Review of Saiyuki Reload: Volume 3

Introduction

Do you remember Monkey? Loads of kung fu action, flying clouds, an infinitely extendable pole, fnar, and a Buddhist monk of indeterminate gender, all topped off with the most comical dub you will ever hear. In its native Japan it`s called Saiyuki, and is one of countless adaptations of the Journey To The West legend. The four heroes were on an endless journey, battling the forces of evil each week, only to have to start afresh at their next stop off point in the following episode. It`s nice, routine, formulaic storytelling that television used to love once upon a time, where continuity isn`t a problem, and episodes can be inserted into the schedules when convenient.

Saiyuki is no stranger to anime, and with this Saiyuki Reload series from MVM, we join the travellers 50 episodes and 1 movie into their journey. Since the main plot can be recited in 30 seconds at the start of each episode, we apparently haven`t missed much. There has been an update of course, with the characters and story moved to the present day. It appears that someone has been trying to resurrect the demon Gyumaoh, which causes no end of mischief in the demon world. Naturally, that impacts on the human world and of course someone has to do something to restore the balance. Step forward the priest, Genjyo Sanzo and his supernatural companions, Son Goku, Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai. Together they travel west to India (in a magic jeep named Hakuryu) to deal with the menace.

The next four episodes can be found on this shiny silver platter.

9. Invincible Castle
Driving through the desert, the heat gets to all of the Sanzo party, especially Hakuryu, who flatly refuses to go on. Fortunately there is a mirage in close proximity. The mirage resolves into a fortress in the middle of the desert. The city folk are not too keen on uninvited guests initially, but open the door when they realise it`s Sanzo. They enter an ordered society, following the 780 laws laid down in a handbook. The lack of freedom may be stifling to the four travellers, but the people of the city soon realise that there are no guidelines in their book to deal with a mass demon attack.

10. Demon Genjyo Sanzo
They say that if a demon hunter kills 1000 demons, he becomes a demon himself. Sanzo is up to 999. Staying at a relaxing inn, Goku gets the wrong end of the stick, and Hakkai and Gojyo egg him on to make the most of the joke. It`s funny until it looks like the old wives` tale is actually coming true.

11. A Kind Visage
The four heroes are kicking demon arse as usual, when Lirin shows up to have some fun and try to steal the scripture. They`re having none of it, and leave her in the lurch. Wandering through the forest, she finds a shrine with food offerings left there. Young brothers Shunto and Rikito have been left alone since their mother departed, and Shunto has been leaving offerings to convince his mother to return. Then a spectral image of her appears, promising to be reunited with the brothers if they can find the scripture held by Sanzo.

12. Forest Of The Spirited Away
A cliff top fight leads to Goku falling over the edge into a misty and magical forest. Wandering lost and unable to find his friends, he meets a girl named Shion, who takes him home to meet her parents. But in this world, nothing is as it seems to be, and Goku is walking into a trap.

A Saiyuki Extra comedy skit follows each episode.

Video

Saiyuki Reload is presented with a 4:3 regular transfer. There are a few compression artefacts, but it doesn`t really hurt the animation that much. It`s a simple, no frills anime, it really only comes alive for the action sequences, otherwise it`s comparatively static. The character designs are generic but effective, and the demons have those characteristic pointed, stick out ears common of the Japanese supernatural. More generic is the world design, the succession of villages all look identical, and there is nothing really striking or unique about any of it.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 English and Japanese, complemented by English subtitles and signs. Aside from the annoying theme tune, the dialogue is clear throughout. As usual the Japanese track was my choice, but what I sampled of the English dub was reasonable enough, if unspectacular.

Features

This disc contains the Commercial Collections (Sanzo Version), which are two minutes of the trailers used to promote the series in Japan, as well as trailers for Ah My Goddess, and the awesome looking Ergo Proxy.

Conclusion

I wonder if I could get away with simply writing `more of the same` and just totting up the scores? Probably not, but it really is more of the same formulaic and simple fun that has typified Saiyuki Reload thus far. The same clichéd characters, the same irreverence and the same lack of impact of the earlier episodes are once again apparent here. Saiyuki Reload can best be described as entry-level anime, the sort of show you would use to ease someone into the anime phenomenon. It`s fun, light and entertaining, and generic enough to appeal to a wide audience. By the same token, it isn`t going to push any boundaries or tax the grey matter.

The episodes are much in the same vein as before, with the first offering the `Sanzo Party comes in and shakes up the status quo` set piece. The ideal ordered society of the `Invincible Castle` feel that they have everything figured out, but Sanzo and his friends show them that strict adherence to a limited set of guidelines can be just as dangerous as sheer anarchy. This is followed by the `completely played for laughs` episode, with the prospect of Sanzo turning into a demon used to tease Goku. The credulity of Goku, and the moody badass-ness of Sanzo make them ideal targets for the joke. The final two episodes slightly up the seriousness quotient, as they look at absent family and how that affects those left behind. Two brothers pining for their mother turn out to be an ideal target for a manipulative demon trying to take the scripture, while in the final episode on this disc, we begin again with the absent family motif, which gradually turns into something much more spooky.

Both these episodes also try to up the emotional depth of their respective stories, but as the main characters are mainly ciphers, it doesn`t really work. Goku may be reduced to tears at the end of the final episode, but it`s hard to have empathy for a caricature whose life revolves around food and fighting.

Saiyuki Reload is pretty juvenile stuff. Were it not for the fact that a couple of the characters are chain smokers, and the four of them spend much of their time slaughtering demons, then it wouldn`t be out of place on kids` TV. It`s fun, but hardly inspiring stuff, with stock characters and staple stories. If it took itself at all seriously, it might even approach tediousness, but fortunately it keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. It`s a little anime frivolity to while away the minutes.