Title: Saiyuki
Volume: 1 (of 9)
Creator: Kazuya Minekura
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: ISSAISHA
US Publisher: Tokyopop
Release Date: 3/2/04
Pages: 208
ISBN: 1591826519
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Action/Fantasy
Rated: OT (Older Teens Age 16+)
Description: Having been assigned by the human elders the mission of stopping a mystical plague that has afflicted the Youkai with madness, Genjyo Sanzo assembles his team of Youkai warriors, desperately hoping that the disease will not affect them. He sets up qualifying tests that will help him determine the loyalty and worth of Cho Hakkai, Son Goku and Sha Gojyo. The team then journeys west to rid the land of madness.
Contains Chapters 1-5
- Prologue: GO TO THE WEST
- Chapter 1: First Game
- Chapter 2: Even
- Chapter 3: Get Square
- Chapter 4: His God
- Chapter 5: My God
- Translator Notes
- SFX Glossary
Review:
Cover: I have never seen a cover be handled this well in my entire life. Saiyuki V.01 is a complete masterpiece. The cover is an exact copy of the original tank, which is very surprising. The front features Sanzo looking his best with his banishing guy. To the left of his picture is the series title, “Saiyuki,” in gold letters, as well as both romanji and kanji characters; it is simply brilliant. The volume number is also on the bottom in black and gold print.
The spine has the new TokyoPop design, but I find the new design more appealing. From top to bottom we have the Tokyopop logo, the series title in gold, the mangaka in gold, and the volume number in black and gold. You can’t miss this title sticking out of a shelf.
The back is also its own masterpiece. We have no summary whatsoever present on the cover. All we have is a very nice picture of the other three characters of the series; Son Goku, Cho Hakkai, and Sha Gojyo. In my honest opinion, I have never been so happy with a cover in my life. It is extremely brilliant that Tokyopop kept this cover to the first volume as it appeals to new fans, as well as the old fans of the series.
Artwork: The artwork of Saiyuki is done very nice. Nice clean and crisp images. The transfer is done nice as well.
Translation: The Translations of Saiyuki is superb. All names are left intact. SFX are left untranslated. Attack names are left alone. The only thing that some people might not like is the honorifics, even though this volume does not really need any.
Extras: There are plenty of extras with this volume. First off, we have a lot of translation notes, and I mean a lot. When you first open up this volume you are presented with a very definitive translation of what the word “Saiyuki” means. There is also a SFX Glossary in the back of the volume, Translation Notes, and Character Profiles.
What I really enjoyed were the color pages of the main characters. These were included in the original tanks as well, so it was a very nice addition adding these to the domestic R1 version of the series.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): This Volume begins with our main heroes meeting up and deciding to go on a quest in order to find sacred scriptures and prevent the resurrection of a demon king. I do not want to spoil much of this series, as it is a series that I recommend to most. Not only does it please the action fans, but there is also plenty of comedy, angst, and a little of romance within these pages.
This volume contains pretty much to stories. One deals with our heroes staying the night at a small inn, where they are attacked by a spider woman. Our four heroes must defeat this enemy, along with trying to ignore the hateful words that are being said along the sidelines, directed towards the demon kind.
Our next story takes place at a Buddhist Temple that our heroes manage to reach and rest at. Our heroes are attacked by a powerful demon that was sent by Lord Kougaji. The demon wants our main protagonist, Genjyo Sanzo, dead. Our heroes manage to defeat the demon, and we are then shown an image of our main antagonists of this series.
This volume ends with a cliffhanger, but what can you expect from most long running manga and anime series. All-in-all, it was a good read, and it is worth the money that a person has to pay for it.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: Yes
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: Yes
- Sexual Situations: No
Rating:
- Cover: A+
- Artwork: A
- Translation: A
- Extras: A+
- Content: A-
Overall: A
Where Purchased: Walden Books
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