Gemini Saga (Surplice)

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.