Saiyuki, Vol. 1: The Journey Begins (2000)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Original Story by Kazuya Minekura
Directed by Hayato Date
Character Design by Yuji Moriyama

Features:

• Clean opening and closing
  
• Production sketches with notes
  
• Cultural liner notes
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Harsh language
• Sexual humor
• Mild violence and scary demons
• Gratuitous spider

Released by: ADV
Region: 1
Rating: 15+
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it.

Saiyuki tells the familiar Chinese folk legend of the monk Sanzo Genjo and his overland travels through China. Sanzo is a holy man, one of the few monks chosen to bear a part of the sacred scrolls of Creation; Sanzo is also rather unorthodox, even irreverent, as he smokes, drinks, gambles, and otherwise does not represent what people expect in such holy men. Accompanying Sanzo is Son Goku, a figure representing the monkey god, Sha Gojyo, who is half human and half water demon, and Cho Hakkai, who is also a demon and has a small pet dragon.

In these five episodes, we are introduced to Shangri-la, where humans and demons used to live peacefully. Something is changing, however, and it is up to Sanzo to find out what and why. It seems that someone is agitating the demons to make them turn against the humans. Sanzo is chosen to travel to India to discover who is behind these problems and deal with them, all under the auspices of the Merciful Goddess. Sanzo gathers his friends and they head off into the West, with the predictable squabbles and character conflicts, all done with a light and comic touch. These episodes show the heroic bishonen fighting from the start, dealing with adoring monks and attacks on monasteries, and so on.

Astute fans of anime and/or East Asian legend will recognize the tale that spawned Dragonball Z, but this version is rather different. The focus is much more on all four of the men here, rather than just Goku, and the characters’ demon natures are much more apparent, though their goodness is never in question. Goku and Hakkai wear a magically charged headband or an earring respectively to keep their demon powers in check, and to allow their natural good dispositions to retain control of their bodies. The characters work together beautifully, each helping to define each other and demonstrate for the viewers who these heroes really are. The characters also have rich backstories and bid fair to grow in complexity as the show continues.

The audio and video quality are both good here. The art is very attractively done, with rich, lush backgrounds, character detail, and vibrant colors, and the digital transfer shows this off well. Look for some of the subtle details that show off the artists’ skills, like a yin-yang symbol in the teacup Sanzo drinks from. The sound is also decent, in both language versions; the English cast does a particularly nice job here of carrying the weight of subtle meaning from the original language and translating cultural detail and background for viewers who may be unfamiliar with the legend and culture.

The extras are notable here, with some production notes and sketches that will please the artists in the audience, a clean opening and closing, and some cultural background notes that will explain a lot of the things that might otherwise go over the heads of Western viewers. This last feature is a fantastic touch that I wish every anime release would include.

In short, this is one of the most interesting takes on a legend to come along in years. Between the plot, the creative spin in a traditional legend, the spectacular art, and the interesting characters, Saiyuki is a winner from the first word. Fans of adventure and fantasy will love this one, as will viewers who appreciate good comedy and fascinating ensemble pieces. It also makes a great way to break into anime if you have not yet come to love and appreciate this fantastic art form.