The Netflix adaptation of Saint Seiya finally has a trailer. The potential was enormous. With more solid animation, corrections to its plot, and the removal of filler episodes, the Bronze Knights could have kicked off a new era of popularity. Instead, what Netflix has shown us so far is 3D animation worthy of a PlayStation 2, and a gender change... because now Shun is a woman. One of the writers of the new series tried to defend the changes, but how can you mount a defense when they didn't understand anything from the start?
A Look Back at the Franchise
The Saint Seiya manga dates back to January 1986. Ten months later, its adaptation debuted on Japanese television. 32 years of adventures that taught us the Bronze Saints protecting and rescuing their goddess, facing relentless enemies, and surpassing every established limit. A group of orphaned children transformed into mystical heroes through pure sacrifice, and pure loyalty.
The Saint Seiya universe expanded, spurring the development of new stories, prequels, and sequels. The results weren't always positive, but they're there and they're not going anywhere. That confirms Saint Seiya isn't perfect. In fact, I'm one of those who believe it aged quite badly. The announcement of a Netflix adaptation raised the possibility of an improvement, an optimization of the original story, not only visually but also in terms of cohesion and plot development. Instead... they presented this:
The Animation Is a Step Back
Let's start with the simplest thing. Who came to the conclusion that it was a good idea to animate Saint Seiya that way? The problem isn't applying 3D designs, but doing it so horribly. The first thing that came to mind was a PlayStation 2, and the intros of some of its games. Saint Seiya doesn't need a good animation process: it demands it. But this... doesn't even look good when streaming in 1080p. The visual factor in this Saint Seiya remake lags twenty years behind, and I can only think of a giant wasted opportunity. However, that's not all.
The Shun Gender Swap
The trained eye probably noticed immediately: Shun is now a woman. The explanation from Eugene Son, writer of the new series, follows a fairly predictable line: The original plan was "don't change too many things", but a team of five men fighting against the forces of evil was normal 30 years ago, while today we expect to see men and women working together on equal footing. In essence, a matter of inclusion. And we agree! Many projects need more female representation, and Saint Seiya (beyond its marked shōnen profile) is a great candidate... but changing Shun's sex and calling it "inclusion" is lazy and irresponsible.
Why Shun's Change Is Wrong
Believe it or not, Andromeda Shun is inclusive on his own. Three decades ago he was the target of occasional mockery, let's not deny it, but over time we understood that he is one of the most complex characters Saint Seiya has. Sensitive, loyal to his friends, a pacifist to the core, responsible, and terrified of his own power (MUCH bigger than it appears). An impressive number of women have defended Shun over the years, not only declaring that he is their favorite Knight, but also a resounding positive example among male characters. By transforming Shun into a woman, all of that is being erased at a stroke. Even among Toei people there were huge doubts about the change. And so we come to the questions. Why not expand the roles of Marin and Shaina? Why not take as a reference the work in Saintia Shō, a story based entirely on "female knights" (read: "saints" or "maidens")? They could have followed another path, of that we are sure.
A Personal Confession
And to close, a personal confession: I'm tired of Masami Kurumada, and of all the manga artists who sooner or later become the new "George Lucas" or "J.K. Rowling", because all they do is tell the same story for 20 or 30 years, and they don't know when to stop. Granted, I can't judge a series without watching it first, and most likely I'll press play to see what this remake has in store... but it will be kicking and screaming.
