Saint Seiya Plus

Welcome to Saint Seiya Plus, the place to have more fun with Saint Seiya!!

[Complete Edition Scan Source: Aries Mu(Philip Ho)
Translations, Image Restore+Cleanings, Texts: Aries Mu(Philip Ho)]

Plus #1-10

Download the 1st 10 Plus Click Here

1. 4(5) Full Color pages from ch. "Athena's Saints'
2. 7 Two Color pages from ch. "Athena's Saints'
3. 6(7) Two Color pages from ch. "Athena's Saints'
4. 5(7) Two Color pages from ch. "Athena's Saints'
5. 8 Two Color pages from ch. "Athena's Saints'
6. Bronze Waza Poster; Hyoga's Letter(Manga only Scene)
7. Pegasus, Dragon Color Cloth Diagrams; Shiryu's Coffin(Manga only Scene)
8. Big Pic Vol. 1+2; 2 Black Dragons(Manga only Scene)
9. 1st Jump Cover; Shaka at Death Queen Island(Manga only Scene)
10. Seiya vs. Geki(Full+Two Color)

Discussions #1-10

1

- Medusa's Blood

As many already know Medusa was the Gorgon who was slayed by Perseus with the aid of Athena and Pegasus, but what is most interesting about Medusa in relation to Saint Seiya is actually her blood. In myth, blood from her left vein can kill instantly but blood from her right vein can cure and restore life. Could this be the inspiration of the idea of using blood to restore Cloths?

- Pegasus Bolt

You don't need to read one book on myths to know about the Pegasus. Just looking at the movies or even signs and art you will see the flying horse, but one of the most interesting things about Pegasus in myth is that he can carry the thunderbolts of Zeus. In myth, Athena actually had to borrow the thunderbolts if she wanted to use them. So, in the future of Saint Seiya, could Seiya one day, get help from Zeus? Would Zeus betow him weapons or gear? Whatever the case, it would be so cool.

- Pegasus Fall

The first time we see Seiya in the manga was when he fell to ground. This is no accident. In myth, the hero Bellerophon who tamed the Pegasus by the help of Athena wanted to ride to Heaven but the Gods made Pegasus throw Bellerophon off. The hero didn't die but lived a life of misery until the Gods decided it was time he should die and caused a pillar or a giant rock to fall on him, killing him. When Seiya and the boys go to Heaven, don't expect a warm welcome...

- Sacred Games, Sacred Lands

Masami named the main base of the Saints, Sanctuary. The inspiriation comes from the sanctuary, Altis, at Olympia. The place is sacred to the Greeks and had a temple of Zeus there in ancient times. The Pythian and Olympic Games were held there also. The kanji words used by Masami are Seiiki:聖域:Sacred Precincts, The inspiration also comes from the concept of Temenos, where a piece of land is desinated as a sanctuary, a holy precinct, for a King or a God. So, another way you can call Sanctuary is, "The Temenos of Athena."

- Universe, Small, Good, Evil?

The ideas of the Cosmo or Microcosm in Saint Seiya are not unique. Our universe was created by the Big Bang, that means everything in this universe once existed together. In other words, all of us are a tiny part of that once giant mass/energy. Masami also draws ideas from the myth of Orphic Zagreus for his idea. In the myth, Zagreus was supposed to be the heir to Zeus but the Titans cut him up and ate him. When Zeus found out the Titans were turned to dust by his thunderbolts. The ashes of Titans and the remains of Zagreus were reformed to become the human race. This is why we have a dual nature, Zagreus our good part and the Titans the bad part. This struggle between our good and evil side is a microcosm of the struggle between the forces of good and bad in the universe. It is not an accident that the first boss character in the story is Gemini Saga who struggles with his own good and bad side.

- Real "Guardian Angels"

Saints are not allowed to use weapons but they have accessories with their Cloths that can be weapons so why this distinction? What may have inspired this idea was the organization, "Guardian Angels." A volunteer organization that started in New York now all over the world. Members of this organization are not allowed to carry weapons mainly guns, patrolling the streets. They are trained in basic martial arts. The distinction Masami was trying to make were maybe weapons that are lethal as oppose to weapons that are mainly defensive. However, fans may not see this distinction...

- Real Knights

In Saint Seiya, there are many religion related concepts. The leader of Cathoics is the Pope or Pontiff. Priests are the man of the "Cloth". They wear vestments and "Surplices." But, one of the real inspirations for the Saint concept could be the Knights Templar or the Temple Knights. They had great wealth and power in the 12th and 13th century by protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land. They were skilled with great military skills which helped in the fighting of the crusades. However, the King of France feared their power and wanted their wealth for his own. He decided to get rid of them. One of the myths around the Knights was that they protected the descendent of Jesus Christ himself, a girl, a princess with Holy Blood. Could this be one of the inspirations of some of the plot points of Athena or Saori Kido...?

- Mama

Masami has said that the character of Hyoga's Mama was inspired by Ninja Bugei Chou[忍者武芸帳]. The manga, Ninja bugei Chou, is set in 1560, early Edo period. The story is about the "Kage no Nagare" ninja, Judarou Yuuki's journey of revenge for the killing of his father and the taking of his father's castle by "Igaryuu" ninja, Juzen Sakagami. In the story there is a character by the name of Iwana. He can swim freely and continue to breath under water for a very long time because he has spend years diving into a lake to see the body of his dead mother.

- Swan

There are many characters in myth that turned into Swans. There is also the myth of the 'Swan Man', but the most relevant to Hyoga is the myth of Cycnus. Cycnus was the son of Sthenelus and a lover of Phaeton. After Phaeton died, he repeatedly dove into the river Eridanus trying to take back his body. The gods turned Cycnus into a swan to free him of his grief. This is connected to Hyoga's original intention in the manga before he became a Saint, where he wanted to take back his Mother's body but later decided not to do so because the Artic tempertures would peserve her forever. When he sees her, Hyoga would say, "Mama Navsegda." Navsegda is Russian for 'Forever'.

- 'Rozan' Idenity

As many fans already know Rozan[廬山], Five Old Peaks is a real place and even the dragon legend is real but what is the most interesting about this place in relation to Roshi or Dohko is the name itself. There is the Chinese expression:廬山真面目,which means the 'true idenity' or the 'true form' of someone. It is not an accident that Dohko is hiding his true 18 year body.
8

- Shunrei and Shura

It is not an accident that Shiryu have relationships with the characters Shunrei[春麗：'Spring Beautiful'] and Shura[シュラ：'Glutton']. First there is the Japanese poem "Haru to Shura"[Spring and Carnage(Glutton)]. The poem is about the poet's inner darkness contrasted by outside light. This connects to Shiryu's character before he met Roshi where it was a life full of darkness for him. Roshi taught him to see a better way to live. The other connection to this poem is the Libra Constellation where Libra represents the scale of the Goddess of Justice, Astraeia which the constellation Virgo represents. The myths of Virgo also tells of the Goddesses of purity and fertility, or light and spring.

- "Star" Ops

The inspiration of the concept of the Saint can also come from field agents working for an intellgence organization. When an agent of the CIA dies in the line of duty, their names are not shown but a star is installed on the Memorial Wall to honor that agent. It is not an accident that Masami calls the Saints who are not working for Athena, "Black". Black opts are not legend or myth but very real. What is very real is the funding that is needed to carry out those operations. If Graude Foundation's fortunes were put into the wrong use, the world would be in peril...

- Eagle 'Weave'

Many know the myth of Aquila where the Eagle would bring Ganymede to Olympus to replace Hebe as the water-bearer. The Eagle is also responsible to carry back Zeus' Thunerbolts. Would Marin one day reveal her secrets in Olympus? The Chinese Myth of the 2 stars, Altair and Vega, of the constellation Aquila and Lyra is also very interesting. The myth of Niulang[牛郎: 'cowherd', Altair] and Zhinu[織女:'weaver girl', Vega] is about how Niulang on the advice of his ox stole the clothes of 7 fairies who were bathing in a lake. Zhinu was sent to find the clothes. Niulang and Zhinu felt in love and had two children. The Goddess of Heaven would not allow this and created the Milky Way to seperate Zhinu and Niulang with his children. However, every year on July 7th, a bridge would be built to reunite them. When will the bridge come for Marin and her little brother?

Go back to Mu's Corner

You can E-mail me at: philipho188@gmail.com