Saintia Sho (2018), anime adaptation of Chimaki Kuori's homonymous manga, is a spin-off that presents us with a parallel story to the Galactic Tournament, with which we started the story of Saint Seiya (1985) by Masami Kurumada. The shojo style of the manga, added to the in-depth treatment of its characters and its subtle design but with special attention to their expressions, give a fresh look at the story of Athena's saints.
The anime has been made in the drawing style of Shingo Araki, animator and mangaka, who was responsible for the design of the saints in the original series. The mixture between the two elements gives us something new but, at the same time, maintains the essence of Saint Seiya and leads us to explore the beginnings of this story from a different perspective.
One of the most interesting approaches is that of the character of Saori Kido, the incarnation of Athena in modern times, as she is one of the protagonists of this story. Beyond her role as the goddess that all saints have sworn to protect in Saint Seiya, here we enter the mind of Saori Kido as a human; a human being with flaws, virtues, insecurities and fears.
In the second episode of the anime (SPOILERS ahead), Saori has a nightmare in which the goddess of discord, Eris, torments her by telling her that all the blood shed in the wars of human history is her fault. When Saori tries to defend herself using the name of Athena, Eris answers with an interrogation "Do you have the heart of Athena?" Eris tells her that she does not possess the heart of Athena's previous lives to suffer for all the knights who have died for her cause; she is simply "an empty vessel."
Startled, Saori wakes from the nightmare and cuddles herself. We are shown what she is, after all, a 13-year-old girl with an abysmal responsibility on her shoulders: facing her destiny as the incarnation of Athena. All the deaths that weigh upon her, including those of the orphans of the Graad Foundation who never returned to Japan after being sent to train and obtain the bronze cloth, fill her with anguish.
However, a constant in Saint Seiya is to challenge destiny and face it with determination. After all, Scorpio Milo himself says in the first episode of Saintia Sho: "If you are determined to face destiny, become strong. Let your souls ignite and fight with all your might. People have the power to change their destiny."
In her own way, Saori also makes the decision to face destiny; not rejecting her position as Athena, but accepting it through compassion and her humanity. We can appreciate this when Toki, one of the orphans of the Graad Foundation, returns as a Ghost, full of resentment and pain for having lost his life in that hard training to which he was sent as a child, and having failed in his dream of being a saint. Toki expresses his resentment towards Saori and attacks her.
She, instead of fighting him, accepts his feelings and acknowledges her responsibility. Saori kneels next to him, puts her staff aside, and hugs him saying "Welcome home."
Through this gesture so human and full of empathy, Saori manages to touch a corrupt heart. She dispels Toki's hatred, and in tears the young man confesses that he wished to return as a saint. The goddess cries as she watches as the boy disappears among Winter Bells, which according to Mii, symbolize hope.
Saori has decided to fulfill her destiny as a deity by refusing to be an empty vessel and without losing her essence: her humanity and her heart.