Saint Seiya - Saintia Shō (Japanese: 聖闘士星矢・セインティア翔, Hepburn: Seinto Seiya - Seintia Shō) is a manga series by Chimaki Kuori, a spin-off of the classic Saint Seiya manga created, written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. Kuori is known by her work on the manga adaptation of the Gundam SEED anime and in the Kimi no Kaeru Bashō manga series.[1]Saintia Shō started its serialization on August 19, 2013 of Akita Shoten's Champion Red magazine.[2] An anime adaptation has been announced.[3] North American manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment
have announced that they have licensed the manga.[4]
Series premise
Set immediately after Saint Seiya,[5]Saint Seiya - Saintia Shō follows the traditional central plot common to Kurumada's original work and its derivative works: Athena, the Greek goddess of justice and heroic endeavor, returns when evil consumes Earth, and battles antagonistic deities, the agents of evil, with the assistance of her army of warriors known as Saints, protected by their Cloths, battle armors that represent their guardian constellations. The main character in the series is a young female Saint named Shō, who protects Athena and her Sanctuary from the attack of Goddess of Discord, Eris. The series introduces a new class of female Saints, which are known as Saintia (聖闘少女（セインティア）, Seintia, lit. "Holy Fighting Girls"), Athena's personal maidens.
Characters
The series introduces new characters and features many from Kurumada's original manga and Next Dimension. Voice actors are provided when the character appeared in an accompanying drama CD series.
One of the Saintia, Athena's personal bodyguard Saints, who wears the Equuleus Bronze Cloth. As she has mastered her Cosmo, she is able to channel it in a powerful and fast attack, the Equuleus Meteor Punches (エクレウス流星拳, Ekureusu Ryūsei-ken). Her real name is Shōko (翔子).
Saori's personal secretary who is a Saintia wearing the Delphinus Bronze Cloth. Her true name is Alicia Mii Benethol (アリシア・美衣・ベネトール, Arishia Mii Benetōru).
Ursa Minor Xiaoling (小熊座（ウルサミノル）のシャオリン, Urusaminoru no Shaorin)
A Chinese Saintia who wears the Ursa Minor Bronze Cloth. Her real name is Xing Xiaoling (星 暁鈴（シン シャオリン）, Shin Shaorin, pinyin: Xīng Xiǎolíng).
Northern Crown Katia (冠座（ノーザンクラウン）のカティア, Nōzan Kuraun no Katia)
A long-haired Saintia who wears the Corona Borealis Bronze Cloth. After having been poisoned by Eris in the past, she has begun working directly with the Pope against Saori's wishes.
Cassiopeia Erda (カシオペア座のエルダ, Kashiopea-za no Eruda)
A short-haired Saintia wearing the Cassiopeia Bronze Cloth who wishes to one day become a Gold Saint.
The head of the Graude Foundation and current incarnation of Athena (アテナ, Atena), Greek goddess of justice, wisdom, and heroic endeavour, who always reincarnates when evil consumes Earth. She has stopped the ambitions of evil deities since the ages of myth, assisted by her Saints.
The Pavo Silver Saint, injured during the revolt in Athena's sanctuary, thirteen years earlier and confined to a wheelchair. She agrees to train Sho to become a Saint, and aids the Saintias at various times in the story.
The evil goddess of discord, mortal enemy of Athena since the ages of myth. Her warriors are known as Dryads (邪精霊（ドリアード）, Doriādo, "Evil Spirits") who wear armor known as Leaves (邪霊衣（リーフ）, Rīfu, "Evil Spirit Mantle"). Eris's forces also contain dead Saints called Ghosts (邪霊士（ゴースト）, Gōsuto, "Evil Spirit Warrior"), brought back to life with an Evil Seed (イヴィル・シード, Iviru Shīdo) from the tree Uterus (争いの大樹（ウテルス）, Uterusu).
A young woman in Gothic Lolita dress who carries around a teddy bear named "Mick" (ミック, Mikku) who she talks to.
Murder Phonos (殺戮（マーダー）のフォノス, Mādā no Fonosu)
The only male Dryad.
Toki (斗樹)
One of the hundreds of orphans who had been sent across the world to become a Saint, only to be tainted by Eris and become a Ghost. He was one of Jabu's friends as a child.
