From: seawasp+@pitt.edu (Ryk E Spoor)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: VERY LATE reply post (was Re: SAINT SEIYA OAV's)
Date: 14 Apr 92 16:56:27 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


	Despite the long lag, I'm posting this response partly because I
answered the original question in a lot more detail than anyone else did,
and partly because I ran into a couple of people confused about
the difference between the anime series and the OAVs. As stated below,
NONE of the OAVs is as good as the first season anime, and only one is
as good as (perhaps) the second season.
	
	So if your only exposure to Saint Seiya was one of the OAVs, DON'T
judge it on that basis!

	
>In article <29c4f076.8c7f30.0@BEIZ.mediatex.ch>, Ikki@BEIZ.mediatex.ch writes:
># Are there more than 3 movies of Saint
># Seiya? I know this one with abell (aberu
># or something like that),
># with the apple and Hades.
># Is that everything? Or are there more ou
># t yet??


	There are four Saint Seiya movies, in addition to the three season
TV series (and hopefully soon there will be Hades, which has NOT been done
yet); I presume your reference to Hades is actually to Lucifer (number
four, see below), the worst of the four.

	The four are (english titles):

	Saint Seiya: the Ghost Saints (Eris and the Golden Apple are
the plotline)

	Saint Seiya: When Gods Battle (Takes place in Asgard; lots of the
same music used [and the same Odin statue] as in the second TV season)

	Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth (AKA The Crimson Boys, the
Flamer Squad; starring Apollo/Abel and his Titan friends)

	Saint Seiya: Warriors of the Final Saint/Holy Battle  (Lucifer/
Satan and his Thrones against the Saints).

	In quality of the actual shows, NONE of these movies comes up
to the TV show, and certainly not even CLOSE to the Manga. In terms of
each show, a capsule evaluation:

	SPOILERS for all of you who care...








	The Eris movie is a standard single battle. There's a bit of
lead-in character development to introduce a bimbo (sorry, but that's the
fact) for Hyoga to moon over and for Eris to take over. Other than that,
there isn't anything particularly inventive in this one. It's a good
minor beat'em up, but no more.

	When Gods Battle is much better. There is more character interplay,
and a LOT more ... INTERESTING action. Soari gets to try to DO something,
and even though she's gotten out of the way relatively soon actually puts 
on a creditable showing, resisting the first attacks directed at her. Moreover,
the search for, and eventual shocking discovery of, the missing Hyoga,
make for a very interesting story. The music's cool too, very Wagnerian
and powerful. Overall I rate this one the best of the four movies. Also,
there are NO FREAKING STEP BATTLES in this one, which all the others have.

	Legend of Crimson Youth is better than Eris or Lucifer; I rate
it number two. It has good character development and the plotline is
interesting. Soari, though outwardly appearing to desert her saints, is
trying to entrap Apollo and deal with his rather psychotic intentions 
herself. Unfortunately, she outsmarts herself...
	I have two REALLY major objections to this movie, though, which
really kill its chances for #1. First is the music score. With a very
few exceptions, it is wimpy muzak-sounding crap, even during major 
combat. This KILLS dramatic effect. I could strangle the person who
chose this stuff.
	Second, and just as important, is the handling of the Saints
themselves. I don't care WHAT those Crimson Boys are, I just WILL NOT
BELIEVE they can take out Aquarius Camius and Capricorn Shura in ONE
BLOW! These are GOLD SAINTS, for crissakes, and they ain't the weak
Golds, either!
	And let's get something straight: Shun is cute. Shun is kind.
Shun is somewhat innocent. SHUN IS NOT A MORON. When running up steps
(gag me with a Cloth) in a hostile God's territory, after the Zodiac
sequence, there is NO WAY IN HELL that Shun is going to stop and SMELL
the F*CKING ROSES. Especially since he KNOWS Aphrodite Pisces is working
against him here. Moreover, why does Shun always have to get beaten
around? He KILLED Aphrodite last time. He should have TRASHED the Gold
Saint this time.

	The Lucifer story is another simple battle movie. In this one,
Soari gets to shine the most; she fights her own way up the steps in an
almost Seiya-like way, refusing to go down. The remainder of the show,
however, is pedestrian at best.
	Lucifer is the WORST of the OAVs. Soari's spirit is the ONLY worthwhile
part of the sequence, and Ikki's abominable treatment of his brother more
than negates this one positive thing. Steps, steps, steps, AAARRRRGGGGHHH!


	ALL of the movies suffer from the flaw that it's the Saggitarius
Cloth that seems to be the key EVERY time. I'd like to see a Saint movie
that was longer AND that got resolved better. 

	For the purposes of our fan stories, we ignore Lucifer entirely,
along with When Gods Battle (it may be the best of the movies, but it
conflicts too much with the second season line); we still include parts of
Eris and Apollo, but we modify them quite a bit; not the least of which
being that we make the Titans have to fight hard to trash the Golds.

				Sea Wasp

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