Reception
The manga was well received in France, where volumes 7, 8 and 9 sold thirty-one thousand copies each in 2006. Sales in Italy were equally successful, having been featured on multiple occasions in Planet Manga's Top 10 sales charts between June 2005 and February 2010. Its differences and similarities to the original Saint Seiya, however, have divided readers, as illustrated by the fact that Episode.G is rated among the "Top 100 Most Diverging Opinions" manga among users of Anime News Network.
French critic Thomas Berthelon, writing for Actua BD, makes a note on the unoriginality of the plot. While the manga is full of references to Saint Seiya, the story is based on the same known schemes and the characters are too similar to the protagonists of the original series. The critic writing for Manga-News also notes that the exchanges between Saints and Titans can become repetitive. Meanwhile, for Brazilian critic Pedro Hunter, Episode.G sets itself apart from the usual shōnen manga by not featuring only endless battles and undeveloped storylines. He finds the way Okada depicts his characters as an integrating part of the real world particularly interesting and highlights the inclusion of real life events like the Three Mile Island accident into the plot.
The critic writing for Manga-News regrets that the manga focuses on the youth of the known Gold Saints from Kurumada's work. This reviewer says that it takes away all suspense from the story, since the fates of the main characters are known from the start to any who have read Saint Seiya beforehand, and that the magnitude of the accomplishments of these characters in Episode.G is inconsistent with what was seen in the original series. In a later review, however, it is also noted that Episode.G retains the spirit of the original series, successfully portraying the emotions present in battles between warriors who can respect their opponents and admire their willingness to give their lives for what they believe is right.
Generally praised as "impressive" is Okada's graphical skill, his use of composition and textures which enhance the divine aspects of the characters, although critics also note that the heavy amount of details in a black and white manga often interferes with readability. Berthelon considers such difficulty reminiscent of passages from Kaori Yuki's manga Angel Sanctuary and recommends the manga for its "astonishing" artwork.
Read more about this topic: Saint Seiya Episode.G
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