Saint Seiya: Saintia Shou

----English-----
The new Spin-Off of Saint Seiya, Saintia Sho, this series had all the potential in front of him, his manga is undoubtedly a work of art, his style of drawing, his history, etc. But it seems that Toei little or nothing cares and although its original style is strange, the classic style is something that is appreciated and that is strange in Omega and Soul Of Gold, this anime sin of being very hasty, badly animated (although I know it's not Gonzo's fault), skipping several parts of the manga and inventing an ending to the FMA 2003. Although at the moment it is not known ... for sure if it's finished or will continue, Toei returned to a series with a lot of potential in something mediocre.

---Español---
El nuevo spin-off de Saint Seiya, Saintia Sho, esta serie tenía todo el potencial delante suyo, su manga es sin duda una obra de arte, su estilo de dibujo, su historia, etc. Pero parece que a Toei poco o nada le importo y si bien se extraña su estilo original, el estilo clasico es algo que se agradece y que se extraño en Omega y Soul Of Gold, este anime peca de ser muy apresurado, mal animado (aunque se que no es culpa de Gonzo), saltandose varias partes del manga e inventandose un final a lo FMA 2003. Aunque por el momento no se sabe a ciencia cierta si ya termino o va a continuar, Toei volvia a una serie con mucho potencial en algo mediocre.

First, Saintia Sho is a good series, very accurate and absolutely recommended for fans of the classic series. However, this applies to the MANGA, not to this anime adaptation, horrible, skimpy and twisted by Toei.

The anime of Sho is not the manga of Chimaki Kuori, it takes the bases and some characters, but diverges in many aspects, and also tries to give a conclusion to the war, when the story in the manga goes on for much longer.

All this to say that, whether you liked this anime or not (in my opinion worse than Omega), do not exclude the manga of Sho, because it is ... a different thing, a meticulously edited work, which I recommend to classic fans of the series.

Now I start. There could be spoilers.


STORY: 4

First of all, to make you understand, in 10 episodes Toei "has adapted" (so to speak) about 8 volumes of the manga. From this you can imagine the cuts, as well as the changes, a disaster.

The story is broadly the same, but in fact there were several differences or omissions with respect to the manga. Where to start ...

The first volume was cut in different parts, the confrontation with Phonos changed (in the manga Milo confronted him), the first meeting between Eris (like Kyoko) and Athena was cut, as many parts were omitted in the Galaxian Wars phase , including the clash between Erda and Deathmask (important for both characters). 12 slightly different houses, Eris striking Atena with the golden apple, invented, omitted the appearances of several new dryads, and greatly altered the clashes with Rigel, Eris and "EvilSaga", won by the saints to give an ending in the anime , while in the manga they have not won one, and the story continues.

Do we want to mention the most absurd moments, totally filler, invented by Toei, not present in the manga?

The resurrection of the 3 silver saints, defeated in zero seconds by the 3 girls? (badly copied from the Hades Sanctuary) Shoko who sees the memories of the past and attends the 12 houses at the same time? As good as it was to see the flashback (manga only) of Aiolos and Saga, the scene is meaningless. Athena struck by the golden apple and in a coma, immediately after the 12 houses, to do the same thing again and be original? NO COMMENT. The participation of Erda and Xiaoling? Needless. EvilSaga who dominates the fight with Aiolia all the time, but does not kill him and he wins at random? Absurd filler. Eris who can't kill 5 girls, and Shoko who confronts and exorcises her, so by chance, defeating her? NO SENSE!


Do we want to raise another problem? The CONTINUITY.

Kuori's manga is FAITHFUL to the original manga, just in a manic way (although the recent Origin has put it out of continuity).

This was the problem of Sho anime from the start. I mean, the original manga and the classic anime have two different continuities (having numerous differences), the Sho anime should have followed the manga line (since the Sho manga story is based on the manga, not the anime), despite being already inconsistent using the colors of the anime.

Toei, as usual, has messed up, a chaotic mixture, inconsistent with everything. Between narrative changes and various inconsistencies (we want to talk about the Hyoga bandage at 12 houses, or Ikki that remains at the end, when in the manga is wiped out?), The story is out of any continuity.

Sho anime is not consistent with the classic anime (as the 12 houses are different, and soon after Asgard follows). It is not consistent with the original manga (for Origin, for the colors of the characters, and other changes). It is not even consistent with the Sho manga (as the story differs and ends, in fact after the 12 houses).


VERY BAD ADAPTATION from the manga, and ZERO CONTINUITY with everything. All this for editorial choices, because more than 10 episodes didn't want to do. What a disappointment.

There will be something good if the story is painful. Characters? Not that they had much time. The clashes? Even those, if not 1-2, the rest is anonymous (or horrible, as in the case of the final with Eris).


ART: 5

When you thought Omega and SoG were ugly, but after seeing Sho and his animations, you realize that they weren't so bad.

There is good and bad.

The static drawings, and the close-ups of the characters, in particular of the gold saints, are very well made, beautiful.

https://i.imgur.com/aYJMcLR.jpg

Yeah, for the close-ups, perhaps here we have THE BEST OF SS, after the classic.

The problem is the animations, very bad, especially at the beginning, unwatchable. Not to mention the often fluctuating quality, even in important moments. For example, at the 12 houses, very well done, then the part of Saga's suicide, a fail. Or the episode 8, the worst.

https://i.imgur.com/M9Kn3tz.jpg

And so you wonder how such a drastic drop is possible.


SOUND: 6

Normal. Some good music has it, even if nothing memorable.


CHARACTERS: 6

As already mentioned, Sho, in addition to taking on the classic characters, would have unpublished and good characters, but the anime, between the changes and the little time that dedicates them, fails.

Classics: some have a quick appearance, others are central. Essentially, the most important would be Saori Kido and the gold saints that survived the 12 houses. Beyond that Saga and Deathmask, but the second one has been omitted.

Athena in Sho's manga is ... excellent, more compassionate, active and similar to the goddess of war. But the anime of Sho cuts his best moments up to there, and besides (for the great originality) he makes her hit by the golden apple and end up in a coma again, like good useless. Thanks, Toei.

For the others, Milo is the golden protagonist, EvilSaga as an enemy, enough space also has Aiolia. The others not.

Saintias and inedited: In this first part, essentially only Shoko, and sister Kyoko, have some kind of development. Katya and Mii have just a hint. Xiao and Erda weren't even that (since the part of Cassiopeia was omitted).

Mayura as the manga, the other minor role.

Enemies: Eris here is altered, compared to the manga, in the usual cliché of the arrogant god (while in the manga it becomes devious, strategic, and even more human, after it merges with Kyoko). Ate, Phonos and Emony have even less prominence than the manga. The only good is Rigel.

And, as already mentioned, the debuts of characters like Mania, Dysnomia, Aeson, and other successive dryads are missing (since the war in the anime ends there).


ENJOYMENT: 5

It's nice to see the close-ups of characters well-made, Milo almost the protagonist, some scenes from the 12 houses, and perhaps the clash with EvilSaga, but in general the series is DISAPPOINTING in several respects.

I will be repetitive, but I repeat: READ THE MANGA, it's another thing.


The only good thing, given Toei's narrative freedoms and the hurry to end the war with Eris, are the final final seconds of episode 10, with "the appearance of a certain character", which would be a great possibility, for one of the most dreamed wars in SS by fans. We only hope with more episodes for decent development, and better graphics quality, if it should be done.

When I was a child, I used to enjoy this kind of anime very much. I didn't care if the character's background stories were lame or the anime plot itself was awful, I simply lied in front of the TV for the whole episodes and anxiously waited 'til next week to see what would happen after.

It's a pity I'm not a kid anymore.

When Saintia Sho was annouced, I jumped with joy. Finally I would see a kind of "what if the saints were girls?". Then I waited for it, watched the episodes... And got upset. I would say that at least the manga is truly ... a work of art, but I'm trying to focus on the anime - in which the art is the worst. Not in a Nanatsu no Taizai level but still awful. Sometimes the shadows are just wrong, sometimes the characters' bodies are terrible, sometimes the art guys don't even try to make their work well. You can just feel that they are doing that whitout giving a fuck about what you, spectator, will think about later. They don't even draw some faces correctly.

I cannot complain very much about the plot as it is set just for a Saint Seiya spin-off but it could be better. I know I'm reviewing an anime made for kiddos but Sailor Moon aims the same (and both of them are made by Toei) AND it still impresses me. The battle scenes are way better (I'm talking about the Crystal remake) & the villains too. I'm disapointed with the Saintia Sho anime & I hope Toei stops thinking that children anime have to be made in a careless way.