Saiyuki RELOAD, the anime incarnation of Kazuya Minekura's manga of the same name, 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, as I had planned to do before the series started. But it's hard not to comment after watching...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 screencap gallery, Are We There Yet?--please don't abuse it, folks!)
Hey, the lead-in promo was Gojyo's! Think this is the first time; it's usually Sanzo or Goku, and a couple times has been Hakkai...And there was a Bob Sapp commercial just before the opening titles! If that's not an auspicious sign, dunno what is...
This episode is supposed to be an adaptation of "3 years ago," chapter 3.5 of the Saiyuki RELOAD manga. But last episode we got into the events of Vol. 6 of the Saiyuki manga (the last five pages of chapter 34 "Always"). The chapter after that is called "Opposite," so I wonder if this episode will couple the RELOAD manga chapter with the Saiyuki manga chapter? We'll find out quick!
Flashback to last episode--Goku breaks Kougaiji's bracelet. Dokugakuji hands Kougaiji over to Nii. Nii drops his "I told you before...you shouldn't let go of what's dear to you" bombshell on Dokugaku. And now Kou is in the tank! He's not having a pleasant time in there, but Nii is unconcerned, leering in at his "precious bunny"...
Yep, this continues where we'd left off in Vol. 6! Dokugaku is stewing by himself after a fruitless search for Yaone and Lirin. Yaone finds him and explains that she'd been waylaid while Lirin was taken away by Nii. Yaone is distraught and apologizes--and Dokugaku in turn confesses his failure, not having been able to protect Kougaiji. Yaone stops him from taking out his frustration on the building, and in the hopes that Kougaiji will be able to take care of himself for now, they set out to try to find what's most important to the prince: Lirin.
Meanwhile, following an old map that might not have them on the best path, the Sanzo-ikkou is traveling into weather that's getting cold quickly. Sanzo is doing much better, to Goku's relief, but the monkey can't help but wonder whether Kougaiji survived after their last encounter. Hakkai reminds him that the damage to Kougaiji was something strange from inside the prince, not Goku's doing. Since Sanzo seems to have recovered now, Hakkai suggests that they celebrate with a sukiyaki supper. Goku couldn't be happier.
Goku recalls a day in the past, when he and Sanzo paid a visit to Hakkai and Gojyo. As Gojyo and Goku squabble, Hakkai suggests they all go out to have sukiyaki that night. Unfortunately, Sanzo has to work.
Goku has never heard of sukiyaki, and Hakkai and Gojyo's description of the dish quickly has him slobbering. It's a good cold-weather meal, and Hakkai notes that snow will be coming soon. The mention of snow bothers Goku, and the flakes that begin to fall don't help.
Snow is falling in the present, too--both on the shivering Sanzo-ikkou, hoping to reach the map's promised inn soon, and on Gyuumaou's stronghold. Inside the castle, Dokugaku and Yaone are searching off-limits areas. Yaone can clear much of the way by putting guards to sleep, but they come upon a tougher group, armed and with barcode-looking patterns on their foreheads, that they think might be guarding Lirin. The group attacks, and Doku and Yaone have to fight in earnest.
They battle through the crowd and hurry into a darkened room that's nearly deserted--except for Nii's stuffed toy rabbit, equipped with a speaker through which Nii greets them. "I'll introduce my new friend," says the toy as its eyes start projecting a moving image onto the wall...and Dokugaku and Yaone are horrified to see a yowling Kougaiji in the tank, sound and lights and pain cranked up full! The youkai pair are suddenly knocked to the floor; Nii has entered the room, and takes his place beside the toy bunny to enjoy the show.
Commercial break! This month in the March ZERO-SUM, info on the Bus Gamer drama CD... A commercial for the CD single of the new ending theme "Fukisusabu Kaze No Naka De"--only a month and three days until it goes on sale...
Recommending that Dokugaku and Yaone stay quietly in the room, Nii takes his leave, with armed guards outside the door.
Meanwhile, the Sanzo-ikkou has reached the inn. The snow has become heavy, and as they get out of the jeep, Goku pauses and looks at the footprints his comrades have left. (A nice instrumental version of "ID" is playing.) He remembers how he used to be afraid of all that white, oppressive snow...
Back in the past, Hakkai and Gojyo have come by Sanzo's office to see if he can't somehow find the time for dinner. Goku is nowhere to be seen, and Hakkai wonders if he's outside. No, he's inside hiding away from the snow, and has been since the snow started falling a couple of days ago, Sanzo says.
It's not easy for Gojyo and Hakkai to get the reason from the source; Goku is almost incoherent. The reasons come easier as he remembers being locked away on the mountain for 500 years: The snow is cold...and when it falls, all the sound goes away. Everything goes away except for the snow; its whiteness covers everything outside Goku's cell, and he's completely alone. It's terrifying for him.
Gojyo goes outside with Hakkai, parks himself in front of the window, and pages Sanzo and Goku to come out to have sukiyaki with them. The window opens, and Goku is torn--he wants so badly to go with them and eat some of this super-delicious-sounding sukiyaki, but his fear of the snow is just too deep.
Suddenly, Sanzo plants a foot on the windowsill beside him, and leaps through to join Gojyo and Hakkai! "This time," says the man who freed the monkey from that 500-year lock-up, "come out by yourself."
They continue to coax him with loving recitations of the sukiyaki ingredients, and a final "Come on, bakazaru" from Gojyo finally gets Goku to make the leap--leaving a footprint as he lands. He's astonished to see that the snow isn't all-conquering; you can leave your mark in it. Goku realizes that he truly is outside the cave now. And the four go off to eat, his footprint becoming one of many.
In the present, Hakuryuu interrupts Goku's memories, and the others call to Goku to hurry and come in. He rushes to join them.
We see Kougaiji as a young boy, outside in gusts of snow. He falls but his silhouetted mother helps him up, as her gleaming earrings swing in the wind. Kougaiji is actually in the tank--but not for long! Trailing sensors and electrodes, he gets loose into the castle, and staggers out of an elevator and down a dark hallway. He reaches his mother's chamber...and Gyokumen is waiting there. She knew that's exactly where he would go if he tried to escape.
Kougaiji is angry and addled, and his body is backfiring. Nii says they're increasing his spiritual strength, but the prince realizes he's being brainwashed to lose his sense of self, as happened to so many of the youkai when the Minus Wave hit.
Kougaiji will become a more proper child of his father, who he closely resembles, Gyokumen observes--but she dislikes him wearing something of his mother's. Against Kou's frantic protests, she takes one of his earrings in hand and crushes it.
Those thoughts echo in Kou's mind as he is in the tank. He shouts and wails--and the sound reaches Dokugakuji and Yaone.
End titles. Same picture of Hakkai from last time--think that matter's settled!
There's a quick promo for next episode's start of the Kinkaku story, and a giveaway of the first Saiyuki RELOAD DVD to 20 people--write in fast, kids!
UraSai: "Amimono" ("Knitting"). Hakkai is knitting a scarf for everyone. It's really long, and Goku asks why. It's for all four of them to use, Hakkai explains. Behind them, Sanzo and Gojyo imagine all four of them wearing the scarf, with Goku in the lead, dragging them around when he smells meat buns and spies hamburgers. Hakkai and Goku think that it'll be fun for everyone to wear the scarf. "No way," growls Sanzo. "Absolutely no way!" agrees Gojyo.
An aside--the second half of this episode's title, "Opposite," did indeed turn out to be the same as the Saiyuki manga chapter it adapted. The title of next week's episode, "Kanaerarenai Negai ~Wish~," includes the title of Saiyuki manga chapter 36, "Wish," the last chapter of Vol. 6. The title of the Saiyuki RELOAD anime episode after that, "Kanashii Kizuna ~Critical Day~," includes the title of Saiyuki manga chapter 39, "Critical Day" (the third chapter in Vol. 7)--so next week's episode will probably cover Saiyuki manga chapters 36-38!
From the team that brought us "Youkai Genjo Sanzo," this episode gets the series back in line with the manga--and how!
In the opening titles, there's a new shot to start the Hakkai bit with Hakuryuu: Hakkai is seen from behind in a forest, kneeling down in front of a river. The usual shot of him picking up Hakuryuu follows, with some added trees (gotta love digital animation). Much more major changes can be seen in the sequence that starts at the "busou kaijo no crazy high way" part: Line drawings of each character revolving have been supered over the character-by-character action bits that were formerly just fancied-up things from the first episode. (But especially in the Sanzo section, I keep thinking of the South Park opening titles where they have 3-D versions of the main characters revolve...maybe that's why he suddenly pulls his gun at the end: "Stop thinking of South Park!")
Sanzo's kyoumon in his sights, powered-up Kougaiji takes the battle to the three Sanzo-ikkou members still standing. First Gojyo and then Goku are floored by the prince, fighting with a speed and mercilessness that he never had before. Next will be Hakkai, but as Hakkai prepares, contemplating the effects that the mysterious bracelet have had on Kou, Sanzo tries to rise nearby. He's conscious and cranky--so cranky that Hakkai is relieved to see he's still got some life in him. Movement will spread the poison, though, so Hakkai urges him to be still, and goes to face Kougaiji.
After a flurry of blasts and counter-attacks, Hakkai is able to grab the prince by the wrist and focus energy on the bracelet. Agonized, Kou viciously elbows Hakkai to the ground, and then again flattens Goku and Gojyo. Of our four, now only Sanzo is halfway vertical, though barely conscious. Kougaiji strides toward him.
Meanwhile, coming from last episode's encounter with Nii, Dokugakuji hurries to find Yaone. He notices Lirin is gone; Yaone explains that Gyokumen called her away just shortly before. Warning that Nii is up to no good, Doku leaves the matter of Lirin to Yaone, and sprints off.
Kougaiji reaches for Sanzo's kyoumon--and Sanzo grabs his braceleted wrist. "Don't touch it," Sanzo grits out. "If you touch it, I'll kill you." The prince is outraged and slam-dunks Sanzo. Before he can test Sanzo's threat, though, Kou is confronted yet again by Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai.
Meanwhile, Lirin has reached Gyokumen's chambers to see what she wants, and Dokugaku heads out on a fire-dragon, in search of Kou.
Kougaiji once again proves to be too fast and too strong for Goku. Gojyo launches another attack, but when Kou tries to summon the Engokuki, he's suddenly staggered by something going wrong internally. Kou has to back off a moment, panting.
Meanwhile, Hwang asks Nii what he's planning for Kougaiji. Nii says he gave him a little present...one that will backfire.
Despite nasty effects from the bracelet, Kou regathers himself. His opponents hit him with everything they have--and a blow from Goku's nyoibou shatters the bracelet.
The Super Freak Out before was nothing compared to this one! (The slamming flashes that rock him are a very effective , uh, effect. Take the warning at the start of the episode seriously and don't sit too close to the TV with the lights off; it's not the Pokemon Jiken, but it might give you a headache.) Kou sinks at last to the ground.
Dokugakuji arrives and charges past Gojyo, Goku and Hakkai to the downed Kou, who can barely speak. With a look that would fry fish, Dokugaku blames the three for the damage. As he starts to carry Kougaiji off, though, he sees the sprawled Sanzo. "Did Kou do that?" he asks. Hakkai explains that no, it was poison. Doku softens ever so slightly, and gives Hakkai a small container of all-purpose poison antidote made by Yaone.
As Gojyo watches his brother trudge off with Kougaiji, he asks with some hesitation, "Why weren't you all with him?" Doku doesn't have an immediate answer. "He wanted to do things a little differently," he finally says, and keeps walking.
Meanwhile, Yaone has been forcibly detained by Nii and Hwang--by order of Gyokumen, they tell her.
Sanzo regains consciousness in the back of the Jeep as the Sanzo-ikkou drives along. The antidote has saved him and although he's still weak now, he'll be himself again after some rest, which they'll get in the next town.
Dokugaku carries Kou back into the castle--and is intercepted by Nii and Hwang. As he tries to pass, Nii tells him that Yaone has been sent out on a matter for Gyokumen. Kou is in a bad way, observes Nii, who tries to take the prince's hand. Doku snarls at him not to touch Kou--but sleazy Nii explains that to save him, Doku will have to entrust Kou to them. Finally, grudgingly, Doku does.
Afterwards, with Kougaiji safely ensconced in whatever Nii and Hwang have planned for him, Nii returns to the waiting Doku and smirks, "I told you before...you shouldn't let go of what's dear to you."
Hallelujah--we're now officially back in Manga-Land, a good chunk of the way through Saiyuki Vol. 6! (And right on schedule, the eagerly-awaited anime incarnation of the Kami-sama arc will kick off in episode 17, with the arrival of Kinkaku!)
Now, the end titles...will that picture of Ukoku still be there? . . .NO!! BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!! It's been replaced with the picture of Hakkai from the cover of the July 2003 issue (also used on the July/August page in this year's Gensaku Calendar)!
Since that picture of Ukoku apparently wasn't supposed to be there last time, then, can just imagine Minekura-sensei's reaction when she saw it! But, sayyyy, what if it was on purpose? Nahhhh... But here's my longshot prediction: It was a mistake, but to make it look like it was on purpose, Pierrot will insist on running a different piece of art of Hakkai in that slot every week! ;^)
Next week: Here's Goku locked up for the 500 years, seeing the bird outside in the snow, as Sanzo explains how after being locked away alone for so long, Goku is a little fearful about going out into the snow. The episode is called "Ashiato ~Opposite~" ("Footprint ~Opposite~"), but dig it, this is the "3 Years Ago" story from the first RELOAD manga volume. The voice actors did a wonderful dramatic reading of it at the "Saiyuki RELOAD Revolver Revolution" event--am really looking forward to this!
UraSai: "Get Up." Gojyo and Hakkai and Sanzo can't handle the simplistic super-cutesy kiddie cartoon land they find themselves in. Turns out they're in Goku's dream! Hakkai tries desperately to wake him up so they can return to the right world, but, Goku sleeps on. Hakkai resorts to drawing open eyes on Goku's closed lids. Somehow, it doesn't change anything...
I live in an area that's been whipped by monster windstorms all day, so strong the electric power was knocked out at work twice this afternoon and once at my apartment soon after tonight's Saiyuki RELOAD episode finished. What better day for the show's snazzy new ending theme, "Fukisusabu Kaze No Naka De" ("Amid the Roaring Winds"), to premiere?!
The grief Gyokumen has been giving Kougaiji for not being able to deliver any sutras yet has sent him on another visit to his mother, Rasetsunyo. The longer Kou can't deliver, the longer his mother won't be revived--and as Kou stews about that, he's observed by a smirking Nii.
Meanwhile, at a tavern, Gojyo and Goku are squabbling over food; Sanzo would be happy just to have some peace and quiet. Hakkai learns that the next town is too far away to reach in one day. With mountains to contend with, the stretch ahead promises to be extra-gruelling. Hakuryuu has a dish of food to fuel up with, and a ladle curled in the very tip of one wing (huh?) to eat with.
A far more sumptuous meal awaits Kougaiji and company; Yaone has prepared some fancy special dishes. Lirin is ready to gobble them up all by herself. Dokugakuji is not amused, but Kougaiji is too distracted to notice. Nii had approached the youkai prince earlier, and that encounter is filling Kou's thoughts.
Ever-sleazy Nii specializes in gathering information, and he offered Kougaiji a report packed with juicy details on the pasts of Kou's three companions. But those pasts didn't matter to Kougaiji, who told Nii that whatever the past held has no connection to them being comrades now.
Nii, however, then hit upon something that did touch a nerve: certain matters about Kougaiji himself...
Back in the present, Kou abruptly leaves the meal. A concerned Dokugakuji follows--but Kou snaps that this is unrelated to him, and storms out. Running to renew his mission, Kougaiji vows that this is his fight alone; he's the one with the wish--to have his mother revived--and so he should have been doing this alone from the start.
In his wake, Doku finds a fallen piece of paper: the report Nii had given Kou.
The hard-traveling Sanzo-ikkou reaches a mountain summit, but the jeep makes a sudden stop at the edge of a wide, muddy-looking stagnant pool. Goku doesn't get what the problem could be--why not just drive through it? The other three explain that a real stagnant pool wouldn't be found on the summit of a mountain--and sure enough, it turns out to be a youkai trap.
Hakkai advises dragon-form Hakuryuu to hide for a bit, but when the youkai rises from the muddy mess, Sanzo is the target. Sanzo shoots it apart, but the youkai envelopes him in a cloud of itself. Suffocating Sanzo manages to sic the kyoumon on the youkai, and the cloud disappears--but down goes Sanzo. He's been poisoned, Hakkai fears; they've got to get off this mountaintop fast and find help.
And as if that wasn't difficult enough, they suddenly find they have company: a glaring Kougaiji.
Gojyo thinks that Kou is reponsible for the youkai attack, but Goku quickly explains to the prince what happened to Sanzo and asks for help. Kougaiji says he has a fire-dragon nearby that can get them across the mountains, and Goku is thrilled--but then Kou adds that the price will be the kyoumon.
That's of course one big no-can-do; even if they did it to save Sanzo's life, Hakkai notes with a smile, Sanzo would kill them for doing it. Kougaiji startles them by deciding to try to help himself to it!
First he takes on Gojyo--and gets unexpected help dispatching him from overeager Goku. During Goku's turn at the prince, Gojyo is about to brain Kou from behind with his shakujou (hey, Kou is taller than Gojyo here--must be wearing platforms...) when Goku instinctively blurts out a warning. Gojyo sheepishly strolls past his ex-target, then chews Goku out!
Kougaiji hurls a fireball at the distracted pair, and Hakkai barely blocks the blast, suffering a heck of a hand-scorching along the way. The realization is grim--something has changed about Kougaiji, and they will have to fight seriously.
Meanwhile, Doku confronts Nii with the report. "It's all true, isn't it?" smiles Nii. Doku wants to know what Nii is trying to accomplish with this. Nii tries to talk him down ("I'm against violence!" Nii insists), and offers some advice: Doku should hurry and lend the prince a hand....
The one-against-three odds have taken a toll on Kougaiji, reminding him just how strong the Sanzo-ikkou is. Even so, his opponents are still trying to reason with him, find out what's happened to him and why he's there alone. But they also have another worry, growing keener all the time: They've got to find help for Sanzo, and soon.
It looks like an impasse, and Gojyo tries to negotiate to get the fire-dragon. Panting, Kougaiji sags in frustration--and a bracelet he had been carrying along, given to him earlier by Nii, drops to the ground. Just as Sanzo is regaining consciousness, Kou finally tries putting on the bracelet...and as the stunned Sanzo-ikkou look on, it's Super Freak-Out Time!
Next week--Kougaiji has powered up with the help of that strange bracelet. Hakkai has a bad feeling about it--not about what will happen to them, but about what is happening to Kou. Woweee, Kou slam-dunks Sanzo! It's "Yokan ~Secret Ambition~" ("Premonition ~Secret Ambition~").
UraSai: "Zense Uranai" ("Previous-life divinition"). Goku is reading a book, "Zense Uranai," that helps you figure out what you were in a past life. Gojyo and Hakkai ask him about it. According to the book, Gojyo in his previous life was a locust. The others snicker. Sanzo was a goldfish. The others snicker harder. Hakkai was a back scratcher ("mago-no-te," a stick used to scratch your own back). Suddenly Hakkai isn't interested anymore...
Really like the new ending titles! The song is by WAG--and just my 10 yen, I like it way better than "ID"! As in the first, the visuals for these new titles are all Minekura art. It starts with images from the cover of the May 2003 ZERO-SUM (also used as the front page of the Saiyuki RELOAD 2004 Gensaku Calendar). Next come individual shots of our four, from the interior color in the December 2003 ZERO-SUM (also printed in black-and-white on page 185 of the Saiyuki RELOAD Vol. 3 tankoubon). After that is a picture each of the four: Goku from the December 2002 ZERO-SUM cover (also the May/June page of the Saiyuki RELOAD 2004 Gensaku Calendar), Gojyo from the February 2003 ZERO-SUM cover (also the March/April page of the 2004 Gensaku Calendar), Sanzo from that one picture done in yellow and black that I'm gonna have to do some digging to find again in ZERO-SUM (but it's also the November/December page of the 2004 Gensaku Calendar), and then the one that kicked me in the gut; more on that soon.
Y'know the Saiyuki RELOAD Vol. 3 tankoubon? The one with the lime-green cover? That cover image, complete with eye-frying green background, also appears in the new end titles. After that, we see the color spread of the Sanzo-ikkou from the February 2004 ZERO-SUM that came out, what, 11 days ago? Talk about fast! And that's all the images, except one. And that one gets a couple paragraphs of its own...
We need to go back to the Saiyuki RELOAD Vol. 3 tankoubon for that other Minekura image used in the new ending titles. The Table Of Contents page features a color piece done especially for the book. Now, raise your hand if you think that's Ukoku. Compare it to Ukoku on, say, pages 82 and 83 of that book. Sure looks like Ukoku, desho?
That color piece is used in the new ending titles. Right after a picture of Goku, and before a picture of Gojyo and a picture of Sanzo. After that it goes to a shot of the four. Yep, that color piece is used for a picture of HAKKAI.
For a good couple of years now, I've suspected that Nii/Ukoku would somehow turn out to be Tenpou. It'll be interesting to see if this really is a twisty turn, or if Minekura-sensei simply draws Hakkai and Ukoku like they were separated at birth...!
Coming soon!
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 #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 #21-23
GO TO RELOAD RICOCHET: Saiyuki RELOAD GUNLOCK Episodes #24-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 October 23, 2003. Last updated September 9, 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.