Saiyuki
Saiyuki ( Japanese 幻想 魔 伝 最 遊記 , Gensō Maden Saiyūki ), is a manga by the Japanese illustrator Kazuya Minekura . The manga was filmed and continued several times.
The story is based on the Chinese saga Xī Yóu Jì ( The Journey to the West ) and is about the saving of the world by a group of a priest, a half-demon ( Han'yō ), a demon and a god. The work can be classified into the genres Fantasy , Action , Adventure and Shounen .
action
In the world of Togenkyo (Eng. "Paradise") the demon Gyumao (Eng. "Horned Devil") caused unrest because he did not want to accept the peaceful coexistence of people, Youkai and Hanyou and sowed arguments. But then it was sealed in Tenjiku Hotojo by Prince Toshin Nataku. After that, all inhabitants of the world could live together peacefully again.
Five hundred years later, the demon Gyokumen Koushou, a former concubine of Gyumao, tries to loosen the seal of Tenjiku and the person Dr. Ni Jianyi puts the balance of the world at risk with his experiments. Its forbidden ceremony of the union of magic and chemistry therefore terrifies everyone. The Sanbutsushin commission the three aspects of Buddha, the priest Genjo Sanzo, to fight against these dangers. On his journey to the west, where Tenjiku is located, he is accompanied by the monkey god Son Goku, the Hanyou Sha Gojyo and the Youkai Cho Hakkai. Sanzo is not very enthusiastic about this at first, but the companions prove to be useful with all the dangers on the way.
characters
- Cho Hakkai : The demon Cho is a kind man but also a reliable fighter. His past has marked him. He used to live with the girl Kanan, who was kidnapped by the tribe of women slayers. Cho killed all the members of the tribe, turning himself into a demon. Since Kanan was pregnant after being raped by the demons, she killed herself before his eyes. After this fight, Cho almost lost his right eyesight. He keeps his right eye covered with a monocle / single glass.
- Genjo Sanzo : In the beginning, Genjo was still called Kouryuu and was trained in the Kinzan Temple by the great master Komyo Sanzo. This was considered the most famous monk in the world. When the master was killed by demons, the title of Sanzo was transferred to Kouryuu and thus received his Buddhist name Genjo. The man masters the "Dark Sutra" with which he can fight demons. He also always carries a loaded revolver with him. When the gods gave the order to Genjo Sanzo, the successor of the legendary monk Komyo Sanzo, he accepted.
- Sha Gojyo : Gojyo is an easy-going man with red hair and eyes. These reveal his semi-demonic parentage. He used to live with his stepmother and half-brother Jien. One day Jien killed her mother, who again violated Gojyo and disappeared. Since then, Gojyo wandered around making money playing card tournaments. Then he met Cho Hakkai, with whom he lived in a cramped apartment for three years. Ultimately, with the encouragement of the gods, they met Sanzo.
- Son Goku : According to the old Chinese legend of the monkey king, he was born from a stone that contained all the forces of nature. After a crime he was locked up in a cave, in which Sanzo found him several hundred years later. Goku was admitted to the monastery where Genjo lived and at the start of his journey, Goku followed Sanzo. Son Goku is unaware of his nature as God.
Creation and publication
Saiyuki first received attention when Minekura published the manga as doujinshi in 1995 . From 1997 the manga appeared in the G Fantasy magazine published by Square Enix . The series was later published in nine edited volumes.
The manga was published in English by Tokyopop , in French by Panini and in Spanish by Mangaline Comics . The Carlsen Comics series was published in German. The German translation comes from Dorothea Uberall.
Adaptation
OVA Saiyuki
In 1999 Tokyo Kids studio produced a two-part OVA directed by Takashi Sogabe. The music is from Yuriko Nakamura. The anime was released in Japan on April 23, 1999.
Anime television series
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | Saiyuki |
| Original title | 幻想 魔 伝 最 遊記 Gensō Maden Saiyūki |
| Country of production |
 Japan
|
| original language | Japanese |
| year | 2000 |
| length | 25 minutes |
| Episodes | 50 |
| genre | Fantasy , action series , adventure , shons |
| idea | Kazuya Minekura |
| production | Ken Hagino, Tetsuya Watanabe, Tomoko Gushima |
| music | Motoi Sakuraba |
| First broadcast | April 4, 2003 - July 15, 2003 on TV Tokyo |
The Studio Pierrot produced and directed by Hayato Date 2000 anime television series based on the manga. The character design was created by Yuji Moriyama and the artistic direction was taken over by Yuji Ikeda. The series was broadcast from April 4, 2003 to July 15, 2003 by the Japanese broadcaster TV Tokyo . A 2001 film with the title Saiyuki - Requiem was released for the series, which was followed by an OVA.
The series was broadcast in France by AB 1, Mangas and NT1, in Spain by Buzz Channel and in English by AXN-Asia and The Anime Network. There were also translations into Italian and Tagalog.
The series and the film were released in German on DVD by Anime Virtual .
synchronization
| role | Japanese speaker ( seiyū ) |
|---|---|
| Cho Hakkai | Akira Ishida |
| Sha Gojō |
Hiroaki Hirata Kōichi Yamadera (OVA) |
| Son Goku |
Sōichirō Hoshi Kōsuke Okano (OVA) |
| Genjō Sanzō |
Toshihiko Seki Wataru Takagi (OVA) |
Other roles include: a. to hear Toshiyuki Morikawa , Ken Narita and Ryōtarō Okiayu .
music
The music in the series was composed by Motoi Sakuraba . The two opening credits are by Hidenori Tokuyama. As the credits of songs was used Tightrope Charcoal filters and standalone Mikuni Shimokawa.
Manga Saiyuki Gaiden
From 1999 onwards, the sequel Saiyuki Gaiden was published in Square Enix's G-Fantasy magazine . The publication was canceled in 2005 and resumed in 2005 by Issaisha's Ward magazine .
Manga Saiyuki Reload
In 2002 the manga was followed by the sequel Saiyuki Reload .
Video game
In August 2005, a fighting game based on the Bandai manga was released in Japan .
reception
According to the trade magazine Funime , the animation of the anime series is of fluctuating quality and the music is rather moderate and focused on the foreground. The plot runs out of breath in the last episodes after defeating the last big opponent and is therefore not very satisfactory in the end.