, also known as ''Knights of the Zodiac: Episode.G'', is a Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series written and illustrated by
Megumu Okada
is a Japanese manga artist, best known as the creator of the series ''Shadow Skill'' and ''Saint Seiya Episode.G''.
Works
* In 1999, he creates the manga , which was serialized in the magazine Afternoon and published by Kodansha. 6 volumes ...
. A
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
of the manga series ''
Saint Seiya
, also known as ''Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac'' or simply ''Knights of the Zodiac'' (translated from the French title ''Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque''), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It ...
'' by
Masami Kurumada
is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and magical boy.
He is the founder of the manga studio Kurumada Productions or Kurumadapro for short. He is famous as the creator/author of popu ...
, it first started being serialized in the monthly magazine ''
Champion Red
is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine, published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 (cover date October 2002), initially published as a ''shōnen'' magazine. Since 2015, the magazine slogan is .
was a sp ...
'' on December 19, 2002, and was concluded on June 19, 2013, being later compiled into 20 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' by
Akita Shoten
is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Teio Akita on 10 August 1948. As of 2020, the company's president is Shigeru Higuchi.
Magazines Male-oriented manga magazines ''Shōnen'' magazines
* – Bimo ...
.
The story is set seven years before the events of ''Saint Seiya'' and six years after the death of the
Sagittarius Gold Saint Aiolos, the brother of ''Episode.Gs protagonist,
Leo Gold Saint Aiolia. It takes place in a
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
where the
Olympian gods
upright=1.8, Fragment of a relief (1st century BC1st century AD) depicting the twelve Olympians carrying their attributes in procession; from left to right: Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and s ...
cyclically reincarnate on Earth, often waging war on each other for dominance, and depicts the battle of the
Gold Saints, warriors with superhuman powers who fight for Peace and Justice in the name of the goddess
Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
to protect the Earth from the recently awakened
Titan gods.
Although no English version of ''Saint Seiya Episode.G'' exists, it has been translated into various other languages by publishers from around the world, where it was well received, but not without controversy regarding its differences to ''Saint Seiya''.
In December 2013, Megumu Okada announced on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that he was working on a
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
manga titled . Serialization began on April 5, 2014, in the bimonthly ''
Champion Red Ichigo
is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine, published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 (cover date October 2002), initially published as a ''shōnen'' magazine. Since 2015, the magazine slogan is .
was a sp ...
'' magazine, and continued in the web magazine ''Champion Cross'' (later renamed ''Manga Cross''). The last chapter was published on August 27, 2019, and the series was compiled into 16 volumes. A second sequel titled began being serialized on January 28, 2020, also in ''Manga Cross''.
Plot
The story of ''Saint Seiya Episode.G'' is set seven years before the events of Masami Kurumada's ''Saint Seiya'', in the same fictional world in which the Greek gods cyclically reincarnate to dispute dominion of Earth. The story revolves around the
Saints of Athena, humans with superhuman powers who are devoted to the Goddess of War Athena, and whose duty is to protect the world from evil. The protagonist is the Leo Gold Saint
Aiolia, who is mistrusted by the rest of the Saints because of the seemingly traitorous actions of his brother
Aiolos in the past.
In turn, he holds a grudge against the Saints as a whole,
and against the elite order of the Gold Saints in particular.
While the Pope, the leader of the Saints, sends Aiolia on mission after mission to prove his loyalty, evil forces manifest that threaten to destroy Sanctuary, the home of the Saints. A modern-day
Titanomachy
In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy (; grc, , , Titan battle) was a ten-year series of battles fought in Ancient Thessaly, consisting of most of the Titans (the older generation of gods, based on Mount Othrys) fighting against the Twelve Olympi ...
begins as the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
, ancient gods with a desire for revenge on the Olympian gods, attack Sanctuary to retrieve the "Megas Drepanon", the weapon into which Zeus had sealed their King,
Kronos, in the age of mythology.
Their first assault is thwarted by Aiolia, who subsequently gains the attention of the Titans as the "man of the evil omen" who is destined to free their King.
With the Titans once again roaming the Earth, ancient monsters are also resurrected worldwide and the Saints have to contain them. Meanwhile, the Titans gather their forces to strike at Sanctuary a second time. In the course of their next assault, Kronos is inadvertently released from Zeus's lightning seal by Aiolia's own lightning-based technique, but the god appears to be amnesiac. The Titans determine that it was Aiolia's attack that was responsible for this condition and that the Leo Saint might hold the means to fix it as well. They retreat to their base at the Time Labyrinth and kidnap Aiolia's servant
Lithos
Lithos is a glyphic sans-serif typeface designed by Carol Twombly in 1989 for Adobe Systems. Lithos is inspired by the unadorned, geometric letterforms of the engravings found on Ancient Greek public buildings. The typeface consists of only cap ...
to lure him there. Aiolia does not hesitate to go to Lithos's aid and, together with five other Gold Saints, initiates a series of battles in which the Titans fall one by one.
Throughout these battles, the primordial god
Pontos, who first released the Titans from their imprisonment in Tartarus and initially claimed that he wished to help Kronos,
reveals his true intentions, stating that he only revived the Titans as part of a larger plan and has been playing them in order to awaken his true mistress,
Gaia
In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenog ...
. He means to help her take control of the Earth, destroying gods and humans alike in the process.
Pontos's plan ultimately fails, as after fighting Aiolia Kronos comes to appreciate the worth of humans. The Titan King robs Gaia of his power, offering it to Hades instead so that the Saints of Athena and his followers will be spared from death.
Production
In the author commentary page published with the first volume, Megumu Okada explained that he had concerns about taking on the project because he had never written anything that was related to a pre-existing original work and because ''Saint Seiya'' was such a renowned piece. Original author
Masami Kurumada
is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and magical boy.
He is the founder of the manga studio Kurumada Productions or Kurumadapro for short. He is famous as the creator/author of popu ...
left him free to write the story that would act as a
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
to the original manga. This resulted in a manga that is, visually, substantially different from its predecessor: character designs are slim and androgynous and details are enhanced to an extreme.
Media
Manga
The first images of the manga appeared in the ''
Champion Red
is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine, published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 (cover date October 2002), initially published as a ''shōnen'' magazine. Since 2015, the magazine slogan is .
was a sp ...
'' magazine issue of January 2003, published on November 19, 2002, along with posters by and an interview with Masami Kurumada.
The first chapter was then released on the following February issue of this monthly magazine, published on December 19, 2002,
and the first volume (''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'') published on June 19, 2003, under
Akita Shoten
is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Teio Akita on 10 August 1948. As of 2020, the company's president is Shigeru Higuchi.
Magazines Male-oriented manga magazines ''Shōnen'' magazines
* – Bimo ...
's Champion Red Comics imprint.
Releases arrested in 2009, as author
Megumu Okada
is a Japanese manga artist, best known as the creator of the series ''Shadow Skill'' and ''Saint Seiya Episode.G''.
Works
* In 1999, he creates the manga , which was serialized in the magazine Afternoon and published by Kodansha. 6 volumes ...
put the manga on hiatus to dedicate himself to other projects following an unspecified dispute with the publisher, and resumed in
''Champion Red Ichigo'''s April 2011 issue, with the release of a new chapter, as well as a compilation of past chapters that had not been grouped in volume format yet (chapters 74–76) called "Volume 17.5". The manga entered a second hiatus after chapter 83 was published in the October 2011 issue of ''Champion Red Ichigo'' and, after the publisher announced that the manga would end at volume 20, resumed in the May 2013 issue. The final chapter was released on June 19, 2013; the final volume was published on August 8, 2013.
''Saint Seiya Episode.G'' has yet to be licensed in English, but it has been published in several countries outside Japan: in Brazil, by
Conrad Editora
Conrad Editora (also known as Conrad) is a book publishing company in Brazil. Generally known as one of the most popular distributors of manga and manhwa in the Brazilian Portuguese language.
Publishing history
Manga
* Absolute Boyfriend, by t ...
; by
Panini Comics
Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, which also produces collectable stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy. The company publishes comic books in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Hunga ...
in Italy, Germany and France;
Glénat in Spain;
Editorial Ivrea
Editorial Ivrea is an Argentine manga and comics publisher that publishes in Argentina, Spain and Finland. They also published ''Lazer'', a magazine which was specialized in anime, comics, manga, series and other media. The magazine has an acid ...
in Argentina; Editorial Kamite in Mexico; and by
Chuang Yi
Chuang Yi Publishing Pte Ltd. ( zh, s=创艺出版社) was a publishing company based in Singapore that specialized in producing domestic and imported comics and comics-related merchandise in English and simplified Chinese. Chuang Yi distributed ...
in Singapore.
Special chapters
The volumes usually contain short special chapters (''
gaiden
In media, a spin-off (or spinoff) is a radio program, television program, film, video game or any narrative work, derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work (e.g. particular topics, ...
''), most of which in color, that tell little side-stories or highlight moments from previous chapters. Some have little relevance to the overall plot of ''Episode.G'', with characters that play little part in the main story but who are well known to readers of ''Saint Seiya'', while others explore the personality or the past of important characters and detail minor events pertaining to the plot.
''Champion Red'' serialized a short side-story along with the regular chapters between October 2007 and January 2008. It takes place a few years before the main plot and details the exploits of Sagittarius Aiolos in Egypt, revealing some plot points that influence the main story. A younger Aiolia and
Galan also appear. This side-story appears compiled in a special volume called "Volume 0: , released on May 20, 2008, which also contains an encyclopedia with information on all the ''Episode.G'' manga published up to that date.
Special editions
In Japan, there are two versions of the ''Saint Seiya Episode.G'' volumes. One is the normal version and the other is a limited edition. The limited edition features different covers and includes various goodies packaged with the comic books. These goodies include postcards, pins, a coin key holder, a day planner, tarot cards, a T-shirt, puzzles, calendars, a pass case and a key chain.
A bust figure of the protagonist, Leo Aiolia, has also been released.
Drama CDs
Two
drama CD
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s were recorded for ''Episode.G''. One was released with the ''Champion Red'' issue of April 2007 and the other along with the limited edition of volume 11. These CDs reproduce the events of several chapters with only slight modifications that reduce the cast: Aiolia's battle against the Giant in volume 1, Pontos's test of Aiolia through Galan from volume 1, and Camus's and Aiolia's fight against Okeanos from volumes 9 and 10. Voice actors include:
Hiro Shimono
is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with I'm Enterprise. His notable roles include Ayato Kamina in ''RahXephon'', Akihisa Yoshii in ''Baka and Test'', Haruka Kasugano in ''Yosuga no Sora'', Keima Katsuragi in ''The World God Only Know ...
as Leo Aiolia,
Hikaru Midorikawa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production. He is best known for the roles of Softon in ''Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo'', Tamahome in ''Fushigi Yûgi'', Seiran Shi in ''Saiunkoku Monogatari'' ...
as Aquarius Camus,
Kōji Yusa
is a freelance Japanese voice actor and narrator, born and raised in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. He is best known for his roles in ''Choja Raideen'' (as Raideen Owl), the ''Sonic'' series (as Shadow the Hedgehog), ''Bleach'' (as Gin Ichimaru), ''Battle V ...
as Galan,
Chiwa Saitō
is a Japanese voice actress represented by I'm Enterprise. She is best known for her anime roles, which include Hitagi Senjougahara in ''Monogatari'', Homura Akemi in '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Yona in ''Akatsuki no Yona'', Chloe von Eizen ...
as Lithos,
Kōsuke Okano
is a Japanese voice actor. He was born in Tokyo, and is often featured on Japanese anime television network Animax as narrator along with fellow voice actor Yukari Tamura.
Filmography Television animation
* Asuka Jr. in ''Saint Tail'' (1995)
*M ...
as Okeanos and
Hiroki Yasumoto
is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He belongs to Sigma Seven.
His representative works are ''Hozuki's Coolheadedness'' (Hozuki), ''Bleach'' (Yasutora Sado), ''Shin Hodo 2001'' (narration), '' Hetalia: Axis Powers'' (Germany), and ''Super So ...
as Pontos.
Sequels
''Saint Seiya Episode.G: Assassin''
In December 2013, Megumu Okada announced via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that he was working on a sequel manga titled ''Saint Seiya Episode.G: Assassin''. The first chapter was published on April 5, 2014, in the 43rd issue of the bimonthly magazine ''
Champion Red Ichigo
is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine, published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 (cover date October 2002), initially published as a ''shōnen'' magazine. Since 2015, the magazine slogan is .
was a sp ...
'', after a short prologue was released in the ''Champion Red'' issue of February 2014 commemorating the 40 year anniversary of Masami Kurumada's career.
After ''Champion Red Ichigo'' ceased publication in August 2014, the series was continued in Akita Shoten's web magazine ''Champion Cross'', later renamed ''Manga Cross''. With the change in venue, the chapters started being published entirely in colour.
The final chapter was published on August 27, 2019. The chapters were compiled into 16 volumes, some of which include bonus chapters. The first volume was published on October 20, 2014,
and the last on December 20, 2019.
A special epilogue was published in ''Champion REDs March 2020 issue.
''Episode.G: Assassin'' includes original characters, characters from the first ''Saint Seiya'' manga and also from its sequel, ''
Saint Seiya: Next Dimension''.
''Saint Seiya Episode.G: Requiem''
A second sequel, the conclusion of the ''Episode.G'' series, titled ''Saint Seiya Episode.G: Requiem'', began serialization on January 28, 2020, in the online manga magazine ''Manga Cross''.
Reception
The manga was well received in France, where volumes 7, 8 and 9 sold thirty-one thousand copies each in 2006. Sales in Italy were equally successful, having been featured on multiple occasions in Planet Manga's Top 10 sales charts between June 2005 and February 2010.
French critic Thomas Berthelon, writing for Actua BD, makes a note on the unoriginality of the plot. While the manga is full of references to ''Saint Seiya'', the story is based on the same known schemes and the characters are too similar to the protagonists of the original series.
The critic writing for Manga-News also notes that the exchanges between Saints and Titans can become repetitive. Meanwhile, for Brazilian critic Pedro Hunter of
Omelete
Omelete is a Brazilian entertainment website created in 2000 by Érico Borgo, Marcelo Forlani and Marcelo Hessel that covers some subjects of pop culture such as movies, comics, music, television and video games.
History
In June 2000, Érico Bor ...
, ''Episode.G'' sets itself apart from the usual ''shōnen'' manga by not featuring only endless battles and undeveloped storylines. He finds the way Okada depicts his characters as an integrating part of the real world particularly interesting and highlights the inclusion of real life events like the
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor in Pennsylvania, United States. It began at 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979. It is the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclea ...
into the plot.
The critic writing for Manga-News regrets that the manga focuses on the youth of the known Gold Saints from Kurumada's work. This reviewer says that it takes away all suspense from the story, since the fates of the main characters are known from the start to any who have read ''Saint Seiya'' beforehand, and that the magnitude of the accomplishments of these characters in ''Episode.G'' is inconsistent with what was seen in the original series. In a later review, however, it is also noted that ''Episode.G'' retains the spirit of the original series, successfully portraying the emotions present in battles between warriors who can respect their opponents and admire their willingness to give their lives for what they believe is right.
Generally praised as "impressive" is Okada's graphical skill, his use of
composition
Composition or Compositions may refer to:
Arts and literature
*Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography
*Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...
and
textures which enhance the divine aspects of the characters, although critics also note that the heavy amount of detail in a black and white manga often interferes with readability. Berthelon considers such difficulty reminiscent of passages from
Kaori Yuki
is a Japanese manga artist best known for her gothic manga such as ''Earl Cain'', its sequel ''Godchild'', and ''Angel Sanctuary''. Yuki debuted professionally in 1987 with , which ran in the manga anthology ''Bessatsu Hana to Yume'' published ...
's manga ''
Angel Sanctuary
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaori Yuki. It was serialized in the Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Hana to Yume'' from July 1994 to October 2000. It follows Setsuna Mudo, a human teenager who, as the rein ...
'' and recommends the manga for its "astonishing" artwork.
References
External links
Akita Shoten official website''Saint Seiya Episode.G: Assassin'' official website at ''Manga Cross''''Saint Seiya Episode.G: Requiem'' official website at ''Manga Cross''
*
{{Manga Cross
Episode G
Akita Shoten manga
Seinen manga
Shōnen manga