Gensomaden Saiyuki

The first season of the Saiyuki anime series, was directed by Yuto Date and produced by Studio Pierrot and Dentsu entitled Gensomaden Saiyuki (幻想魔伝 最遊記, Gensōmaden Saiyūki). The series adapt Kazuya Minekura's manga, directed by Hayato Date, written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and composed by Motoi Sakuraba.

Gensomaden Saiyuki
Gensomaden Saiyuki volume one DVD cover by ADV Films
Genre
Anime television series
Directed byHayato Date
Produced by
  • Ken Hagino
  • Tetsuya Watanabe
  • Tomoko Gushima
Written byKatsuyuki Sumisawa
Music byMotoi Sakuraba
StudioPierrot
Licensed by
Original networkTV Tokyo
English network
Original run April 4, 2000 – March 27, 2001
Episodes50
Sequel

The season follows the first adventures of Genjo Sanzo with three demons, named Son Goku, Cho Hakkai, and Sha Gojyo, travel to the west, are questing to put a stop to whoever's trying to resurrect the ancient and powerful demon god, Gyumao. Of course, there are armies of other demons just aching to get in the way.

The season initially ran from April 4, 2000 to March 27, 2001 in Japan on TV Tokyo, spanning 50 episodes. Enoki Films holds the U.S. license to Gensomaden Saiyuki under the title Saiyuki: Paradise Raiders.[3] Also ADV Films licensed the series, released in July 2003 to 2009.[4][5]

Madman Entertainment announced its license of the series in October 2009 for Australasia. The episodes was released at a rate of one a day for all 50 episodes and will remain online until 20 January 2010.[6]

Four pieces of theme music are used for the episodes—two opening themes and two ending themes. The first opening themes is "For Real" by Hidenori Tokuyama, used for the first twenty-six episodes and the second opening themes is "Still Time" by Hidenori Tokuyama used from episode twenty-seven to fifty. The two ending themes, "Tightrope" by Charcoal Filter and "Alone" by Mikuni Shimokawa.[7][8]

Plot
See also: List of Saiyuki characters

When chaos still reigned over the world, it was a country where humans and demons finally live in peace and harmony. However, somewhere in the west, someone is trying to resurrect an ancient evil demon and all the demons rediscover their warlike instincts by savagely attacking Men. This is where an unorthodox monk and gun enthusiast named Genjo Sanzo intervenes who, accompanied by three half-man, half-demon beings with powerful powers, is responsible for stemming the evil surge, they set off on a fabulous journey to solve this problem.

Home media release

Japanese
Broadcast areaBroadcasting stationBroadcast periodBroadcast dateBroadcast series
Kanto areaTV TokyoApril 4, 2000 - March 27, 2001Tuesday 18 :30 - 19:00TV Tokyo series
HokkaidoTV Hokkaido
Aichi PrefectureTV Aichi
Osaka PrefectureTV Osaka
Okayama Prefecture and Kagawa PrefectureTV Setouchi
Fukuoka PrefectureTVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
All over JapanBS JapanDecember 6, 2000 - November 23, 2001Wednesday 18:55 - 19:25TV Tokyo series
BS broadcasting
Mie PrefectureMie TelevisionOctober 2000 - 2001Monday 17:00 - 17:30[9]Independent Station
Shiga PrefectureBiwako BroadcastingJune 29, 2000 - 2001Thursday 19:00 - 19:30[9]
MiyagiTohoku BroadcastingJuly 7, 2001 - ?Saturday 17:30 - 18:00[9]TBS Series
Fukushima PrefectureTV You FukushimaNovember 2000 - 2001Tuesday 0:50 - 1:20 (Monday midnight)[9]
Shizuoka PrefectureShizuoka BroadcastingJuly 29, 2000-2001Saturday 2:05-2:35 (Friday midnight)[9]
All over JapanAT-XOctober 29, 2002 - May 2, 2003Tuesday 11:00 - 12:00
(with repeat broadcast)		CS broadcasting
Kids Station

Reception

Gensomaden Saiyuki won Animage magazine's Anime Grand Prix Award in 2000 and Genjo Sanzo won the best male character category.[10] On January 17, 2001, "Gensomaden Saiyuki" was ranked second on Animage's list of 100 most-important anime ever published.[11] In May 2002, Gensomaden Saiyuki was ranked fourth as chosen by Animage's reader's poll of Top 20 Picks Best of 2001,[12] and in August 2001, the series was ranked ninth in Newtype website's poll of top 10 Anime, and Genjo Sanzo was sixth in the top ten male characters.[13][14]

On October 8, 2004, It was reported research has shown in recent years, Saiyuki anime has become extremely popular among Japanese young women.[15] In September 2005, Japanese television network TV Asahi broadcast a popularity poll based on a nationwide survey in which Saiyuki was placed 96th of the channel's Top 100 Anime.[16] In 2007, a large-scale survey by TV Asahi voted Gensomaden Saiyuki as the 27th-most-appreciated anime in Japan.[17] On August 2020, Japan’s biggest ranking site Goo Ranking published its list for the most popular anime that debuted in the last 20 years. Among these titles, Gensomaden Saiyuki was ranked eighth.[18]

Critical response

Enoch Lau of THEM Anime Reviews gave the series a three-out-of-five-star review, describing the series as a low-budget presentation that is entertaining and fun, which mixes mythology and religion beyond recognition.[19] Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network criticized the anime series but gave an above-average score to DVD 7: The Gods of War praised the art, described the show with a brightly-colored, well-designed world, admires its cinematic moments and fight scenes, and considers the character design to be the best. compares the improvement of the series to Rurouni Kenshin, which is becoming a great show over time.[20][21]

Layla Lawlor and Barb Lien-Cooper of Sequential Tart give an above-average score to Saiyuki Volume 1: The Journey Begins.[22][23] Sheena McNeil of Sequential Tart gave a 9-out-of-10 grade to first volume, praised the art and animation, which has new styles of overlapping frames and the use of static such as shading. considers its story excellent with a new twist on the relationship between humans and demons who coexist peacefully, and also tries to combine the quest with a "good vs. evil" battle, calls the themes and characters as "fascinating."[24] Later volumes of anime were also praised; Sequential Tart's Sheena McNeil praised the art style, gave a high score to Saiyuki Volume 3: Confronting Their Demons, Loves that the main characters have dark pasts and aren't entirely "good guys", and stating that The art techniques used for the background, flashbacks, are seen differently from other anime[25] Barb Lien-Cooper, reviewing Saiyuki Volume 6: Demon Rising, graded 8 out of 10, said that the plot is interesting with varying tones, some unexpected twists and turns, and the characters, the audience can see the depths of the characters and understand them. It interprets the themes of the anime completely allegorically and in a kind of enlightening "good choice."[26]

References
  1. Saiyuki. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  2. Chavez, Eduardo M. (February 23, 2004). "Saiyuki Vol. #1". AnimeOnDVD. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  3. "Saiyuki". Enoki Films USA. January 27, 2002. Archived from the original on January 27, 2002. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  4. "New ADV Releases in July". Anime News Network. April 1, 2003. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  5. "North American Anime, Manga Releases, June 16-22". Anime News Network. June 19, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  6. "Saiyuki added to Madman's Screening Room+, Code Geass R2 coming soon". Anime News Network. October 1, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  7. "オープニング・テーマ". Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  8. "Saiyuki (TV) Opening Theme, Ending Theme". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  9. "TV STATION NETWORK". Animedia. Gakken (August 2001): 115–117.
  10. "第23回アニメグランプリ ［2001年6月号］". Tokuma Shoten. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010.
  11. "Animage Top 100 List Update". AnimeNation. January 17, 2001. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  12. "Animage Picks Best of 2001". AnimeNation. May 10, 2002. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  13. "Newtype top 10 Anime". Anime News Network. August 12, 2001. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  14. "Japanese Top 10 Anime Lists". AnimeNation. May 10, 2002. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  15. "-More Female Anime Fans Now Than Ever". ANIMAXIS. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  16. Macdonald, Christopher (September 23, 2005). "TV Asahi Top 100 Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 18, 2006.
  17. "Japan's Favorite TV Anime". Tv-asahi.co.jp. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  18. 放送開始から20年と聞いて驚くアニメランキング 1位から10位. Goo Ranking (in Japanese). August 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  19. Lau, Enoch. "Saiyuki". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  20. Bertschy, Zac (May 3, 2003). "Review Saiyuki DVD 1: The Journey Begins". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  21. Bertschy, Zac (March 1, 2004). "Review Saiyuki DVD 7: The Gods of War + Artbox". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  22. Lawlor, Layla (October 1, 2003). "Saiyuki Volume 1: The Journey Begins". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  23. Lien-Cooper, Barb (June 1, 2003). "Saiyuki Volume 1: The Journey Begins". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  24. McNeil, Sheena (April 1, 2003). "Saiyuki Volume 1: The Journey Begins". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  25. McNeil, Sheena (September 1, 2005). "Saiyuki Volume 3: Confronting Their Demons". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  26. Lien-Cooper, Barb (March 1, 2004). "Saiyuki Volume 6: Demon Rising". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2022.


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