While Masami Kurumada’s Saint Seiya manga has a complete anime adaptation of the original story, some of Kurumada’s other works have not received the same treatment. One such work is a “gaiden” story focusing on Cygnus Hyoga. Titled The Swan Story: Natasha of the Ice Country, this gaiden was first published in Shonen Jump magazine on February 23, 1988, and is now finally getting an anime adaptation thanks to a group of Saint Seiya fans.
When is the Release of the Fan-Made Anime Adaptation of the Saint Seiya Gaiden The Swan Story: Natasha of the Ice Country?
For those eager to see this fan-made animation, which does not use any AI, the wait is almost over. Saint Seiya: The Cygnus Story: Kôri no Kuni no Natasha (The Swan Story: Natasha of the Ice Country) will premiere on the Hakuren YouTube channel on Thursday, April 30th. This animated short will run for 19 minutes and 20 seconds and will fully adapt the Saint Seiya gaiden featuring Hyoga.
Hyoga’s Secret Story in the Manga
The story begins with Hyoga journeying through Siberia, reminiscent of the film. There, he encounters four mysterious figures who have summoned him to this desolate location. They reveal themselves to be the legendary Blue Warriors, led by Alexer, and that Hyoga has been brought to Blue Graad. A battle ensues between Hyoga and the Blue Warriors, resulting in the Saint of the Swan being defeated and taken prisoner in the city of Blue Graad.
Within the prison, Hyoga meets Natasha, who implores him to save her father. She suspects her brother, Alexer, plans to assassinate their father to expand the Blue Graad kingdom. Unbeknownst to them, Alexer has already carried out his plan and is on his way to confront Hyoga in his cell.
Did the Second Saint Seiya Movie Draw Inspiration from The Swan Story: Natasha of the Ice Country?
Some mistakenly believe that this story inspired Toei Animation’s script for the second Saint Seiya film, The Heated Battle of the Gods. While this is not the case, there are notable similarities. Although Kurumada did not directly participate in the scriptwriting for the movie, he was involved in character design and early production stages. It is highly probable that Masami Kurumada drew ideas from this for his alternate Hyoga story.
The character designs for Frey and Freya were created by Kurumada and later refined by Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno, who were in charge of the film’s animation. Interestingly, the original manga creator utilized these same designs for two characters in Hyoga’s gaiden.
