The Seven Deadly Sins started out as a fantasy manga in Weekly Shonen Magazine in October of 2012. Since that time, it has had an anime adaptation, which has had two seasons so far. Currently, a movie for the series is expected to be released in August of 2018, thus making it clear that it is still going strong. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about The Seven Deadly Sins:
1. Shouldn’t Be Mistaken for Seven Mortal Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins shouldn’t be mistaken for Seven Mortal Sins, which are about demon girls in costumes that leave little to the imagination. Likewise, it shouldn’t be mistaken for other anime series in which the seven deadly sins pop up in one form or another, which are more common than most people would expect.
2. The Seven Deadly Sins Have Animal Associations
Each member of the Seven Deadly Sins is associated with a particular animal. In some cases, the animal associations are simple and straightforward, whereas in other cases, the connection can be rather tenuous.
3. Meliodas’s Animal Is the Dragon
Meliodas’s sin of wrath is symbolized by the dragon. This can be seen in the handle of his sword, the fact that he has fire powers, and the fact that he is a demon, which was associated with dragons in medieval Europe. Curiously, dragons tend to be associated with other sins over wrath, with one example being greed and another example being pride. In this, they are very versatile creatures when it comes to symbolism.
4. Ban’s Animal Is the Fox
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ban’s sin of greed is symbolized by the fox, which is a representation of cunning and trickery. People who watch a lot of anime should be familiar with the concept of fox spirits in East Asia, but it should be mentioned that the fox has similar connotations in medieval Europe, as shown by the stories about Reynard the Fox.
5. Gowther’s Animal Is the Goat
Gowther’s sin of lust is symbolized by the goat, which does actually have connotations of lust. This can be seen in the insult “randy goat,” which is based on actual goat behavior. However, it is worth noting that goats can bring the image of the satyr to mind, which were half-human, half-goat creatures from Greek mythology who were famous for their lustfulness.
6. The Holy Knights Seem Intended to Evoke the New Band of the Hawk
The armor designs for the Holy Knights seem designed to evoke the image of the New Band of the Hawk from Berserk. This is particularly likely because the second generation of the Holy Knights have made what can be called a Faustian bargain by drinking demon’s blood, which is more than a little bit reminiscent of the human-turned-demon nature of the New Band of the Hawk, whose fantastical armor is designed to conceal their true nature.
7. First Season Covered First Major Story Arc
The first season of The Seven Deadly Sins covered the first major story arc for the manga, which consisted of more than 100 chapters. Considering that the first season consisted of no more than 24 episodes, it should come as no surprise to learn that there was a great deal of cramming that had to be done.
8. Some Important Details Were Cut Out
In fact, some rather important details were cut out, with the result that narratives that made sense in the manga came off as examples of deux ex machina in the anime series. This is something that happens on a semi-regular basis in anime adaptations because the sheer amount of work combined with the need to meet a schedule makes mistakes all too probable.
9. The English Rights for Anime Are Split
Curiously, the English rights for the anime are split between two parties. Netflix has the right to stream the series. However, it is Funimation that has the right to release the series on home video, which makes sense considering the two companies’ respective strengths.
10. Reincarnation Exists in the Setting
Reincarnation is something that can happen in the setting of The Seven Deadly Sins. Moreover, it is something that will come up in the main narrative, though saying too much would be spoilers. Suffice to say that reincarnation can be rather brutal on personal relationships, particularly when that is the whole point of that particular setup.
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