Hmmm, positive review from the Deathvalley Guru DEAN!! and encouragement to write more leads to Review #2!!
To set things straight I won't being reviewing entire series or capsuling them. I will choose one tape from my collection, give some background on the series or source (i.e. manga, movie etc...) and review choice episodes from that series. Today's entry Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya.
Saint Seiya first started in manga form back in 1984 in Shukan Shonen Jump, the world's best selling weekly periodical. The author, Masami Kurumada, had previous success with a high school ninja epic titled "Fuuma No Kojiro" and a boxing tale called "Ring No Kakero". Both had strong followings but neither made the jump to animation and thus no jump to mass merchandising. Saint Seiya changed that, for 4 years it ws the 2nd most popular weekly feature in Shonen Jump behind Akira Toriyama's Dragonball. In 1986 Toei Doga animated Saint Seiya into a 114 episode weekly TV series. Installments between manga and tv episodes were 7 weeks apart add to this Kurumada's problems at getting weekly installments out on time and you have a small problem... the TV series caught upto the manga before a new story arc could begin. Toei rectified this by creating an original storyline for TV (episodes 79-99, the Asgard Arc). When the original TV storyarc ended the series picked up with the new manga story arc (Poseidon, TV episodes 100-114).

The story to Saint seiya revolves around 5 teenage boys, Seiya, Shiryu, Shun, Hyoga and Ikki, and their roles as gaurdian to Saori Kido, the living incarnation of the Greek Goddess Athena. The episodes recapped here are way to the end of the series so let me dsome up quickly... The God Ares manipulates all of Athena's warriors (called saints) against her save for the 5 above. Every Saint wears a suit of armor known as a "cloth" and each is patterned and powered by a constellation. Seiya is the pegasus , Shiryu the dragon, Shun Andromeda (ypou, they give a guy pink armor with pronounced breasts!! Laugh all you like!!), Hyoga Cygnus and Ikki the pheonix. The 5 boys battle through all of Athena's ex-bodygaurds, increase in power and finally beat Ares who had been using the body of the Saint of Gemini, Saga. Afterwards Saori is kidnapped by the current incarnation of Poseidon and his Marine Saints which brings us too...

TV Episodes 110-114
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The deal is the Seiya and crew have invaded to Atlantis to save Saori Kido from Poseidon. Along the way they've managed to kill all of Poseidons "Marine Shoguns" save for 2, Sorrento and Kanon (the twin brother of Saga.. Gemini, get it?) Shun finally a portion of his full power to beat Sorrento and Ikki spends an episode debating about whether or not Athena cares avbout her saints with Kanon. Seiya in the meantime is getting his ass personally handed to him by Poseidon. Even with Hyoga and Shiryu helping him Poseidon is just to bad ass. Saori is trapped in a giant pillar filling with water called "The Main Bread Winner", her punishment is to drown for spurning the love of Poseidon. finally everyone makes it to Poseidon's temple and they ALL get their asses kicked!! Using the last of her power as Athena Saori summons three golden armors of the Zodiac, Sagittarius for Seiya, Libra for Shiryu and Aquarius for Hyoga. Their powers all heightened they try again toi attack Poseidon and fail. Finally deciding to combine the forces of all their deathblows at once (Seiya's "Saint Seiya Ken" Shiryu's "Rozan Shoryu Ha" and Hyoga's "Aurora Execution") they finally blow past Poseidon and shatter the Main Bread winner, freeing Saori!! But Poseidon is still alive and unleashes his power against Athena... but it has no affect as the power of her saints protect her!! Using a spirit urn (stolen from the Undertaker no doubt!!) she removes Poseidon from the body of young shipping tycoon Julian Solo, banishing Poseidon. As Atlantis crumbles around them the Saints and Saori float to the surface while cheap and cheezy accordian music plays in the background.
 

Overall analysis
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Saint Seiya was on its last legs. Kurumada was just beginning the final Manga storyline ("Hades Chapter" which never got animated) and Toei meessed around with bits of the original story to tie it into the Asgard Arc. After 114 episodes Saint Seiya ended (though one last movie "Warriors of the Last Crusade" was released in summer 1990). Saint Seiya was Kurumada's best work and gave him the clout he needed to do his next project "Silent Knight Shou", which unfortunately failed to garner any fan interest. The animation for the TV series is better than what you'd expect for 1989 and the music and voice acting is top notch. Kurumada today is writing and drawing "B't-X" (BEAT-X) anaction mecha story. At its height Seiya was the #2 show in its day behind Dragonball and #1 show with girls. Odd since it's target audience was young boys. The amount of violence in the show despite being toned down fomr the manga, is consderable, since Seiya and Co. get the crap beat out of them all the time and their are gushing amounts of lood (especially where Shiryu is concerned). Seiya is a lost treasure of the modern anime era, it gaveway to imitators ("Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" aka "ronin Warriors") but remains somewhat unique. This series is impossible to find subbed in english at ALL!! 4 movies were made for the Toei Anime Fair, 3 45 minute films and 1 70 minute feature (Legend of Blood Fisted Heroes). If you get a chance to watch this show... by god savor it! It is vastly underappreciated by todays "If it ain't Evangelion it sucks" crowd!!
 

TV Episodes 110-114 get ***1/2 out of *****

J.H.