character information
Character Information
General
Canon Source: Saiyuki | Saiyuki Reload
Canon Format: manga
Character's Name: Ukoku Sanzo [alias Nii Jianyi, formerly known as Ken'yuu]
Character's Age: 37
What form will your character's NV take? Something like this, with powerful processing speeds and a large memory. The case, however, will be black, and will have a sticker of a cute cartoon rabbit slapped on the corner.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: Ukoku is a man of many talents. He'll try anything that seems challenging at first, and then toss it away if it no longer has a purpose or keep it if he can use it for the future. This is the reason why he's skilled in both science and magic: he finished his Ph.D. at 17, and moved on to train as a monk, where he learned various Buddhist techniques and the martial arts (he's so damn agile, too). In fact, his level of concentration in practicing Buddhist techniques was so advanced that he could use them without chanting mantras, producing such potent results by concentrating it on the tip of his fingers instead. He became more powerful when he gained the Maten Sutra, which granted him the ability to, according to Hazel, "[negate] existence itself." Hakkai and Gojyo later clarify this: "[Not] only can he negate attack - but he can also turn space into nothing and bend it - making it possible to even teleport... if he puts his mind to it, he could make us disappear". It's also likely through the use of the sutra that he's able to mask his presence so that no one would be able to sense him.
Both areas of training set the cornerstones for his later role as Dr. Nii Jianyi, the researcher/professor of bio-engineering and of physical engineering ( source) in the Gyuumaoh Revival Project which involved mixing magic and science. By the time the series started, he had already invented or had a major part in inventing a lot of items, notably Gyuumaoh's resurrection chamber, Kami-sama's castle, and that gourd that Kami-sama used to turn people's souls into toys.
He knows how speak, read, and write English, skills he either studied extensively or learned during his trip to the Western continent sometime after Koumyou's death. Though there's little to no actual support for this, it's possible that he may know more than his native language and English - he did stay in the Western continent for some time to "study culture", not only acquainting himself with Filbert's and Hazel's country, but also Gat's. Furthermore, he'd necessarily need to dabble in other languages in order to be able to do extensive research on the Gyuumaoh Revival Project, since it's one that involves both science and magic.
Weapons: The Maten Sutra, described in the previous section. It is one of the five scriptures said to have been used in the creation of the world, and each sutra is in itself an object of immense power. Throughout the series, Ukoku is also shown using devices of his own invention, although this is happens more in the anime than in the manga.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: For a brief overview, please scroll down to "page 13" on this Saiyuubito translations page. ♥
In contrast to most of the series' main characters, Ukoku, who was born to rich parents who were graduate professors, didn't have a dysfunctional family life. We never find out his birth name before his appearance as Ken'yuu.
His purpose for training to become a Sanzo monk, after finishing his Ph.D. at the tender age of 17, was to take on on the occupation deemed to be the most difficult task to accomplish. Ken'yuu, as he was called upon entering the monastery, meets Koumyou Sanzo one and a half years later, and a week before Goudai Sanzo, the previous guardian of the Maten Sutra, calls on candidates to see who would succeed him. Ken'yuu wasn't called, but he did show up for the test, and it's implied that Goudai did anticipate this event.
He did kill Goudai and succeed him as the 24th Toushin Ukoku Sanzo and the youngest Sanzo monk until Genjo Sanzo's own ascension. However, the mark of the gods never did appear on his forehead. Ukoku and Koumyou spend a year travelling together, after which they parted ways, though I imagine Ukoku visits Kinzan Temple when he's in the area. It's the situation of how they met and made The Bet, in any case. Sometime after that, he meets little Kami-sama, and brings him to meet a young Genjo Sanzo/Kouryuu.
Koumyou dies when Ukoku's 24, seven years after the two met. He leaves a set of white robes and his crown to Kami-sama and sets off on another journey. Interestingly, however, it seems that there's quite a time gap between this trip, where he traveled in black Sanzo robes and met Hazel in the process, and the time when the series started.
It's unknown at what point he joins Gyoukumen's side, but likely happened before the Minus Wave spread. Two years after that, the Sanbutsushin send their errand boy Genjo Sanzo and his crew [hereforth known as "the ikkou"] to find out the "cause of the disturbance."
Ukoku, now known as Nii Jianyi, is seen doing a great many things in the Houtou Castle. He's one of the main scientists of the project, meaning that he has a lot of information and resources at his disposal, and he and Gyoukumen, his boss, are sex buddies. At one point, he brainwashes Kougaiji and experiments with Lirin - both under Gyoukumen's directives, of course, but he likely got something out of the deal.
He returns to the playing field shortly after the ikkou meet Hazel Grousse, stating that it wouldn't do for things to "be resolved" that fast - perhaps referring to the ikkou's encounter with Hazel. The first thing he does is to meet up with Hazel and inform him of the Seiten Taisei. This causes Hazel's anti-youkai sentiments to flare up again, eventually resulting in the splitting of the Sanzo-ikkou, with the youkai going in one direction and Hazel, Sanzo, and Gat going in another.
Ukoku later confronts Sanzo and Hazel when the two of them figure out that the man in black robes they were talking about was one and the same. Ukoku tries to erase Sanzo's existence, but is thwarted by the arrival of the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou. Ukoku parts ways with them after sending Hazel off a cliff, but not before his temple being grazed by one of Sanzo's bullets.
The last we see of him is when he talks to the moon, telling Koumyou that "I got something really nice from [his] child. In one of the following pages, his bunny (where he had stored the Maten Sutra during his time as Nii Jianyi) has its head sewn on back again, implying that he will resume his post as the mad scientist.
Point in Canon: The last chapter of Saiyuki Reload, just before Sanzo's bullet hits him in the face.
Character Personality:
He's a charming character when he wants to be, someone easy to get along with, telling stories and generally being lazy over a drink or two and a snack. He'll tell jokes, be a good ear to listen to, and give you useful advice. Well, useful, at least until your first impression of him is shattered if his interest in you is more than something on a whim, the advice he gave you could lead to Places You Don't Like, and the information you gave him will be used in one or more nefarious deed -- if you manage to connect the dots, at all.
Throughout the series, we see him with three identities, with each image playing on certain strengths and marking a new level of character development: Ken'yuu, the friendly class clown who excels in his studies; Ukoku Sanzo, that high-ranking monk and the friend of Koumyou Sanzo; and Nii Jianyi, the world's leading professor of the life sciences and eccentric bunny enthusiast. All three share the same underlying nihilism, but to different degrees, and as he gets older there's a certain anger that builds up, although this is not easily noticeable because of the easy smile he usually has on its face.
Most people who've hung around him for too long will all agree on one thing: beneath that smile lies a darker gaze, one that observes the drama of emotions and motivations with a cruel, mocking smile, secure in his (justified) arrogance that he always has the upper hand, a chess master that will work towards making the game as entertaining and dramatic as possible (but not too dramatic, and never too early). He's stained the outlook of two individuals now (Kami-sama and Hazel). Dokugakuji, one of Kougaiji's followers/Sha Gojyo's half brother, once describes him as someone who looks down on them.
Don't worry though, he's not totally unbeatable. For all that he knows of human nature and uses it to further his ends, his blind spot always seems to be when his already subjugated victim regains their will to fight - the will to hope, and to dream. It displeases him to no end, simply because the chess pieces he likens people to have a set path, and he can be caught off-guard when they stray from it. He'll give you a tough time about it, of course: this sort of deviation never fails to stir his anger and will to subjugate, and he will either conquer the offensive party or kill them. He doesn't deal with people well when they go beyond his control, no matter how calm he seems on the outside. I'd say his routine in Houtou Castle's spoiled him, since it sets him in the comfortable position of being a manipulator from the outside; indeed, he describes himself as a ghost at one point, having the ability to see and move all while not being seen and moved himself. His encounter with the Sanzo-ikkou, Hazel, and Gat at the end of Reload serves as a sharp reminder of The Bet, and implies the beginning of his more direct involvement in the direction of affairs. A darker turn, most certainly, but if the Sanzo-ikkou sticks to their newfound sense of purpose, we can say that the dawn will come after the darkest hour of night.
Beneath his many facades, he has a lot of suppressed emotion - anger, spite, hatred, frustration. And grief, sadness and jealousy, though he hides these three so well it's likely he doesn't label these emotions as such. Or perhaps he's aware. But either way, the acknowledgment of those three is threatening to Ukoku, who likes to be confident, self-assured, and independent of human attachments. God, or those who play god, are supposed to be untouchable, after all, and he does take up this position even though he does only ambiguously identify himself as such.
Underneath all of this confidence is a certain doubt about his view on the world. Ukoku, first and foremost, is a man of science. When he is in srs business mode, his style of speech takes on the tone wherein one can hear him writing a dissertation, with his mind set into calculating the people around him, himself, and the situation/the game board. Each action is executed with the precision finality of a chess piece moving from one square to the next, always in anticipation of the opponent's next decision, and he's had years of practice at this game; first as a means to relieve some measure of boredom at living, and second to focus his efforts on setting up the stage to make The Bet possible (this may also be one of the few long-term goals he'll stick to, because It's A Challenge, aka A Purpose To Live).
However, we must remember that science isn't perfect. A percentage of error must always be computed, and as someone who makes use of logic often It's likely he does examine the problem ontological mysteries present. Once, when Kami-sama asked him if if God existed, he replied with a very interesting statement that implies doubt. In this light, it could be said that this entire bet revolves around the validity of hope, of Ukoku constantly testing how far he can go until all of heaven and earth rises up to challenge him - he breaks taboos, messes with people's heads, and constantly hates on "bugs" who keep on crawling to survive even though the odds are against them. He, who's had a lot of things go easy for him because everything can be done with the flick of a hand and a few smooth words (and thus he them boring in the long run), cannot comprehend the meaning of striving and dreaming.
To dream is irrational, for all beings who live grow close to death with each breath. Why struggle against the meaninglessness of living, and not just follow the natural course of finding someone strong enough to defeat you?
Koumyou's intervention was both a blessing and a curse. I don't believe Goudai's death would have been as dramatic as it was had Koumyou's words not been able to reach him. Neither would life as a Sanzo have been meaningful, and we do see him attempt to mimic Koumyou on several counts: his move to pick up a student is one of the more obvious examples, as are some of his new mannerisms, if you contrast that with how he acted as Ken'yuu. Koumyou may have been the only person he looked up to in such a way. It is no wonder, then, that he lost interest in the Sanzo profession when Koumyou died, why he even held on to his now-black Sanzo robes and travelled around in them on his way to the West, why he may have gotten jealous of Kouryuu for having Koumyou's affections, or why he cared about The Bet as much as he did.
While we don't know if Koumyou did mean for The Bet to turn out in this manner, Ukoku likely chose to interpret it as such. It did, however, give him a direction in life, unlike when he was previously wandering about aimlessly, forever trying out new things before dropping them, constantly searching for that one thing strong enough to kill him. For better or for worse, things turned out this way, and his wish to be eaten up and die has been reflected in this game of tag that he's turned everything into.
Character Plans:
1. There's no doubt that he'll be pissed off on arrival. He's strayed far from the game that's taken up most of his life since The Bet, which he's more invested in than he'll ever admit. This means, of course, that he'll try to find a way back home, where he could kick Sanzo's ass and legitimately (according to him, at least) win The Bet under the light of that world's moon - but not before seeing what else he can do with the world he's been pulled into, and possibly leaving a farewell gift of his own as a 'thank you' for all the trouble it's caused.
2. After all the meddling he's done, it'd be great fun if he also had a small downfall. He's not God, after all, and it won't be the first time his plans are ruined because of people being too independent. I imagine that he'll cross, double cross, and triple cross people if he thinks it's a useful move, contact key "pieces" [read: people] from both sides of the playing field, make deals with people, and so on and so forth -- until someone catches wind of this and goes after his ass. Mmm. Yeah.
3. He'll be using two NVs. >_>;; One of them will be purchased at a later date, and may take the form of a cellphone with high specs.
4. I'm curious to see what happens if he meets Koumyou given the canon point I've taken Ukoku from.
tl;dr: he'll be joining SERO and take up his disguise as Nii Jianyi once again, maybe with a different name. However, having an official affiliation won't stop him from hooking up with AGI and neutral parties. After much epic plotting I'll let SERO or AGI [or some third party] kick his ass via political conspiracy. Happy funtiems to us all.
Appearance/PB: Ukoku Sanzo | Nii Jianyi
General
Canon Source: Saiyuki | Saiyuki Reload
Canon Format: manga
Character's Name: Ukoku Sanzo [alias Nii Jianyi, formerly known as Ken'yuu]
Character's Age: 37
What form will your character's NV take? Something like this, with powerful processing speeds and a large memory. The case, however, will be black, and will have a sticker of a cute cartoon rabbit slapped on the corner.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: Ukoku is a man of many talents. He'll try anything that seems challenging at first, and then toss it away if it no longer has a purpose or keep it if he can use it for the future. This is the reason why he's skilled in both science and magic: he finished his Ph.D. at 17, and moved on to train as a monk, where he learned various Buddhist techniques and the martial arts (he's so damn agile, too). In fact, his level of concentration in practicing Buddhist techniques was so advanced that he could use them without chanting mantras, producing such potent results by concentrating it on the tip of his fingers instead. He became more powerful when he gained the Maten Sutra, which granted him the ability to, according to Hazel, "[negate] existence itself." Hakkai and Gojyo later clarify this: "[Not] only can he negate attack - but he can also turn space into nothing and bend it - making it possible to even teleport... if he puts his mind to it, he could make us disappear". It's also likely through the use of the sutra that he's able to mask his presence so that no one would be able to sense him.
Both areas of training set the cornerstones for his later role as Dr. Nii Jianyi, the researcher/professor of bio-engineering and of physical engineering ( source) in the Gyuumaoh Revival Project which involved mixing magic and science. By the time the series started, he had already invented or had a major part in inventing a lot of items, notably Gyuumaoh's resurrection chamber, Kami-sama's castle, and that gourd that Kami-sama used to turn people's souls into toys.
He knows how speak, read, and write English, skills he either studied extensively or learned during his trip to the Western continent sometime after Koumyou's death. Though there's little to no actual support for this, it's possible that he may know more than his native language and English - he did stay in the Western continent for some time to "study culture", not only acquainting himself with Filbert's and Hazel's country, but also Gat's. Furthermore, he'd necessarily need to dabble in other languages in order to be able to do extensive research on the Gyuumaoh Revival Project, since it's one that involves both science and magic.
Weapons: The Maten Sutra, described in the previous section. It is one of the five scriptures said to have been used in the creation of the world, and each sutra is in itself an object of immense power. Throughout the series, Ukoku is also shown using devices of his own invention, although this is happens more in the anime than in the manga.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: For a brief overview, please scroll down to "page 13" on this Saiyuubito translations page. ♥
In contrast to most of the series' main characters, Ukoku, who was born to rich parents who were graduate professors, didn't have a dysfunctional family life. We never find out his birth name before his appearance as Ken'yuu.
His purpose for training to become a Sanzo monk, after finishing his Ph.D. at the tender age of 17, was to take on on the occupation deemed to be the most difficult task to accomplish. Ken'yuu, as he was called upon entering the monastery, meets Koumyou Sanzo one and a half years later, and a week before Goudai Sanzo, the previous guardian of the Maten Sutra, calls on candidates to see who would succeed him. Ken'yuu wasn't called, but he did show up for the test, and it's implied that Goudai did anticipate this event.
He did kill Goudai and succeed him as the 24th Toushin Ukoku Sanzo and the youngest Sanzo monk until Genjo Sanzo's own ascension. However, the mark of the gods never did appear on his forehead. Ukoku and Koumyou spend a year travelling together, after which they parted ways, though I imagine Ukoku visits Kinzan Temple when he's in the area. It's the situation of how they met and made The Bet, in any case. Sometime after that, he meets little Kami-sama, and brings him to meet a young Genjo Sanzo/Kouryuu.
Koumyou dies when Ukoku's 24, seven years after the two met. He leaves a set of white robes and his crown to Kami-sama and sets off on another journey. Interestingly, however, it seems that there's quite a time gap between this trip, where he traveled in black Sanzo robes and met Hazel in the process, and the time when the series started.
It's unknown at what point he joins Gyoukumen's side, but likely happened before the Minus Wave spread. Two years after that, the Sanbutsushin send their errand boy Genjo Sanzo and his crew [hereforth known as "the ikkou"] to find out the "cause of the disturbance."
Ukoku, now known as Nii Jianyi, is seen doing a great many things in the Houtou Castle. He's one of the main scientists of the project, meaning that he has a lot of information and resources at his disposal, and he and Gyoukumen, his boss, are sex buddies. At one point, he brainwashes Kougaiji and experiments with Lirin - both under Gyoukumen's directives, of course, but he likely got something out of the deal.
He returns to the playing field shortly after the ikkou meet Hazel Grousse, stating that it wouldn't do for things to "be resolved" that fast - perhaps referring to the ikkou's encounter with Hazel. The first thing he does is to meet up with Hazel and inform him of the Seiten Taisei. This causes Hazel's anti-youkai sentiments to flare up again, eventually resulting in the splitting of the Sanzo-ikkou, with the youkai going in one direction and Hazel, Sanzo, and Gat going in another.
Ukoku later confronts Sanzo and Hazel when the two of them figure out that the man in black robes they were talking about was one and the same. Ukoku tries to erase Sanzo's existence, but is thwarted by the arrival of the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou. Ukoku parts ways with them after sending Hazel off a cliff, but not before his temple being grazed by one of Sanzo's bullets.
The last we see of him is when he talks to the moon, telling Koumyou that "I got something really nice from [his] child. In one of the following pages, his bunny (where he had stored the Maten Sutra during his time as Nii Jianyi) has its head sewn on back again, implying that he will resume his post as the mad scientist.
Point in Canon: The last chapter of Saiyuki Reload, just before Sanzo's bullet hits him in the face.
Character Personality:
He's a charming character when he wants to be, someone easy to get along with, telling stories and generally being lazy over a drink or two and a snack. He'll tell jokes, be a good ear to listen to, and give you useful advice. Well, useful, at least until your first impression of him is shattered if his interest in you is more than something on a whim, the advice he gave you could lead to Places You Don't Like, and the information you gave him will be used in one or more nefarious deed -- if you manage to connect the dots, at all.
Throughout the series, we see him with three identities, with each image playing on certain strengths and marking a new level of character development: Ken'yuu, the friendly class clown who excels in his studies; Ukoku Sanzo, that high-ranking monk and the friend of Koumyou Sanzo; and Nii Jianyi, the world's leading professor of the life sciences and eccentric bunny enthusiast. All three share the same underlying nihilism, but to different degrees, and as he gets older there's a certain anger that builds up, although this is not easily noticeable because of the easy smile he usually has on its face.
Most people who've hung around him for too long will all agree on one thing: beneath that smile lies a darker gaze, one that observes the drama of emotions and motivations with a cruel, mocking smile, secure in his (justified) arrogance that he always has the upper hand, a chess master that will work towards making the game as entertaining and dramatic as possible (but not too dramatic, and never too early). He's stained the outlook of two individuals now (Kami-sama and Hazel). Dokugakuji, one of Kougaiji's followers/Sha Gojyo's half brother, once describes him as someone who looks down on them.
Don't worry though, he's not totally unbeatable. For all that he knows of human nature and uses it to further his ends, his blind spot always seems to be when his already subjugated victim regains their will to fight - the will to hope, and to dream. It displeases him to no end, simply because the chess pieces he likens people to have a set path, and he can be caught off-guard when they stray from it. He'll give you a tough time about it, of course: this sort of deviation never fails to stir his anger and will to subjugate, and he will either conquer the offensive party or kill them. He doesn't deal with people well when they go beyond his control, no matter how calm he seems on the outside. I'd say his routine in Houtou Castle's spoiled him, since it sets him in the comfortable position of being a manipulator from the outside; indeed, he describes himself as a ghost at one point, having the ability to see and move all while not being seen and moved himself. His encounter with the Sanzo-ikkou, Hazel, and Gat at the end of Reload serves as a sharp reminder of The Bet, and implies the beginning of his more direct involvement in the direction of affairs. A darker turn, most certainly, but if the Sanzo-ikkou sticks to their newfound sense of purpose, we can say that the dawn will come after the darkest hour of night.
Beneath his many facades, he has a lot of suppressed emotion - anger, spite, hatred, frustration. And grief, sadness and jealousy, though he hides these three so well it's likely he doesn't label these emotions as such. Or perhaps he's aware. But either way, the acknowledgment of those three is threatening to Ukoku, who likes to be confident, self-assured, and independent of human attachments. God, or those who play god, are supposed to be untouchable, after all, and he does take up this position even though he does only ambiguously identify himself as such.
Underneath all of this confidence is a certain doubt about his view on the world. Ukoku, first and foremost, is a man of science. When he is in srs business mode, his style of speech takes on the tone wherein one can hear him writing a dissertation, with his mind set into calculating the people around him, himself, and the situation/the game board. Each action is executed with the precision finality of a chess piece moving from one square to the next, always in anticipation of the opponent's next decision, and he's had years of practice at this game; first as a means to relieve some measure of boredom at living, and second to focus his efforts on setting up the stage to make The Bet possible (this may also be one of the few long-term goals he'll stick to, because It's A Challenge, aka A Purpose To Live).
However, we must remember that science isn't perfect. A percentage of error must always be computed, and as someone who makes use of logic often It's likely he does examine the problem ontological mysteries present. Once, when Kami-sama asked him if if God existed, he replied with a very interesting statement that implies doubt. In this light, it could be said that this entire bet revolves around the validity of hope, of Ukoku constantly testing how far he can go until all of heaven and earth rises up to challenge him - he breaks taboos, messes with people's heads, and constantly hates on "bugs" who keep on crawling to survive even though the odds are against them. He, who's had a lot of things go easy for him because everything can be done with the flick of a hand and a few smooth words (and thus he them boring in the long run), cannot comprehend the meaning of striving and dreaming.
To dream is irrational, for all beings who live grow close to death with each breath. Why struggle against the meaninglessness of living, and not just follow the natural course of finding someone strong enough to defeat you?
Koumyou's intervention was both a blessing and a curse. I don't believe Goudai's death would have been as dramatic as it was had Koumyou's words not been able to reach him. Neither would life as a Sanzo have been meaningful, and we do see him attempt to mimic Koumyou on several counts: his move to pick up a student is one of the more obvious examples, as are some of his new mannerisms, if you contrast that with how he acted as Ken'yuu. Koumyou may have been the only person he looked up to in such a way. It is no wonder, then, that he lost interest in the Sanzo profession when Koumyou died, why he even held on to his now-black Sanzo robes and travelled around in them on his way to the West, why he may have gotten jealous of Kouryuu for having Koumyou's affections, or why he cared about The Bet as much as he did.
While we don't know if Koumyou did mean for The Bet to turn out in this manner, Ukoku likely chose to interpret it as such. It did, however, give him a direction in life, unlike when he was previously wandering about aimlessly, forever trying out new things before dropping them, constantly searching for that one thing strong enough to kill him. For better or for worse, things turned out this way, and his wish to be eaten up and die has been reflected in this game of tag that he's turned everything into.
Character Plans:
1. There's no doubt that he'll be pissed off on arrival. He's strayed far from the game that's taken up most of his life since The Bet, which he's more invested in than he'll ever admit. This means, of course, that he'll try to find a way back home, where he could kick Sanzo's ass and legitimately (according to him, at least) win The Bet under the light of that world's moon - but not before seeing what else he can do with the world he's been pulled into, and possibly leaving a farewell gift of his own as a 'thank you' for all the trouble it's caused.
2. After all the meddling he's done, it'd be great fun if he also had a small downfall. He's not God, after all, and it won't be the first time his plans are ruined because of people being too independent. I imagine that he'll cross, double cross, and triple cross people if he thinks it's a useful move, contact key "pieces" [read: people] from both sides of the playing field, make deals with people, and so on and so forth -- until someone catches wind of this and goes after his ass. Mmm. Yeah.
3. He'll be using two NVs. >_>;; One of them will be purchased at a later date, and may take the form of a cellphone with high specs.
4. I'm curious to see what happens if he meets Koumyou given the canon point I've taken Ukoku from.
tl;dr: he'll be joining SERO and take up his disguise as Nii Jianyi once again, maybe with a different name. However, having an official affiliation won't stop him from hooking up with AGI and neutral parties. After much epic plotting I'll let SERO or AGI [or some third party] kick his ass via political conspiracy. Happy funtiems to us all.
Appearance/PB: Ukoku Sanzo | Nii Jianyi
