Violence. It’s something that has decreased or increased over the years depending on who you ask. Saint Seiya was a very violent anime in places. Look up the fights between Scorpio and Cygnus, I doubt you’ve seen that much blood unless it was in a dream sequence. Regardless, we now have episode 4 of Saint Seiya Omega, and it promises something us original fans were dying to see…a fight between the new Dragon and Pegasus Saints! The original battle was quite the bloody ordeal, how does these kids do in honor of the original warriors?
We get a lot of fan service here. First of all, it is said that this cosmo “element” thing is something new, which grants more power to the current Saints. Each element is weak against another, meaning strategy and a strong team are more important now. However, there are a few caveats. Apparently, the light and darkness elements are unique(big surprise), and it is still possible for an element that is weak against another to win because of a high level cosmo(again, big surprise).
Every Saint needs to discover their element in order to fully continue learning. We already learned that Geki the Bear, is one of the instructors. In a nod to us fans, it is revealed that Ichi the Hydra is actually a student! He hasn’t found an element yet, so he continues this basic training. Sucks for him but oh well. We learn that Ryuho is the son of Shiryu, the former Dragon Saint. This instantly makes him more important to us old fans. We also learn what happened to Shiryu, at least part of it, and how Ryuho is what he is today.
Ryuho is apparently a fragile boy, but still a prodigy. No surprise considering Shiryu trained him. He arranges for him and Pegasus to fight. We are reminded that Dragon and Pegasus fought in the past, then the battle begins. Ryuho dons the Dragon Cloth. The sequence is well made, and any old school fan will get some goosebumps and nostalgia watching this sequence. Ryuho is a weak kid, which actually works really well considering who his father is. Physical strength has never represented much amongst Saints, so making such a weak kid a prodigy is a great idea in my view. I do miss the old cloth boxes, but it makes sense that something that is so tied to your spirit can be easily transported.
I won’t spoil the battle for you, but I will mention a few important points. It drives the point across that while the elements are important, they aren’t game changers. Cosmo is still what matters. The fighting spirit within you will still decide the battle. I think elements will make a difference in this series, but the idea of Cosmo being the main factor is still there. I am happy about this decision. This is how it’s always been, and change to this isn’t necessary. Still, the biggest impact in this episode…the Rozan Sho Ryu Ha…it’s still impactful. It really brought me lots of joy hearing that again…and they were smart. The only person worthy enough to possess this technique is Shiryu’s son.
I love the nods to us old fans, like the Dragon Shield. It is revealed that there will be a tournament among Saints soon, called a “Saint Fight”. It is a nod to the old Galaxian Wars. The winner gets to see Athena. Of course, Kouga has his doubts, since Athena seems to be gone. Still, the main thing here, is that we again get a nod to old fans. A fight between Saints, before we really know what is going on…let’s do it. I can’t wait to see the rest of the Saint team. I think the element thing won’t be a big thing in the end, just an easy way to mark wins/losses. Regardless, there is much nostalgia and feeling here. Pegasus has the element of light, which is one of the main ones. I am excited and worried about the future of this series, but it has done at least one thing right: piqued my interest. Saints forever! Saint Seiya forever!