Parents' Guide to

Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary

By Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Anime series entry has strong graphics, epic battles.

Movie NR 2014 93 minutes
Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

bogar7
bogar7 Adult
May 22, 2019
age 10+

From a Saint Seiya franchise fan

This movie resumes (with some specific changes) the last part of the anime series first season. Despite the CGI animation used in the film, I consider, it has less explicit violence than in the regular anime series. The story in the movie continues with some possitive messages (that are also in other movies and the series), such as teamwork, responsability, justice, caring for each other, and integrity.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In SAINT SEIYA: LEGEND OF SANCTUARY, Saori Kido (voiced by Japanese idol singer Ayaka Sasaki) has long been aware of her special powers but only finds out on her 16th birthday that she's the reincarnation of the goddess Athena. She also discovers that she's the target of an imposter pope who wants to kill her and wield power over the Sanctuary world with his own false goddess. Saori is protected by a group of Bronze Saints recruited by her adoptive grandfather Mitsumasa (Ren Osugi) and trained to employ mystical powers in her defense. Saori and her saints must travel to the Sanctuary and battle a series of Gold Saints in the Temples of the Zodiac to defeat the false pope.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

While this film's fantasy world is complex, anime fans don't need to be familiar with the whole series to appreciate the action and effects of this sixth installment in the franchise. The backstory of Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary is explained succinctly early on, following a tense three-minute battle sequence between armored warriors hurtling through outer space that opens the film and sets the frenetic pace of the next 90 minutes.

New viewers may find the anime genre's cultural differences refreshing. Beyond one entertaining song-and-dance number midway through the film, the self-aware jokes and insider winks of many American children's films are largely absent here. Made several years before female-superhero blockbusters like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, Legend of Sanctuary also feels restrained in the way it handles its main characters, including one of the movie's only females. In fact, gender feels almost irrelevant. The initially fearful Saori/Athena discovers that she wields stronger powers and must save the lives of some of her male protectors, who themselves are strikingly androgynous (one will reportedly be made female in Netflix's new adaptation). With humility, sincerity, and inner strength, Athena simply takes her rightful place as leader at the end of the movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the characters and animation in Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary differ from previous versions. Does the CGI make the violence feel more realistic or different from other Saint Seiya films and shows? What effect does that have on viewers?

  • Do the movie's heroes always do good? Can you think of any scenes where you felt the heroes could have managed their way out of a situation without violence?

  • Do you think this film is too violent? How do you think violence in movies can affect you and others?

  • What do you know about the mythological gods and goddesses referenced in the film? In the Temples of Zodiac, did you recognize the zodiac signs? If so, what was your opinion of how the signs were depicted in "human" form?

  • Why do you think the series uses religious terms like "saint," "sanctuary," and "pope"? What would you say to someone if they found these references disrespectful?

Movie Details

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