I have reviewed the first arc for the anime (Classic and 3DCG). But today, I’m starting with the manga that started it all, Masami Kurumada’s Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, Volume One.
Before I begin this review, I would like to point out that this is vastly different than what you have seen in the anime series. In Greek Mythology, Athena, the daughter of Zeus, was born in full armor. By birthright, she was the goddess of battle. She did not believe in conquest and only fought in defensive wars. Her battles with bloodthirsty gods and giants shook the very earth and seemed to have lasted forever. On the battlefield, there were a group of youths that surrounded and protected the goddess, The Knights of the Zodiac! Flash-Forward to Modern Day Greece and two Japanese tourists are shocked to see a man-sized meteor crash to Earth before them. It turned out to be a young boy named Seiya, who must train harder than ever if he is to survive the onslaught from the Brutal Cassio! Whoever wins will receive the greatest prize known to man, The Pegasus Cloth!
What I like about the Saint Seiya series is its detail in Greek Mythology and the use of constellations that serve a purpose to the story. Now, the first volume sets up the premise of what fans can expect in the upcoming volumes, fierce action, and the introduction of the Gold Saint (The Sagittarius Gold Cloth.)
As mentioned previously, Seiya was training to defeat the fierce fighter known as Cassio. Seiya was forced to go to Sanctuary in Greece for training in hopes of learning about what happened to his sister. He had won the Pegasus ‘Cloth’ and set to return to Japan until having to face one of his hardest tests, which was awakening his Cosmo and defeating Saint Shaina.
The Galaxian Wars is a tournament where 10 Bronze Knights compete in a tournament held by Saori Kido. It was one of my favorite arcs in the series, mainly because this showcased the bronze knights’ potential in combat and their abilities. In the first volume, we only had the chance to watch one fight and it was Seiya fighting Bear Geki, who witnessed firsthand how much the Pegasus Knight has improved.
Some moments differed from the anime series. It was a tad more violent but still worth reading in my opinion. The first volume collected the first four chapters of the Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Series. There have been comparisons of it being similar to Dragon Ball, but I fail to see the similarity.
If you’re interested in checking out Saint Seiya, I would recommend checking it out on Viz Media’s Shonen Jump App Today.
Final Grade:
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