Genjo Sanzo

Saiyuki, "Journey to the Extreme", is based off of the ancient Chinese legend "Xi-You-Ji" or "Journey to the West".

Why the difference in names between ancient and modern? Because the four heros of this smash hit manga (and anime), Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku, Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai, have been upgraded to the "extreme", to entice modern anime fans into the world of yestuday's Myth.

In all actuality, this hit actually runs across three series- Saiyuki (nine volumes of manga, 50 episodes of series), Saiyuki Reload (??? volumes of manga, 25 episodes of series), and the prequel, Saiyuki Gaiden (??? volumes of manga, ??? episodes of series)

CHARACTERS

Genjo Sanzo



A very brutal, worldly priest. He drinks, smokes, gambles, and carries a gun, which is pushing it even for normal people (let alone a Buddhist monk). He's searching for the stole Sutra of his mentor and father figure, Priest Koumyou Sanzo, who was killed in Sanzo's youthby a mob of murderous demons (Youkai). Sanzo is egotistical, huaghty, and can be very cruel, yet our 23-year-old hero has calm judgment, unwavering intensity, and surprising charisma. His favorite phrases are "Die" and "I'll kill you." His weapons of choice are the magical Maten Sutra, a hand gun, and his "fan of punishment" (purely for the idiots around him). He's five ten and often noted for his good looks and drooping violet eyes.

"Sanzo" is truely not Sanzo's name - but a title he was given before the death of his mentor. "Sanzo" is actually the highest ranking in the Buddhist religion - other than that of the Buddha himself. These elite Preists are chosen because of their closeness to the Buddha, and can be distinguished by the crimson shakra they have uon their forhead. Each of them inherets one of the five founding scriptures of Heaven and Earth, although in Genjo Sanzo's case, he attains two, one of which is stolen the night he becomes a Sanzo.

As far as anyone can tell yet, Sanzo was never given his own name at birth. His mother abandoned him in a river, and that is where Koumyou Sanzo found him. He gave him the name "Kouryuu" which means "River's flow", and took him in, raising him as a monk in the Kinzan Temple where he resided. Because he was an orphen, the other monks often picked on the young Kouryuu, calling him names such as "River Rat" or "River Orphen", and even once "Demon". Truely, Sanzo's spirit traces its roots back to godly origin- in his previous life he was Konzen Douji, the nephew of the Merciful Goddess, one of thress Bodis Savis that ruled over the heavens.

Son Goku (right) and Genjo Sanzo (left)

Son Goku



A cheerful little monkey... or an unholy child born from the rocks where the aura of the Earth was gathered. As his brain is full of thoughts of food and games, it would seem there's not much room for deep thought. To pay for crimes committed when he was young, he was imprisoned in the rocks for five hundred years without aging. Becuase of his optomistic personality, he's become the mascot character of the group (Sanzo's the hero, but Goku has become a character of legend, his name was used for that of the main character of the three Dragonball series as well); this healthy 18-year-old is made fun of by Goyjo, yelled at by Sanzo, and watched over by Hakkai. He's five four and his main weapon is the Nyoi-Bo staff.

Sha Gojyo (left), and Genjo Sanzo (right)

Sha Gojyo

Gojyo is a flirtatious, sly, and let's face it, flat-out horny rogue. His behavior may seem rough and vulgar at first (and it is), but to the friends who know him, he's the dependable older brother. He's best friends with Hakkai, sparring partners wiht Goku, and ... strained aquaintences with Sanzo. Although his love for the ladies sometimes leads to problems, he seems to be searching for someone in particular, and its not necessarily a woman. He doesn't need a power limiter (like Goku's crown or Hakkai's ear-cuffs) to blend in with humans because of his unusual heritage (his father is a water youkai or kappa demon, and his mother was human). His favorite weapon is his shakujou staff that uses a chain to control its cresent-shaped blade- a messy piece in battle to be sure. He's six foot even, with crimson hair and eyes. He smokes like a chimney with a burning lust for lung cancer.

Cho Hakkai (top) and Genjo Sanzo (bottum)

Cho Hakkai

A rather perplexing young man. Hakkai is usually quite pleasent and polite and is known for his smile, but he can be so off-putting that it's hard to tell when he's serious ... there's a chance he's the straight man, but that's open to debate. His occasionally sharp gaze - strongly contrasting his often warm expressions - is symbolic of his dark, closed past. As Jeep (Hakkaryu in the anime (his white dragon)) belongs to him, he often drives when the group is riding. He uses his chi (or life spirit/energy) manipulation as his weapon in battle. He, like Gojyo, is 22-years-old, but slightly shorter at five eleven. His eyes are green and his right is nearly blind (hence the monacle). The cuffs on his left ear are Youkai power limiters, but they can also be appreciated as an ancient Chinese fashion statement.