It's not unwatchable, just Americanized.
Bad dialogue and corny.
It's enjoyable but don't expect the original.
I personally preferred the 3D animation of the last movie.
123 Reviews
Americanized
vadimsimons21 July 2019
I have mixed feelings
lesliedeleon-1465619 July 2019
Interesting new approach, poorly executed, too americanized.
Danielrl198220 July 2019
I don't see why this series is getting so much hate.
Like most of those writting reviews for this show, I have been a Saint Seiya die hard fan since it was broadcasted in my country somewhere in the early 90s and I have been a fan of this story since then. All movies, All Manga, all series, figures, etc.
Let's get something out of the way. Knights of the Zodiac is an apple that still falls very far from the tree. Period. But then again... what in the Saint Seiya franchise isn't?
Even the original Anime was heavily criticized when it came out because of the great differences with the Manga and made-up sagas. Still most people know Saint Seiya because of the Anime and most don't realize that those of us who read the Mangas consider that the original Anime was a poor production compared to the quality and story delivered by the Manga. I mean we only had to wait over 12 years to see the 1st part of the Hades chapter animated.
If you take that into account and accept the fact that this is an attempt to gain American viewers for this franchise, which is basically unknown in the US you can perhaps enjoy a little of what it does right.
First, what you should really focus on... The story. I thought that the way the story of Seiya is presented to the viewer is fresh and gets your attention in the way that it is different from that in the Manga and the Anime. It gets you thinking "Ok what did you change? tell me". I think the approach is interesting, with enough new elements to keep you interested but without deviating too much from the story we all love.
The animation. Well... remember I said this is poorly executed? The poor executon starts with the animation. Not only is the character design way too cartoonish and childish, the animation itself is terrible. It feels rushed. Textures for eyes look extremely artificial.
Dubbing, I didn't like either. It feels artificial too, although... I guess that depends on the language.
Censorship. This is perhaps the biggest problem I have. Saint Seiya would be so great if someone had the courage to make a dark enough adptation, that it really hurts seeing this surgarcoated version as if the censorship Cartoon Network put on the original Anime wasn't bad enough.
Shun is a girl. Yes. Deal with it. IT MAKES SENSE! I actually don't know why he wasn't a girl in the first place. The original Shun's personality has always been more common in girls than in straight or gay men. Plus it brings an interesting twist to the team and perhaps to the Hades arc (although that's probably not going to happen with such bad reviews, I'd like to see it). I hated when The Legend of Sancturay turned Milo into a woman, because it just didn't make sense, they just did it to be inclusive which is dumb if it is done just for the sake of it... in Shun's case it makes sense. Back in the 90s we all thought he was basically a girl anyway.
Americanization. Some of the humor included in the show, the censorship, the cartoonish style and political correctness is very clearly aimed at amusing and pleasing very a young American audience. Expect that.
All in all, although this show is very, very far from pleasing die hard fans, I think that if you watch it with an open mind and with the understanding that you're not watching a rerun of the original series you might actually find some interesting story elements that can keep you watching it and enjoying it at times. So much hate is an unexplained mystery for me. I know that without noticing I found myself "enjoying it" more than I expected when I first saw the trailer.
Like most of those writting reviews for this show, I have been a Saint Seiya die hard fan since it was broadcasted in my country somewhere in the early 90s and I have been a fan of this story since then. All movies, All Manga, all series, figures, etc.
Let's get something out of the way. Knights of the Zodiac is an apple that still falls very far from the tree. Period. But then again... what in the Saint Seiya franchise isn't?
Even the original Anime was heavily criticized when it came out because of the great differences with the Manga and made-up sagas. Still most people know Saint Seiya because of the Anime and most don't realize that those of us who read the Mangas consider that the original Anime was a poor production compared to the quality and story delivered by the Manga. I mean we only had to wait over 12 years to see the 1st part of the Hades chapter animated.
If you take that into account and accept the fact that this is an attempt to gain American viewers for this franchise, which is basically unknown in the US you can perhaps enjoy a little of what it does right.
First, what you should really focus on... The story. I thought that the way the story of Seiya is presented to the viewer is fresh and gets your attention in the way that it is different from that in the Manga and the Anime. It gets you thinking "Ok what did you change? tell me". I think the approach is interesting, with enough new elements to keep you interested but without deviating too much from the story we all love.
The animation. Well... remember I said this is poorly executed? The poor executon starts with the animation. Not only is the character design way too cartoonish and childish, the animation itself is terrible. It feels rushed. Textures for eyes look extremely artificial.
Dubbing, I didn't like either. It feels artificial too, although... I guess that depends on the language.
Censorship. This is perhaps the biggest problem I have. Saint Seiya would be so great if someone had the courage to make a dark enough adptation, that it really hurts seeing this surgarcoated version as if the censorship Cartoon Network put on the original Anime wasn't bad enough.
Shun is a girl. Yes. Deal with it. IT MAKES SENSE! I actually don't know why he wasn't a girl in the first place. The original Shun's personality has always been more common in girls than in straight or gay men. Plus it brings an interesting twist to the team and perhaps to the Hades arc (although that's probably not going to happen with such bad reviews, I'd like to see it). I hated when The Legend of Sancturay turned Milo into a woman, because it just didn't make sense, they just did it to be inclusive which is dumb if it is done just for the sake of it... in Shun's case it makes sense. Back in the 90s we all thought he was basically a girl anyway.
Americanization. Some of the humor included in the show, the censorship, the cartoonish style and political correctness is very clearly aimed at amusing and pleasing very a young American audience. Expect that.
All in all, although this show is very, very far from pleasing die hard fans, I think that if you watch it with an open mind and with the understanding that you're not watching a rerun of the original series you might actually find some interesting story elements that can keep you watching it and enjoying it at times. So much hate is an unexplained mystery for me. I know that without noticing I found myself "enjoying it" more than I expected when I first saw the trailer.
From a Saint Seya fan, stay away from this garbage
The-Last-Sith-Lord19 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I just watched the first part released on Netflix, and it was horrible.
I have been a fan of Saint Seiya since my childhood, and this new show from Netflix lacks a soul. The director and writers doesn't seems to have any kind of love or passion for the original Saint Seiya.
They didn't just changed Shun into a woman, they also changed many characters' personality on this new series. They tried to create some kind of new story, mixing classic scenes/moments from the original Saint Seiya, and it resulted in a very rushed story without much connection with each scene. Sometimes it was also kind disrespectful with the lore of the original Saint Seiya. This new world that the writers created for this Saint Seiya lacks a lot of consistency.
Since the release of the Lost Canvas, Saint Seiya's fans haven't seem much good quality production of this franchise, which is really a pity. (Omega's story and production was pretty bad, the movie released some years ago also had it's story rushed, and the new Saintia Shou's series was a very cheap production). I really wish they could make a new season of the Lost Canvas using the same studio and crew who worked on the first seasons, instead of making this unnecessary reboots and cheap productions.
For true Saint Seiya's fans, I recommend to stay away from this one.
They didn't just changed Shun into a woman, they also changed many characters' personality on this new series. They tried to create some kind of new story, mixing classic scenes/moments from the original Saint Seiya, and it resulted in a very rushed story without much connection with each scene. Sometimes it was also kind disrespectful with the lore of the original Saint Seiya. This new world that the writers created for this Saint Seiya lacks a lot of consistency.
Since the release of the Lost Canvas, Saint Seiya's fans haven't seem much good quality production of this franchise, which is really a pity. (Omega's story and production was pretty bad, the movie released some years ago also had it's story rushed, and the new Saintia Shou's series was a very cheap production). I really wish they could make a new season of the Lost Canvas using the same studio and crew who worked on the first seasons, instead of making this unnecessary reboots and cheap productions.
For true Saint Seiya's fans, I recommend to stay away from this one.
A comment for the producers (I hope somebody read it).
iborquezd24 July 2019
Me, as a huge, huge, huge fan (because its my favorite serial of all time and I have something very deep with this from my childhood). Right now I am a filmmaker and a screenwriter for almost 20 years and I have to say this. The problem with this new version its the complete lack of understanding of MELODRAMA. Yes, the way Knights of the Zodiac works is MELODRAMA. It is a like a MEXICAN TELENOVELA (if you hire a mexican producer of Televisa of the 90´s. This would be a masterpiece). Yes I know the story you are making its the same as it was in the 90´s but without all the elements of MELODRAMA that generates emotions in people (where are those super extreme close-ups? the elements of secrecy? the elements of anticipation? surprise? building tension moment by moment with revelations? They dont have to be even credible (because it is not realism or naturalism, it is a MELODRAMA). In every single chapter characters cry (until they dont have any more water in their body), they fight for friendship for the ones they love even if they have to spill the last drop of blood in their body and they dont care to die and suffer so much pain (that why its extremely bloody "but it has a reason that works" Knights of the Zodiac are MESIANIC HEROES "they die to save the other like Jesus Christ"). There is no series that have made me cry more than Knights of the Zodiac. Mix MELODRAMA (which is the exaggeration of reality in order to produce emotions) with a deep understanding of friendship (to die for them "EXAGERATION, EXAGERATION, EXAGERATION!!!"). In Knights of the Zodiac fights are very short (they are just a climax), they take a lot of time building anticipation. Knights of the Zodiac are extremely sad, and characters (that you love) they die and you cry for them!!!!!. But at the same time they give you hope and they make you want to be the best friend in the world. I am sorry, but without the elements of Melodrama, the serial wont work. Another comment, the music is horrible, it doesnt generate anything (but I am not going to talk about it because I am not an expert), but Knights of the Zodiac had an amazingly excellent soundtrack. Well, lets see what happens in the next episodes.
Abomination. Don't lower yourself like this, Toei.
ramenbabi21 July 2019
Dumb, sanitized, Americanized, likely homophobic take on Saint Seiya. They should have not called it Saint Seiya if they only want to borrow the design characters and some scenes off the manga but getting the whole world view wrong or Americanized.
As if characters can't be grey, KotZ (not going to call it Saint Seiya) split Mitsumasa Kido into two characters, one good while another evil. The evil one is a military guy who doesn't believe in superstitions but want to use technology to take the power of the gods. ....wait, is this guy supposed to represent America? The theme of science/technology/rationality vs gods/magic/supernatural is to me clearly American. And even here it got Saint Seiya wrong: where as Cosmo in Saint Seiya is natural power that exists in every being, now Cosmo seems to be a supernatural power. Freak of nature. Unnatural. Totally different philosophy than original StS.
Also, they changed an iconic feminine, stereotype-breaking male character into a stereotypical token female character. Is it to avoid showing tender moments between two men like between Hyouga and Shun later? Or is it because the writer only understands stereotypes and can't accept a feminine male character who wears pink?
As if characters can't be grey, KotZ (not going to call it Saint Seiya) split Mitsumasa Kido into two characters, one good while another evil. The evil one is a military guy who doesn't believe in superstitions but want to use technology to take the power of the gods. ....wait, is this guy supposed to represent America? The theme of science/technology/rationality vs gods/magic/supernatural is to me clearly American. And even here it got Saint Seiya wrong: where as Cosmo in Saint Seiya is natural power that exists in every being, now Cosmo seems to be a supernatural power. Freak of nature. Unnatural. Totally different philosophy than original StS.
Also, they changed an iconic feminine, stereotype-breaking male character into a stereotypical token female character. Is it to avoid showing tender moments between two men like between Hyouga and Shun later? Or is it because the writer only understands stereotypes and can't accept a feminine male character who wears pink?
Worst. dialogue. ever.
PowerSheetAI21 July 2019
Worst. dialogue. ever.
My wife loved the original. But we couldn't even get through episode 2. They literally narrate everything they do, including describing the gestures their own hands are making as they make them. It's so on the nose, literal and leaves nothing to the imagination.
For example, a snippet of conversation during battle with a bad guy:
"I think I'm stronger, faster and smarter than you. That is why I will am continuing to fight you. Oh no, you are using your hands to make an 8 pointed star in a power attack. Oh no, I must get out of the way. Don't go near your attack. I do not believe what you are saying. Oh no, what you just said is true and I believe it now"
My wife loved the original. But we couldn't even get through episode 2. They literally narrate everything they do, including describing the gestures their own hands are making as they make them. It's so on the nose, literal and leaves nothing to the imagination.
For example, a snippet of conversation during battle with a bad guy:
"I think I'm stronger, faster and smarter than you. That is why I will am continuing to fight you. Oh no, you are using your hands to make an 8 pointed star in a power attack. Oh no, I must get out of the way. Don't go near your attack. I do not believe what you are saying. Oh no, what you just said is true and I believe it now"
it's not the original {nothing is} but it's not too bad.
hellsnavy20 July 2019
It's not that bad.
there's a few problems like the animation is bad.
other things had me on the fence like switching the gender of andromeda shun.
to be honest. andromeda makes more sense as a girl now that i have seen the show. i forgot his armor even has breasts.
maybe it was a political move by netflix. but really it spares me some yaoi with cygnus later on.
so even though their reasons were the absolute worst {pandering} i am actually satisfied with the result.
the animation is cheap looking. but everything is nowadays.
this animation is looking triple a plus friggin amazing compared to the other female saints show that came out around january. that animation is 2d and is much worse than the one on this show. so now i am glad that they made this 3dcgi. they really were never going to put the effort to animate like they did the original. and they won't be able to show as much violence, and i am sure when they destroy a pillar or a rock it won't be as epic as it was before.
but i wasn't expecting sometihng made in 2019 to compete with the absolute masterpiece that is saint seiya's original run. for what it was, and if you keep your expectations in check... this is better than any other cgi show anyways, at least the characters are ON MODEL in this remake. if you compare to something like berserk, that looks like an absolute amateur made the 3d models. this one is okay...
but i wasn't expecting sometihng made in 2019 to compete with the absolute masterpiece that is saint seiya's original run. for what it was, and if you keep your expectations in check... this is better than any other cgi show anyways, at least the characters are ON MODEL in this remake. if you compare to something like berserk, that looks like an absolute amateur made the 3d models. this one is okay...
Most horrible adaptation
carloschavez-4373520 July 2019
Not the best, but not bad either. It's new!
andretingtang29 July 2019
What's with the negative review? Come on, we all know the story will never change since the original series, the movie, until legend f sanctuary. It's always be like that, so I think its okay with a little different here and there(including the gender of shun).. I'm a SS fan since childhood, and always hungry for more.
It's not the best, but not bad either. Give it a try. And the important thing is IT'S NEW. It will be boring if you just convert 2D manga into 3D CGI but with the same story line.
It's not the best, but not bad either. Give it a try. And the important thing is IT'S NEW. It will be boring if you just convert 2D manga into 3D CGI but with the same story line.
Anime that created wonderful memory for me is destroyed.
gold_hiey21 July 2019
Very bad remake. Saint Seiya is a legendary anime. It has created a wonderful memory for me. The producer is clearly under qualify and does not understand why children/people around the world love this anime. Helicopter, generic dark saint, cartoon like CGI, underwhelming fight scene etc.
These characters are legendary. You change it's name to some generic name..
Fantastic! from a real Saint Seiya fan
stermix50131 May 2020
Saint Seyia and Dragonball have appeared when I was 13 and have been the only anime series I kept following until now. I liked everything except the S.S.Omega seasons. As a Greek, I often felt offended by describing Greeks as badies, but still kept watching because of its entertainment value, the fights, the references to astronomy and of course its mythology foundations.
I never really liked the drama of the old series - which some reviewer described as their core - so, having watched 2 episodes until now I am still happy it hasn't much appeared.
The animation is a bit too 3D, I might have preferred something more in the line of what Pixar/Disney actually do, but they are more lively than the Clone wars, so, for a series, I am satisfied enough. The 1st use of Ryu sei ken was too materialised to my taste, but after the 2nd time it felt better. Once used to it, animation is certainly more shiny and vibrant than original series, developments are faster paced and I'm looking forward to watch the entire season. IMDB notes are unfairly low, always hardcore fans are tough, except for the Star wars movies rubbish remakes.
I hope they are allowed to remake the whole Sanctuary saga and if possible add the complete Lost Canvas. If they perform well in Japan, there might be chances.
Update after E07: today we went with my young daughter to a museum where I showed her a real ancient status of the Goddess Athena. Then back home she asked to see the Kinghts and she saw and recognized the other version of Athena. Just tell me one tv series anime or not that can give you that chance. Tell me a show that is about mythology and stars that is also action drama and is meant for youngs and middle-aged people. I never really liked Shun and Aphrodite (knights) and at those early times I thought there was some error in dubbing. Yet I got used to them and I understand the hate. Changing what was strange back then, seems strange now. Yet the only knight with whom my daughter identifies herself is Shaun! So, how can we make everybody happy? Leave Shun as he was and change Ikki (I prefer that name) and Magnus (I prefer that name) to girls, Seiya to a vegan and Shiryu to a black? And what would then the purist fans say? What would any of the purist fans do if he/she had to write, draw and direct a remake of the SS series? A remake that would revive the show in a way watchable and profitable today. Why make a remake with everything copied 100% from the original? Have you tried to watch in 2020 one of the first episodes of the original? Well I did, and despite my nostalgy, it is mostly boring for anyone else now. Did you watch SS Omega? Did you like what happened to Seiya there?
So I appeal to every past fan and new viewer. Write an honest review without hate. Without spotting the differences to the original but saying which aspect you liked or didn't. Help the makers improve it, not cancel it! Because there is nothing similar better out there!
Update after E07: today we went with my young daughter to a museum where I showed her a real ancient status of the Goddess Athena. Then back home she asked to see the Kinghts and she saw and recognized the other version of Athena. Just tell me one tv series anime or not that can give you that chance. Tell me a show that is about mythology and stars that is also action drama and is meant for youngs and middle-aged people. I never really liked Shun and Aphrodite (knights) and at those early times I thought there was some error in dubbing. Yet I got used to them and I understand the hate. Changing what was strange back then, seems strange now. Yet the only knight with whom my daughter identifies herself is Shaun! So, how can we make everybody happy? Leave Shun as he was and change Ikki (I prefer that name) and Magnus (I prefer that name) to girls, Seiya to a vegan and Shiryu to a black? And what would then the purist fans say? What would any of the purist fans do if he/she had to write, draw and direct a remake of the SS series? A remake that would revive the show in a way watchable and profitable today. Why make a remake with everything copied 100% from the original? Have you tried to watch in 2020 one of the first episodes of the original? Well I did, and despite my nostalgy, it is mostly boring for anyone else now. Did you watch SS Omega? Did you like what happened to Seiya there?
So I appeal to every past fan and new viewer. Write an honest review without hate. Without spotting the differences to the original but saying which aspect you liked or didn't. Help the makers improve it, not cancel it! Because there is nothing similar better out there!
It's okay
jasonzz-7644619 July 2019
If your like me and wanted to see this w/o ever watching Saint Seiya before, than as a stand alone anime it wasn't that bad, I'd even say it was some what enjoyable to complete. However judging it based on the original then I'm sure many of the fans criticisms are justified. Initially the story does feel very rushed, with transitions that feel like huge sudden skips, and certain particular action scenes feel choppy or over used with certain comic relief scenes feeling dragged on. Other then that the story itself isn't bad (although quick pace, assuming most are already familiar with the story). I believe the characters are interesting, from brash to mellow and spunky and not devoid of personality. Although CGI isn't my favorite form of an anime, it's still far from the likes of Berserk. The series has peaked my interest and I will give the og a try when I find time to binge 145eps along with juggling a few other series.
I am very disappoint, don't watch if you are Saint Seiya fan
nicolaupt19 July 2019
I have been a fan of Saint Seiya since the original version came out and I was looking forward to this show. Instead, this show was just garbage. From Shun transforms into a woman (guess what, he dresses in pink! Of course, he turned to a woman, duh! -.-) to the art concept was horrendous, even the plot can't save us from ameliorating the show. It just American, nonsensical version of Saint Seiya, like the Death Note. I would give -5 stars if I could.
Just watch the original.
rireisfp23 July 2019
Oh boy, what to say? I wish I could point out positive and negative things on the new series, but the truth is that there's no positives.
-There's no improvement over the original series plotwise, but the the netflix series compresses so much in only 6 episodes, that the characters end up being shallow, and a lot of character development of the original series is left out. -The new cloth design is a joke compared to the V1 the characters should be wearing (and don't get me started on the dog tags). -The quality of the animation is terrible. CG needs to be much more dark and grittier to look good on a show like this; This was obviosly made for children and not for the fans of the original series. -The comic relief of the show isn't actually funny. -What's up with the ridiculous name changes on the translation from japanese?
-There's no improvement over the original series plotwise, but the the netflix series compresses so much in only 6 episodes, that the characters end up being shallow, and a lot of character development of the original series is left out. -The new cloth design is a joke compared to the V1 the characters should be wearing (and don't get me started on the dog tags). -The quality of the animation is terrible. CG needs to be much more dark and grittier to look good on a show like this; This was obviosly made for children and not for the fans of the original series. -The comic relief of the show isn't actually funny. -What's up with the ridiculous name changes on the translation from japanese?
WHY DID YOU MAKE SHUN INTO A WOMAN??????
frankyntranse1 October 2019
The point of Shun in the series was to show that men can be delicate and sensitive and wear pink and there is nothing wrong about that. They completely missed the point of the character and what it represents by turning him into a woman.
There was so much potential here.. Horrible decision! I started it but I can't continue watching it. Whoever had this idea, needs to be fired asap.
An explosion of american cliche
thiagonaut20 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I will try to judge this series as objectively as I can, since I already watched the original Saint Seiya and therefore my conclusion could be biased by that, so let's compare this cartoon (not anime) with other series we know. I will try to stay spoiler free.
Story
The story has inspiration in the well known manga and anime of similar name. This is as far as it goes: just resemblance. Netflix's Kights of the Zodiac is full of the worst kind of american cliches (the same kind of cliches that the Transformers franchise is now known for). The heroes suddenly realize they have super powers, there is no hard training or anything, it happens in a rather anti-climatic way. As usual, the american superhero has to face bullies at the beginning of his career (and this is usually how he/she figures out he/she has super powers, being no different for this series). The protagonists always have something the army wants (super powers, technology, knowledge) and therefore the army has to run after the main heroes (this concept loosely translates to this series). The comedy is as dull and silly as it can go in a silly american cartoon or comedy show (something so out of tone and devoided of intelect that even hurt my brain). The whole ting is so full of one-liners that one completely looses the hype while watching (I know, in America one-liners are considered cool, but I just cannot stand this).
Soundtrack
The whole soundtrack is very generic. The opening is a bit better than the usual american dubbing of an anime opening, but still pretty bad. If one compares it to any of the previous iterations of this song released over the years for different anime of the same franchise, this is by far the very worst. Not only the opening is uninspiring, but the soundtrack as a whole is pretty lame.
Voice acting
The american voice acting is not really good. Sometimes they deliver it with the needed feeling, but most of the time it feels like a robot is reading the script. The animation of the mouth also does not fit the dialogue, and it just looks pretty bad and disturbing (I have seen old CG animations doing way better, like Beast Wars transformers).
Graphics/animation
The first thing that called my attention is that they called it an anime. I was pretty surprised by that, because it is not 2D, there is no anime drawing in it, and overall it lacks quality. Some scenes look like Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. Actually the heroes' faces do resemble the creepy trains' faces in some scenes. The animation is, however, fluid enough. It is by far not as good as Star Wars Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels, but it is ok, specially for kids below 10 years old.
Battles
Here comes the worst part for something based on a Shounen: the battles are pretty bad. They are short, rushed and generic. Saint Seiya is well know for having very unique characters with very unique techniques and choreographies (each of these techniques having a specific effect, like freezing, poisoning, blinding and so on), but this time they decided to make it closer to a general american super-hero cartoon and have everyone shooting balls of energy. These generic moves just detract the whole beauty of the franchise and really add nothing to an already too-short battle scene. The sound effects during the battles are also pretty unsuitable.
Character development
This is probably the worst part. The series sometimes makes it look like we have the same generic character in different skins. There is not much of personality in any of the main characters, in contrast to the source material. There are a few character that stand out, however, and they are Pegasus and Phoenix. Andromeda, now a girl (in contrast to the efeminate male in the source material), is just a fragile and pacifist girl that does not like to fight. This basically makes the gender bending unjustifiable, she is just a very stereotypical female character that need protection from the males and reinforces the idea that males should be strong and females should be fragile.
I therefore see no point for someone to waste time on this. Maybe it will work for very young kids, but the bits of blood will make parents think twice.
I still think that Saint Seiya Omega, regardless of its failures, is a better introduction for younger fans, and the original animation (which didn't age greatly but still looks decent nowadays) is a much better and entertaining anime if you are older than 10 y.o. and looking for a new anime to watch. If you want a "boy gets superpowers and starts an adventure" cartoon, I would rather recommend Ben 10, it also has lots of cliches, but at least it is well executed.
Story
The story has inspiration in the well known manga and anime of similar name. This is as far as it goes: just resemblance. Netflix's Kights of the Zodiac is full of the worst kind of american cliches (the same kind of cliches that the Transformers franchise is now known for). The heroes suddenly realize they have super powers, there is no hard training or anything, it happens in a rather anti-climatic way. As usual, the american superhero has to face bullies at the beginning of his career (and this is usually how he/she figures out he/she has super powers, being no different for this series). The protagonists always have something the army wants (super powers, technology, knowledge) and therefore the army has to run after the main heroes (this concept loosely translates to this series). The comedy is as dull and silly as it can go in a silly american cartoon or comedy show (something so out of tone and devoided of intelect that even hurt my brain). The whole ting is so full of one-liners that one completely looses the hype while watching (I know, in America one-liners are considered cool, but I just cannot stand this).
Soundtrack
The whole soundtrack is very generic. The opening is a bit better than the usual american dubbing of an anime opening, but still pretty bad. If one compares it to any of the previous iterations of this song released over the years for different anime of the same franchise, this is by far the very worst. Not only the opening is uninspiring, but the soundtrack as a whole is pretty lame.
Voice acting
The american voice acting is not really good. Sometimes they deliver it with the needed feeling, but most of the time it feels like a robot is reading the script. The animation of the mouth also does not fit the dialogue, and it just looks pretty bad and disturbing (I have seen old CG animations doing way better, like Beast Wars transformers).
Graphics/animation
The first thing that called my attention is that they called it an anime. I was pretty surprised by that, because it is not 2D, there is no anime drawing in it, and overall it lacks quality. Some scenes look like Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. Actually the heroes' faces do resemble the creepy trains' faces in some scenes. The animation is, however, fluid enough. It is by far not as good as Star Wars Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels, but it is ok, specially for kids below 10 years old.
Battles
Here comes the worst part for something based on a Shounen: the battles are pretty bad. They are short, rushed and generic. Saint Seiya is well know for having very unique characters with very unique techniques and choreographies (each of these techniques having a specific effect, like freezing, poisoning, blinding and so on), but this time they decided to make it closer to a general american super-hero cartoon and have everyone shooting balls of energy. These generic moves just detract the whole beauty of the franchise and really add nothing to an already too-short battle scene. The sound effects during the battles are also pretty unsuitable.
Character development
This is probably the worst part. The series sometimes makes it look like we have the same generic character in different skins. There is not much of personality in any of the main characters, in contrast to the source material. There are a few character that stand out, however, and they are Pegasus and Phoenix. Andromeda, now a girl (in contrast to the efeminate male in the source material), is just a fragile and pacifist girl that does not like to fight. This basically makes the gender bending unjustifiable, she is just a very stereotypical female character that need protection from the males and reinforces the idea that males should be strong and females should be fragile.
I therefore see no point for someone to waste time on this. Maybe it will work for very young kids, but the bits of blood will make parents think twice.
I still think that Saint Seiya Omega, regardless of its failures, is a better introduction for younger fans, and the original animation (which didn't age greatly but still looks decent nowadays) is a much better and entertaining anime if you are older than 10 y.o. and looking for a new anime to watch. If you want a "boy gets superpowers and starts an adventure" cartoon, I would rather recommend Ben 10, it also has lots of cliches, but at least it is well executed.
This series has horrible pacing issues (Among other things)
Rectangular_businessman31 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
For me, the main problem this series has it's the fact that it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be: Is this a series for kids or for the old-school fans who wanted a more faithful adaptation of the original comics? While the former seems the most likely answer, the truth is that this series lack the dynamism most kids series have nowadays, and the inclusion of some random elements from the comics feel like the writers were trying to pander to the most purist fans who had certain reservations towards the original anime series (Which honestly, despite all the liberties it took in comparison with its source material, managed to capture its essence perfectly well)
The result is weird and muddled, and it also negatively affected by its rushed narrative, where almost everything happens way too fast and with plot points being dropped almost immediately after being introduced: For example, when Hyoga (Sorry, I mean "Magnus") is introduced in the series, he apparently had the mission to kill Saori (Sorry, I mean "Sienna") just like in the original manga, something which could have been an interesting plot twist...Yet unfortunately, Hyoga (I mean, "Magnus") randomly changes his mind a few minutes later, and nothing is done with this story element.
The rushed narrative also affects negatively the characterization, because there is barely any time for a proper interaction between the main protagonists, and even less for the development of their respective personalities.
Now, the change of Andromeda Shun (Sorry, I mean "Shaun") seems to be the most controversial aspect from this series among the fandom, but honestly, I don't mind it so much. True, it was a pointless change, but it didn't bother me too much. Kinda wish they used that change to explore a little bit more the gender dynamics the series always had, but I guess that probably wouldn't have been "politically correct" for some. And now that female saints don't wear a mask (Except for Marin, maybe to keep a certain mystery about her true identity like the original series did on the Sanctuary Arc) my guess is that in this version of the sanctuary there is no distinction between male or female saints.
The animation is okay. Not great, but nothing too bad. Sometimes the characters look a bit too much like action figures, but the overall result is not as terrible as some reviewers here have stated. The opening and ending song are nice, but the rest of the soundtrack is mostly unremarkable. Shame, because the classic series had such a beautiful music.
This series isn't terrible, but it is a missed opportunity. Could have been an okay show for kids or a more faithful adaptation of the comics, but instead the result feels like a muddled mixture of elements aimed at an uncertain audience, hence all these negative reviews. Is not just nostalgia, as an indepent work completely unrelated from its source material and the original anime, it is still deeply flawed.
The result is weird and muddled, and it also negatively affected by its rushed narrative, where almost everything happens way too fast and with plot points being dropped almost immediately after being introduced: For example, when Hyoga (Sorry, I mean "Magnus") is introduced in the series, he apparently had the mission to kill Saori (Sorry, I mean "Sienna") just like in the original manga, something which could have been an interesting plot twist...Yet unfortunately, Hyoga (I mean, "Magnus") randomly changes his mind a few minutes later, and nothing is done with this story element.
The rushed narrative also affects negatively the characterization, because there is barely any time for a proper interaction between the main protagonists, and even less for the development of their respective personalities.
Now, the change of Andromeda Shun (Sorry, I mean "Shaun") seems to be the most controversial aspect from this series among the fandom, but honestly, I don't mind it so much. True, it was a pointless change, but it didn't bother me too much. Kinda wish they used that change to explore a little bit more the gender dynamics the series always had, but I guess that probably wouldn't have been "politically correct" for some. And now that female saints don't wear a mask (Except for Marin, maybe to keep a certain mystery about her true identity like the original series did on the Sanctuary Arc) my guess is that in this version of the sanctuary there is no distinction between male or female saints.
The animation is okay. Not great, but nothing too bad. Sometimes the characters look a bit too much like action figures, but the overall result is not as terrible as some reviewers here have stated. The opening and ending song are nice, but the rest of the soundtrack is mostly unremarkable. Shame, because the classic series had such a beautiful music.
This series isn't terrible, but it is a missed opportunity. Could have been an okay show for kids or a more faithful adaptation of the comics, but instead the result feels like a muddled mixture of elements aimed at an uncertain audience, hence all these negative reviews. Is not just nostalgia, as an indepent work completely unrelated from its source material and the original anime, it is still deeply flawed.
Seiya for the 21st Century
chrisbrooks-1925915 May 2021
People are being very brutal with their reviews. People give something a 1, which means completely unwatchable piece of garbage, which is not the case. Is it as good as the original or even the Hades follow up, no, but is it horrific, absolutely not. The modern element mixed in with the old is interesting. The updated graphics are neat and fun. Would I rather see another of the animated series instead? Yes but this was fun to watch too. Don't listen to all the haters.
bad, useless and bad, we live in a poor time...
manumanumanu-4151219 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I realy cant see any reason that this s...t exist.
It's rushed, character are empty, music is bad, nothing epic here, what happen with the sound design, the fight are so bad, animation is really poor, and it s ugly.
Dont let your children watch this, give them the original !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will have to watch a full season of the original to wash my brain, and I m not sure it wont have permanent damage.
Watchable, just not great
timrossminister19 August 2019
Don't be put off by the first couple of episodes. I too, was going to give up after episode one but I'm glad I didn't. The story does build quite nicely, with a few unexpected twists and enough peril to make you think, "how are they going get out of this, now?"
In the end, I was disappointed when the series ended and I find myself hoping there's going to be a second season - so it must have something.
Ok, so the script is a little cheesy here and there with some clichés that might have been better written, but isn't anime often filled with clichés anyway?
I ending up quite liking the visual style, which is vaguely reminiscent of older video game cut scenes, but with an anime interpretation.
Whilst it's nowhere near as good as, say, The Legend of Korra, if you need an anime fix whilst waiting for something really good to come along, there are far worse series out there.
New does not mean better
edus-2009020 July 2019
Not what I expected, but still is a good series!
mjherrera-6985828 July 2019
I actually enjoy this series, I know is not like the original but that's expected. The animation doesn't match the series tone, but still is good and I like that they didn't spend 5 episodes in just one fight like the original did 😂
Just give the show a chance, is really good. It will obviously don't be like the original anime, but to be honest if I wanted something like the original I would prefer to re watch it. I'm looking forward to more episodes, really dying to see the Golden Knights!!
Just give the show a chance, is really good. It will obviously don't be like the original anime, but to be honest if I wanted something like the original I would prefer to re watch it. I'm looking forward to more episodes, really dying to see the Golden Knights!!
Been enjoying it since childhood.
gilbot-0961323 July 2019
Unlike all the soy boys out here thrashing this amazing looking remake, I on the other hand give reboots a try. (Spider-Man movies, all of the avengers, Batman's etc etc(don't be a hypocrite if you enjoyed them like i did okay?)) I do love the franchise but would hate to see the same story part by part recreated on CGI. I don't see the fun on that.
The names have been changed from the English to Spanish versions example Seika is Patricia on the English language version. Ha! If you can look past this and have some thick skin or it's the first time watching you're good. Unless you also speak Spanish then I recommend the Spanish version which contains most of the Mexican Spanish voice over actors that's a treat in my book. Sadly the Spanish voice over actor for Seiya was not present due to him passing away.
This show has brought me good memories from my childhood and growing up I would just hope for some reboot on CGI which it did not disappoint.
Compared to the amount of garbage YouTube videos people will continue to watch and shows like yugio and poopie pants or whatever these kids watch today, I would say you're safe on this one.
The names have been changed from the English to Spanish versions example Seika is Patricia on the English language version. Ha! If you can look past this and have some thick skin or it's the first time watching you're good. Unless you also speak Spanish then I recommend the Spanish version which contains most of the Mexican Spanish voice over actors that's a treat in my book. Sadly the Spanish voice over actor for Seiya was not present due to him passing away.
This show has brought me good memories from my childhood and growing up I would just hope for some reboot on CGI which it did not disappoint.
Compared to the amount of garbage YouTube videos people will continue to watch and shows like yugio and poopie pants or whatever these kids watch today, I would say you're safe on this one.
An insult the original anime and manga
sabbagha_emile20 July 2019
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