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Bandai Saint Seiya Cloth Myth Andromeda Shun & Pisces Aphrodite Supplice
Two armored Saint warriors face off...
Bandai's Saint Seiya Cloth Myth figures are available at BigBadToyStore.com. CLICK HERE to order Andromeda Shun and HERE for Pisces Aphrodite Surplice.
Saint Seiya (also known as Knights of the Zodiac) is a classic manga and anime series that hit it big with audiences around the world. The original television run went from 1986 to 1989, but it was so beloved that it returned from 2002 through 2008 in various secondary series, not to mention films and other projects. The basic storyline follows five heroic warriors that receive sacred armor called “Cloths.” Becoming powerful Saints in the process, these mythology and zodiac-based heroes fight for the reincarnated goddess Athena against the other Olympians who seek to take over the world. Seiya was but the first, though he would be joined by many other Saints throughout the story. When it comes to Saint Seiya toys and collectibles, the company to see is Bandai, especially its flagship line of Saint Seiya Cloth Myth. Today we’ll be taking a look at two new figures from that series, Andromeda Shun and Pisces Aphrodite Supplice!
Just about as opposite as two characters can be, Andromeda and Pisces were Saints on different levels. Andromeda Shun was one of the original Bronze Saint heroes of the series, while Pisces Aphrodite was a Gold Saint (the most powerful forces in Athena’s army). Andromeda was a typical reluctant warrior, preferring to hold back instead of unleashing his full, and significant, power. Meanwhile, Pisces believed that he was second to none and even betrayed his post, killing Andromeda’s mentor in the process. The two meet in combat with the heroic Andromeda finally getting justice. Much later in the series Pisces would get a chance to redeem himself when resurrected by Hades he sacrificed himself for the greater good.
The current Cloth Myth figures are packaged in Bandai’s very attractive “book box” scheme. The figure and its accessories are separated into two plastic trays in either section of an unfolding box. Each package has its own color scheme, classic gray for Andromeda and swirling purple and pink for Pisces. The front cover of each has a photo of the figure in his full gear along with some artwork, an illustration of the character in Pisces’ case and Andromeda’s titular constellation.
The sides of each box resemble book’s binding and have the name of the line and the character in addition to a character-specific symbol (fish for Pisces and classic bust for Andromeda). Each box’s back panel shows the figure and its associated Object in various configurations. Of course, the coolest part is that the boxes open up in the middle letting you see both plastic trays and all of their contents!
Straight out of the box, both Saints are approximately 6 ½ inch tall dudes with identical and somewhat bland generic body sculpts. Unlike some other anime heroes and especially American ones, these guys aren’t overly weighted down with muscles, but instead have rather athletic physiques. Articulation is excellent with tons of ball joints and double-jointed elbows and knees. The figures each wear what’s essentially a unitard (blue for Andromeda and dark purple for Pisces) that leave their arms bare. The Saints have balled fists, but their feet are metal-armored anticipating their later forms. On the other hand, each figure has a unique head with an anime-inspired pretty boy face and outrageous hair (green and blue respectively).
Each Saint has a huge pile of accessories that’s mostly devoted to his armor. There’s a pictorial instruction sheet included, and you’re going to need it! Assembling the full suits of armor takes time and patience in equal measures. The armor is unique for each Saint; for example, Andromeda’s bright pink armor is lighter with open arms and huge shoulder plates while Pisces covers up completely in purple and black menacing full plate. Whatever the style, assembly includes removing limbs and swapping out hair parts, hands, and more. Especially cool are the chestplates, hinged to fit around their bodies snugly. Now, bulky armor will of course limit articulation to some degree, but the Saints are still pretty poseable.
Your options don’t end at armored or not. Oh no, there are plenty of choices to be made when you decide how you want to display your Saints! Let’s look at each one individually. Andromeda has various hair parts that work with his helmet as well as hands in several styles. His signature weapons are the Andromeda Chains, reproduced as long real metal chains attached to forearm armor and terminating in a spike or ball. You can outfit the hero with the chains or without, and two special parts let you recreate his Thunderwave attack or Rolling Defense stance!
The dark warrior Pisces is somewhat more straightforward. He too has multiple hair and hand parts, but he’s also got accessories to reflect his affinity for roses. You can swap out his regular face for one holding a rose in his mouth, and there are several optional hands posed to hold roses. Finally, Pisces comes with two pair each of black, red, and white roses so you can outfit him as you see fit.
Finally, each Saint has a special “Object” that represents his power and these objects have two modes. They can be displayed as is or vastly expanded with the warrior’s armor. Andromeda comes with a dummy stand for displaying armor that’s composed of the same metallic pink. It’s essentially a bust with four arms mounted on a disk base. Upgrade it using all of Shun’s armor parts and a loose Andromeda Chain for a much more imposing display piece. Pisces continues his aquatic theme with a skeletal fish thing. It’s a little awkward on its own, but mount all of dark armor on it and it becomes a pretty cool armored fishbot on its own included display stand.
The Saint Seiya Cloth Myth figure line has seen more than 100 releases, and it’s easy to see why. The figures are sturdy and come with tremendous options in accessorizing and display. Most of the armor parts are metal and surprisingly heavy. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a hassle to assemble and disassemble them, so you should plan ahead as to how you want to display your Saint and his Object. Both Andromeda Shun and Pisces Aphrodite Supplice are available now from fine importers.
Review and Photos by Scott Rubin
Review Sample Courtesy of Bluefin
