Gensomaden Saiyuki (幻想魔伝 最遊記, Gensōmaden Saiyūki^?), commonly known as Saiyuki, is a popular manga series created by Kazuya Minekura. The story is loosely based on the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West (Xīyóu Jì). In 1999 the Saiyuki OVA by Tokyo Kids was released. A year later it was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot, which won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 2000. The Gensomaden Saiyuki: Requiem movie appeared in theaters in Japan in 2001. A sequel to this movie is the Gensomaden Saiyuki: Kibou no zaika OVA, which is actually animation taken from an interactive game^[1] . Image File history File links SaiyukiGroup. ... Bleach , a well-known example of Shōnen manga This article is about the shōnen style of anime and manga. ... Look up adventure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Action film in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... 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There are two sequels to Saiyuki, Saiyuki Reload (最遊記RELOAD, Saiyuki Reload^?) and Saiyuki Gunlock (最遊記RELOAD GUNLOCK, Saiyuki Gunlock^?), which are described in their own article. Serialized in Monthly Comic Zero Sum Original run 2002 – ongoing Volumes 8 TV anime: Saiyuki Reload Director Tetsuya Endo Studio Studio Pierrot Network TV Tokyo Original run October 2, 2003 – March 2, 2004 Episodes 25 OVA: Saiyuki Reload: Burial Director Koichi Ohata Studio Studio Pierrot Dentsu Inc Episodes 3 Released... Serialized in Monthly Comic Zero Sum Original run 2002 – ongoing Volumes 8 TV anime: Saiyuki Reload Director Tetsuya Endo Studio Studio Pierrot Network TV Tokyo Original run October 2, 2003 – March 2, 2004 Episodes 25 OVA: Saiyuki Reload: Burial Director Koichi Ohata Studio Studio Pierrot Dentsu Inc Episodes 3 Released... Saiyuki Reload Gunlock ) is a sequel to the animated series Saiyuki Reload (based on the manga by Kazuya Minekura). ... Saiyuki Reload Gunlock ) is a sequel to the animated series Saiyuki Reload (based on the manga by Kazuya Minekura). ...

The descriptions and summaries in this article are based on the English-adapted Saiyuki anime as distributed by ADV Films. ADV Films logo ADV Films is the home video publication arm of A.D. Vision based in Houston, Texas. ...

Plot

Saiyuki is the story of four reluctant - and irreverent - anti-heroes: the monk Genjo Sanzo (or "Sanzo), the monkey Demon Son Goku,the half-demon Sha GojyoWater sprit, and the man turned Demon Cho HakkaiCho Gono, dispatched by the Sanbutsushin (the Three Aspects of Buddha, who relay the orders of heaven) to India to stop the possible resurrection of the Bull-Demon-King, Gyumaoh. Along the way they are beset by inept assassins, bad weather, and their tragic personal pasts. Meanwhile, the villains, two unlikely confidants, Gyokumen Koushou (Gyumaoh's concubine, a demon) and a mad scientist, Dr. Ni Jenyi (a human), continue their attempts to restore the long-dead king. These experiements, a forbidden mixture of science and magic, spawn the "Minus Wave", infecting all Demons in Shangri-La with madness, shattering the fragile peace that once existed between human and Demon. Image:Sanzo. ... A modern image of the traditional Son Goku, the Monkey King. ... Sha Gojō (沙悟凈 Sha Gojō) is the Japanese name of the Journey of West character Sha Wujing. ... Cho Hakkai (豬八戒 Cho Hakkai) is a fictional character in the manga and anime Saiyuki. ...

Characters

Main characters

• The Sanzo-Ikkou ("Sanzo party")

• Son Goku(The monkey)

• Sha Gojyo(The water sprite)

• Cho Hakkai(The man who killed a 1000 demons and became one himself)

• Genjyo Sanzo(The priest)

Secondary Characters

• Kougaiji: Based on Gyumaoh's Son, Kåfēise Dalu Hai Er, (meaning "Brown Moose Child") the Bull Moose Prince.
• Lirin: Kougaiji's half-sister and Gyokumen Koushou's daughter.
• Dokugakuji: Gojyo's full-yōkai half-brother, formerly known as Sha Jien.
• Yaone: Alchemist & Lirin's 'babysitter'.
• Gyokumen Koushou: Gyumaoh's concubine.
• Dr Ni Jianyi: Wild card, mystery man, mad scientist, and Koushou's human lover. He has a beautiful little plush bunny that he carries with him as his pet.
• Kanzeon Bosatsu aka the Merciful Goddess: The Buddhist bodhisattva Guan Yin herself. Portrayed as a hermaphrodite in the manga,while in the anime she gave no indication of being anything other than female. She helps guide the Sanzo-ikkou.

For the Chen Dynasty empress whose Buddhist nun name was Guanyin, see Empress Shen Wuhua. ... For other uses, see Hermaphrodite (disambiguation). ...

From Classic Novel to Anime

Saiyūki is the Japanese name for Journey to the West, or Xīyóu Jì (西遊記 "Record of the Journey to the West") in Chinese. While Saiyūki is normally written "西遊記",
or "Journey to the West", Kazuya Minekura writes the title as "最遊記", or "Journey to the Extreme". This is her pun, as both are pronounced saiyūki. This popular Chinese novel has inspired several Japanese works, including: The four heroes of the story, left to right: SÅ«n Wùkōng, Xuánzàng, ZhÅ« Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng. ... Kazuya Minekura (峰倉かずや, Minekura Kazuya, born March 23, 1975) is a Japanese mangaka. ...

• Nobita no Parallel Saiyūki, a Doraemon anime movie
• Gensōmaden Saiyūki
• Saiyūki Series, or Monkey in English
• Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT
• Saiyuki: Journey West, a tactical-RPG game by Koei for the Playstation.
• Patalliro! Saiyuki

Minekura's Sanzō-Ikkō bears only a superficial similarity to the original four in the Chinese novel. Their names are the same as the names of the characters in the Chinese novel, but given Japanese pronunciations: Original run April 2, 1979 – Present Episodes Original: (596) Current: 1095 Related works The Doraemons Dorabase Kiteretsu Daihyakka Doraemon ) is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio (the pen name of Hiroshi Fujimoto) which later became an anime series and Asian franchise. ... Gensōmaden Saiyūki (Japanese: 幻想魔伝最遊記, Demonic Account of an Extreme Journey), published in English as simply Saiyuki, is a popular manga series created by Kazuya Minekura and loosely based on the famous Chinese novel Xī Yóu Jì (Journey to... Fabulous Films Ltd Region 2 DVD cover of Monkey, Episodes 1-3. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “DBZ” redirects here. ... Original run February 7, 1996 – November 19, 1997 Episodes 64 Sagas Black Star Dragon Ball Saga Baby Saga Super 17 Saga Shadow Dragon Saga TV Special Dragon Ball GT: A Heros Legacy Dragon Ball GT ) is an anime sub-series of the Dragon Ball franchise created by manga artist...

• Genjō-Sanzō (玄奘三蔵) is Xuánzàng (玄奘) or Táng-Sānzàng (Tang's three scriptures).
• Son Gokū is Sūn Wùkōng (孫 悟空), or the Monkey King.
• Cho Hakkai is Zhū Bājiè (豬 八戒), a pig monster.
• Sha Gojyō is Shā Wùjìng (沙 悟淨), a water demon, classified as a kappa in some translations.
• Gyūmaōh is Niumowáng (牛魔王) Ox King

The fictional character Xuanzang (玄奘, WG: Hsüan-tsang), a central character of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, is partly modelled after the historical Tang dynasty Buddhist monk of the same name, whose life was the books inspiration; the real Xuanzang made a perilous journey on foot... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Zhu Bajie Zhu Bajie (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Pa-chieh), also named Zhu Wuneng (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Wu-neng), is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ... Sha Wujing Sha Wujing (沙悟凈 WG: Sha Wu-ching) is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Series Information

Anime

The original anime series is distributed in North America by ADV Films and comprises 50 episodes. The sequels Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock are licensed by Geneon in North America, and consist of 25 and 26 episodes respectively. Due to the change in licensing, the English voice cast is not consistent throughout all three series, and the characterization and general feel of the series may change noticeably in the second and third installments. ADV Films logo ADV Films is the home video publication arm of A.D. Vision based in Houston, Texas. ... Serialized in Monthly Comic Zero Sum Original run 2002 – ongoing Volumes 8 TV anime: Saiyuki Reload Director Tetsuya Endo Studio Studio Pierrot Network TV Tokyo Original run October 2, 2003 – March 2, 2004 Episodes 25 OVA: Saiyuki Reload: Burial Director Koichi Ohata Studio Studio Pierrot Dentsu Inc Episodes 3 Released... Saiyuki Reload Gunlock ) is a sequel to the animated series Saiyuki Reload (based on the manga by Kazuya Minekura). ... Geneon Entertainment, Inc. ...

Enoki Films holds the US license to Saiyuki under the title Saiyuki: Paradise Raiders, yet ADV chose not to use this subtitle. There has also been a movie (Saiyuki: Requiem) adapted into English that is also licensed by ADV. It is rumored that a new OVA is planned by Studio Pierrot, which will cover the "Burial" arc of the Saiyuki Reload manga. Enoki Films is a producer of anime based in Tokyo. ... Founded in 1979, Studio Pierrot (スタジオぴえろ) is a Japanese animation company. ...

Manga

The Saiyuki manga is comprised of three separate series:

• Saiyuki, 9 volumes, complete.
• Saiyuki Reload, currently at 8 volumes, still running in the monthly Japanese manga magazine Zero Sum.
• Saiyuki Gaiden, currently at 3 volumes, is currently being published in the quarterly Japanese manga magazine Zero Sum WARD. This series takes place in Heaven, 500 years before the first Saiyuki series. The plot is based around the four main characters of Saiyuki in their past lives, and details exactly what it was they did to get thrown out of heaven.

The names of the characters are:

• Konzen Douji - Genjo Sanzo's former incarnation.
• Tenpou Gensui - Cho Hakkai's former incarnation.
• Kenren Taishou - Sha Gojyo's former incarnation.
• Goku - Son Goku himself, 500 years ago.
• Gojun - Dragon King of the Western Seas (believed to be Hakuryuu's former incarnation).
• Nataku Taishi - the War Prince
• Li Touten - Nataku's father
• Kanzeon Bosatsu - Konzen's aunt, and the one responsible for bringing Goku to heaven.

Serialized in Monthly Comic Zero Sum Original run 2002 – ongoing Volumes 8 TV anime: Saiyuki Reload Director Tetsuya Endo Studio Studio Pierrot Network TV Tokyo Original run October 2, 2003 – March 2, 2004 Episodes 25 OVA: Saiyuki Reload: Burial Director Koichi Ohata Studio Studio Pierrot Dentsu Inc Episodes 3 Released... Image:Sanzo. ... Cho Hakkai (豬八戒 Cho Hakkai) is a fictional character in the manga and anime Saiyuki. ... Sha Gojō (沙悟凈 Sha Gojō) is the Japanese name of the Journey of West character Sha Wujing. ... A modern image of the traditional Son Goku, the Monkey King. ...

Media Information

Opening themes

Gensomaden Saiyuki

For Real sung by Hidenori Tokuyama, lyrics/composition by Kurosawa Ken'ichi

Still Time sung by Hidenori Tokuyama, lyrics/composition by Kurosawa Ken'ichi and arrangement by Tooyama Yuu

Hidenori Tokuyama (born January 30, 1982) is a Japanese actor (and sometimes singer). ...

Ending themes

Gensomaden Saiyuki

Tightrope by CHARCOAL FILTER

Alone sung by Shimokawa Mikuni, lyrics by Sumiyo Mutsumi and composition/arrangement by ab:fly

Gensomaden Saiyuki Requiem

Tightrope by Tetsu 69 of L'Arc~en~Ciel

Mikuni Shimokawa Mikuni Shimokawa (下川 みくに Shimokawa Mikuni; born 19 March 1980 in Shizunai, Hokkaido, Japan) is a J-pop singer and songwriter. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• Saiyuki Reload: The sequel to this manga.
• Saiyuki Gunlock: The second sequel to the anime.

• Journey to the West: The original story which this manga is loosely based on.
• Monkey (TV series): Japanese TV series based on Journey to the West.
• Monkey Magic (TV series): Another anime series based on Journey to the West.
• Saiyuki: Journey West: Video game based on Journey to the West.

Serialized in Monthly Comic Zero Sum Original run 2002 – ongoing Volumes 8 TV anime: Saiyuki Reload Director Tetsuya Endo Studio Studio Pierrot Network TV Tokyo Original run October 2, 2003 – March 2, 2004 Episodes 25 OVA: Saiyuki Reload: Burial Director Koichi Ohata Studio Studio Pierrot Dentsu Inc Episodes 3 Released... For other uses, see Sequel (disambiguation). ... Saiyuki Reload Gunlock ) is a sequel to the animated series Saiyuki Reload (based on the manga by Kazuya Minekura). ... The four heroes of the story, left to right: SÅ«n Wùkōng, Xuánzàng, ZhÅ« Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng. ... Fabulous Films Ltd Region 2 DVD cover of Monkey, Episodes 1-3. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

References

This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

External links

• Studio Pierrot page on Saiyuki
• Studio Pierrot page on Saiyuki Reload Gunlock
• Nitro: Kazuya Minekura official site
• Anime News Network - Saiyuki (TV)
• Saiyuki at the Internet Movie Database
• Journey to the Rest: The most up-to-date Saiyuki info.