Shiryu knew Shunrei when he arrived to Five Old Pics in order to learn with Old Master the Saints fight. But the two were too young and became brothers.

But when they grew up, that fraternal love became a true love... Maybe because they are too shy (in Saint Seiya everyone is shy and never speak to each other what they really feel, except Shaina, of course!), they never declare to each other their love, but in my opinion I think that it isn't necessary...

There are many evidences in the series about their relationship. In the begin of the it, when Shiryu was fighting with Seiya in the Galactic War, Shunrei was there with him, giving her force in that hard moments...Then, when he died, it was she who asked Seiya to save Shiryu.

Then she came back to Rosan and Shiryu went again to Japan. In the few times that Shiryu came back to China, we can see how much love he has about Shunrei, and she about him! Well, in one episode Old Master said she cooked always better when Shiryu was there...

When Shiryu became blind, it was Shunrei who took care of him in Rosan. She gave him the force to continue living, being always on his side. She almost died suffocated one day, but she was saved by Ohko, who had arrived in that moment near the waterfall. In this scene we can see Shiryu's dispear when he thought she was dead and he couldn't do anything to save her.

In the Battle with Golden Saints, it was Shunrei's prays that gave Shiryu the powers enough to win Death Mask in Cancer Temple.

Here we have two important points; the first: Shunrei, with her delicate and submissive face hides inside her a big power, a sensitive Cosmos, that was able to bother a Golden Saint and distract him in the right moment to Shiryu save himself. That's why Shunrei is my favorite character from Saint Seiya. Her personality is more complex than we can see. I think it's incredible how she hides her true force in that sweet, innocent and calm face.

The second point is when Shiryu says to Death Mask after he made Shunrei falls in the waterfall: "you disdained my most important thing!" I think this was the best Shiryu's love declaration. It's just a pity that Shunrei wasn't there to listen to this!:-)

Besides, Shiryu is the most loyal Saint , because he is the only one who stays with the same person until the end of the series. Seiya, for example, stays with Saori, Miho and Shaina. Hyoga with Eiri and Freya. Ikki has Esmeralda and Pandora to him and Shun has Junne, but she appears just a few times...( well, I don't like her. She is not the right person for Shun, anyway!).

Shiryu and Shunrei is the anime's most beautiful couple for me. Isn't the love beautiful?:-)