"Knights of the Zodiac" (1986) "Saint Seiya" (original title), TV series 1986-1989

Director:

Yasuhito Kikuchi

Writers:

Masami Kurumada
Haruya Yamazaki

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

30 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

A group a young warriors known as 'Saints', each in possession of a 'cloth' guarded by a different constellation, must protect the reincarnation of the goddess Athena as she attempts to keep the Earth from being destroyed by evil forces.

Plot Keywords:

Sanctuary | Armor | Cult TV | Astrology | Based On Manga

Cast

Hideyuki Tanaka	...	Narration / ... (100 episodes, 1986-1988)
Tôru Furuya	...	Seiya / ... (97 episodes, 1986-1989)
Ryô Horikawa	...	Shun / ... (83 episodes, 1986-1988)
Kôichi Hashimoto	...	Hyôga (73 episodes, 1986-1988)
Hirotaka Suzuoki	...	Shiryû / ... (71 episodes, 1986-1988)
Keiko Han	...	Saori (69 episodes, 1986-1988)
Andy McAvin	...	Narrator (60 episodes, 1986-1987)
Illich Guardiola	...	Seiya (59 episodes, 1986-1987)
Hideyuki Hori	...	Ikki / ... (47 episodes, 1986-1989)
Hiroko Emori	...	Kiki / ... (42 episodes, 1986-1988)
Jason Douglas	...	Hyoga (42 episodes, 1986-1987)

Series Directed by
Kazuhito Kikuchi		(114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Kôzô Morishita		(114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Susumu Ishizaki		(13 episodes, 1986-1988)
Shigeyasu Yamauchi		(12 episodes, 1986-1988)
Katsumi Minokuchi		(9 episodes, 1987-1988)
Masayuki Akehi		(9 episodes, 1987)
Hiromichi Matano		(8 episodes, 1988)
Tomoharu Katsumata		(6 episodes, 1986-1987)
Masahiro Hosoda		(6 episodes, 1987-1988)
Masao Itô		(6 episodes, 1988)
Kazumasa Horikawa		(3 episodes, 1986-1987)
Hiroyuki Yokoyama		(3 episodes, 1987)
Shô Takagi		(2 episodes, 1987)
Yasuhito Kikuchi		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Takao Koyama		(50 episodes, 1986-1988)
Yoshiyuki Suga		(47 episodes, 1987-1988)
Tadaaki Yamazaki		(5 episodes, 1986-1987)
Motonori Tachikawa		(2 episodes, 1987)
Masami Kurumada		(unknown episodes)
Haruya Yamazaki		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Yoshifumi Hatano	....	producer (114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Chiaki Imada	....	producer (114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Kôzô Morishita	....	producer (114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Hiroshi Takeda	....	producer (114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Kazuo Yokoyama	....	producer (114 episodes, 1986-1989)
Masayoshi Kawata	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Jim Lara	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
John Ledford	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Mark Williams	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Seiji Yokoyama		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Tadao Kubota		(unknown episodes)
Yoshiyuki Shikano		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Shannon Nettleton	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Mitsuo Shindô	....	animation director (18 episodes, 1986-1988)
Masahiro Naoi	....	animation director (16 episodes, 1987-1988)
Nobuyoshi Sasakado	....	animation director (15 episodes, 1986-1988)
Tomoko Kobayashi	....	animation director (13 episodes, 1987-1988)
Shingo Araki	....	animation director (10 episodes, 1986-1988)
Eisaku Inoue	....	animation director (10 episodes, 1987-1988)
Tetsuro Aoki	....	animation director (5 episodes, 1986-1987)
Shizuo Kawai	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Masayuki Akehi	....	storyboard (3 episodes, 1988)
Jôji Ôshima	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Norio Hasegawa	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1986)
Hisashi Takai	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1986)
Kôzô Morishita	....	storyboard (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Zenkichi Inazu	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1987)
Yukihiro Makino	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1987)
Shigeyasu Yamauchi	....	storyboard (2 episodes, 1988)
Michi Himeno	....	character designer (unknown episodes)
Tadao Kubota	....	background designer (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Hiroko Emori	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Banjô Ginga	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Yôichi Hayashi	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Masato Hirano	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Hideyuki Hori	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Hirohiko Kakegawa	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Yûji Mikimoto	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Masaya Onosaka	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Yûki Satô	....	additional voice (1 episode, 1986)
Cat Sides	....	script coordinator (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Toei Animation Company

Distributors

• AB Distribution
• ADV Films (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (1995) (Brazil) (all media)
• Mangas Power (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Saint Seiya" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

24 min (114 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (video rating, uncut) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:TV-PG

Company:

Toei Animation Company

Trivia:

Masami Kurumada said that he doesn't like the anime, but agreed to transfer the manga to anime because of a tradition of make an anime from every manga.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man Bites Dog (1992)

Soundtrack:

Yume Tabibito - Blue Dream

Yes, the best anime ever made.

Saint Seiya is the best anime ever, it's about 5 young warriors "The Bronze Saints" who defend the reincarnation of Godess Athena (Saori Kido) against threats such as the "Silver Saints" and the deadly "Gold Saints" (the zodiac signs, from aries thru pisces) in which the bronze saints come out victorious, and with the 5 remaining gold saints alive as their allies, who repair the heroes' destroyed armors

Then comes the Asgard saga, where the heroes have to fight against the threat of a corrupted Hilda Polaris (the representation of Odin on earth) and her 7 god warriors

And the 3rd part of the series, the heroes fight Poseidon and his 7 marines to protect not only Athena, but the whole world..

The series are great, the characters (in my opinion) is what makes a show (or an anime) great, and in saint seiya all the characters are awesome, both in apperiances and personalities... I really can't choose who my favorite character is, they're all cool... but one thing is for sure: this is my favorite anime of all the time!