A comparison between Saiyuki and Saiyuki Reload

                                                  
Probably Minekura had not intention to divide her work in two parts but to create a single work called Saiyuki. But we can find some peculiarities that mark out Saiyuki and Saiyuki Reload.
Saiyuki deals with negative anomaly but also the peace’s condition that formerly reigned in Tougenkyou from human beings point of view (we can mention Homei and Shunrei as some examples). In the opinion of human beings (with the exception of Shunrei and few other people), that ignore the reasons that cause in demons the loss of their control, demons have only showed their real nature, then creatures that, regard their self higher, refuse the peaceful coexistence with human beings. Especially in the first part of Saiyuki, human beings are showed like victims that suffer the demon’s impositions. On the contrary in Saiyuki Reload, although are showed in the same way towns attacked by demons, Minekura decides to show us also the other side of the coin: the condition in which is and was Tougenkyou from demons point of view. An example is Yakumo, a demon who in this occasion, is the victim because he is persecuted by human beings only for his race although he don’t threaten their lives. In Burial Banri shows us a different reality of that one we usually know about Tougenkyou. In his opinion Tougenkyou isn’t the land of peaceful coexistence in which lives together demons and human beings. And the victims are demons who, cause human beings are afraid of them, are forced to live in a society made to measure of human beings where, if they want to fit into it, are obliged to repress their own demoniac nature adapting their self to the rules that were imposed them.
In Even a Worm there is Hazel’s figure (who is from a land far from Tougenkyou in which demons and human beings never lived in peace). Hazel, also because events regarding his past, hates demons and is convinced that a peaceful coexistence between demons and human beings will can never exist. In Even a Worm 8 Hazel, who hadn’t souls anymore, tries to persuade a little demon to be killed (in this way the child could be abandon a life that will be full of hardship and will not have need to hide himself from human beings anymore) to appropriate his soul and give it to a human child, that Hazel met before, that was dead cause a illness and so reborn him. In this occasion the victim is the demon child. His only “fault” is to be a demon but cause he is a child doesn’t feel the effects of negative anomaly.
In Even a Worm 10 Sanzo ikkou arrives in a town in which demons and human beings reached an agreement. In this occasion some human beings captured two demons using them as show.
In Even a Worm 22 begins the Oasis’s part in which is contained the long fight between demons and human beings. In this part the evil ones are human beings that use shabby acts to create the fight.
So, who is the victim and who the executioner?
Probably both of the races have their faults.
- About the condition of Tougenkyou BEFORE negative anomaly human beings were guilty to forced demons to live in their way trying to repress their real nature moving them away not physically but, maybe even worse, loosing them their identity. But to the other side how can we blame human beings behaviour that have taken up this attitude (even it is extreme) with demons because they wanted protect their self if demons could have the better of them? There were been and there were again some examples that can inspire awe (we can mention Gyumao and recently Hyakuganmao as examples). Many human beings tried to live in peace with demons but also this behaviour is permitted within certain limits because demons and human beings can live together, work together…but they can’t create love relationships.
- About the condition of Tougenkyou DURING negative anomaly human beings that always doubted demons convince their self that a peaceful coexistence with demons is impossible.
The people that formed some relationships are confused or refuse the current situation or have changed idea about the demons’s bona fide. Demons self, that haven’t yet felt the effects of negative anomaly are incredulous and spend their days paying for faults that haven’t made waiting and fearing that also for they will arrive the moment in which will lose the control.
- What will happen AFTER? When the experiments will be stopped and then the source of negative anomaly? Will manage demons to return like they were in past? And human beings will be able to understand the situation and accept once again demons in their towns forgiven them their faults avoiding to look at them with fear, suspicion and contempt? That’s what Yakumo asks in Snow Drop. Demons and human beings will end to live totally separate? Tougenkyou will lose the reputation of land in which demons and human beings live in peace? It’s possible imagine that all will finish with the two races rejoined in which the situation will be better than previous with the respect for the two races differences?