(Untitled)

[ukoku_sanzo]

Now I was wondering...cause I do get to wondering. Does anyone know why Kenyuu/Ukoku/Dr.Nii is in Saiyuki? Yeah he's a villan, a villan with a bunny and a sanzo title. But...why's he there? o_O Minekura-sensei has us know that our four main boys (Goku, Hakkai, Gojyo, and Genjo) are all former gods (well actually Goku sorta still is). That seems to

Comments

[whimsy_chan]

In a way, I think a large part of the explanation behind Nii's presence in Saiyuki is just that Minekura loves that character. She uses him all the time. The most obvious place is in Wild Adapter--if Kubota hadn't met Komiya or Tokitoh, he would be Nii. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind. I even pick up little echoes of that character in Tenpou. Minekura just likes her brilliant, shady bored guy, so she sticks him in wherever she can use him.

Beyond that, I really think Nii is just there to be a foil for Koumyou and to revive Gyuumaoh so the Heaven storyline can finally be wrapped up. It's perfect, too. Koumyou is the moon, Nii is the darkness. Sanzo is the sun. Nii tried to create a sun in Kami-sama, but failed. He's always playing catch-up with Koumyou, even now that he's dead, because there's still Koumyou's little protege Kouryuu to deal with.

(Incidentally, I'm not sold on the "Koumyou isn't dead" theory. I mean, Koumyou died, supposedly, in a temple full of monks. The monks are thoroughly convinced that Koumyou IS dead, and why would they be so sure if there wasn't a body, which there wouldn't be if Koumyou was not actually dead. Unless there was someone at the temple in cahoots with him, helping him to fake his death. In which case, both Koumyou and his accomplice are a couple of heartless bastards, sending a thirteen-year-old out to track down the youkai (YOUKAI. !) who "killed" his master. This also leads to questions about whether Koumyou is, in fact, working WITH Nii. And that's another theory that I just don't buy. It doesn't hold water. I don't think Koumyou had any particular intention of fighting Nii--I think he brought Sanzo up to do that. But I also don't think he supported Nii in any way. Koumyou is rather passive about Nii, neither accepting nor rejecting him. It's strange behavior, to be sure, but it doesn't make me think that Koumyou is particularly shady or intends to screw over his adopted son in any way beyond dying for him. (I also think that Koumyou knew he was going to be attacked, and soon, which is why he made Kouryuu a sanzo when he did.) Just because some shadowy guy is smoking a pipe like Koumyou's doesn't mean he IS Koumyou.

Of course, I could be wrong. And then I'll happily eat crow. (Mwaha.)

But getting back to Nii... the thing about him that I really don't understand is why attempt to revive Gyuumaoh at all? I mean, yeah it's a project, and yeah Nii's bored, and yeah he gets to bang a hot and powerful youkai chick, but why would you want to revive some incredibly powerful youkai king who is GOING TO EAT YOU the second he sees you? Gyuumaoh isn't going to be grateful to Nii--he isn't going to spare Nii. And Nii is way too smart to believe he will. So what's the motivation? There has to be something, and I'm sure it has more to do with Koumyou and Kouryuu and the sutras than with some stupid youkai king. This has to be another part of the game with Koumyou (which, frankly, can continue without Koumyou's actual presence. He's set his "piece", i.e. Sanzo, in motion. He doesn't actually have to be around to see what happens. It's like one of those rpgs where you punch a combination of buttons on your control pad, then go grab a soda while your character kicks ass with some pre-programmed series of moves.). I'm almost more interested in finding out what Nii is up to than I am in seeing the Heaven storyline resolved.

Blah. That was long, rambly, and barely coherent. You'll have to forgive me, it's three in the morning here and I really need to be getting to bed. e_e

[ukoku_sanzo]

I agree with you whole heartedly Whimsy-san. I still don't think Koumyu's alive. A temple full of monks does prove that, not to mention the fact it's WAY out of character for Koumyu to be that cruel. Koumyu is, as phrased earlier....a goofy stoner type. *sweatdrop* For good sake he makes paper airplanes and smokes all day. I don't think he's up to anything, or anything with Nii. Who ever that was in the tree it didn't look like Koumyu at all. -will eat a crow with Whimsy-san if it is- lol

And I do agree with the Minekura-thing. She even admits to likeing that type. So he's there cause shes got a kink for guys like that, now how she fits him in.....

Whimsy-san does bring up a point. Nii is way to smart to think he's going to get some reward for riving Gyuumaoh. Bordum is probably the answer, or maybe he doesn't intend to rivive Gyuumaoh at all. It could just be a cover to get all the scrolls since all the scrolls are headed that way AND he gets to fuck a hawt youkai chick AND he gets to moniter Kouryu AND he gets to wear pink slippers and carry a bunny AND he gets to harass Kou with cryptic warnings. -hell if i was a crazy hot evil genious with time to kill while waiting for a bet to go through with a murdered 'friend' whose apprentice I couldn't mimic with a hot little prostitue....I'd be doing that too- o_o;;;;

*cough* annyyhoo *Sweatdrop* that whole thing with the gods...perhaps well....he wanted to become a sanzo because it was hard to do...perhaps he wants to become a god now. fuck gyuumaoh, he's just there because thats where the scrolls are all headed. That place has one hell of a staffing, and technology and money. It's the perfect place to be. maybe with all the scrolls he can become a god o_O yeah thats pretty crazy and i'd love for someone to tell me the reasons why that theory sucks. >_< but it would be so kick ass, sanzo-tachi chase Nii back to heaven where they were kicked out and nataku's revived to stop that horrable -y hot sex fiend.

and thats my take

[notfromvenus]

Do you remember the scene at the end of the Ukoku part of the Burial arc? Where he's crying because Godai (sp?) didn't kill him? I think he wants Gyumoah to eat him up.... I think he wants to die, and who else could defeat him?

[whimsy_chan]

Ah, yes. Where he's crying because he just effortlessly killed all these guys and no one could stop him. But Nii has changed a lot since then. I think he's gotten a lot more cynical and jaded. I don't think he has a deathwish--I think he's very determined in some ways to survive. But I also think he's a little bit indifferent about it--shit happens, y'know. But I don't think he's hoping Gyuumaoh will kill him. That just doesn't ring true with Nii's character now. Anyway, if Gyuumaoh kills him, he won't be able to have his final confrontation with Sanzo and settle his bet with Koumyou, which is way WAY more important than Koushu and her stupid king.

[secret_windows]

Nii when he was Ukoku was nicer as he say the "light of the gods" so to speak, but due to those killings he commited he's fallen from grace... its related some how to Koumyou's plans for Genjo.

[notfromvenus]

He acts pretty nice and "Ukoku-ish" when we see him again in the Hazel arc, though... makes me wonder if he has multiple personalities or something ;).

[hksherra]

I think that the only time that we actually got to see the "real" Ukoku was in the Burial Arc when he hangs out with Koumyou... At the end of the scene where he showed up it said something like "the silence could have devoured the darkness itself"... and I think that means that Ukoku was very lonely then and came to Koumyou for company... and he is all giggling and open with him! Awwwwwww....

I think when he is like that with Hazel though, he is faking it... Ukoku manipulates the heck out of poor widdle Hazel...

[secret_windows]

Hazel is so nieve its cute!

[ukoku_sanzo]

It is cute. o_o -Maybe should make friend with the Hazel community?-

[secret_windows]

Where?

[ukoku_sanzo]

You can find a whole list of communitys -minus this one- on Saiyuki_icons.

[notfromvenus]

I don't think Gyuumaoh will kill him - I think Sanzo will. But, I dunno, I still think Koumyou knew what he was all about...