Long-time fans of the Saint Seiya animated series can rejoice in the fact that there will be more Greek mythical battles - and much sooner than you probably thought.
The new series, entitled Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas, is an original video animation (OVA), which means it will only be available on DVD and Blu-Ray (for now). This new series is a prequel to the long-running show and explains what Hades meant in the final episode of The Hades Chapter - Elysion, when he referred to having seen Pegasus before and having been wounded by him in a past life.
The original Saint Seiya manga was created, written and illustrated by Japanese author Masami Kurumada. But The Lost Canvas is based on the manga of the same name by Shiori Teshirogi, who has been continuing the series under the authorisation of Kurumada. TMS Entertainment - one of Japan's oldest and most well-known animation studios - handled the animation. The opening theme for the show, The Realm of Athena, is sung in English and performed by Eurox, while the closing theme, Flower Chain (Hana no Kusari), is sung by Maki Ikuno and features Marina del Ray.
The Lost Canvas saga chronicles the events of the Holy War between Hades and Athena and takes place during the 18th century, 250 years before the Saint Seiya story line.
The OVA series is set for 13 episodes but so far only the first four have been released.