The saga of Saint Seiya continues and Bandai has new Saint Cloth Myth to show for it. I take a look at the first release from Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas. It's Pegasus Tenma.

Review sample provided by HobbyLink Japan.

Saint Seiya has a long and rich history and the main story is still not finished. While fans wait, for the stories of Heaven and Chronos to be told a prologue story was created under the supervision of the original creator Masami Kurumada and written and illustrated by Shiori Teshirogi.

The Lost Canvas takes place 250 years before the original Saint Seiya saga and tells the story of three orphans that grew up as children only to assume their roles in this cosmic battle of good and evil. It touches upon plot points and themes from the original series while chronicling the previous Holy War between Athena and Hades.

First up in Bandai's line of Saint Cloth Mythology line for The Lost Canvas is Pegasus Tenma, the series's main character and this generations Pegasus Saint. With the series being written and illustrated by a different artist the anime adapts this new look and Bandai took and ran with it. Creating a striking new look for the Saint Cloth Mythology line.

The packaging continues the look of previous Saint Cloth Myth, a book style package that opens to reveal the figure and all the armor parts and pieces neatly arranged.

The Tenma figure features an all new body type and a new “style” to the look of the head sculpt. I love how it captures the look of the new series yet fits in with previous SCM releases.

The body features over 40 points of articulation as well as interchangeable faces (for different expressions) as well as 8 interchangeable hands.

Also included is the flower bracelet Sasha (Athena) made for Tenma, Alone and her as children to signify their bond as children.

Each warrior wears an armor in the series. Athena's warriors wear “clothes” and are all named and designed after constellations in the night sky. So when the Cloth is not being worn be our heroes they form a statue or “Object” to be more accurate. Tenma's armor being the Pegasus saint turns into a Pegasus statue.

You may notice that the figures themselves are fairly spindly and thin but all that changes when you put the parts on for the armor. Everything sits and looks properly in proportion once on and looks stunning on the shelf.

Most of this release is die-cast metal with only the skirt plating and head-piece being made of plastic. There's not a lot for armor on the figure as this is how it appears early in the show before it's first repair/evolution.

Not a lot of surprises with this release. Saint Cloth Mythology has been a top quality line from Bandai for many years now and Pegasus Tenma is an excellent start to The Lost Canvas line of figures and a good place to start if you;ve ever wanted to check one of these sharp looking figures. You can get yours at HobbyLink Japan.

On a side note, I have finally had a chance to see the 6 first episodes of the series, fan subbed. It's really well done and a bit more mature in tone that early Saint Seiya. It is an excellent place to start if you have ever been interested in the Saint Seiya Mythology but have been overwhelmed at the rich and long history of the series. It's an excellent beginning point without knowing a thing about the history.

So what do I think about my first SCM? Is all the raving that Adam does justified? Yeah, I think so - especially if you are a fan of Saint Seiya. The figure is dynamic and full of metal, and when you get a whole bunch of them on the shelf they just look great together.

I admit I don't know anything about Saint Seiya, or Saint Cloth myth in general. Adam usually does these reviews, but he has been begging me to check one out and finally forced one on me. I'm glad he did, because it's really cool.

As usual, this Saint Cloth Myth comes courtesy of Angolz.com

I have no idea who Megrez Alberich is. I can barely pronounce it. According to Adam, he is a bit player in hte Asgard Arc, which only appeared in the anime, not the Manga. The Asgard are the Norse pantheon of gods. They refer to their armors as "robes" and not cloths like Athena's Saints.

Wikipedia says this about the character:

" Descendant of an important family of warriors and scholars in Asgard, Alberich was famous by his intelligence and cleverness, as well as by his cold heart; his own fellow warriors didn't trust him, and Hilda herself lectured him often. He was the only witness of the Hilda's possession by Poseidon's Nibelung ring; taking advantage of this war, he planned to conquer the world. He defeated many of the Athena's Saints (including Marin), encasing several of them in life-sucking giant amethysts; however, Shiryu with the help of his master Dohko finally defeated him. He was one of the most shrewd, sly Saints as he could do the nature fight for him and used his intelligence to avoid fighting.

Named after the Norse mythical king Alberich of the dwarves, a sorcerer who guards the treasure of the Nibelung. "

And if you are anything like me, you have no idea about any of what that means. it's as if the prior paragraph is written in some other language.

However, I do speak the language of toys, and this is a fine toy.

Like all Saint Cloth Myth toys, they come in an exquisite book-style box. The halves of the box are held together with velcro, and on each "page" you can see all of the included parts. At first the amount of parts looks overwhelming, but once you get it all out you realize everything has a place to go.

The core figure of any SCM is essentially the same, at least in terms of construction and articulation. The tall lanky form is made out of plastic and is extremely articulated. Only the feet are diecast when un-armored.

Of course, the main reason for these things is the armor. Each piece of armor is specifically fitted to this figure. Some parts just hold on with friction, some plug into holes around the figure. 90% of the armor is metal, giving the figure a satisfying weight.

As this is one of the less ornate SCM figures, there's more poseability than most with the armor on. However, it is still nowhere near what the unarmored form is like.

Each SCM comes with a stand called an "Object". The purpose of the Object is to hold the armor parts when not in use. I like the look of this Object - all covered with crystal skulls and spikes. Most of the armor attaches to the spikes, making for a seamless integration. It's all pretty menacing actually.

One of the translucent spikes on the Object becomes a weapon for Megrez Alberich, and Bandai has included a flaming attachment to add even more effect.

Also included is a translucent purple gem with a base. I think the Jem has something to do with the way the figure calls their Odin Robe. The base needs to plug into a stand, but unfortunately, no stand is included. However stands are available on the aftermarket, as is the one seen here.

In territories that Bandai Asia distributes, SCM can also come with a premium metal plate that can be placed upon the stand, if you want to separate it from the backing.

So what do I think about my first SCM? Is all the raving that Adam does justified? Yeah, I think so - especially if you are a fan of Saint Seiya. The figure is dynamic and full of metal, and when you get a whole bunch of them on the shelf they just look great together.

For me personally, I don't think it fits my collecting aesthetic. It's too flashy for me. But it is a great
toy for sure, and I can see why the line has a ton of fans.

Like always, you can get your Saint Cloth Myth at Angolz.com

I finally round off the Surplice reviews of the resurrected Gold Saint with Aquarius Camus. HD Video included.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Spoilers below if you have not reached the Hades Saga in the Saint Seiya series...

During The Hades Arc: Sanctuary of Saint Seiya, Aquarius Camus along with the 6 other Gold Saints who died earlier in the series are resurrected by Hades to lead an assault on Athena's Sanctuary and take her head.

As the Hades saga unfolds Camus along with Capricorn Shura and Gemini Saga fights against Virgo Shaka. During the battle Virgo strips the resurrected Saints of their 5 senses leaving them deaf, blind and unable to speak. They end Shaka's life by performing the forbidden technique, Athena's Exclamation. A sin they repeat once again in the heart of Sanctuary against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo.

From Wikipedia:

“After fighting against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo it is revealed that they were attempting to fool Hades in order to warn Athena of his ambitions, as well as grant the goddess her Holy God Cloth and survive the upcoming Holy War.”

The package is the usual cardboard shadowbox that opens very much like a book. Even going so far as to decorate the spines like they where ancient manuscripts. Generally you will always save the boxes for these figures as you need somewhere to store the extra parts and pieces and storing the spine oput makes it easy to locate a part or piece when you want it.

Inside, clear plastic trays present the figure and all the parts and pieces neatly and sensibly.

The actual figure of Camus is an all plastic type-3 style with over 40 points of articulation. The feet on the figure are pose-able as well but are cast in die-cast metal to match the look of the Cloth (or armors if your new to Saint Seiya.)

While the figure looks spindly without the armor, that is OK as most collectors are looking to add the metal armor to the figure anyway. Being a bit thiner allows these figures to look “right” when the armor is attached to the figure.

Every Cloth in the Saint Seiya universe turns into a statue (called Objects in the series) of the constellation that Cloth is designed after. Aquarius is of course the Water Bearer (and my birth sign)

In Object mode the Cloth looks very nice. Basically you put the armor plates onto a “dummy statue” to make the object mode.

I will not be using this mode for my display but it's always nice Bandai makes sure you can do this even if you do not actually see a Cloth in this state in the actual series or manga. I'll be displaying mine doing the Athena's Exclamation!

Once the armor is on, Aquarius is good to go...

Bandai has added slightly more complicated hinging on the shoulders and hip armors for this series of Surplices allowing the figures to be posed in a wider range of motion while keeping the armor looking natural.

Paint detail is very good on my sample of Aquarius (I noticed some air bubbles on the previously reviewed Gemini after the fact...) and the metal content on this release is very high.

If your a fan you don't need me to tell you to get it. Now I just need to get my hands on a Scorpio Milo and I will be able to display that classic confrontation on my self and most fans would want to too; as for non SCM collectors, well if you like the design and dig metal armor the series is worth a look. Just find a design you like and give it a try.

Just know this really is a series of figures meant to be posed and displayed. There not really toys for kids as keeping track of the parts would/could be a nightmare. But I can tell you this. Every time someone looks at the collection that is my mish-mash of stuff. People's eyes always light up with curiosity when they see the Saint Cloth Myth shelves. They truly stand out in a collection.

HD video embedded below and I have also update the the reviews of Gemini Saga (Surplice Version) and Capricorn Shura (Surplice Version) with HD videos as well.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Awwwwwww, Seiya broke his Cloth...

So when Ken from Angolz.com offered up the Broken version of Pegasus Seiya I initially thought I would pass on it as I already had the Appendix for the Pegasus Cloth (Final Version) which gave you pieces to display the cloth busted up. But Ken insisted I give it a try and I am glad I did. It turns out for the Saint Cloth Myth collector it really helps ties things together thematically.

This is the Pegasus Cloth from the end of the TV series and very beginning of the Hades Saga – Sanctuary Arc OAV's before being repaired.

Saint Seiya is basically an Eastern take on the Greek and Roman mythology. The story is original but uses the Greek/Roman pantheon of Gods to tell it's tale. Each god in the Saint Seiya universe has “Holy Warriors” that don mystic armor and fight on their behalf. Poseidon has his Marina Generals, Hades has his Specters and Athena has Saints.

Athena's Saints are tiered in three levels of strength; Bronze (the weakest), Silver and Gold (the strongest.) The shows main characters are 5 Bronze Saints (Pegasus Seiya, Cygnus Hyoga, Andromeda Shun, Phoenix Ikki and Dragon Shiryu) have their cloths damaged and then repaired early on in the series by more powerful Saints giving them an advantage every time they face odds that would normally be beyond their capabilities.

This cycle of damage and repair is one of the central plots of the series, ultimately evolving their Cloths to a Divine level, or God Cloths if you will. So as a collector who displays his SCM's thematically I found that Broken Seiya tied things together very nicely.

The box is the standard Saint Cloth Myth book style package. It's almost identical to the previous Pegasus Cloth release but it's a much darker gray color scheme instead of the lighter gray of previous Bronz Saint releases.

The figure itself is similar to a Type-3 body but appears to be a new sculpt (would that make it a Type-4 body?) with much more detail in the abdomen as well as torn clothing in the legs.

The body also appears to have had it's waste articulation limited a bit, which may actually be a good thing as some Saint Cloth Myth get really loose in the waist after posing a few times. Which can make standing up straight an issue for those with less armor around the torso.

Being the Pegasus Cloth the armor forms an object or Statue and this release does that just fine.

The Cloth itself is mainly plastic with just the main part of the chest plate and leg/knee armor being diecast metal and the rest of the outfit is all plastic.

They include 2 levels of damage. Level 1 and Level 2. Most of the pictures here feature the level 2 damage giving him the really busted up look.

I must say, once I got him out and set him up I kind of “got it” and saw how he thematically ties all the different Seiya releases together.

This was initially a Japanese magazine mail-in and included a metal plate for a display stand but sellers in Hong Kong are given the chance to sell the limited Japanese releases in small quantities or in this case without the metal plate.

For general collectors I'm of the opinion it's a pass as it's a bit too “inside baseball” so to speak. BUT, if you are a Saint Cloth Myth fan grab it while you can, it makes a nice addition to the collection and ties things together nicely. You can get yours while supplies last at Angolz.com.

HD video embedded below for your entertainment...

Hands down, the biggest of the Saint Cloth Myth releases and possibly the heaviest release to date. I take a look at an earlier Saint Cloth Myth release, Taurus Aldebaran. Includes HD VIDEO.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

While Taurus Aldebaran was never a central character in the saga of Saint Seiya his few, brief appearances where always great. He was one of the few Gold Saints that realized early in the series that our heroes, the Bronze Saints did indeed serve the true incarnation of Athena and that the current Pope of Sanctuary was corrupt.

From Wikipedia

Aldebaran was first seen in the 12 Temples in the Sanctuary. At his Taurus temple, he faced the four Bronze Saints: Pegasus Seiya, Dragon Shiryu, Cygnus Hyoga, and Andromeda Shun. The four Bronze Saints were no match to Aldebaran since neither one of them had reached to the seventh sense. His battle stance (with crossed arms) allowed him to attack and defend at the same time; since he moves at the speed of light, he can launch his "Great Horn" and return to defense not being seen. Using his "Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken", Seiya reached to the seventh sense for the very first time, getting Aldebaran out of his stance and making possible for him to see his technique. In the end, he cuts Aldebaran's horn off his helmet. Aldebaran, who had told Seiya that he would let him pass the Temple of Taurus if he could break the horn, kept his promise. Before the four Bronze Saints left his temple, Aldebaran told them that without the seventh sense, they don't stand a chance against any of the gold saint. In order to reach to the seventh sense, they must burn their cosmo to the limit.

The package is the standard Saint Cloth Myth book style package. It opens to reveal all the parts and pieces neatly arranged. A nice thing about these boxes is they resemble books when stored spine out so even the packaging can be displayed neatly and you will most certainly want to save the packaging as keeping track of all the spare parts and pieces can be daunting.

The figure is a Type-1 body type giving the body a nice range of poseability with over 40 points of articulation. The body is a softer plastic, the hair is more of a harder ABS plastic and the feet are die cast metal.

Aldebaran was an early release in the series and because he is so uniquely huge in the series he has an original body sculpt not shared with any other character in the series.

The body is pretty basic and utilitarian looking but once you get the Cloth on him he looks stunning.

All armor's (in this case Cloth) in the Saint Seiya universe are aligned to some constellation in the sky and when not being worn form a statue of that constellation referred to just as an Object. In this case it's the Create Bull Hercules captured as one his Labors.

I had not originally planned on picking up the Taurus Gold Saint but I saw him on display in a shop window in New York and was immediately impressed with the way he towered over the other Saint Cloth Myth and I decided then and there to add one to my collection. Sadly the shop that had all these amazing Saint Cloth myth on display never seems to be open during normal business hours (three years in a row we have gone by this place while in New York and they NEVER are open.) Ah well, I turned to my usual Saint Cloth Myth supplier (Angolz) and luckily they still had a few in stock.

The Cloth is about 90% diecast metal with only the helmet and waist pieces being made of plastic. This sucker weighs over 2 pounds when fully assembled.

They do include an alternate and narrower chest plate allowing you to pose him with his arms in a crossed pose (His classic stance from the series.)

You can also replace one of the horns on his helmet with a broken one to display him after he has his encounter with the Bronze Saints.

Whether your a fan of the series or not Taurus here really stands out on the shelf, is loaded with heavy diecast metal and just looks really cool all around. Die hard fans of the anime and manga should consider this a no-brainer. Get him!

Be sure to check out the video below. I am now shooting in High Definition and this is the first S.C.M. in HD, enjoy!

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Capricorn Shura (Surplice) is next up in my latest round of Saint Cloth Myth reviews.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Capricorn Shura is one of several Gold Saints that dies in battle against our heroes, the Bronze Saints during the early story arc “The Twelve Temples of the Zodiac”. I'm not going to recount his entire Saga but if you would like to know more you can head over to Wikipedia for more.

During “The Hades Chapter – Sanctuary” Shura along with 5 other former, dead Gold Saints are resurrected and given new life by Hades. The price for this new life, bring Hades Athena's head.

Capricorn Shura, Gemini Saga and Aquarius Camus battle with Gold Saint Virgo which leaves them deaf, blind and speechless. They ultimately resort to combining there power and performing the forbidden technique, Athena's Exclamation. A sin they repeat again later in the heart of Sanctuary when battling Leo Aiolos, Aries Mu and Scorpio Milo.

From Wikipedia:

“After fighting against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo it is revealed that they were attempting to fool Hades in order to warn Athena of his ambitions, as well as grant the goddess her Holy God Cloth and survive the upcoming Holy War.”

The box is standard Saint Cloth Myth fare, a book style package that opens to reveal 2 windows too see all the bits and pieces neatly arranged. The box features both art from the anime and pictures of the actual product.

The body of Shura is the newer Type 3 body. Bandai over the past few years has added more and more pose-ability to their figures. A type 3 has more joints in the torso. Ironically all of the extra pose-ability goes out the window when you put on their armor. Armor tends to form fit the torso section so joints there do not get used.

The body is made of plastic and the feet are die-cast metal (designed to match the armor.)

Figure is highly pose-able...

... as are his feet.

All the armor's in the Saint Seiya universe form an object/statue when they are not being worn. Originally being the Capricorn Gold Saint his object is a darker restyling of the Capricorn goat.

Each Cloth/armor in this universe is aligned to a constellation.

Like I mentioned above the surplice version of Capricorn is colored different and while it looks the same it is subtly restyled and an all new sculpt (I don't own the original Capricorn so no comparison photo – sorry.)

This surplice does offer the extra hinges in the shoulder and thigh plates allowing a much wider range of motion.

Die-cast content is very high with this release. Only the torso armor and headpiece are plastic.

Bandai again does a great job bringing this cloth to three-dimensional life. The addition of the extra hinges allows you to pose the figures in their Athena Exclamation, an attention to detail that I as a collector really appreciate.

I think that the coloring on this one may have a very broad appeal to Chogokin collectors and of course fans of Saint Seiya should pick Shura up without hesitation, especially if you want your very own Athena Exclamation on your shelf. Bandai is always consistent with quality and and attention to detail with this line. Been curious to check one out, pick a design you like and get it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Too much Macross? Fine, how about a bunch of Saint Cloth Myth instead? First up in this batch is the Hades version of Gemini Saga.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Spoilers below if you have not reached the Hades Saga in the Saint Seiya series...

During The Hades Arc: Sanctuary of Saint Seiya Gemini Saga along with the 6 other Gold Saints who died earlier in the series are resurrected by Hades to lead an assault on Athena's Sanctuary and take her head.

As the Hades saga unfolds Saga along with Capricorn Shura and Aquarius Camus fights against Virgo Shaka. During the battle Virgo strips the resurrected Saints of their 5 senses leaving them deaf, blind and unable to speak. They end Shaka's life by performing the forbidden technique, Athena's Exclamation. A sin they repeat once again in the heart of Sanctuary against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo.

From Wikipedia:

“After fighting against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo it is revealed that they were attempting to fool Hades in order to warn Athena of his ambitions, as well as grant the goddess her Holy God Cloth and survive the upcoming Holy War.”

Saga comes in a standard window box/book-style package with the figure and all the parts and pieces neatly arranged. The package is illustrated with both art from the series and photos of the actual figure.

The figure of Saga is made of plastic and is highly pose-able. This release features a type 3 body. Bandai over the past few years has added more and more pose-ability to their figures. A type 3 has more joints in the torso. Ironically all of the extra pose-ability goes out the window when you put on their armor. Armor tends to form fit the torso section so joints there do not get used.

The figure without armor is a bit scrawny and thin but that is OK. It's about how they look with the armor or outfits on, not without...

The armor Athena's warriors wear are generally called Cloth's. Each Cloth is designed after a constellation and when not being used forms an object/statue of that constellation.

As Saga has been given new life thanks to Hades his Surplice (Hades warriors wear Surplices) looks like his Gemini Cloth but when you place the 2 side by side it's clear this is a new sculpt with details and ornaments are completely different as well as being colored in black and purple.

Lot's of die-cast in this release with only the waste plate being made of plastic. Everything else is metal.

New hinges have been added to all of the surplices released this year so far. In the shoulder and hip plates there's an extra “arm” on a ball joint to give you the ability to pose Saga, Camus and Shura performing the “Athena's Exclamation” without compromising the pose due to restricted movement of the armor plates.

I think that the coloring on this one may have a very broad appeal to Chogokin collectors and of course fans of Saint Seiya should pick Saga up without hesitation. Bandai is always consistent with quality and and attention to detail with this line. Been curious to check one out, pick a design you like and get it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Saint Cloth Myth started in November of 2003 with the release of Pegasus Seiya. Like clockwork there has been at least one new figure added to the line every other month for 6 years. Can you believe they are just getting around to bringing the series resident damsel-in-distress to 7 inch tall glory?

Saori Kido is the physical incarnation of the Goddess Athena from Greek/Roman mythology in the Manga/Anime series “Saint Seiya”. Athena is reborn on Earth every 250 years to restore the balance of peace and bring hope when evil and darkness consume the earth. In the history of the Saint Seiya universe this cycle leads to repeated confrontation with her brother Hades whom is hell-bent (pun intended) on consuming the Earth in total darkness. For a complete and thorough breakdown of Athena in the series head over to Wikipedia.

Saori is this years mail-in premium figure. Bandai traditionally makes 1 or 2 figures available every year in a mail in campaign. These tend to be non-armored characters or less popular characters, giving fans the chance to get less popular characters without lots of product left over on the shelves.

Collectors cut out proofs of purchases from previous releases and send them in with an order form for the cost of shipping. These exclusives are generally only available to residents of Japan, however Bandai makes premium releases available outside of Japan thru retail. Saori came courtesy of Angolz.com.

This premium release came in a box identical to previous releases, simulating an antique book. However this release doesn't open and has no window either. I suspect it's because they have packed this release the to the gills with some real nice accessories.

Accessories that take up a fair amount of space in the box. Even with using the space in the box for maximum storage capacity it is still large. It is the same size as larger standard releases like Hypnos or God Cloth Pegasus. More on the accessories in a bit...

The guys over at Angolz sent the metal plate with this release as well (Thanks Ken.) The official Bandai plates are designed to fit the after market stands, giving them a metallic base. These serve no other function other than to jazz up your Saint Cloth Myth displays.

Some folks do collect these metal plates as well, each is packed in a nice foldout cardboard booklet with various stats. Unfortunately, in order to use the metal plate or token (the little round part, I don't use them) you pretty much destroy the package to get them off the cardboard.

Athena features an all new sculpted female body. What I really like about this release is they where able to keep the poseability the Saint Cloth Myth line is known for while making the bare limbs look natural. The arms are slim and the joints aren't to noticeable. Athena's dress is very well realized, with individual pleats sewn into the dress. Stitching looks very good as well upon close inspection. Honestly I am not surprised at this point. Bandai has been very consistent with the quality and level of detail on each release in this series. Now that they appear to have nailed the female form for this line maybe they will consider doing the Amazons, Eagle Marin or Ophiuchus Shaina.

Athena comes with 2 different waist pieces. The first is more anime accurate with larger more colorful jewels.

The second is more subtle. I believe it is more akin to the manga illustrations. I prefer this version myself more.

Bandai also packs in the arm band and hair piece she is seen wearing early in the series.

As I mentioned at the top of this article there are lot's of accessories packed in the box. I've said it before and I'll say it again Bandai really thinks of all the little things a fan of the show could possibly want included. In the box are in additional to the usual alternate face, hands and hair are...

Stand

They include a new style of stand for the Saint Cloth Myth series. The base is much smaller so it hides under Athena's skirt nicely. No fear of her falling over as the include clips attach securely to her legs.

Athena's Staff.

Small Amphora

Used to seal the soul of Poseidon during the Poseidon arc.

Large Urn.

For a character that is so central to the storyline she does spend most of the series being the proverbial damsel-in-distress. Basically every story arc puts Athena in some sort of peril and the Bronze Saints must overcome a series of obstacles to save her. In the Sanctuary arc, she is shot with an arrow and the heroes have 12 hours to work there way thru the 12 temples of the Zodiac to retrieve Athena's staff to heal her. In the Posideon arc she is trapped in a pillar flooding with the oceans waters, only to be saved by our heroes destroying the pillars of the oceans. In Hades she is put in a large urn that slowly drains her blood.

As you can see by the pictures Bandai gives you everything you need to display her in the Urn. The figure does fit into the urn and they include an alternate hair piece to display her hair draped over the Urn. I love this! If you don't watch the series I realize it may look strange but it is such a cool accessory to include in the set for fans of the show.

But wait, that's not all! What good is the Goddess Athena without her throne.

The throne comes dissembled and features an excellent level of sculpted detail. A nice detail here is the “hole/slot” where the cushion and seat back meet. This allows Athena's hair to fit in between these 2 parts when she sits on the throne. This allows her to look anime accurate and regal while siting on the throne (a problem with Pope Sion/Pope Aries and the Pope throne...the hair would prevent them from sitting properly in the seat.) Little things.... Bandai really pays attention to the little things.

Once again Bandai gives Saint Cloth Myth fans a lot to be happy about. Athena/Saori is beautifully well made, well accesorized and a MUST for any fan of the Saint Seiya universe. I mean how can you be collecting Saints and not have your Damsel-In-Distress? Seriously...

You can get your Saori Kido/Athena from Angolz.com. But don't wait to long, premium figures have much shorter runs than standard releases so your window of opportunity is short. A short video review is embedded below for your entertainment.

I really dig the more ornate designs of the God Cloths of the Saint Seiya series. Not only do they look cool but when the God’s enter the Saint Seiya story big stuff is happening. So the characters are 1) dramatic and b) cool looking. So this time around I am reviewing the latest release in Bandai’s Saint Cloth Myth line.

I really dig the more ornate designs of the God Cloths of the Saint Seiya series. Not only do they look cool but when the God’s enter the Saint Seiya story big stuff is happening. So the characters are 1) dramatic and b) cool looking. So this time around I am reviewing the latest release in Bandai’s Saint Cloth Myth line, Hypnos courtesy of Angolz.com.

From Wikipedia:

“The Greek god Hypnos is the personification of sleep and slumber, and the twin brother of Thanatos, the Greek god who personifies death and mortality. In the Saint Seiya mythos, although he is a subordinate of Hades, the Emperor of the Darkness and ruler of the Underworld, he is a deity with all attributes, and as his lord, he is a sworn enemy of the protector goddess of the Earth, Athena.”

“Hypnos dwelling place is the Elysion, and he spends most of his time there accompanied by scores of Nymphs, and his twin brother Thanatos, waiting to fulfill their lord Hades's bidding. In the same way as his brother Thanatos, Hypnos offered fierce opposition to the Saints of Athena, when they tried to rescue their goddess from certain death and stop Hades's Greatest Eclipse, which was meant to eradicate mankind.”

“Knowing that the Saints truly posed a serious threat to him, Hypnos fought back, and unleashed a mighty attack, the terrible Eternal Drowsiness. Hypnos stated that he hated violence and death, so he would resort to the Eternal Drowsiness to disable his opponents. Andromeda Shun entered a state of deep slumber and would remain asleep eternally. Hypnos feared that Athena's blood might have the power to awaken Shun, so to his regret, he decided to kill the Andromeda Saint in that moment.”

“Hypnos was stopped by the shock of the resurrection of Hyouga's Cygnus Cloth and Shiryuu's Dragon Cloth, which also reached their Divine states in that crucial moment. Believing he could dispose of the Saints as easily as he did with Shun, Hypnos unleashed once again his deadly Eternal Drowsiness. He was in for a surprise, as Shiryuu and Hyouga benefited of one of the most basic techniques that a Saint learns during his or her training: a technique a Saint has witnessed won't have any effect twice on them. Dodging Hypnos' attack, Shiryuu and Hyouga focused on the Eternal Drowsiness with a powerful Cosmo attack and neutralized it completely. The force of their attacks reached Hypnos, who’s Surplice was shattered, and his body obliterated.”

Hypnos is packed in a standard book style window box with the parts and pieces all neatly arranged in clear plastic trays. Yeah, I’m running out of ways to describe the box. It’s a box. It looks pretty. It holds stuff.

Included in the box are :

• Hypnos figure – 12 Alternate Hands
• Armor Parts
• Object Mannequin
• Object Stand
• Stand Adaptor (for the aftermarket display stand)
• Athena’s Sealing Ark (Pandora’s Box)
• Robe

“Bandai pays a lot of attention to the little things” is something I say a lot in these reviews of the Saint Cloth Myth figures. Making sure to give the collectors the means to recreate famous moments from the series is high on the priority list at Bandai it seems. Hypnos is packed with the box/ark that young Pandora opens, freeing the God of Death and the God of Sleep from their 243 year imprisonment. I was so excited to see that in the box when I got my Hypnos.

Other examples of great accessories from previous releases would be Pegasus Seiya – Athena’s Cloth (shrunk statue of Athena holding Nike), Gemini Saga – Dagger (used in the attempted assignation of Athena and then later in the series used by Athena to commit suicide), Poseidon – Athena’s Seals (stickers you can actually place on sealed objects from the series), Aries Mu Appendix - Shaka’s Rosary (used to monitor the life and deaths of Hades’ 108 Specters and carried by Mu after the death of Shaka) and the upcoming Saori Kaiodo (Athena) – Sealing Jar (Used to hold Poseidon’s Soul) and the list goes on. Seemingly mundane items take on new meaning as the show goes on and Bandai plans ahead for the collector.

So yeah Bandai loves the Saint Cloth Myth and Saint Seiya fan. You pay a higher price for the quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail but it is worth it.

The figure itself is a type 3 body with copious amounts of articulation. The figure is all plastic except for the feet which are made of die cast metal to match the armor. The bodies on these figures are fairly anorexic looking but that’s so the armor or cloths you put on them look natural. It’s about the Cloth (armor) after all. ;)

Hypnos features the same head sculpt as Thanatos (they are twins after all) except with Gold colored eyes and hair instead of Grey. Bandai also includes the robe he is briefly seen in. The head piece is identical except the wings are reversed with the bigger wing on his right (Thanatos has his on the left.)

Now I found this particular armor difficult to get on. The cod piece/skirt just wouldn’t go in under the plate of the hip skirts properly. Technically he is not assembled properly in these photos; the side skirts are supposed to come in close to almost wrap his legs. No matter how I tried I just couldn’t get the cod piece to fit over and under to look like the package.

Bandai includes an adaptor to extend the range of the hinge on the right shoulder plate so you can get Hypnos into his “signature attack”, Eternal Drowsiness.

Much like Thanatos, Hypnos’s Cloth is equally as ornate. In classic art the God of sleep, Hypnos is traditional presented with peacock feathers and in a nod to that Hypnos’s Cloth comes styled with the peacock feathered motif. It sounds silly but it looks rather neat, especially in its object mode.

In object mode I was able to get the skirting together the way it supposed to look but it literally took me an hour! Sometimes getting the armor together on these Saint Cloth Myth figures can be a fiddly process (you put the hand on but the bicep armor slides down, push the bicep armor back up and the hand pops off… you get the point.) but this was ridiculous! It doesn’t help I can’t read Japanese so any tips the instructions may have are lost on me (a problem that comes up often for this English speaking/reading, Japanese toy collecting Otaku.) Once the trauma of putting the object together is over what you are left with is a beautiful statue of the Hypnos Cloth bowing with the peacock feather fanned out. It looks so nice paired with Thanatos.

So I’m certainly mixed on this release. While I love the little touches and attention to detail, the sculpting is top notch and the finished product exquisitely detailed. This particular release was quite fidgety for me to assemble; leaving me a bit exasperated when done. To be fair, it could just be user error on my part not being able to read the instructions.

The finished result is beautiful, especially in it’s object mode. I think Hypnos is a must for Saint Cloth Myth Collectors but not a good choice for first time buyers unless you like the armor design, then go for it. Just know it’s a bit more difficult/fiddly than most in the series.

You can get your very own God of Sleep as well as many other fantastic designs at Angolz.com. As always you can find a full video review embedded below.

This time around I take a look at Aries Sion from the Saint Cloth Myth line from Bandai. BIG SPOILER WARNINGS.... You have been warned.

I blame Ken from Angolz.com for what has become a fairly unhealthy obsession with all things Saint Cloth Myth. It started when he approached us a little over a year ago asking if we would be interested in reviewing figures from a series called Saint Seiya. While the series has not taken off in the states it is HUGE outside of the States. I had seen the characters designs over the years and while my curiosity was piqued by what I had seen, I had never made the effort to look in to it.

Little did I know what would start out as mild curiosity would turn into a full blown obsession. There’s just something about the process of putting together one of these figures combined with the presence they have on the shelf when finished that makes you want more. One Saint Cloth Myth figure looks good, several together look great.

Well after 1 year, 114 episodes of the TV series, 31 episodes of the OVA series, 4 OVA movies, 1 animated feature film and 21 Saint Cloth Myth figures and 4 Appendixes later, its official… I’m a Saint Seiya fan boy. So this time around I am reviewing Aries Sion.

From Wikipedia :

“Prior to the start of the main story, Sion served as a Saint on the previous generation of Athena Saints. In the beginning of the war against Hades, Sion was promoted from Bronze to Gold Saint of Aries.”

“Under the guidance of Athena, gold saints Aries Sion and Libra Dohko set out to lead the saints in an invasion of Hades' domain, the World of the Dead. Much of the war ended in bloodshed and annihilation, with the saints having to resort to the Libra Weapons -- a move that Athena herself normally frowned upon. There many casualties in this war -- both saints and spectres alike. The last two survivors of this struggle were the Gold Saint of Aries and the Gold Saint of Libra.”

“After the war, Dohko would be assigned with the task of watching over the seal on the souls of Hades' 108 spectres, while Sion would go on to become the new Grand Pope of the Sanctuary, with the main duty of preparing new blood for the next Holy War.”

“Upon becoming the Grand Pope, Sion could no longer perform the duties of the Aries saint as he had previously done - thus, he began to train an apprentice to succeed the cloth. Sion found that successor in Mu, an extraordinary young man of the same race as Sion with a natural talent for cloth reparation. Mu not only became the new Gold Saint of Aries, but he did so with all of Sion's abilities under his belt.”

“After Athena had once again reincarnated into a human infant, Sion began preparations for the inevitable war. He understood that, with old age, his own time would soon be up, and therefore needed to choose a successor for his seat. With the exception of Sagittarius Aiolos and Gemini Saga, all of the gold saints were too young and inexperienced to take up the responsibilities. After a lengthy time of consideration, Sion eventually settled on the Gold Saint of Sagittarius. While Aiolos was not as powerful as Saga, Sion felt confident in his choice because he knew of Aiolos' undying loyalty to Athena.”

“Unfortunately, Sion was confronted by Saga in regards to his decision shortly after the announcement. It seems Saga felt discontent at Sion's choice, and demanded an explanation for it. Sion revealed that, while he acknowledged that Saga had a heavenly reputation and was the more powerful of the two, he could not help but senses something terrifyingly dark within the Gemini Saint. It is at this point that Saga confirmed Sion's suspicions, and assaulted the weary Pope with a deathblow.”

“In Meikai, the realm of the dead, it was announced that Hades would attack the Sanctuary and unleash the Greatest Eclipse on the World, this left the dead saints in a predicament, because they were dead and unable to do anything, but opportunity arose when Hades told them that, if they killed Athena they would live again then, not even death could keep Sion away from aiding Athena in her Holy War against Hades. Even after years since his assassination, Sion returned from death to help Athena and the current saints with a way to get into the World of the Dead. Originally, it was assumed that Sion, along with other deceased saints such as Saga, Shura, Camus, Deathmask, and Aphrodite, had sold their soul to Hades and returned to Sanctuary to kill Athena. It turns out that this was a grand scheme by the former Pope and the dead saints in order to get a message to Athena -- that she must commit suicide and consequently awake the 8th sense if she hoped to successfully defeat Hades within his domain.”

“After the message had been delivered, Sion met with Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, and Shun to inform them of the truth of what had taken place with the gold saints and Athena. Perhaps as a nod to his apprentice's talents for armor reparation, Sion instantly restored all four saints' individual cloths using the blood of Athena. Finally, with his last act as the Grand Pope, Sion commanded the young bronze saints to invade the World of the Dead -- they shall not stop until every spectre has been defeated, and Hades himself is on his knees.”

Bandai really puts a lot of love and attention into this series and it all starts with the package. Traditionally Saint Cloth Myth comes in a book style package that opens up to reveal two windows with the figure and all its parts and pieces neatly arranged for all to see.

Included in the box is:

• Generation 3 Body Type
• Suplice parts - helmet, chest plate, shoulder plates, bicep pieces, forearm gauntlets, waist plates, thigh plates and leg plates
• 6 pairs of hands in various poses
• object statue

The figure itself is made of plastic with the feet being made of die-cast metal. Bandai choose to use the newest Generation 3 body type (which features over 40 points of articulation) for Aries Sion and stands about 7 inches tall. The figure looks a bit spindley without the armor on but to be honest that is not a big deal. It’s all about how they look with the armor on and Aries Sion looks good.

The armor or cloths in this line are almost all made of die-cast metal and is the real draw to the line. The armor is always beautifully detailed and I am continually surprised with the general high detail and quality of the series.

The Cloth here is actually referred to in the series as a Surplice (all of Hades minions wear Surplices just as Athena’s Saints wear Cloths or Poseidon’s generals wear Scales) and uses the original Aries Cloth sculpt created for the Aries Mu. Other than the different black/purple color scheme and a new head sculpt it is 98% identical to Aries Mu. The only two differences I can see are the front armor cod piece isn’t on a hinge like the original Mu release and the Ram horns don’t plug into the back of the armor as well as the original release. It is a bit finicky to get it on but once you do it will sit there as long as you don’t pick up by the shoulders. I’m not sure if I just got a bad piece or if something is different but as nice as these figures are they are still mass produced so getting a flaw is going to happen from time to time.

These complaints are more nitpicks and neither really detracts from a beautiful representation of the character from the series. He still looks good paired with later self, Grand Pope Sion.

Each armor in the Saint Seiya story turns into a statue of the constellation that warrior is aligned to when not being worn. Most armor is not seen in the series this way but Bandai does include a base statue in each release to put the armor on to and form a statue of the constellation. The Aries Gold Saint is of course a Ram, so needless to say Aries Sion’s resurrected armor makes…a ram. Yep looks identical to the Aries Mu release just black/purple instead of shades of Gold.
Wrap Up

So basically Aries Sion is nothing more than a repainted Aries Mu figure, but I knew that when I ordered him. I’m a fan of both the series and figures so I wanted to complete my display by pairing him with his earlier self, Grand Pope Sion. The resurrected Sion is a worthy addition to your collection IF you’re a fan of the Hades: Sanctuary story arc and you are a completist. I wouldn’t recommend it to non fans as it’s not an overly striking design and a fairly obscure character to boot. Should you want to add Aries Sion or any other Saint Cloth Myth figure to your collection just head over to Angolz.com and get a design that catches your eye. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

A video review is included below.