Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya

Did You Know?

• Seiya is a Japanese-American young teen recruited by Alman Kiddo to become a fabled Bronze Knight.
• The series follows the Bronze Knights as they fight prolific warriors in the quest of becoming Goddess Athena Warriors.
• Seiya is looking for his missing older sister Patricia.

Production

The project was first announced in December 2016 at CCXP in Brazil. By August 2017, it was confirmed as a Netflix collaboration. Yoshiharu Ashino directed, with Eugene Son among the writers. The first six episodes debuted on Netflix on July 19, 2019, loosely covering the Galaxian Wars and Black Knights storylines. A second batch of six episodes, loosely adapting the Silver Knights arc, followed on January 23, 2020. A second season was revealed on June 29, 2022, and launched on July 31, 2022. Crunchyroll handled licensing for this sequel outside Asia. Part 2 of the second season was announced on December 3, 2022, and premiered on April 1, 2024.

Reception

Critics were split on the show. Even before its debut, the series faced criticism for turning Shun—a male character from the original manga and anime—into a woman. Writer Eugene Son said he made the change because the original Bronze Knights were all male and he wanted more female representation. Fans objected for several reasons, including the loss of the explanation for Shaina’s mask. Some saw the gender swap of Shun, the only main male character who was sensitive and reluctant to fight, as pandering, while others felt it reinforced gender stereotypes. The Review Geek gave it 3.5 out of 10. Ready Steady Cut rated it 2.5 out of 5, calling it dull and uninspiring.