INTRODUCTION FROM "BOYS BE"
The ancient mythological Greece, it was a world with gods reigning in the heavens, heroes existing on earth, and monsters rivaling each other for territory in the darkness. The king of the gods, Zeus, had a daughter named Athena, the goddess of war. A group of youths flocked to Athena, who was constantly being forced to fight to protect herself admits the heroic battles waged by the gods.These youths are Athena's "Chevaliers". Their fists rend the heavens, and their kicks crack the earth. These boys use their bodies as weapons, and they have true courage and power garnered from the gorge between heaven and earth. And each of the boys had his own guardian star. In fact, all of the 88 constellations in the heaven serve as guardians of the Chevaliers.
Their proof of being a Chevalier laid with the battle protector known as the Sacred Cloth. Those draped in this Cloth can manifest the greatest power on earth. And as each of the Chevaliers has his own guardian star, each of the Cloth appears in this world in the shape of the tutelary god of the constellations, such as Pegasus, Dragon, Cygnus, Phoenix, etc. And among these 88 Clothes, there were 12 Gold Clothes, the constellation of which constitute the zodiac. And the holder of Gold Clothes are called as "Gold Chevalier" and make for the zenith among the Chevaliers. These Gold Chevaliers were living in a place called "Sanctuary", having a Ruler over them.
The Chevaliers have been succeeded to by the strongest men from generation to generation for thousand of years secretly in various places in the world.
One day, a man named Mitsumasa Kido, the founder of the Graad Foundation, met a dying Gold Chevalier and was entrusted with his Gold Cloth and a baby. Mitsumasa was told that the evil is getting rampant in the Sanctuary and that the baby is the girl who will be the survivor of the world, as the reincarnation of Athena. Mitsumasa decided to brought up the Chevaliers who protect Athena, and destroy the evils. For this purpose, he selected 100 orphans and sent them to the various places in the world. However, his purpose must have been concealed.
Our hero, Seiya, was one of these orphans. He has crossed away over to Greece to..........
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