Saiyuki (manga)

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Saiyuki
An artbook image of the four main characters. From left to right: Genjo Sanzo, Cho Hakkai, Son Goku (with Hakuryu/Jeep) and Sha Gojyo.
幻想魔伝最遊記
(Gensōmaden Saiyuki)
Demographic Shōnen
Genre Adventure, Action, Comedy, Historical Fiction, Drama
Manga: Saiyuki
Author Kazuya Minekura
Publisher Flag of Japan Enix
Serialized in Flag of Japan G-Fantasy
Original run 1997 – 2002
Volumes 9
OVA: Saiyuki
Director Takashi Sogabe
Studio Tokyo Kids
Episodes 2
Released April 23, 1999
August 27, 1999
TV anime: Saiyuki
Director Hayato Date
Studio Studio Pierrot
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
Original run 4 April 2000 – 27 March 2001
Episodes 50
Movie: Gensomaden Saiyuki: Requiem
Director Hayato Date
Studio Studio Pierrot
Licensor ADV Films
Released August 18, 2001
Runtime 95 minutes
OVA: Gensomaden Saiyuki: Kibou no zaika[1]
Studio Studio Pierrot
Episodes 1
Released 2002

Gensomaden Saiyuki (幻想魔伝 最遊記 Gensōmaden Saiyūki?), commonly known as Saiyuki, is a popular manga series created by Kazuya Minekura. The story is loosely based on the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West (Xīyóu Jì). In 1999 the Saiyuki OVA by Tokyo Kids was released. A year later it was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot, which won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 2000. The Gensomaden Saiyuki: Requiem movie appeared in theaters in Japan in 2001. A sequel to this movie is the Gensomaden Saiyuki: Kibou no zaika OVA, which is actually animation taken from an interactive game[1] .

There are two sequels to Saiyuki, Saiyuki Reload (最遊記RELOAD?) and Saiyuki Gunlock (最遊記RELOAD GUNLOCK?), which are described in their own article.

The descriptions and summaries in this article are based on the English-adapted Saiyuki anime as distributed by ADV Films.

Contents

Saiyuki is the story of four anti-heroes: the monk Genjyo Sanzo (or just "Sanzo"), the monkey demon Son Goku, the half-demon Sha Gojyo, and the man turned demon Cho Hakkai (formerly known as Cho Gonou). They have been dispatched by the Sanbutsushin (the Three Aspects of Buddha, who relay the orders of heaven) to travel to India to stop the possible resurrection of the Bull-Demon-King, Gyumaoh. Along the way they are beset by inept assassins, bad weather, and their own tragic, personal pasts. Meanwhile, the villains, two unlikely confidants, Gyokumen Koushou (Gyumaoh's concubine, a demon) and a mad scientist, Dr. Ni Jenyi (a human), continue their attempts to restore the long-dead king. These experiements, a forbidden mixture of science and magic, spawn the "Minus Wave", infecting all of the demons in Shangri-La with madness, shattering the fragile peace that once existed between humans and demons.

  • Son Goku (the monkey)

Height: 162 cm
Weight: 51 kg
Age: 18
Birthdate: April 5
Zodiac: Aries
Blood type: O

  • Sha Gojyo (the water sprite or kappa)

Past Life: Kenren Taisho
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Age: 22
Birthdate: November 9
Zodiac: Scorpio
Blood type: B

  • Cho Hakkai (the man who killed 1000 demons and became one himself)

Past Life: Tenpou Gensui
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 69 kg
Age: 22
Birthdate: September 21
Zodiac: Virgo
Blood type: AB

  • Genjyo Sanzo (the priest)

Past Life: Konzen Douji
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Age: 23
Birthdate: November 29
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Blood type: A

  • Kougaiji: Based on Gyumaoh's Son, Kåfēise Dalu Hai Er, (meaning "brown moose child") the Bull Moose Prince.

  • Lirin: Kougaiji's half-sister and Gyokumen Koushou's daughter.

  • Dokugakuji: Gojyo's full-yōkai half-brother, formerly known as Sha Jien.

  • Yaone: An apothecary, alchemist, and Lirin's "babysitter".

  • Gyokumen Koushou: Gyumaoh's concubine.

  • Dr. Nii Jianyi: A wild card, mystery man, mad scientist, and Koushou's human lover. He owns a plushie bunny that he carries with him as his pet. He was also once a priest.

  • Kanzeon Bosatsu aka the Merciful Goddess: The Buddhist bodhisattva Guan Yin herself. She is portrayed as a hermaphrodite in the manga, while in the anime it gives no indication of her being anything other than a female. She favorite distraction from Heaven's mundane, unchanging state is watching the Sanzo-Ikkou's struggles to India.

  • Nataku only appears in Saiyuki Gaiden and in the anime *War Prince Nataku: Nataku is based on the Taoist deity Nezha. He is a half-mortal war god who won the then-divine Son Goku (Sun Wukong)'s friendship. Unfortunately, Nataku falls into a catactonic state (the reasons for this are not disclosed in the anime) and sits in the divine garden of heaven with only the Goddess of Mercy to keep him company staring blankly ahead for all time. In the series, Nataku is decidedly more somber than Goku and is resigned to being a puppet (he was 'given the honor' of being the War prince, a role which is later passed onto Homura) to the Gods. Furthermore, Nataku goes by a different title, but his background is still very much the same--right down to a Commander father and spear weapon. (However, it is glaringly obvious as the series goes on that the Commander is exploiting his son for fame and recognition from the Gods, reversing the roles that Nataku is to blame for misfortune) Nataku's father however, is then lectured by the past reincarnation of Cho Hakkai (Field Marshal Tenpou) and further mis-treatment of his son is then yet to be seen in the series.

  • Homura Toushin Taishi. He was born between the humans and the warriors of the Upper heavens. Although he succeeded Nataku Taishi who destroyed Gyumao-Bull Satan 500 years ago, he is fed up with utter tranquility and lazy life in the Upper Heavens. He had some relationship with Sanzo and his comrades. He calls them in the names of a previous existence. He is eager to get Sanzo's Sutra of Dark Power. However, his true ambition is not yet revealed. His weapon is a long sword possessing tremendous power. He can wipe out a troop of monsters at one swing. He uses the Power of Spirit like Cho Hakkai.

  • Zenon comes down with Prince Homura only because he dislikes the evil monsters and spirits. His revolving 'Demon Blaster' destroys dozen of monsters. His right eye is covered by the patch.

  • ShienHe comes down with Prince Homura for exciting adventures. He never harms anyone unless he has to defend himself. However, once getting in a battle, he is fierce, slaying the opponent with his twin 'Light Whips.'

  • Hazel Grosse and Gato are not relevant to this article, which describes the first fifty episodes only. Please refrain from adding this information.

Saiyūki is the Japanese name for Journey to the West, or Xīyóu Jì (西遊記 "Record of the Journey to the West") in Chinese. While Saiyūki is normally written "西遊記",
or "Journey to the West", Kazuya Minekura writes the title as "最遊記", or "Journey to the Extreme". This is her pun, as both are pronounced saiyūki. This popular Chinese novel has inspired several Japanese works, including:

Minekura's Sanzō-Ikkō bears only a superficial similarity to the original four in the Chinese novel. Their names are the same as the names of the characters in the Chinese novel, but given Japanese pronunciations:

  • Genjō-Sanzō (玄奘三蔵) is Xuánzàng (玄奘) or Táng-Sānzàng (Tang's three scriptures).
  • Son Gokū is Sūn Wùkōng (孫 悟空), or the Monkey King.
  • Cho Hakkai is Zhū Bājiè (豬 八戒), a pig monster.
  • Sha Gojyō is Shā Wùjìng (沙 悟淨), a water demon, classified as a kappa in some translations.
  • Gyūmaōh is Niumowáng (牛魔王) Ox King

The original anime series is distributed in North America by ADV Films and comprises 50 episodes. The sequels Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock are licensed by Geneon in North America, and consist of 25 and 26 episodes respectively. Due to the change in licensing, the English voice cast is not consistent throughout all three series, and the characterization and general feel of the series may change noticeably in the second and third installments.

Enoki Films holds the US license to Saiyuki under the title Saiyuki: Paradise Raiders, yet ADV chose not to use this subtitle. There has also been a movie (Saiyuki: Requiem) adapted into English that is also licensed by ADV. It is rumored that a new OVA is planned by Studio Pierrot, which will cover the "Burial" arc of the Saiyuki Reload manga.

The Saiyuki manga is comprised of three separate series:

  • Saiyuki, 9 volumes, complete.
  • Saiyuki Reload, currently at 8 volumes, still running in the monthly Japanese manga magazine Zero Sum.
  • Saiyuki Gaiden, currently at 3 volumes, is currently being published in the quarterly Japanese manga magazine Zero Sum WARD. This series takes place in Heaven, 500 years before the first Saiyuki series. The plot is based around the four main characters of Saiyuki in their past lives, and details exactly what it was they did to get thrown out of heaven.
The names of the characters are:
  • Konzen Douji - Genjo Sanzo's former incarnation.
  • Tenpou Gensui - Cho Hakkai's former incarnation.
  • Kenren Taishou - Sha Gojyo's former incarnation.
  • Goku - Son Goku himself, 500 years ago.
  • Gojun - Dragon King of the Western Seas (believed to be Hakuryuu's former incarnation).
  • Nataku Taishi - the War Prince
  • Li Touten - Nataku's father
  • Kanzeon Bosatsu - Konzen's aunt, and the one responsible for bringing Goku to heaven.

Gensomaden Saiyuki
For Real sung by Hidenori Tokuyama, lyrics/composition by Kurosawa Ken'ichi
Still Time sung by Hidenori Tokuyama, lyrics/composition by Kurosawa Ken'ichi and arrangement by Tooyama Yuu

Gensomaden Saiyuki
Tightrope by CHARCOAL FILTER
Alone sung by Shimokawa Mikuni, lyrics by Sumiyo Mutsumi and composition/arrangement by ab:fly
Gensomaden Saiyuki Requiem
Tightrope by Tetsu 69 of L'Arc~en~Ciel

  1. ^ a b Gensomaden Saiyuki: Kibou no zaika (OAV) (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia

Saiyuki
v • d • e
Series
Saiyuki · Saiyuki Gaiden · Saiyuki Reload · Saiyuki Gunlock
Characters
Sanzo Party: Genjo Sanzo/Koumyou Sanzo · Son Goku · Sha Gojyo · Cho Hakkai
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saiyuki_%28manga%29"
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