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So, welcome to what's intended as a helpful guide to one of my favorite past anime series, Gensomaden Saiyuki-- and its sequels, Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock.
Based on the classic Chinese adventure-allegorical tale Journey to the West, Gensomaden Saiyuki follows the journey of a spiritually gifted but bad-attitude-loaded young Buddhist priest, Genjo Sanzo,
and his three supernatural companions: Son Goku
(the legendary Monkey King, a being born spontaneously from the earth, with tremendous battle skill but the character of a child); Sha Gojyo (bad-ass but thoroughly endearing kappa-human crossbreed who loves girls,
gambling, and a good brawl, but is haunted by his unhappy past); and Cho Hakkai (sweetest-looking mass murderer you'll ever
meet; a former schoolteacher
who was transformed into a youkai after killing a thousand demons --and any humans who got in the way--in a fit of vengeful rage)--
plus their helpful
pet-sidekick-vehicle, Hakuryuu a/k/a Jiipu, a tiny, shape-shifting white dragon who can transform into a jeep, and acts as the gang's all-purpose conveyance.
They live in a world where youkai (usually translated "demon", but not analogous to the Western Xian usage) and humans lived peaceably side-by-side until a phenomenon called the minus wave swept the globe, causing the youkai to go violently berserk, killing and devouring theur human neighbors.
The Sanbutsushin or Three Aspects, Buddhist deities, learn that the cause is a wicked project to release the imprisoned Demon Lord Gyou Maoh; they appoint Sanzo and his troupe to travel to the Far West--India--
to find the culprit and stop the process. Thus it began, and 100 episodes (plus a stack of OVA, drama CDs, a live stage play and who knows how much more) later, on it goes...
Basic history (from info provided by Journey to the Rest):
1992: Kazuya Minekura, then aged 18, introduced her reversioning of the Chinese classic in a series of doujinshi (amateur fan publications) self-published by her Studio Backgammon.
1996: A trial pro appearance in manga monthly G-FANTASY that summer led to Saiyuki's launch as a regular feature the
next spring.
1999: Two-part OVA anime adaptation (to my best knowledge, never seen in its entirety in the USA).
1999-2001: The 50-episode Gensomaden Saiyuki anime TV series, ending in April 2001.
August 2001: The movie, Gensomaden Saiyuki: Requiem.
Sept. 2002: The interactive DVD Gensomaden Saiyuki: Kibou No Zaika.
Also 2002: The first collected volume of the Saiyuki manga was published by Issaisha in Japan.
2003: Issaisha published Volume 9, the final volume of the first Saiyuki manga series; the first volume of Saiyuki RELOAD, the
sequel manga, followed in short order.
March 2004: The first volume of the Saiyuki manga made its official English-language debut via Tokyopop.
Oct. 2003-March 2004: Saiyuki RELOAD anime TV series aired in Japan.
April-Sept. 2004: --immediately followed by its sequel, Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK.
July 2005: Tokyopop published Volume 9 of the translated Saiyuki manga, with Volume 1 of RELOAD following in August.
April 2007-March 2008 (I think...): The three-part OVA series Saiyuki RELOAD -burial-.
August 2009: Zero-Sum magazine published the final chapter of RELOAD and announced the December '09 debut of the third and final Saiyuki manga series, RELOAD BLAST.
December 2009: RELOAD BLAST began publication in ZERO-SUM.
Some helpful work already in existence:
Extended (some even illustrated!) episode summaries by me:
Gensomaden Saiyuki.
Saiyuki Reload.
Saiyuki Reload GUNLOCK--complete!
Original art from the series and movie.
Saiyuki.com
Journey to the Rest; nearly 2 years out of date, but still the best Saiyuki resource out there.
Aestheticism.com Saiyuki section by Jeanne Johnson--excellent character summaries.
Daiquiri_Bird's great, vintage Saiyuki site [last updated 2003...=( ].
Other Saiyuki linkage:
---I make shiny little things dedicated to the Sanzo-ikkou. You can see them at the link.
---Lots of lovely reading material can be enjoyed for free here. =)
[Site title was scooped from a song from the wonderful Shriekback's even more wonderful 1985 album, Big Night Music..
Listen to a bit of it here.]
This Saiyuki fansite is the dearly loved and maintained property of angelynx-prime, who is responsible for its contents, except the ones she didn't write.
Saiyuki, its characters, situations and everything else is now and ever the property of the wonderful Kazuya Minekura, and no trespass on her copyrights is intended or should be inferred.
Zen Quote for Today:
(I has a prize! Yay!--
Adult content & youkai yaoi, so don't click if you don't like.)
