Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dream for those who appreciate great direction in Anime., May 5, 2003
This review is from: Saiyuki - Old Friends New Enemies (Vol. 2) (DVD)
It's about time that Saiyuki was released in the states. For every bit that this series has suffered because of poor english subbing in the Chinese release, this series' domestic release has been nothing short of amazing. For one, Saiyuki's the dub is in league with Cowboy Bebop, and its dialogue is even better than that of the subtitled translation. The exchanges between the characters are well-timed, and although viewers used to the typical types of jokes made in anime will appreciate the humour, this is a series that non-anime-addicts will enjoy just as much. The first two episodes on this DVD are particularly beautifully animated, and the somber colors are a nice intermission from Saiyuki's traditionally bright palette. The direction might look familiar to Utena fans: one of the members of the direction crew worked on these gems. By episode 8, the animation goes back to normal, but all the good Saiyuki fun is still there. Characters are more fully introduced in these episodes, and the skeletons are tumbling out the closet for the boys. The Journey West continues: original creator Minekura successfully put countless new twists in an extremely traditional story. This DVD gets 5 stars only because the rating meter does not go up to 6. Saiyuki has lived up to all the hype and is a lovely reminder for those who have forgotten what it's like to *really* be rooting for your favorite characters in a series. This is the good stuff.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
'I Will Only Fight for My Own Sake', August 16, 2003
This review is from: Saiyuki - Old Friends New Enemies (Vol. 2) (DVD)
With a slight change of pace from the lightheartedness of the first DVD, these episodes look deep into the histories of the four companions and brings us closer to their inner motivations. It has been easy to forget that is a serious quest. A divine assignment to recover an ancient scripture and prevent the resurrection of Gyumaoh, an evil demon who was barely defeated on his first appearance. The first pair of episodes brings Genjo Sanzo face to face with a dear friend from his past. But this fellow monk, Shuei, was driven to use a cursed ritual to try to save the monastery from demons. Now he wanders about compulsively killing demons using a new name, Rikuedo, his personality destroyed by the spell. Genjo is forced to confront his own responsibility in this tragedy and put to rest a part of his past he would sooner forget. In the next three episodes Gyukomen Koushu, the woman seeking to resurrect Gyumsoh, aforce her subordinate, Kougaiji, to attempt to capture the scripture in Genjo's keeping. Nothing in this series turns out quite the way it was planned, and Kougaiji and finds much to admire in the four companions. And vice versa. He isn't isn't evil, just driven by his need to free his mother. Kougaiji has attracted several loyal confederates of his own, including Dokugakuji, Sha Goyo's brother. Thus, one of the story arcs that lend unexpected depth to this series is the significance of relationships - love, hate, family, friends, and servitors. Even more than I have mentioned. This is unexpected in a series that initially appears to be a tale of four bickering companions on a quest to India. At first you see a monk and three streetfighting demons, only to discover that you are seeing for modern samurai on an interior quest for self-definition. This novel approach, targeted at a wide audience, makes this series more than an entertaining retelling of an old Chinese classic.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dream for those who appreciate great direction in Anime., May 5, 2003
This review is from: Saiyuki - Old Friends New Enemies (Vol. 2) (DVD)
It's about time that Saiyuki was released in the states. For every bit that this series has suffered because of poor english subbing in the Chinese release, this series' domestic release has been nothing short of amazing. For one, Saiyuki's the dub is in league with Cowboy Bebop, and its dialogue is even better than that of the subtitled translation. The exchanges between the characters are well-timed, and although viewers used to the typical types of jokes made in anime will appreciate the humour, this is a series that non-anime-addicts will enjoy just as much. The first two episodes on this DVD are particularly beautifully animated, and the somber colors are a nice intermission from Saiyuki's traditionally bright palette. The direction might look familiar to Utena fans: one of the members of the direction crew worked on these gems. By episode 8, the animation goes back to normal, but all the good Saiyuki fun is still there. Characters are more fully introduced in these episodes, and the skeletons are tumbling out the closet for the boys. The Journey West continues: original creator Minekura successfully put countless new twists in an extremely traditional story. This DVD gets 5 stars only because the rating meter does not go up to 6. Saiyuki has lived up to all the hype and is a lovely reminder for those who have forgotten what it's like to *really* be rooting for your favorite characters in a series. This is the good stuff.
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