Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK, the continuing anime incarnation of Kazuya Minekura's "Saiyuki RELOAD" manga, is now airing weekly in Japan. But TV Tokyo and its affiliate stations aren't the only place episodes can be seen, what with pirates making them available for download worldwide on the Internet scant hours after broadcast. With episodes so accessible so soon, there doesn't seem much point in writing about them in detail...but what the hell! So, here's some random yammering after--and sometimes even during--each week's broadcast! (Grateful thanks go to Lux for maintaining her tremendous Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK screencap gallery, Still Not There Yet--please don't abuse it, folks!)
Am so bummed that it looks like the "Burial" arc won't get covered in GUNLOCK after all (despite that shot of Sanzo in front of the window, right from the manga)...Regular opening titles. And there's Geneon, keeping that odd-numbered-episodes sponsorship streak going...
From last episode: Zakuro uses his Jingle Bells Of Dooooom to make Sanzo believe he's in hell...Hazel lowers his standards to use youkai assistance to join Sanzo there...and in trying to convince the unwilling Sanzo to team up with him, Hazel adds pain to persuasion by having Gato fire through Sanzo's arm.
Sanzo refuses Hazel's proposal again, earning a second shot from Gato; this one grazes Sanzo's left cheek. Hazel reminds him that Gato will keep firing until Sanzo says the words Hazel wants to hear.
Zakuro has a laugh at the situation (despite Gato's other pistol being aimed at his noggin), and Hazel warns him to be silent; this conversation is just between Hazel and Sanzo. As far as Sanzo is concerned, though, the conversation is over--but his saying so prompts another bullet from Gato! Sanzo pulls his own gun in response, but as Zakuro convinced him last episode, it's still made of stone and so obviously doesn't work.
Hazel taunts him, asking if his youkai comrades will come back to try to save him. Sanzo informs him he doesn't need to be saved by them. Hazel's happy to hear it, because they won't be able to return to him anyway; no matter where they go, they'll be kept quite busy...
Elsewhere, Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo are resting in a forest, remnants of a recently-finished youkai battle all around. As one of the downed youkai wakes up, determined to try again to get Sanzo's kyoumon, cranky Hakuryuu smacks him back unconscious with a high-velocity foot in the youkai's face!
Their trip west isn't turning out to be what they'd expected. With all these interruptions caused by youkai trying to get Sanzo, they may as well be back with Sanzo. Hakkai quietly suggests that they go back and look for Sanzo. With an air of relief, everyone agrees...but before they can leave, there's a "kyuuu!" of alarm from Hakuryuu: Dozens of resurrected humans close in from all sides, bent on killing them!
Hazel is still waiting for the proper answer from Sanzo. Another shot from Gato staggers Sanzo, blood spilling onto skeleton bones underfoot, but Sanzo doggedly finds his feet again.
Watching in the real world, Zakuro thinks about how humans consider youkai to be no better than worms. He recalls when Nii had stopped Hazel and Gato outside the cave mouth and had Zakuro come forward from the shadows. Nii had suggested that by using Zakuro, Hazel could have Sanzo, and Nii could have Sanzo's kyoumon. Now Zakuro is biding his time, waiting to get his hands on the kyoumon.
Hazel chides Sanzo that it's useless to deny fate. Sanzo argues that Hazel is the only one who believes in fate; Hazel shouts at him to shut up, and again Sanzo is shot, creasing his left elbow!
Trying to be persuasive once more, Hazel tells Sanzo how they'll travel together and exterminate the youkai; that's much better than just trying to find out why the youkai have gone wild.
"Exterminate the youkai?" Sanzo snorts, and then startles Hazel by shouting to unseen Zakuro--how can Zakuro lend himself to this, hearing what Hazel wants to do? "It's no relation to you," Zakuro replies. Sanzo snaps back, "Are you Hazel's underling?" Zakuro sneers that of course he isn't. Hazel shouts at Zakuro to shut up and stay out of this...but with Sanzo's continued goading, Zakuro declares that he won't take orders anymore. Hazel demands that Gato shut Sanzo up, and four shots slam into Sanzo! "I'm not falling until the end," Sanzo gasps out, somehow staying upright.
Now Zakuro has decided to take charge. "So you want to die...?" growls Hazel.
Commercial break.
Sanzo still manages to stand, panting. Hazel reminds Zakuro that he's every bit as easy a target for Gato as Sanzo--but Zakuro isn't worried; if Gato kills him, the illusionary world will die with him, taking Hazel with it.
Zakuro has something more fun in mind, though--he's going to send Gato to join them in hell! He rustles the bells gently in front of Gato...but Gato drives him back, firing at his feet. Hazel laughingly informs him that the bells have no effect on Gato, who was resurrected from the dead. Zakuro's certainly living down to Hazel's low expectations for youkai, and even Sanzo snorts in ridicule.
But Zakuro has a trump card--and plays it with relish, pulling out a colorful, almost toy-looking gun and telling Gato he's going to kill him. Gato quietly tells him it's no use--but Zakuro fires off two shots, one at each of Gato's shoulders. What seem to be red paintballs splatter against Gato...and the substance starts disintegrating the big guy, turning parts of him to crumbling clay! As frowning Nii watches with binoculars from a rock formation overhead, disappointed with Zakuro's premature move and lack of patience, chunks of Gato's shoulders, arms, and legs fall away. Gato takes aim on Zakuro for a final shot--but doesn't get the chance to fire; his body can no longer stand.
Zakuro's in full control now, and gloatingly reveals what his plan had been all along: first kill Sanzo and get the Maten kyoumon, and then kill Gato, and finally kill Hazel. With a jingle of the bells, he sends flames leaping up around Hazel and Sanzo, threatening to roast them.
Sanzo knows just which of the boasting youkai's buttons to push, though, sneering that Zakuro is hiding away out of sight like a scuttling cockroach. Zakuro's bells jingle again...and Zakuro himself arrives in the hell realm, to enjoy seeing the barbecue in person. He laughs and laughs...until a shot rings out. Zakuro has been shot in the chest, and it's Sanzo who did it!
The hell-world disappears and Zakuro sinks to his knees, realizing too late that Sanzo was able to get his gun back because being shot so many times helped him retrieve the image of his gun. (Allllrighty then...)
Zakuro begs for his life. After some thought, Sanzo disdainfully spares him--but as Sanzo strides away, Zakuro takes out his paintball gun to see what its mysterious substance will do to a human! He takes aim at Sanzo's back, there's the sound of a gunshot...and Zakuro falls forward. He's been killed by a shot from Gato!
With Hazel having restored him, Gato is fine again. Hazel takes a last try at persuading Sanzo, but Sanzo levels his gun at Hazel (who stops Gato from drawing in return) and snarls that he has no absolutely no intention of ever joining him; Hazel's crusade to exterminate youkai is something Hazel will have to do by himself.
The dynamics of this standoff are suddenly changed by the arrival of the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou, looking down from a cliff! Already pushed to the limit by Sanzo's stubbornness, Hazel is completely stunned by their arrival; how could they have survived?! Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai are gleeful at finding Sanzo, and as they toss jibes his way, cranky Sanzo goes to fire a just-like-old-times shot across their bows.
But as the sound of a gunshot echoes, it's Sanzo himself who falls! Hazel stands holding Gato's smoking pistol, staring scary-eyed at Sanzo's sprawled form in the sand.
The "blue-eyed angel" can take no more. "That's it," he says quietly, all cold fury. "You all will die."
Commercial break. "Shiro No Jumon" commercial. Naruto movie commercial, with its awful, awful song...
Next time: Sanzo is in desperate trouble...and things aren't looking very good for his comrades either! Could Gato be key to the outcome? It's "Shitou ~sunny day~" ("Life-Or-Death Struggle ~sunny day~").
Here we go! No changes to the opening titles. PlayStation 2 Gundam Seed game coming out October 7...New commercial for the Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK PS2 game (have gotta get that thing!)...
From last episode, Sanzo asks what the hell Hazel is to Gato, anyway; Gato explains that Hazel had killed him. Gato recalls how his guns come up empty when he tried to kill young Hazel; Hazel fells him simply by ordering, "Depart from this life." Hazel brings Gato back to life with a "monster" soul, and informs him that he'll now be Hazel's bodyguard, and will be brought back to life over and over as needed. Gato wraps up his backstory by telling Sanzo that that's why he's there to protect Hazel. "And you're all right with that?" asks Sanzo.
Soon after, Sanzo walks off, leaving Gato and Hazel--who find Nii waiting outside, offering to lend them a hand.
Elsewhere, a gang of youkai attack the "Sanzo-ikkou"; Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku fight back, informing them in no uncertain terms that Sanzo is not there and so they aren't the Sanzo-ikkou! At fight's end, Gojyo and Goku rant about how it's Sanzo's fault that they keep getting interrupted from carrying out the journey to the west...just in time for yet another gang of youkai to launch yet another attack, demanding to know where Sanzo is and trying to capture a kyoumon that's nowhere nearby. And so it goes, and keeps going. Gojyo and Goku are royally sick of it, and are furious to high heavens at that damn Sanzo!
And meanwhile, in the high heavens, Kanzeon and Jiroushin are playing shougi--or are trying to, anyway, but the sounds of Gojyo and Goku's rants are disturbing the peace...
Alone in the desert, Sanzo is taking a cigarette break. The sound of jingling bells--faint at first, then growing closer--attracts his attention...and eerie-eyed Zakuro appears, having found him at last! Zakuro's quite pleased with himself at getting the drop on Sanzo, who must be speechless at the return of this foe who's been brought back from hell to take him down.
"Who are you?" asks Sanzo, unimpressed.
Zakuro is offended to have been forgotten so soon. To make sure we haven't, a flashback to Zakuro's mind-games from past episodes follows: Zakuro makes Sanzo think his gun has melted; countless arms spring up from the ground and try to drag Sanzo down; Sanzo and Hakkai nearly drown...Now Sanzo can place him.
That previous encounter had ended with Zakuro getting shot by Sanzo and falling off a cliff into a river--but Zakuro has survived, and is here again to send Sanzo to hell! Sanzo invites him to try.
Zakuro flashes his freaky green eyes, as he had to such chilling effect in their previous encounter. But this time Sanzo knows what to expect, and whips out his gun and fires--nailing Zakuro right through the heart! It's not a pretty death for Zakuro, and Sanzo adds insult to fatal injury, berating Zakuro for being stupid enough to try the same thing twice--of course Sanzo remembers that Zakuro can put others under his power if they look at his eyes!
A smile appears on Zakuro's corpse. "Which one of us is the fool?" it asks, and disappears...as a scarlet-skied land of bones and candles appears around Sanzo, Zakuro's laughter ringing all around.
It turns out Sanzo was in his power all along...ever since hearing the first faint sound of Zakuro's Jingle Bells Of Doooooooom!
Sanzo fires in various directions, but Zakuro's taunts continue--Sanzo is trapped and will never find his way out! And he may as well stop firing--look, his gun is made of stone now! In the real world, Zakuro simply stands before Sanzo and Sanzo can't see him...but then a gloved hand falls on Zakuro's arm. It's Hazel--and Gato is right behind, snugging a gun muzzle against Zakuro's back. Hazel finds it difficult to trust youkai, but expects Zakuro to do as promised. Teeth gritted, Zakuro agrees.
Meanwhile, Nii is looking down on the scene from a cliff. "From here on, it's up to your own ability," he observes of "blue-eyed angel" Hazel, and smirkingly urges him to do his best.
Commercial break. Animate has Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK content on its keitai site... Hey, here we go, "Shiro No Jumon" CD commercial! The CD comes out September 15.
Sanzo is still in hell, but now it's silent all around. "What are you doing? Why haven't you killed me?" Sanzo demands...but then unexpected company appears: Hazel has joined him!
This is the only way to get Sanzo to listen, Hazel explains--and since Hazel has come all the way to hell to see him, won't Sanzo hear him out? "You're working together with a youkai you hate, just to do this?" Sanzo snorts. Hazel replies that he's simply making use of a resource. Listening in the real world, Zakuro gets a nasty smile, confident he's the one who will benefit in the end.
Hazel asks Sanzo if the person dear to him that was killed by youkai was his master. Sanzo's surprise is all the answer Hazel needs, and he presses onward, suggesting that their chance meeting was actually destiny; after all, his own master had been killed by youkai, too.
Hazel recalls that when he was young, his master had the wrong impression about monsters; Hazel knew they were dangerous, but his master had thought monsters could be saved. Hazel was worried that if things continued like this, monsters would kill them--but his master assured him that humans and monsters were the same to God.
Walking alone down a street at night, thinking about how his master insists that monsters are good inside, Hazel was suddenly confronted by a monster, and went running back toward his master. He tripped and fell, but his master was there, moving between Hazel and the monster to protect the boy--and then there was a fire raging when Hazel woke up, and he found his master's fallen body.
Hazel insists that since something similar happened to Sanzo, he must have memories just as painful--and so he must hate youkai as Hazel does; he wouldn't be able to help it! So won't he join Hazel?
To Hazel's deep disappointment, Sanzo refuses. "It can't be helped, then," Hazel says, and a shot rings out--and Sanzo goes to his knees, suddenly shot in the right arm! In the real world, Gato has fired--and is now keeping his second gun trained on Sanzo.
Hazel makes sure Sanzo understands that this wound is no hallucination, and that Gato stands ready to inflict more. He asks once again: Won't Sanzo join him? Either Sanzo can agree--or things can get worse.
Commercial break. Oh, wait, this isn't the half-way point...the episode's over?! Yowza, that really flew! Next issue of ZERO-SUM goes on sale August 28, and the opening color section will be for "Saiyuki RELOAD"...and this issue they'll have ordering info for the new "Saiyuki RELOAD" drama CD, for the "Burial" arc!
Regular end titles. Three animation directors? (Including series character designer Ootake--no wonder so much of this episode was drawn so nicely!)
Next episode: Hazel gets Sanzo's decision...! It's "Toppakou ~battle royal~" ("Breakthrough ~battle royal~)."
Here we go! No changes to the opening titles...Geneon is back as a sponsor, keeping that odd-numbered-episodes streak alive...
Recap from last episode...Hazel tries to make Sanzo choose; Goku believes in Lirin; first Goku, then Gojyo, and finally Hakkai take their leave of Sanzo.
The three minus Sanzo drive along, trying to enjoy their new freedom. They're determined to complete the journey to the west, and beat Sanzo there, too! Goku wonders how Kougaiji's group is doing, and remembers how they had recently seen off Lirin and her fire-dragon. Hakkai had recommended to Lirin that she get right home to her brother, who must be worried. Lirin is confident Kougaiji will be fine, and as soon as Kou and Co. are feeling better, they'll be back to kick Hazel's heinder.
Back in the present, Goku lets out a bloodcurdling shriek of rage that almost startles Hakkai into totalling the jeep--he's angry at Sanzo! But the group's mood improves as they relish the thought of Sanzo tromping along in his boots, leaving a trail of cigarette butts one after another...
Meanwhile, Sanzo is traveling in a rocky, mountainous area, and those boots are causing him some problems; he trips on a rock and goes sprawling (what an expression!). Hazel and Gato trail close behind, with Gato collecting Sanzo's discarded cigarettes.
Sanzo takes a brief rest on a grassy slope, with Gato and Hazel joining him. Gato towers over Sanzo, blocking his way, but moves at Hazel's command. As Sanzo continues doggedly on, Hazel assures Gato they have plenty of time.
Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo have gone shopping for supplies. Goku wonders where Sanzo is now, and figures he's probably just smoking and not eating. Gojyo comments he'll get a lot of calcium that way.
They're suddenly confronted by attacking youkai who want Sanzo handed over to them. Gojyo tries to explain that Sanzo isn't with them--but the youkai won't take no for an answer. The three take them on, and it occurs to Goku that even though Sanzo isn't with them anymore, they're still fighting as if to protect him. (In a strong contender for Worst-Animated-GUNLOCK-Scene-Ever honors, Goku bonks a youkai on the head with his nyoiboi again and again, making hollow wooden sounds before the youkai [who's about as articulate as Youkai Sanzo was] hits the ground in three frames.)
Meanwhile, on a mountain's rocky upper reaches, far more youkai have found Sanzo. Hazel offers help, but Sanzo, gun in hand, snarls at him to shut up and stay back or he'll kill him too. Sanzo fires away, reloading as fast as he can, but more youkai keep arriving. As things get difficult, Hazel sends Gato forward. A youkai kick knocks Sanzo into a rock wall and his gun skittering away--but Gato moves instantly in front of Sanzo, protecting him and firing away at the attackers. More and more youkai keep coming, though--and so Gato whips his guns into their holsters, and whirls to slam his fist in the rock wall beside them, bringing a huge portion of it smashing down onto the youkai horde! Observing nearby, Hazel laughs.
Commercial break. Doa's "Hi No Tori No You Ni" (commercials for "Shiro No Jumon" should be starting soon, with it coming out September 15). Arrgh, not that awful Naruto movie song again...! September ZERO-SUM--no news there; that's the one already out.
Inside a cave, Sanzo has a painful awakening. Beside him, Gato is seated at a campfire and watching over him. The huge rock had fallen on Gato and Sanzo as well as on all the youkai, but Gato had managed to free both himself and the banged-up Sanzo. Gato has cooked something soupy to eat that will help Sanzo recover--Sanzo's expression when tasting it is another great look! The two are alone for now, and Sanzo asks what the hell Hazel is to Gato, for him to have devoted himself like this. Gato replies, to Sanzo's shock, that Hazel had killed him.
Before he had died, though...in the distant land of Saiyuki meets Dagger of Kamui meets Shounen Kenya (Haruki Kadokawa, nooooooo!)...he and his people used to live in harmony with the Great Spirit, and hunt spotty deer things with axes and spears, and live in teepees. (And he got to wear the very same clothes that he does now, too!)
But then strange men came from a different continent, with guns and horses, and killed the spotty deer things for the fun of it. (Heh, the horse "animation" looks like something Terry Gilliam might do...) And then the men came to meet Gato's people--and apparently started killing them for the fun of it, too. Gato and the Hyah-Hyah Guys (nice to see they got work after Dagger of Kamui) returned to find their people massacred and the teepee village burned to the ground--so they went to battle against the strange men on the horses.
They were no match for those men's guns, though. Gato was shot, and as he lay there dying, he could only think about how he couldn't protect his people...But then the Great Spirit appeared--in the form of a brilliant blue-ish light--and promised to provide him with strength.
Gato got up, separated a man from his pistol in spectacular style, and shot the party of invaders. He asked one of the dying men where they had come from. The man was too far gone to answer, but the Great Spirit led Gato to place a hand on the man's head, and suddenly Gato knew everything about the man! And then the Great Spirit gave Gato a psychedelic freakout (or is that a guest role in Edvard Munch's "The Scream"?), and Gato was actually transported to the place these men had come from. When Gato woke up, he was in a town on the invaders' continent...and in that town lived Hazel.
Hazel was still a child, Gato explains to somewhat skeptical Sanzo, but with his tremendous power, Hazel was able to kill "monsters." Gato thought he had been brought there to kill Hazel, to avenge the massacre of his people--but when he tried, he found his guns to be empty! Hazel simply told him, "Depart from this life"--and Gato fell, dead. Hazel used his pendant to reanimate Gato with a monster soul, and informed him that from then on, Gato must be his protector. If anything should happen to Gato, Hazel would restore him using more monster souls.
And countless times in the years since, Hazel has done exactly that--but despite all those souls used in bringing him back to life, the spirit of Gato himself has always remained, thanks to the Great Spirit. And that's why Gato is here now, protecting Hazel.
"And you're all right with that?" asks Sanzo.
Hazel enters the cave with a bag of provisions, sits down beside Sanzo for them to eat together--and Sanzo abruptly stands, gives him a brusquely perfunctory thanks, and walks out of the cave and into the sunset, continuing his journey. Hazel and Gato follow him out, but are stopped just outside the cave by an oily chuckle. Waiting for them is Nii, who observes that "blue-eyed angel" Hazel seems to be having a difficult time. Nii offers to lend them a bit of a hand...and in the shadows at Nii's side, another figure waits.
Noooo, not the Naruto movie commercial a second time--that damn squeaky song...!
End titles. (Whoa, it took three people to write this episode...) Next time: Never saw this coming--Zakuro is back! It's "Sakuryaku ~Checkmate~" ("Strategy ~checkmate~"). Super-short preview so they can cram in a write-in giveaway of the first volume of the Gunlock DVD (cover has new Minekura art of Sanzo) and the PlayStation 2 GUNLOCK game.
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #1-4
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #5-8
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #9-12
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #13-16
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #17-19
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #20-22
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD Episodes #23-25
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #1-4
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #5-10
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #11-13
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #14-17
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #18-20
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #24 to present
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: "Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episode #1" April Fool's Edition!
BACK TO JOURNEY TO THE REST: A Roadside Revelry in Saiyuki and Its Doujinshi.
This page was created August 19, 2004. Last updated October 31, 2004.
The Nama-Yammer, Yammer, and Yammer-hammering inbetween are copyrighted features of JOURNEY TO THE REST. This page's text and source code are copyright Kagenami Q. DO NOT USE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. Saiyuki, Saiyuki Gaiden and Saiyuki RELOAD are copyright Kazuya Minekura/Issaisha; Gensomaden Saiyuki is copyright Kazuya Minekura/Issaisha, Saiyuki Project and TV Tokyo 2000; the Saiyuki RELOAD anime is copyright Kazuya Minekura/Issaisha, TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Pierrot 2003; Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK is copyright Kazuya Minekura/Issaisha, TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Pierrot 2004. All images are copyright their respective artists and creators. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.