Saint Seiya Episode G

"Saint Seiya Episode Gold", written by Megumu Okada from 2002 to 2013, was the first spin-off on knights, and one of those that contributed to the relaunch of the franchise.

The story presents itself as a prequel to the original story, set 7 years before the main events, and sees Leo Aiolia and the other gold saints of the classic series as protagonist, in a war against the 12 titans.

In truth, since the author takes some narrative liberties (even if goods), how to change the personality of the characters, the level of strength, and add powers, in addition to the rest, in terms of "canonicity" Episode G is considered a story alternative.

NOTE: there will be some spoilers in the part of the story


STORY: 8

The story has a very interesting premise, and also proposes a very strong mythological reworking (with mythologies that are also different from the Greek one), really wonderful. Included in some mini gaiden.

The first half of the manga serves to present the characters, to give light to the young golden knights with some personal digressions, flasbacks, fights, and to gradually introduce the enemies, among whom there will truly be excellent characters. The first half is managed really well, rating: 10.

The problem is the second half, that is when the part of the battle begins. Leaving aside the logical plan, that is being the titans divinities superior to the same gods of the Olympus, of the humans could not compete with them (but they are evidently weakened), the problem is the story management.

The series had the premise of having "the gold saints protagonists", 12 golden knights for 12 titans. Of course, for some reasons, not everyone could fight (Aiolos because he died, Saga and Dohko for plot impossibility, for example), but the others in general yes.

Hypothetically, it would have been a great battle, if managed fairly. In reality, I don't know what went on in the head of the author, but he made a character do everything. Oh yes, except for a duel by Capricorn Shura, the young golden lion, Leo Aiolia, fought all the titans in one night, one after the other, defeating some of them, and doing more and more meaningless miracles. The other "alleged protagonists" nothing, only a little glory.

The fights, although meaningless because of Aiolia, were still beautiful thanks to the charisma of the enemies. But such a monocentric management, a total Aioliacentrism, when all the gold sains had to be protagonists and deserved at least one head fight, was really bad. Rating: 5/6.

In addition, some characters "disappear" mysteriously, without telling where they went, and the story closes with an open ending. In theory he had to continue with Episode G Assassin, the sequel, but that has a very particular development.

ART: 8

It is a particular style, at first sight it sucks, the characters are thin and feminine, and it is difficult to read, having very dark tones. You have to get used to it.

Apart from the characters, the design is extremely well-kept. Armours, landscapes, mythological creatures, are treated in detail.

CHARACTERS: 10

Two groups mainly, Gold Saint and Enemies.

The first are the 12 golden knights of the historical series, from Aries Mu to Pisces Aphrodite, but reworked in a personal way by Okada, changed more or less in character, and sometimes with additional powers.

THEY ARE ALL EPIC AND GREAT. If you know, quite disparaged characters (such as Aldebaran, Deathmask, Aphrodite), with little charisma (like Shura) or little space (Aiolos), here you revive them in a completely different light, more heated, convinced, heroic.

The same for some enemies. You will find Pontos, in my opinion the best villain of SS, a devious manipulator, Hyperion and Ceo, titans with a noble spirit, heroes, and several others.

ENJOYMENT: 8

The series is excellent, and manages to entertain. But precisely, if the first half (11-12 volumes) is excellent, engaging and balanced as space for the characters, the second part is a bit disappointing, due to the monopoly of a single character above all.



In any case, it is a manga that should be read, it deserves, for his great characters. And especially because, in terms of MYTHOLOGY, here Okada has really did his best, making a masterpiece in this aspect.

Saint Seiya Episode G

Pratically everyone of you must heard of Saint Seiya,most people form Latin América and some european countries like France must been heard of it.It also surprising popular at net battle forums(like the ones that you argue who would win in a fight).But mosto n United States are not familiar with it,and so I will explain it to people from all the places the original series that inspired that spinoff is from the 1986 Shonen Jump the was adapted at a anime at same year!The original manga can be dived on 3 main arcs,the Sancutary wich they start at a tournament for the Saggitarius Gold Cloth(how the saints armors are called,and they’re ranked like olimpic medals Bronze,Silver and them Gold)then it’s stealed by the Black Saints(carbon copies of the main characters)and Shun’s brother Phoenix Ikki,after they defeat and he joins them,after that the Sancuary’s Pope sends the Silver Saints to assassinate the 5 main characters,and it’s in that arc that we discover that Saori is Athena,nothing more than a few fights and some very easy victories of the bronze boys at the end of the mini-arc,the next part is when they went to the sanctuary to talk to the Pope,but Saori ends hit by a silver saint attack and the bronze boys have twelve hours to climb all the zodiacal houses to take off the arrow on her chest,after the defeat all the gold saints on these houses and finally fought the Pope that was a gold saint that become evil after that is also Poseidon and Hades in the original manga. And finally in SS you see major gods fighting serious,in the classical series when Poseidon would finally fight serious he was sealed again,Thanatos and Hypnos was only minor gods that were stomped after the saints got the God Cloths and Hades died too fast wihout showing his special tecniques

The Episode G is like a Gaiden of these Gold Saints the favorite characters of a loto f fans,and like the bronze saints fought much stronger enemies than them before,even the gold saints fought much stronger enemies than them,the 12 titans from mythological times released from Tarturus since the end of the Titanomachy the war of them against the Olimpian Gods.Unlike the classical series this one have very tridemensional characters and story,even the villains are well developed mainly Hyperion and Coues/Koios and even Pontos(not a titan)can be a complex character if you count his objective,the Titans are all portrayed faithfully to the original mythlogy but not on his speeches saying that the humas must bow to him,just cause he’s a god,and Aiolia talking of the real power(both simbolic and literal)that human being can have.There are poetic dialogue and lines everywhere,every important character has made at least one.The story is similat to the original,cause they’re fighting against the army of a god,but it doesn’t have the save Athena before something depending of the season happens and she dies thing.Still Kronos is using a huge hourglass that will rewind time for people at the Earth until humanity doesn’t exists anymore,and the Gs’ have to battle across the Kronos Labirynth like the 12 houses arc but it still has a fresh fell to it.I will give 9 to character and 8 story.

Now the art,Okada’s style is a huge improvement from Kurumada’s,and Okada have one of the best and detailed arts of all manga artists,it’s only flaws are that the characters all seen so thin and have a big head with unrealistic huge eyes(even for manga).I already said it’s detailed?The scenario looks like a classic painting,and also looks colorful even if the manga is black and white with the many diferent shades they use.Who read the latter Shadow Skill volumes(after the fifth one)knows that his art improved a lot since the first SK volume,I remember a bathing scene on the first volume that was way more gross than fanservice because of Elle’s such small waist and still have more muscles that most modern shonen heroes,she even has a six-pack.Good that in Episode G the characters are not so thin and not so muscular,more realist looking muscles,and Kid Kronos thank the Gods looks nothing like Gau Ban,who is that ploblem boy form.Now let’s talk about the Cloths and Somas the armors of respectivally the Saints and the Titans(and I’m not talking about NFL,LOL)the Classic manga later volumes were filled with armors the resembled costumes of the carnival from Rio complete with big wings and such,now the only armor like that is the Sagittarius one that already was like that the original series,the only big carnival decoration original to Episode G is Kronos giant ring at his Soma.Other armor,Pontos Ars Magna have a very plain design comparared to others,but it shines like a diamond to compensate.The characters all look very distinct from each other,with many particularities and it’s just possible to confuse them if you’re not still familiar with the character like other manga and even the classic manga where some diferent characters have similar design,I will give the art na 10,even with with faces and big eyes ploblems above mentioned.

Now the enjoyment,even if this is your first contact with Saint Seiya you will enjoy it,and if you’re familiar to the original series you will like it even more,well even if you didn’t liked the original series you probally will like this,cause it lost the classical’s simple plot,and now have well worked character,when the original not even the gods had little character development and reasons for their objectives,in epG they have clear personality.The art is incomparablely better than Kurumada’s outdated original art,and jumped to one of the best I ever seen on manga.The story is a lot envolving and I will make you want to know what will happen next.And the fights are more strategical and less willpower based than in the original,and each character use a bigger stock of special tecniques them before,the Titans all have a lot of tecniques,and the battles aren’t just Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken,the only ploblem is that Aiolia seens to fight all the battles against the Titans and don’t leaves much for the others GS to fight,and he make a lot of speeches about things as hope and the value of the human beings and things like that,when that happens the manga can be a lot boring.But overall I will give it 9 in both enjoyment and overall,with great review value,I recomend it for people who want a fighting manga with a plot.