Minekura Kazuya - Saiyuki Reload, vol. 03-06 + Even a Worm chs. 16-20
I read the TokyoPop translation of vol. 3 (eeeeeee!!!! Good translation of the Burial arc!), got vols. 4-5 from the Chinese manga rental store, promptly went out to Kinokuniya and bought 6 in Japanese, and then spent a few hours getting the raws of the remaining chapters because EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where is chapter 21??!?! Is it out?! MUST READ!
Spoilers for all of Saiyuki and Reload and Gaiden
First, I just read all the raws of Even a Worm 16-20 yesterday and stayed up far too late and it's knocked out all the other impressions I've had of Reload and can largely be summed up as: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OMG EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ZOMGZOMGZOMG!!!!!11!1!111eleventyone!
Right then.
(inside I am still squeeing like mad and completely broken-hearted and wanting to hug the entire ikkou and Sanzo most of all even though he would shoot me, but I am trying to write something not totally consisting of the letter "e" and attempting to use periods as well)
- Vol. 3 I've read before, but it was great being able to read the translation, and I snickered mightily at the ikkou in water, attempting to threated Kougaiji and company. And then.. Burial! Yay! Ukoku still totally freaks me out, particularly the shot of him perched like a crow over his dead master, and the fact that the sanzo mark never appears.
- I love the anniversary short.
- I love love love Sanzo backstory, his scarred back, the moon and Marlboros, and one more potential master being killed in front of his eyes to protect him. And oh, him finding Goku is just... wah! Even though I ship heavily in Saiyuki, I don't particularly care if the characters are in love or having sex or what have you, because no matter how that love is expressed, they all love each other and they all fill the broken gaps in each others' lives, and that just kills me.
It's Sanzo's little smile when he watched wee!Goku sleeping, Goku's panic at being left behind. And of course, the Hakkai and Gojyo arc, and umbrella! ^_____^
Then comes Even a Worm, which I like because it's starting to look more at the Minus Wave and humans vs. youkai in a way that started earlier in the series and was brought more into focus with the conversation between Banri and Hakkai.
- I knew about the existence of Hazel and Gat before I read about them, largely via artbook
pictures, and I was a little ambivalent, largely because I wasn't sure if they were becoming more of a focus.
Thankfully, I trust in Minekura and I adore how it's been playing out.
I think it's interesting that my first thought was that they were overtaking the ikkou's thunder, but I think that's the point. There are moments of comedy in which they're referred to as the Hazel-ikkou, but Hazel and Gat are mirror images of the Sanzo-ikkou, just like Kougaiji and company are.
I first thought Hazel was a Hakkai mirror, given that the two are both extremely polite and are really rather scary underneath. This was cemented by the fact that Hakkai actually lost at cards. To Hazel. Who was winning.
I mean... Hakkai lost! And the entire ikkou felt like they were somewhat losing their way after meeting Hazel and Gat; Hazel is being hailed as humanity's savior, when that's what Sanzo is setting out to do (albeit in a completely misanthropic way). But the point is that Hazel doesn't really care.
And then there was the small talk with Sanzo, after which Hazel was acting as a counterpart to Sanzo, what with his master being killed in front of his eyes. Except Hazel uses it to hate youkai, much as Hakkai did before, while Sanzo... eh. Well, Sanzo hates everything. But he lives. And even though Hazel restores lives and souls, or however that thing works (why is a Catholic priest type guy wearing a Star of David anyway?), he doesn't care the way Sanzo does.
- I think one of my very favorite scenes is when Hazel nearly convinces the little youkai boy to give up his life for the sick baby, until Sanzo makes the little guy scream out that he doesn't want to die.
- Gat and Goku also have an interesting thing going on (I adore Goku's starry-eyed admiration at Gat's muscles), which only serves to cement the food=life=desire to live connections. How much do I love that Goku throws Gat an apple, even though Gat technically doesn't need to eat/live? Thiiiiiiis much! It's also so like Goku to do that, like drawing lines on Hakkai's hand or telling Gojyo his hair is the color of fire.
- I have notes that mention moon imagery, except I don't remember what the imagery is -_-;;.
- I also have notes mentioning Goku/kid parallel, except I don't remember what I meant. Goku saves kids? Goku sees himself in the kid? Small, sad, youkai children abound in this world?
- Hakkai's reactions to the kidnapped women. He doesn't go berserk, thankfully, but I bet he's thinking about Kanan. But even so, even with that in his mind, he doesn't want Hazel to kill three youkai so that he can save the women.
- I think, despite the whole non-attachment thing, the point is still that you have to live and be attached to life, to have attachments and emotions and feel pain and joy. And because of that, the ikkou can't count youkai lives and souls the way Hazel does, because they're not number.
- I love love love how Hazel's Sekrit Power is tied in to the resurrection of Gyuumaoh plot, and eeeeeeeee! He knows Ukoku! He knows Ukoku as a sanzo priest and not as Nii! And OMG, Ukoku, you are so evil for baiting them with the idea of the Seiten Taisei!
- Another favorite scene is Goku's fight with Gat and Sanzo saying that he doesn't care and that he'll stay out of it. Except, of course, when Gat has a gun to Goku's head, Sanzo starts shooting things. I *heart* Sanzo.
- And then, of course, there's the wonderful "Huh, power to resurrect people" that Gojyo and Hakkai don't really have, which is a great lead-in to the crazy zombie home life Hakkai goes into on the bridge. And I love that Gojyo doesn't let Hakkai get away with just "ah ha ha, isn't that funny?" and really looks at him and gets it.
- I have no idea what's going on with Zankuro or any of that.
- I like that when Sanzo finds the ikkou again, he collapses onto Goku.
- Of course, that lovely Gojyo-Hakkai moment is paralleled with a Sanzo-Goku moment, where Goku goes after Sanzo, and Sanzo really takes him seriously for a little. And waaaaaah! Echoes of Gaiden, of Goku being afraid that they'll die and leave him. *hugs Goku* But of course, when it comes down to it, Goku would rather die than be resurrected, and of course, being Goku, his response is to try and not die instead. And then GAAAAAAH he's shot down right in front of Sanzo's eyes, with the words that he'd rather die than be resurrected hanging there.
- And then! so;itjga;oerghlanwef;akoewjiopushtb awga youkai!Hakkai!!!!!!!! (do I really need to say more about this?)
- Ok, I love that Hakkai says before, in the desert, when Goku asked Hakkai to stop him as Seiten Taisei if necessary, Hakkai couldn't do it, so now, he's taking off his limiters. And I love that moment between Hakkai and Gojyo when Gojyo grabs his arms to stop him, but then lets him take them off.
- Then we get the wonderful scenes of the ikkou completely losing their cool -- Hakkai and Gojyo at Goku, but moreso, Sanzo just loses it. I don't know if we've seen Sanzo really lose it before -- probably, when he sees Koumyou die. But he basically just flashes back to Koumyou dying, with a shot of the Ukoku black feathers of doom, and he doesn't know what to do and has to go look for something to kill, because he can't bear to stand and watch Goku like that. Then Gojyo goes batshit insane when Hakkai's down, and I think that's the first time we've seen Gojyo go nuts as well. Obviously, we've seen Hakkai do it when Kanan is taken, and a much more passive-aggressive way when Gojyo leaves.
- Also, Gojyo leaves the ikkou before because he can't deal, and this time Sanzo does. And I think this is the first time Goku has woken up after being Seiten Taisei and Sanzo (or Konzen) wasn't there. I love the antiparallel to the post-Seiten Taisei scene in Gaiden, which has Konzen right there with Goku, telling him he didn't do anything wrong. This time, though, Goku knows something is off, he remembers hurting Hakkai. I wonder if he's starting to remember more?
- But just.... GAH! And EEEEE! And OMG!
Where is chapter 21??!?! Is it out?! MUST READ!
Spoilers for all of Saiyuki and Reload and Gaiden
First, I just read all the raws of Even a Worm 16-20 yesterday and stayed up far too late and it's knocked out all the other impressions I've had of Reload and can largely be summed up as: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OMG EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ZOMGZOMGZOMG!!!!!11!1!111eleventyone!
Right then.
(inside I am still squeeing like mad and completely broken-hearted and wanting to hug the entire ikkou and Sanzo most of all even though he would shoot me, but I am trying to write something not totally consisting of the letter "e" and attempting to use periods as well)
- Vol. 3 I've read before, but it was great being able to read the translation, and I snickered mightily at the ikkou in water, attempting to threated Kougaiji and company. And then.. Burial! Yay! Ukoku still totally freaks me out, particularly the shot of him perched like a crow over his dead master, and the fact that the sanzo mark never appears.
- I love the anniversary short.
- I love love love Sanzo backstory, his scarred back, the moon and Marlboros, and one more potential master being killed in front of his eyes to protect him. And oh, him finding Goku is just... wah! Even though I ship heavily in Saiyuki, I don't particularly care if the characters are in love or having sex or what have you, because no matter how that love is expressed, they all love each other and they all fill the broken gaps in each others' lives, and that just kills me.
It's Sanzo's little smile when he watched wee!Goku sleeping, Goku's panic at being left behind. And of course, the Hakkai and Gojyo arc, and umbrella! ^_____^
Then comes Even a Worm, which I like because it's starting to look more at the Minus Wave and humans vs. youkai in a way that started earlier in the series and was brought more into focus with the conversation between Banri and Hakkai.
- I knew about the existence of Hazel and Gat before I read about them, largely via artbook
pictures, and I was a little ambivalent, largely because I wasn't sure if they were becoming more of a focus.
Thankfully, I trust in Minekura and I adore how it's been playing out.
I think it's interesting that my first thought was that they were overtaking the ikkou's thunder, but I think that's the point. There are moments of comedy in which they're referred to as the Hazel-ikkou, but Hazel and Gat are mirror images of the Sanzo-ikkou, just like Kougaiji and company are.
I first thought Hazel was a Hakkai mirror, given that the two are both extremely polite and are really rather scary underneath. This was cemented by the fact that Hakkai actually lost at cards. To Hazel. Who was winning.
I mean... Hakkai lost! And the entire ikkou felt like they were somewhat losing their way after meeting Hazel and Gat; Hazel is being hailed as humanity's savior, when that's what Sanzo is setting out to do (albeit in a completely misanthropic way). But the point is that Hazel doesn't really care.
And then there was the small talk with Sanzo, after which Hazel was acting as a counterpart to Sanzo, what with his master being killed in front of his eyes. Except Hazel uses it to hate youkai, much as Hakkai did before, while Sanzo... eh. Well, Sanzo hates everything. But he lives. And even though Hazel restores lives and souls, or however that thing works (why is a Catholic priest type guy wearing a Star of David anyway?), he doesn't care the way Sanzo does.
- I think one of my very favorite scenes is when Hazel nearly convinces the little youkai boy to give up his life for the sick baby, until Sanzo makes the little guy scream out that he doesn't want to die.
- Gat and Goku also have an interesting thing going on (I adore Goku's starry-eyed admiration at Gat's muscles), which only serves to cement the food=life=desire to live connections. How much do I love that Goku throws Gat an apple, even though Gat technically doesn't need to eat/live? Thiiiiiiis much! It's also so like Goku to do that, like drawing lines on Hakkai's hand or telling Gojyo his hair is the color of fire.
- I have notes that mention moon imagery, except I don't remember what the imagery is -_-;;.
- I also have notes mentioning Goku/kid parallel, except I don't remember what I meant. Goku saves kids? Goku sees himself in the kid? Small, sad, youkai children abound in this world?
- Hakkai's reactions to the kidnapped women. He doesn't go berserk, thankfully, but I bet he's thinking about Kanan. But even so, even with that in his mind, he doesn't want Hazel to kill three youkai so that he can save the women.
- I think, despite the whole non-attachment thing, the point is still that you have to live and be attached to life, to have attachments and emotions and feel pain and joy. And because of that, the ikkou can't count youkai lives and souls the way Hazel does, because they're not number.
- I love love love how Hazel's Sekrit Power is tied in to the resurrection of Gyuumaoh plot, and eeeeeeeee! He knows Ukoku! He knows Ukoku as a sanzo priest and not as Nii! And OMG, Ukoku, you are so evil for baiting them with the idea of the Seiten Taisei!
- Another favorite scene is Goku's fight with Gat and Sanzo saying that he doesn't care and that he'll stay out of it. Except, of course, when Gat has a gun to Goku's head, Sanzo starts shooting things. I *heart* Sanzo.
- And then, of course, there's the wonderful "Huh, power to resurrect people" that Gojyo and Hakkai don't really have, which is a great lead-in to the crazy zombie home life Hakkai goes into on the bridge. And I love that Gojyo doesn't let Hakkai get away with just "ah ha ha, isn't that funny?" and really looks at him and gets it.
- I have no idea what's going on with Zankuro or any of that.
- I like that when Sanzo finds the ikkou again, he collapses onto Goku.
- Of course, that lovely Gojyo-Hakkai moment is paralleled with a Sanzo-Goku moment, where Goku goes after Sanzo, and Sanzo really takes him seriously for a little. And waaaaaah! Echoes of Gaiden, of Goku being afraid that they'll die and leave him. *hugs Goku* But of course, when it comes down to it, Goku would rather die than be resurrected, and of course, being Goku, his response is to try and not die instead. And then GAAAAAAH he's shot down right in front of Sanzo's eyes, with the words that he'd rather die than be resurrected hanging there.
- And then! so;itjga;oerghlanwef;akoewjiopushtb awga youkai!Hakkai!!!!!!!! (do I really need to say more about this?)
- Ok, I love that Hakkai says before, in the desert, when Goku asked Hakkai to stop him as Seiten Taisei if necessary, Hakkai couldn't do it, so now, he's taking off his limiters. And I love that moment between Hakkai and Gojyo when Gojyo grabs his arms to stop him, but then lets him take them off.
- Then we get the wonderful scenes of the ikkou completely losing their cool -- Hakkai and Gojyo at Goku, but moreso, Sanzo just loses it. I don't know if we've seen Sanzo really lose it before -- probably, when he sees Koumyou die. But he basically just flashes back to Koumyou dying, with a shot of the Ukoku black feathers of doom, and he doesn't know what to do and has to go look for something to kill, because he can't bear to stand and watch Goku like that. Then Gojyo goes batshit insane when Hakkai's down, and I think that's the first time we've seen Gojyo go nuts as well. Obviously, we've seen Hakkai do it when Kanan is taken, and a much more passive-aggressive way when Gojyo leaves.
- Also, Gojyo leaves the ikkou before because he can't deal, and this time Sanzo does. And I think this is the first time Goku has woken up after being Seiten Taisei and Sanzo (or Konzen) wasn't there. I love the antiparallel to the post-Seiten Taisei scene in Gaiden, which has Konzen right there with Goku, telling him he didn't do anything wrong. This time, though, Goku knows something is off, he remembers hurting Hakkai. I wonder if he's starting to remember more?
- But just.... GAH! And EEEEE! And OMG!