Picture: Netflix
2019 has been a fantastic year so far for Original animes on Netflix. With even more releases arriving soon, the year is only going to be that much greater. One of the most highly anticipated releases of the year is the reboot of the beloved Saint Seiya franchise. With a brand new look and a modern feel, many longtime fans of Knights of the Zodiac are apprehensive about its release. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming release, including the release date, plot, cast, and trailer.
Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya is a Netflix Original anime based on the manga series of the same name by Masami Kurumada. The Saint Seiya franchise has been hugely influential for manga and anime alike and has done an incredible job maintaining its level of popularity over the past three decades. First popularised after its serialization in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in January 1986, in October of that year the very first episode of the anime adaptation aired.
The franchise has since spawned a huge roster of characters, with multiple spin-offs focused on the adventures of the other heroes. Netflix’s acquisition of the reboot for the franchise is a huge shift towards the streaming service’s intent to become a big player for anime in the streaming world.
What is the plot of Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya?
The story follows an orphan, Seiya, as he is forced to go to a sanctuary in Greece to obtain the Bronze Cloth of the Pegasus constellation. The cloth is, in fact, a protective armor worn by the Greek goddess Athena and her 88 warriors, known as Saints. Seiya soon becomes the Pegasus Saint and goes on a quest to search for his missing sister.
Will Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya follow the story of the manga?
Naturally, the story will follow the same narrative as the source material, but if you’re looking for a frame-to-frame comparison between the new anime and manga, then you’ll likely be disappointed.
Who is in the cast of Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya?
The following cast members have been confirmed for the first season Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya:
| Role | Cast Member | Where have I seen/heard them before? |
|---|---|---|
| Pegasus Seiya | Masakazu Morita | Bleach | Tiger & Bunny | Dragon Ball Super: Broly |
| Dragon Shiryu | Sakurai Takahiro | Code Geass | Psycho-Pass | Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure |
| Andromeda Shun | Satomi Satō | K | Eiga K-On! | The Irregular at Magic High School |
| Cygnus Hyoga | Miura Hiroaka | Please Teacher! | Please Twins! | Knights of the Zodiac |
| Phoeniz Ikki | Katsuyuki Konishi | Gurren Lagann | Kill la Kill | Bleach |
| Saori Kido | Fumiko Orikasa | Bleach | Code Geass | Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood |
Why is there a controversy surrounding the release of Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya?
Historically the Saint Seiya franchise is no stranger to having female heroes. Such characters like Marin, Saori Kido, and Shaina have become fan favorites in their own right but a recent gender swap has sent fans reeling.
The Online Reaction
Traditionally, the character of Andromeda Shun has always been male and considered to be one of the most progressive heroes in Anime history. To give some backstory on who the character of Andromeda Shun is, the Tales of Nothing co-creator Fanny Rodriguez was vocal on Twitter:
If this was about giving the audience women representation on the remake, they could easily go and explore Saori’s character. She’s Athena reincarnation and the one keeping it all from falling apart when everyone was fighting. pic.twitter.com/YxAd6a5U96
— Fanny Rodriguez (@charratastica) December 10, 2018
But back to Shun, while I’ll say that we should give the series a chance. Making Shun a woman seems more of a backwards move than any other thing. Let me explain. pic.twitter.com/HVwlykRciY
— Fanny Rodriguez (@charratastica) December 10, 2018
Not only for that he was my fave bronze saint as a girl, he could kick ass if he wanted to. He was the only one to defeated a gold saint without resorting to killing himself. His personality and that he decides how to fight as a male character it’s a great role model. pic.twitter.com/pZY9WXey3k
— Fanny Rodriguez (@charratastica) December 10, 2018
But at the end, one must give the chance to the reboots and remakes that are being done. Lots of people work on them to toss it out for one of two things without seeing the end product. That said, the decision made with Shun it’s still not great imo…
— Fanny Rodriguez (@charratastica) December 10, 2018
Let’s just hope the dialogue created on social media regarding these topics is considered in future projects, whether they are from an existing franchise or a new one.
— Fanny Rodriguez (@charratastica) December 10, 2018
So why was Andromeda changed from a Man to a Woman?
The producer of the upcoming remake Eugene Son did explain online why such a big change was made for the character to Andromeda. He acknowledged how great it was that the franchise had a whole heap of female characters from both the manga and anime titles. One of his major concerns though was the fact that the all of the Bronze Saints under Pegasus were male. Believing it to be the right albeit controversial decision even the staff at Toei questioned his decision.
Hopefully, Eugene Son’s decision to change Andromeda to a woman won’t stop longtime fans from returning to the remake of the beloved classic.
While his sentiments will be appreciated by some if not many women in the anime community, changing an already progressive character could be considered a step backward and not forwards as Eugene wants. Regardless many will likely tune in and hopefully, the new take on Andromeda’s character will please fans both old and new.
Classic Andromeda Shun (left) and the new look Andromeda (right) – Copyright Viz Media.
So the animation has changed for the reboot?
Yup. This will likely upset fans further while some may enjoy the change. Prior to the Netflix Original, the Saint Seiya anime used traditional anime art. Now the rebooted series will be completely animated using CGI. This is a dramatic change to the beloved series but hopefully won’t be too jarring.
The new look of the Bronze Saints (top) and the classic 80’s show (bottom)
Do we have any images/stills for the upcoming series?
How many episodes will the series air?
The first season of Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya will arrive with 12 episodes. All 12 episodes will be available to stream upon release.
What are the episode run times?
There’s no official confirmation on run times at the time of writing, but we can expect each episode to be around 25 minutes.
Is there a trailer for Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya Season 1?
Yes! It’s not very often Netflix release trailers months before the release date. Longtime fans of the series went into meltdown after the trailer was revealed, some for good and others… not so good.
When is the Netflix release date for Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya Season 1?
Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya Season 1 will arrive on Friday 19th of July, 2019!
Will Knights of Zodiac: Saint Seiya be available in my region?
You need not worry, Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya will be available to subscribers worldwide.
Are you looking forward to the release of Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya Season 1? Let us know in the comments below.
