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 part of Toei Animation's ongoing theatrical support for the Saint Seiya franchise, then at the height of its popularity among young audiences following the success of the television series. These theatrical features gave fans compact, high-energy stories built around the bronze saints and their battles, and reels from this period remain sought after by collectors tracing the visual style of the show's golden age before it moved into later arcs and different production teams.
This cell carries Saori Kido, the character who serves as the human identity of the goddess Athena throughout the series, a dual role central to the saints' loyalty and purpose. Her presence anchors the mythological stakes of the story, standing apart from the fighters she inspires. A cell bearing her name alone, without other figures sharing the frame, points to a moment where her identity carries the scene on its own, the kind of isolated character reel collectors prize for its clarity.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth (1988).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack is visible running as two wavy white tracks along the lower edge beside the picture area.
Edge print
Upper edge reads (mirrored): 'EASTMAN 386 19'.
Base & colour
Base appears near-neutral with a slight warm cast; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be the same or near-identical consecutive frames from one shot, consistent with animation cel photography matching the 1988 film on record.
Era check
Eastman 386 stock, a variable-area optical stereo track, and saturated cel-animation colour are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1980s.
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 000063018
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
