So I finally got this thing! Been waiting weeks for the Saint Seiya art box set to land on my doorstep. Big package arrives today, felt pretty heavy – fingers crossed everything inside is mint, ya know? My palms were sweating a bit when I first saw it. Ripped open the outer shipping box right there in the hallway.
The First Look
Tore off the plastic wrap next. The main art box itself is gorgeous! Thick, sturdy cardboard with this super shiny gold printing all over. Shows iconic scenes – Athena, the Gold Saints, Pegasus Seiya. Really screams “premium” and heavy in the hands. Flipped it over and saw all these pictures of the books inside. Got even more hyped.
Diving Into the Goods
Cracked open the lid, kind of nervous. First thing greeting me was a booklet – basically just credits and thank you notes. Tossed that aside gently. Underneath, packed super snug in molded foam, were the real stars:
- Book 1: Character Illustrations – Pulled this bad boy out first. Pages feel like velvet, seriously high quality. Full of classic art of the Bronze Saints, Silver Saints, Gold Saints… everyone. Even the villains! Flipped through quick. Amazing seeing these old drawings look so sharp. Nostalgia hit hard.
- Book 2: Saint Diagrams & Armor – This one’s thick! All about the armor designs – Cloths in extreme detail, sketches showing how they transform, close-ups on helmets and weapons. Geek heaven right here. Found the Pegasus armor section first, obviously!
- Book 3: World & Backgrounds – More like a lore atlas. Maps of Sanctuary, detailed rundowns of different temples, scenery paintings. Looks like they scanned the original backgrounds used in the shows or something. Pretty stunning detail.
- Book 4: Final Edition Art – Slightly smaller than the others. Packed with vibrant color spreads from the Final Edition manga volumes. Just jaw-dropping. Pages feel super smooth too.
The Extra Goodies
Finally dug right down to the bottom layer. Found the special stuff tucked away:
- Printed out a Certificate of Authenticity. Numbered #1254 out of 5000 apparently. Feels kinda official. Just a card though.
- Big deal was the Five Art Prints on Card Stock! Pulled them out one by one. Gold Saints lined up! Poseidon looking majestic! Athena! Hades! And one super dramatic clash scene. They feel sturdy, like postcards but way nicer. Shiny finish pops.
- Also grabbed the Collectible Pin Badge. Packed in its own little plastic box. Gold Pegasus constellation design on black enamel. Tiny detail but really crisp.
The Verdict
Took a step back. Stuff spread out all over my coffee table. Looked at it all together. Yeah, the art box packaging is incredible. The books are heavy, thick paper, colors leap off the page. Prints and pin are cool bonuses. Worth the price tag? Honestly? For a hardcore Saint Seiya fan like me, absolutely yes. Seeing all that classic art collected and presented so beautifully? Epic. Minor gripe? Had to be careful peeling off the protective film stuck to the lid artwork – annoying but did it slow. So glad I hit ‘order’. Total win!
