Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth arrived in 1988 as one of the theatrical outings tied to Toei Animation's long-running Saint Seiya franchise, itself adapted from Masami Kurumada's manga. By this point the series had become a defining entry in the mythic-armor action genre, pairing constellation-themed knights with high-stakes spectacle. These film releases served as showcases for the animation studio's growing ambitions, offering fans set-piece moments beyond the weekly television format and cementing the Bronze Saints as icons of late-80s anime adventure.
This cell centers on Pegasus Seiya, the franchise's lead Bronze Saint and the character most collectors seek out first, voiced by Tōru Furuya, whose performance anchors the hero's identity across the series. Framed under the banner of crimson youth, the piece speaks to the film's thematic heart, the fire and resolve associated with Seiya's arc. As a 35mm cell, it preserves a single frame from the actual production, a tangible link to the hand-crafted animation process behind one of the era's most enduring anime heroes.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth (1988).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-bilateral (two-track) waveform pattern.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; the dye image reads as stable with no obvious fading or red shift visible.
Projection history
Light vertical lines consistent with projection are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with an animated theatrical release matching the film on record.
Era check
A dual-bilateral variable-area optical track on 35mm positive colour stock is consistent with a Japanese theatrical release print from 1988, before digital soundtrack formats were introduced.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063015
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
