Disc One: The Journey Begins
[Insert]: GENJO SANZO:
An unorthodox and
irreverent priest who drinks, smokes, and gambles. He’s self-centered, haughty
and not entirely sane, but he’s also a handsome gent with calm powers of
judgment and lots of charisma. He is searching for the holy scripture that was
stolen when his mentor, a former Sanzo priest, was brutally murdered by demons.
His weapons are the Maten Scripture, a demon banishing gun, and a paper fan which
he periodically pulls out of nowhere to whack his colleagues.
VITAL STATISTICS
HEIGHT: 5’10” (177 cm)
WEIGHT: 141 lbs
AGE: 23
BIRTHDATE: November 29
BLOOD TYPE: A
[Insert]: SON
GOKU
A childlike character, he
is obsessed with food and fooling around. Even though he gets called ‘idiot’
and ‘midget monkey’ by Sanzo and the others, his presence in the group is
indispensable. Getting laughed at by the others is probably just a big game for
Goku anyway. When he’s not stuffing his face, he is a powerful fighter. A demon
born from a stone egg, Goku was sealed in a craggy prison by the heavens for
some inequity of his youth. He was freed 500 years later by Sanzo. His weapon
is an expanding and collapsing staff. Goku must wear a metal coronet to stop
his demon side from raging out of control.
VITAL STATISTICS
HEIGHT: 5’4” (162 cm)
WEIGHT: 113 lbs
AGE: 18 (+/- 500 years)
BIRTHDATE: April 5
BLOOD TYPE: O
[Insert]: SHA
GOJYO
Half human, half water
demon, he’s vulgar and flippant. Secretly, though, he’s more of a big-brother
type. He badmouths Goku, is best friends with Hakkai, and bickers constantly
with Sanzo. He smokes like a chimney, gambles (and wins!), and is very much a
ladies man. When he gets depressed, he’s the type of guy to hold it all inside
and not say a word, but when he’s on a roll, his enthusiasm knows no bounds. As
a mixed demon, he does not have to wear control equipment; however the red eyes
and hair distinguish him as a half breed. His weapon is a crescent blade swung
from a staff. He is also very skilled at hand-to-hand combat.
VITAL STATISTICS
HEIGHT: 6’ (188 cm)
WEIGHT: 166 lbs
AGE: 22
BIRTHDATE: November 9
BLOOD TYPE: B
[Insert]: CHO
HAKKAI
A gentle, caring guy, Hakkai
belies his demon blood with his warm smile and charming nature. Like a
companion male nurse or something, he’s very much at home when taking care of
others. He gets dangerously depressed when he remembers the past, though, and
he can take on a menacing edge. His pet dragon turns into a jeep for easy
transportation. His extensive knowledge of martial arts allows him to focus
energy into highly destructive blasts during fights. He has a very dry wit and
sometimes his companions don’t know if he’s joking or not. Hakkai’s demon power
limiter is the cuffs he wears on his left ear.
VITAL STATISTICS
HEIGHT: 5’11” (181 cm)
WEIGHT: 153 lbs
AGE: 22
BIRTHDATE: September 21
BLOOD TYPE: AB
SAIYUKI is the Japanese
title for XIYOUJI, a very well known Chinese legend set in the Tang Dynasty
(618-907 AD) It is also known as JOURNEY TO THE WEST (or THE MONKEY KING) in
English. The story is that of a Buddhist monk who makes the perilous journey
from
[Cultural Background Notes]:
is fictional, the monk is
an actual historical figure and really did make the journey to
Over the centuries, the
legend was passed down orally, then written down in its present form by Wu
Cheng’en (1500-1582). Eventually, it filtered its way to the surrounding
countries, where certain local touches were added as it became popularized. The
enduring fame of the “Journey to the West” myth is evinced by its place at the
heart of many Asian countries’ mythologies. Today, there
[Cultural Background Notes]:
are literally hundreds of
renditions on various media formats in
In the original story, Sanzo
is actually a relatively wimpy character. As a devout monk, Sanzo has
absolutely no special abilities or mystical powers to fall back on, and is thus
captured repeatedly and forced to rely on Goku and the others to save him.
However, he does have control over Goku. Legend has it that Goku was a monkey
demon born from a rock, and over time he
[Cultural Background Notes]:
obtained many supernatural
powers. He had some dealings with the gods and eventually grew arrogant enough
to go on a rampage in the heavens. He was punished for this by being pinned
under a mountain, where he remained until Sanzo came and freed him. For the
price of his freedom, he was required to serve Sanzo. In order to make Sanzo’s
job easier, a gold band was placed on Goku’s head which Sanzo can tighten at
will, giving Goku a monstrous headache. This is the basis for the relationship
between Sanzo and
[Cultural Background Notes]:
Goku in the anime, as well
as for the numerous digs at Goku about being a monkey.
To assist him on his
journey, Sanzo had two other companions: Gojyo and Hakkai. In the original
Chinese legend, both were more hideous and demon-like. Gojyo was a generic
river demon, which became a water sprite as the tale was told in
[Cultural Background Notes]:
occurred. They are also
said to have a shallow bowl filled with water on the top of their heads. It is
believed that the water sprites died if the water in the bowl ever dried up.
Hakkai was a gluttonous,
incredibly ugly pig monster. In the anime, Hakkai is the only character whose
background from the legend is never brought up. His little dragon, Hakuryu, was
originally a dragon which had been transformed into Sanzo’s horse as
punishment. Hakuryu’s purpose as a meas of transportation has
[Cultural Background Notes]:
therefore been preserved in
the anime (albeit with anachronistic change in shape). Hakkai’s magical poers
are not mentioned in the original legend.
While not everything
contained in SAIYUKI was drawn from the original legend (for example, the
traditional story was notable for its lack of cigarettes, mahjong, ATM cards,
and firearms), a great deal of the monsters and challenges faced by Sanzo and
his disciples are at least loosely connected to the original. However, the
means by
[Cultural Background Notes]:
which they overcome these
obstacles are... a bit more modern.
[Opening Theme “For Real” / English]
[Lyrics and Music / Kenichi
Kurosawa]
[Performed by / Hidenori Tokuyama]
Your eyes that look far off
into the distance
They’re listening to the
voice within your heart
Embracing a moon still blue
Your strength to keep on running
Will open another new door
for you
Illuminate the night that
dawns too soon
Even alone, I want to keep
on believing in you
It’s in such a moment that
this world will begin to stir
What should we be searching
for?
Send out your soul
We’ll meet here again
someday if that’s the truth
Upon what should we fix our
gaze?
The reality that I reached
out and grabbed with my hand
Let it go, let’s believe in
it
[Opening Theme “For Real” /
Japanese]
[Lyrics and Music / Kenichi
Kurosawa]
[Performed by / Hidenori Tokuyama]
Touko o miteru sono
manazashi wa
Kokoro no naka no koe o
kiiteru
Mada aoi tsuki o
dakishimete
Hashiri-tsuzukeru kimi no
tsuyosa ga
Mata atarashii tobira o
hiraku
Sugu akeru yoru o
terashidase
Tatoe hitori de mo kimi no
koto shinjita itai
Sonna shunkan ni kono sekai
wa ugokidasu
Nani o mitsukete yukou
Kokoro o hakidashite
Mata koko de aeru yo sore
ga shinjitsu
Nani o mitsumete iyou
Kono te o sashidashite
tsukanda genjitsu
Let it go shinjiyou
[Closing Theme “Tightrope” / English]
[Lyrics / Yuzo Otsuka ]
[Music and Vocals / Charcoal Filter ]
That’s right,
even sudden tragedies come
Looking
good-natured, without cause for suspicion
Don’t
complain, just shut up
And look up
I’ll stay in
character no matter how ordinary the scene is
Before any
talks of dreams or hopes
It’s probably
the same for everyone
You must fight
against yourself
The sun sets
and a new day comes
Repeating is
one change
Don’t avert
eyes from differences
Your nerve and
soul to the limit
Go forward now
Standing next
to the taut pressure
I’ll laugh
more boldly and fearlessly than anyone
It’s probably
the same for everyone
You must fight
against yourself.
[Closing Theme “Tightrope” / Japanese]
[Lyrics / Yuzo Otsuka ]
[Music and Vocals / Charcoal Filter ]
Sou hito ga
yosasou na kao de yatte kuru
Totsuzen na
higeki mo utagau koto wa naku
Nagekigoto
sezu damatta mama de
Ue o
miagerunda
Donna
arifureta shiin mo enji-tsuzukeru
Yume toka
kibou toka iu mae ni sa
Kitto dare ni
totte mo onaji koto darou
You must fight
against yourself
The sun sets
and a new day comes
Repeating is
one change
Don’t avert
eyes from differences
Your nerve and
soul to the limit
Go forward now
Haritsumeta
puresshaa tonariawase de
Dare yori mo
daitan futeki ni warau
Kitto dare ni
totte mo onaji koto darou
You must fight
against yourself
[Front Cover]: Shangri-La was a world where humans
and demons lived together in peace - until the demons suddenly went berserk and
started attacking people. It was all part of an evil plan to revive Gyumaoh, a
super demon who had been sealed in a tomb for 500 years. In order to prevent
this forbidden synthesis of black magic and chemistry, the heavenly emissary
Genjo Sanzo was sent on a journey to the far west with three companions: Son
Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Cho Hakkai.
[Back Cover]: EVIL is being BORN AGAIN.
[Back Cover]: Once, demonkind and man lived
together in harmony. But when a band of rogue demonic forces seeks to resurrect
a diabolical monster, a dark spiritual energy begins to cover the land. Now,
it’s up to a renegade priest, a monkey king, a lecherous water sprite, and a
sympathetic demon to stop the resurrection and return harmony to a dangerous
land.
[Back Cover]: Enter the world of SAIYUKI! A
unique universe of beauty and betrayal. Where sacred scrolls battle enchanted
weaponry and where dragons can transform into jeeps. A land where four
reluctant heroes are just as concerned about having a good time, a stiff drink,
and a beautiful woman as they are about saving the world.