Saiyuki - Demon Rising (Vol. 6)

Rating:
Summary: Ready for Season Two?
Review: Ah Saiyuki Season 2!

Three new characters show up. The war prince Homura (voice acted by none less than Jason Douglas, he also was the English voice of Lord Illpilatzo from Excel Saga, he always gets casted for the world conqueror bit doesn't he?), and his two minions Zenon and Shien descend to start a rebellion against the heavens. Now it looks like there is a three way race to get Scriptures now...

This Disk features FOUR new adventures for the Sanzo party and their enemies.

Episode 27: Basic Introduction of Homura and his minions... Homura calls the Sanzo party by their past life names, destroys literally truckloads of Demons with but a thought, and Sanzo's gun has no effect on Homura.
Most notable seen: Sanzo's introduction about the "If you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha"

Episode 28: Homura starts to gather demon followers, he apparently can turn demons into "gods". The Merciful Goddess refuses to do anything to stop Homura, says that watching Homura will keep her from being bored for awhile. Apparently Homura is the half human son of the Jade Emperor... the gods will do nothing to stop him as they have grown lazy and fat. Sanzo's party has to share a single room and draws cards to see who gets the bed while the others sleep on the floor. The episode ends with an attack on Houtou Castle to get the Seiten Scripture. Most notable scenes: The first meeting of Sanzo (of God Sanzo) and Son Goku. Goku and Gojyo fight over the bed and the innkeeper walks in and sees them in a rather embarrassing situation.

Episode 29: Homura and gang assault Houtou Castle. Homura single handedly bests both Dokugakuji and Kougaiji. Dr. Ni (that crazy scientist with the stuffed bunny) just hands over the Seiten Scripture to Homura in hopes that he will leave Lady Koushu and the rest with their lives. Sonzo gets a rude awaking from the merciful Goddess, who reminds him of the Teachings of his Master. The "if you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha" which has been said at least 3 times in the series now... Zenon kills a demon who killed his human wife. Basically this episode was to show that these new characters are in fact a force to be reckoned with.
Most Notable scene: Sanzo tries to shoot the Merciful Goddess... and fails."

Episode 30: Homura sends his latest Assassin to kill the Sanzo party to get the Scripture that Sanzo carries. This demon makes a village into a ghost town, his "Perfect Paradise". He calls himself the Undertaker, and puts the entire Sanzo party through all kinds of physiological torture. Basically Puts a plate of food in front of a hungry Goku to only make it disappear a second later. Deprives Gojyo of women and alcohol . Burns Hakuryu to get Hakki upset, and gently just pisses Sanzo off with the whole ordeal of things going on. They basically best him and go on their merry way. Most notable scene, Gojyo practically begs Sanzo for a smoke, and Sanzo reminds him that he said "You said my smokes tasted like Crap."

Basically this DVD has the basic ADV basics, a new opening theme and animation, new closing theme and animation, but no longer gives you any previews of upcoming episodes.

Like all the other volumes of Saiyuki they give a wonderful Culture references from the "Journey to the West" and other Japanese jokes you hear while listing to the Japanese audio. Also this series is best kept in context with the Japanese audio as the English seems to completely warp it at times... all in all a good DVD for Saiyuki fans. And also the fact that you can't go wrong with Zenon, how cool is a god with an AK?

Rating:
Summary: One of the very earliest Japanese animated feature films
Review: ALAKAZAM THE GREAT (1961) was the English-dubbed version of the Japanese animated feature, SAIYUKI (1960), an adaptation of "Journey to the West," the Chinese literary work devoted to the famous legend of the Monkey King. It was distributed in the U.S. by American International Pictures and featured a whole new music score, four new songs and a host of celebrity voices, including Jonathan Winters, Arnold Stang, Sterling Holloway and, as the singing voice of the Monkey King, Frankie Avalon.

The English dub goes a long way towards divorcing the material from its cultural context, reducing the original mission of its characters, bringing Buddhist scriptures to China from India, to simply a "pilgrimage." It also gives ridiculous new names to all of the characters, including Buddha himself (called King Amo here) and the Emperor of Heaven (renamed Merlin the Magician!). Goku, the Monkey King, is called Alakazam, and Pigsy, the shape-shifting pig, is dubbed Sir Quigley Brokenbottom. The new songs have little to do with the original story and tend to slow things down considerably.

Still, it's a beautifully animated piece with rich color and at least a semblance of the original legend. Most importantly for today's young audiences, it depicts the cultural antecedents of the popular "Dragon Ball" cartoon TV series, which is shown on the Cartoon Network and available on home video. Identical points of reference include the flying nimbus cloud and power pole employed by Alakazam/Goku, the same tools possessed by the hero of "Dragon Ball," also named Goku. Oolong, the cowardly, lecherous pig seen in "Dragon Ball," is clearly modeled on Pigsy/Sir Quigley, who also has the power to transform and an eye for the ladies. Also significant is the fact that pioneering animator Osamu Tezuka was a co-writer/co-director of this film (three years before "Astro Boy"), which was adapted from his own manga (comic book) version of the legend. There were many other films and TV series based on "Journey to the West," both animated and live-action, made in China, Hong Kong and Japan, but few are easily available in the U.S.

Rating:
Summary: For the Love of Kanon
Review: For the love of Kanon, Hakkai interfers in a villages sacrifice of a young woman to a demon who has the town under his sway with a large cannon. The rest of the episodes are equally as good with one being out and out hilarious. The fourth episode on the disc answers the question of why Sanzo carries a pistol, an answer both savage and sad.
Worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: For the Love of Kanon
Review: For the love of Kanon, Hakkai interfers in a villages sacrifice of a young woman to a demon who has the town under his sway with a large cannon. The rest of the episodes are equally as good with one being out and out hilarious. The fourth episode on the disc answers the question of why Sanzo carries a pistol, an answer both savage and sad.
Worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: On Road Again (and Again)
Review: Gensomaden Saiyuki is a retelling of a classic Chinese myth (Journey to the West) of a priest (Genjo Sanzo) and his companions (Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku) who undertake a picaresque journey across a land filled with demons to stop a series of evils. In this version of the story, which has been updated to a more modern context, their primary mode of transportation is a white dragon disguised as a Jeep, and the participants smoke, drink, curse, and womanize with the same flair they use to slay their opponents.

This is much more than a hack and slash adventure story. While the emphasis is on the comic byplay between the characters, especially Goku (the monkey king) and Gojyo, there are many more thoughtful moments. Many of the episodes combine the heroic with an ambivalence that frequently displays unexpected sides to an issue.

These episodes move from teaching townsfolk to stand on their own to lessons from Genjo's own past. Whether muttering platitudes at the setting sun or suffering from permanent hunger, the lead characters, and even some of their opponents, each find their way into the spotlight and reveal some unexpected facet. In some ways the story echoes the work of another master of the picaresque, Miguel Cervantes.

There is not time like the present to point out that Saiyuki is not a standard 26 episode series. Inspired as it is by one of the oldest (and longest) of Oriental adventure stories, it is only fitting that the series let the story drive the length, rather than vice-versa - a total of 50 episodes. While this is a considerable strain on the collector's pocketbook, the timing of the story also allows considerable character development, one of the features of this telling which makes it much more than a simple adventure story.

Rating:
Summary: saiyuki is excellent!
Review: saiyuki is a great action show. A tiny bit of humor now and then is a great show by me.