Saiyuki Reload Blast

Summary

Slated for premiere on July 5, Saiyuki Reload Blast is the newest addition to the Saiyuki series and a work that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the franchise. It is directed by Nakano Hideaki ( Aoharu x Machinegun ), written by Konuta Kenji ( Blood Lad, Ace of Diamond ), and produced by Platinum Vision ( Servamp ). Granrodeo is providing the opening theme “Move On! Ibaramichi” and Luck Life is performing the ending titled “Refrain”. The series will run for 12 episodes.

Series Info

The series could be considered a classic as it has been around since 1997 in various forms starting with Minekura Kazuya’s original manga (1997-2002, 9 volumes). It was followed by an OVA (1999) and a spin-off manga titled Saiyuki Gaiden (1999-2009, 9 volumes) that inspired a 3-episode OVA in 2011, the 50-episode anime series Gensomaden Saiyuki (2000-2001), an anime film in 2001, another manga titled Saiyuki Reload (2002-2009, 10 volumes), a Gensomaden Saiyuki OVA in 2002, the Saiyuki ReLoad (2003-2004) and the Saiyuki ReLoad GunLock (2004) anime series and the OVA (2007-2008), the ongoing manga Saiyuki Reload Blast and the spin-off Saiyuki Ibun in 2009, and now the upcoming TV anime.
If you’re considering watching any of the older series, it’s worth noting that the Gensomaden Saiyuki series were directed by Date Hayato, the director of Naruto Shippuuden, while the ReLoad series (except for the OVA) were written and directed by Endo Tetsuya, the assistant director of Miyazaki’s classic My Neighbor Totoro and director of Digimon Fusion.

Story

The name of the series (最遊記, translated as “Journey to the Extreme”) is a pun on Saiyuki (西遊記), the Japanese title of the famous 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (same Japanese pronunciation but different characters), also incorporating parts of the story and characters.
Saiyuki follows the unlikely troupe of four anti-heroes, the monk Genjo Sanzo, the monkey king Son Goku, the half-demon Sha Gojo, and the human-turned-demon Cho Hakkai, who were sent to India to stop the resurrection of the Ox Demon King Gyumaoh. After a long journey, the group finally arrives to India. What waits them there is even more battles and a ghost of the past...

Broadcast Info

AT-X: July 5 (Wed) 10:30 pm
Tokyo MX: July 7 (Fri) 0:00 am
Sun TV: July 7 (Fri) 11:30 pm
BS11: July 9 (Sun) 1:30 am
TV Aichi: July 10 (Mon) 3:05 am

Cast

Genjo Sanzo

One of the five highest rank priests, Genjo Sanzo could not be further away from the image of a typical Buddhist monk: He smokes, drinks, gambles, and swears, and his favorite lines are ”Die!” and “I’ll kill you”. He has a charismatic personality and an uncanny ability to see through situations, but he’s also a sore loser. He is 24 years old and is voiced by Seki Toshihiko, who has played over 200 roles including Umino Iruka from Naruto and Rey Za Burrel, Duo Maxwell, and other roles from the Mobile Suit Gundam series.

Son Goku

Born from a rock at the top of Mount Huaguo, Goku is neither human, demon, nor a God. He was imprisoned 500 years ago for committing a grave sin and freed by Sanzo. 19 years old, he’s cheerful and straightforward, even simple in a sense. He has an endless stomach and is always hungry. His voice is Hoshi Soichiro, a well-established seiyuu with countless roles under his belt including Yamato Kira from Gundam Seed and Maebara Keiichi from When They Cry.

Sha Gojo

A 23-year-old half-human half-demon, Gojo is looked down upon everywhere he goes. Despite being a philanderer and a show-off, he is also soft-hearted and considerate. He is almost always fighting with Goku, who likes to call him “Ero Kappa” and “Cockroach Kappa”. He is voiced by Hirata Hiroaki, who is most known for his role as Sanji from One Piece.

Cho Hakkai

Once a human by the name of Cho Gonou, Hakkai massacred 1,000 demons for revenge and became one himself. 19 years old, he is also the secret leader of the group and often calms his friends down. Usually he’s calm and sociable, trying to avoid conflict, but out of the four, he’s the one you do not want to make angry. He is voiced by Ishida Akira, who played numerous characters over his nearly 30 years in the industry, such as Athrun Zala from Gundam Seed and Gaara from Naruto.

Additional cast

Dokugakuji: Yamanoi Jin
Crown Prince Nataku: Kouda Kaho
Kougaiji: Kusao Takeshi
Kanzeon Bosatsu: Igarashi Rei
Taruchie: Saito Chiwa
Sai Taisai: Suwabe Junichi