Saiyuki: story and main characters

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
I guess that it’s time to talk about my favorite Kazuya Minekura’s work: Saiyuki.
Saiyuki is inspired by a Chinese legend written by Wu Cheng'En but Minekura changes many aspects of this legend to create HER Saiyuki.
The story is set in Tougenkyou, a land in which the two races existing (demons and human beings) live in peace together.
The main characters are: Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku, Cho Hakkai and Sha Gojyo. The story begins with an order by gods. The four boys must go to the west to stop some strange experiments aiming at reborn a giant demon, the demon’s king, Gyumao. Because of these experiments the peace in Tougenkyou is finished. Demons have lost the control and attack every human beings they see. These experiments are make joining chemistry with demoniac arts and this union is considered forbidden. The destination of the main characters is the Houtou castle situated in Tenjiku. In this long journey the four boys use a Jeep. The Jeep, in the reality, is a little, white, dragon who can change his shape in a car.
The main characters are very atypical. Everyone of them has a painful past.
Genjo Sanzo is a monk that has the title of the highest priest in Tougenkyou. Sanzo Houshi are the protectors of kyoumons. When Genjo Sanzo was a child he was abandon in a river after his birth. In this occasion he was saved by Koumyou Sanzo, a very important monk, who brought the child up as he would his own son calling him “Koryu”. When Koryu was 12 years old a group of demons irrupted in Kinzan temple killing Koumyou Sanzo and stealing one of his kyoumons: Seiten kyoumon (he was the only Sanzo Houshi to have two kyoumons: Seiten and Maten kyoumon). Before the Koumyou’s death he left Maten kyoumon to Koryu and the Sanzo’s title. Since that moment Koryu changed his name in Genjo Sanzo. After Genjo Sanzo left his temple to search the responsible of the his master’s murder and to take again Seiten kyoumon. In the journey to the west Sanzo hopes to find his lost kyoumon.
Son Goku is an heretical being gave birth to the Earth. His peculiarity are golden eyes. He is neither human nor demon, much less a god is a species unto his own. To keep the human look he wears a limiter created by gods in his forehead. Without it he changes look and shows his real nature: Seiten Taisei. When Goku is without his limiter he looses his control and attacks whoever he sees.
Because of his origin he was taken in Tenkai 500 years ago and because he was responsible to some crimes he was sealed in Genkai within a rock prison. He has lost every remembers about his past and also his powers were reduced. After 500 years ago Goku was set free to the rock prison by Genjo Sanzo and since that time he lives with him in Choan temple.
Cho Hakkai was a human being who has changed his nature in demon after killed 1000 demons. When he was a child he had a twin sister, Kanan. Before of became a demon his name was Cho Gono. After the two children were separated and for many years they lived in two different orphanages. Gono and Kanan meet again their self in a college and they fell in love. After they lived together. A day, while Gono was working, some demons sent by Hyakuganmao kidnap Kanan. When Gono came back at home discovered what was happened and decided to save Kanan. On the way Gono kills the responsible of the kidnapping of Kanan and, arrived in the castle of Hyakuganmao, kills also all the demons that are in it. When he found Kanan he discovered that she was raped and she committed suicide in front of him. In this tragic moment appeared Chiniso, the son of Hyakuganmao, that is surprised that a simple human being was able to kill so many demons. So he wanted try if the legend known among the race of demons is true: An human beings that stain himself with the 1000 demons’s blood become himself a demon. Then Chiniso spilled a bit of his blood on Gono so he became a demon. After Gono changed his nature kills Chiniso. Gono, injured, leaves the castle and was found by Gojyo. Gojyo took him in his house and healed his wounds.
Now Gono has changed his name in Cho Hakkai and lives with Gojyo. To keep the human look Hakkai wears 3 limiters. His limiters are 3 earrings.
Sha Gojyo is a “taboo child”. His parents were a demon (his father) and an human (his mother). The union between the two races is forbidden. The children born by these unions have some peculiarity, they are red haired and eyed. Because their love was forbidden Gojyo’s parents committed suicide and the child (3 years old) is entrusted to the real wife of his father. The Gojyo’s mother was the lover of his father. The stepmother of Gojyo is a demon and has got a child, Jien (9 years old).
When she was looking at Gojyo she was always crying because she saw in him the husband’s face and the vision of that other woman. Gojyo, at that time, wanted be loved by her but often hit him while Jien get on with his brother.
A day Gojyo (12 years old) was be killed by his stepmother but Jien saved him killing his mother. After Jien leaves his house and Gojyo is alone.
After many years Gojyo will meet Hakkai and they will live together. In this journey Gojyo hopes to meet again his brother.
The world of the Minekura’s Saiyuki isn’t definable easily. Past and present’s aspects are mixed together. The journey to the west isn’t only the mission to stop the Houtou’s experiment but also a journey in which the characters will mature and be able to overcome their painful past.