Completed
“18th century prequel to Saint Seiya: three childhood friends caught in divine war between light and darkness.”
Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
聖闘士星矢 THE LOST CANVAS 冥王神話
8.0
724 rank · 116,179 viewers · 1,050 favorites
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Historical
Mythology
Shounen
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
18th century prequel to Saint Seiya: three childhood friends caught in divine war between light and darkness.
In 18th century Europe, centuries before the events of the original Saint Seiya, an ancient conflict between divine forces begins to stir. The story follows three childhood friends - the spirited Tenma, the gentle artist Alone, and their companion Sasha - whose peaceful days in a quiet village are about to change forever. When Tenma leaves home to train as a warrior at Sanctuary, he discovers that his friends harbor destinies far greater than he could have imagined. As the shadows of an age-old war between light and darkness begin to stretch across the land, the bonds between these three souls will be tested by forces beyond mortal comprehension. Set against the backdrop of a mythological Holy War that has raged for centuries, this tale explores how friendship can transcend even the greatest of divides, while serving as the epic prologue to the legendary Saint Seiya saga.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 13 sampled reviews
8.0
/10
What 13 viewers settled on.
83%
recommend
Score distribution
median 9
mode 10
σ 2.54
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.54 · split reception
The polarity gap
6.2 pts
Recommenders 9.2 · others 3.0
Yes
No
Score over time
↑ 0.00
Running avg · Oct 2010 → Jul 2022
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 10 “As a Greek-mythology fan, I stumbled on this by chance and was pleasantly surprised by how good it turned out. It hooked me so thoroughly that I hunted down the original Saint Seiya and loved that...”
- 9 “Saint Seiya speaks straight to the soul, turning battlefield victories into a quest for life’s true purpose and proclaiming that love—not conquest—will reign supreme. There’s no criticism here,...”
- 10 “This absolute masterpiece stands as one of the best shonen anime ever created, with captivating Renaissance-inspired animation that surpasses even the classic Saint Seiya series in some aspects....”
Verbosity
Short · 38%
Medium · 46%
Long · 15%
Watch Order & Related
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Cast
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See all credits →Production slate
- Format 13 × 24′ eps × min
- Total runtime 5h 12m all episodes
- Aired Jun 2009 – Apr 2010
- Source Ova media type
- Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
- Ref. BS-4479 catalog
Produced by
- Akita Shoten Producer
Licensed by
- Discotek Media Licensor