Episode Guide to Saiyuki Reload

2. Crawling Trap ++Wanted Dead or Alive++ (Ugomeku Wana++Wanted Dead or Alive++)

Script: Tetsuya Endou; Storyboards: Tetsuya Endou & Naomichi Yamato; Episode Director: Naomichi Yamato; Animation Supervisor: Osamu Ookubo
First broadcast in Japan 10/09/2003

(not in manga)

A rain of small beetle-like insects falls on a human town; when they crawl into a person's ear his/her eyes glow red and youkai-like markings appear on the face; a purple-skinned youkai is overseeing the process with seeming satisfaction. Meanwhile, Lady Gyakomen dispatches Kougaiji after the Sanzo-ikkou and the sutra once again, renewing her promise to restore his mother to life (he's understandably mistrustful). Lirin, eavesdropping, looks worried. ===Sanzo and crew, eating at an inn in the bug-plagued town, are discomfited by the number of insects buzzing around their food (Gojyo even grabs Sanzo's paper fan to swat them, to his indignation =). As the 'possessed' townspeople begin to approach with knives and cleavers held behind their backs, all four heads snap up--something's coming, they think, and they dive out the door just as a tremendous boulder crashes down and pounds the inn flat. Standing atop it is Lirin, who swears she'll get the sutra from them today--until Sanzo tosses her a meat bun...But Kou, Yaone and Doku are there too, and the ikkou and tachi mix it up, only to be interrupted by the bug-possessed townspeople. The team notice the beetles departing the ears of anyone knocked out and reckon they're responsible. The gloating purple-skinned youkai (his name's Mushitsukai, which literally means "bug user") explains that all the people have gained superhuman strength thanks to his cute little bugs, and he's ordered them to kill Sanzo and his crew to make sure he gets the sutra. Kougaiji and Co. aren't at all happy to find an unknown youkai here with the same mission as theirs, and decide all they can do is fight the common enemy together...until Lirin gets a bug in her ear and attacks them all, recognizing none of them, even her beloved big brother.

This is the last straw for Kou-sama who demands a confrontation with the mushi-user. Yaone rescues the townspeople by dousing the town with a snow of insecticidal powders, but the bug-user takes a giant insectoid form to fight back. It defeats all attempts to battle it directly, but falls when Sanzo and Kougaiji simultaneously call on their spiritual powers and hit it with Engokuki and the sutra's power at once.

In Houtou Castle, a screen goes dark, and Dr. Ni notes that the creature was crushed. Lady Gyakomen orders that the bounty on Sanzo's party should be raised: maybe then they'll get a more capable youkai to offer his services, since she's got no hope that Kougaiji's team can win...

We see the Sanzo-ikkou and the Kougaiji-tachi going their individual ways, each swearing that they'll beat the others for sure next time, as always. =) ====================================

URASAI #2--"That Afternoon"
The guys play a guessing game, winner to be allowed to say anything he wants in this segment: Goku wins, but before he can speak the segment is over.

(==Just small things, but indicative of the drop in quality between the first series and this one; in Gensomaden every time Lirin appeared, they remembered to have her ponytail bells jingle with her movements. The bells are silent in this episode, and will be so in all her appearances hereafter. Also, Kougaiji and Dokugaku don't have their youkai fangs in this episode, but Doku does have the typical long claws of a youkai, though he's always kept his nails clipped in the past to avoid any interference with his swordplay. And worst of all--
--in Reload Hakkai's eyes are gray. GRAY, for pete's sake.
Sigh.)

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