Saiyuki, Vol. 8

Saiyuki universe #8

by Kazuya Minekura

Sanzo, Goku and Hakkai are out to find "God"--and Gojyo. At the same time, Gojyo climbs a seemingly endless stairway to heaven and is assailed by a very maternal monster. The gang finally catches up to Gojyo, and as luck would have it, they've also found "God." But this dangerous deity is no ordinary opponent, and the quartet must get serious before they get crushed.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Adventure, Action, Japanese Literature

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Kazuya Minekura (峰倉かずや Minekura Kazuya, born March 23, 1975) is a Japanese manga artist most known for the Saiyuki series. Her other manga series include Wild Adapter, Shiritsu Araiso Koto Gakko Seitokai Shikkobu (Araiso Private School Student Council Executive Committee), and Stigma. Stigma is notable for being a full-color work, unusual as manga is generally drawn in black and white.

She had an illness that affected her writing from 2004–2007, which caused her to have a hysterectomy. On 28 September 2010, she went on Hiatus to undergo surgery for ameloblastoma on the right half of her upper jawbone. On 31 December 2010, she reported her surgery was successful after removing the tumor on her right upper jawbone and is currently resting and being fitted with artificial prosthetics to reconstruct the area where her bones were removed.

Reviews

[Illy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ADORE this series. I have never found anything like. I have watched all of the anime, read the series over multiple times, and lots of fanfiction. I can’t suggest this more. It is cute yet not lighthearted. The characters are great and I love them all so much (I ship Goku and Sanzo forever). If you like m/m then you will like this as the characters have plenty of “interesting” moments. If you simply like an adventure then you will like this. If you like retellings then you will like this. Overall, it’s really good and you need to pick it up.

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely liked this one better than the previous volume, although I'm kind of wondering what exactly is going to happen next to wrap everything up nicely since volume 9 is the last one in this particular part of the series. As always this series is a prime case of 'love the characters but feel like the overall plot and execution falls flat'. Oh well, it's fun enough most of the time, but I do find myself zoning out sometimes.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this is the best volume of Saiyuki so far. There's serious plot development, a visible shift in character relationships, insight into certain POVs, and an actual paradigm change in how the story is going and will proceed from here on. Perfect for fans of Sanzo and Hakkai as well as Kougaiji and his group. Plus there's some really stunning looking panels in this book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story picks up with Gojyo having left Team Sanzo to track down Kami and get revenge for the two little boys.
Gojyo enters the forest looking for Kami. He goes up these seemingly endless stairs and is confronted with the image of his Mother (he calls her Mother, but she is his father's actual wife. Gojyo's biological mother is someone we never see in his memories). She tries to kill him and Gojyo has flashbacks to when he was a child and she tried to kill him. His brother saved him, but this time he saves himself and the memory/spell disppears.
We also get reminded that Dokugakuji (Gojyo's half brother) used to sleep with his mother (his bio mother) in order to get her to leave Gojyo alone... more incest (like Hakkai and his sister Kanan).

Sanzo meanwhile convinces Hakkai and Goku to move on with their journey. They don't get too far before they come to the realisation that they need to go back and get Gojyo.
They make their way to the castle where Kami and Gojyo are. They all fight Kami and get defeated terribly. Kami takes Sanzo's sutra from him. Gojyo makes the decision to retreat. They live to fight another day, but Sanzo is very badly wounded and unresponsive.

We also see what has happened to Kougaiji - he's no longer who he was before the mad scientist got hold of him! He is loyal only to Gyokumen Koushu and tells his friends not to be so familiar with him. He sets off on his new mission to kill Team Sanzo.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

La scelta di Goyjo di lasciare la missione senza dire nulla non fa che rendere più tesi i rapporti tra gli altri tre compagni: se Sanzo vuole evitare perdite di tempo e andare avanti, Hakkai e Goku vorrebbero tornare indietro e recuperare l'amico. Ovviamente, il bonzo corrotto non dichiarerà mai apertamente i suoi sentimenti, ma anche lui è rimasto turbato dagli eventi del volume precedente. I disagiati non si possono separare e quindi il trio decide di andare a recuperare Gojyo - ufficialmente, per poterlo riempire di botte, ufficiosamente per confrontarsi con "il signore". Scontro che porterà ad un'amara sconfitta per i nostri protagonisti.

Le cose non vanno meglio al castello di Hoto: il principe Kogaiji è stato trasformato in una specie di macchina da guerra, privato completamente dei suoi sentimenti, della sua nobiltà d'animo. Gli esperimenti dell'inquietante dottor Ni hanno avuto successo, mentre Yaone e Dokugaku sono costretti ad assistere impotenti alla trasformazione del loro amato principe.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warning: I am biased. This has been my favourite manga series for over a decade and I'm on my sixth (or so) reread. This is as good as I remember. Minekura has given us distinct characters, and even when the speech balloons aren't tied directly to anyone in the panel, you know exactly who is expressing which thought. The art is amazing, and sometimes I'll just stare at scenes trying to soak more in. And the drama/angst jumps in to contrast the humour so suddenly that I will need to stop reading just to process how much I love the moments/characters/everything. Or the humour bumps aside the drama, which is a delightful way to break the tension. In all, that's basically the theme of the whole story. Nothing matters so much you can't joke about it. Though at the same time, everything absolutely matters. Sweet and sour, baby.

My copies of this manga are all beat up, but I know I'll read them again. Everytime, it's a treat.

[Brooke Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE the God arc! Since the guys have been able to defeat their enemies up until now, it was cool to see them face a big defeat like this at the hands of “God”. The God character himself is intriguing too! I like the childlike personality yet he’s also strong. The cohesiveness of the story is pretty continuous as well, for the most part, and the scene transitions were really clear/handled well.

Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo are some of my favorite characters! The way their personalities - and pasts - are so different but work collectively well together is amazing! The connections between them are one of the story’s strengths in my opinion!

Can’t wait to read about their comeback!

[Andrea Aguas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It makes me cry that when Gojyo disappeared, they were uneasy and didn't know how to proceed with their day. Gojyo is part our their lives. Their friendship is pure and unbreakable. I crave for this kind of bond. I cry because this is the kind of warmth that I would never experience.

[Paula Greenfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is awesome book and the characters wonderful. I love them all.

[Mosley]

The Sanzo party is really in for it in this volume!

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just don't understand... did "god" kill just to obtain this suture to further his personal vision?

[Omar Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unity ♾️

[Jody Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for another great volume of Saiyuki! This was so great, I got a warm fuzzy feeling when Sanzo, Hakkai and Goku decided to go rescue Gojyo (so that they could kill him themselves for going off on his own) - these guys are such hard-asses, but they really care about each other. I guess it's true what they say, you can only treat your friends that way and get away with it! I was really moved when Gojyo broke down in tears on the stairway - and I laughed so hard when the stairway barrier put a fake Gojyo in the way of the other three, and they beat the hell out of it thinking it was the real thing -

"How did you know I was a fake?"

"He's a fake?"

I feel really bad for Kougaiji, and I wonder what could have happened to Lirin. I think the only thing left for Kougaiji is to be defeated by the Sanzo party, because I can't see how he'll be saved - but I hope I'm not right, because I really like his character. Kami-sama was really very creepy - I can never help but like the slightly psychotic villains, they're always such fun! But I'm rather angry that he took Sanzo's sutra, since I feel very protective of Sanzo (definitely my favorite character - I love how he threatens the other three with that deadpan expression on his face).

The next book is the last in this series, I wonder how it will all be resolved? I can't wait to find out!!!

[Viridian5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting to see the effects of Gojyo leaving the group, because his contribution isn't as easily described as the others'. Sanzo's the goad and the reason, Hakkai's the social lubricant who smooths things out (when he isn't inciting at times just to make things interesting), and Goku is the heart and the enthusiasm. But Gojyo gives Goku entertainment and an outlet for his energies and keeps Hakkai even-keeled. I'm having a harder time calling what it is he does for Sanzo, although Sanzo is obviously attached to him and hurt by him taking off without a word. (Although, feline that Sanzo is, he could never say such.)

"Why should I give a damn about someone who'd up and leave?!" says a lot more than I think Sanzo intended.

In other news, it seems that my contempt for Dokugakuji only grows.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's my honey on the cover ^_^

This volume is pretty intense all around. The anger and frustration everyone is feeling over a multitude of things... well, it's hot of course but haha!! It's intense!! As a reader, my chest felt tight through most of the volume just wondering what was going to happen! I really like the Kami-sama arc A LOT!! Definitely one of my faves!

Chapter 47 title page that I loved:




[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanzo, Goku and Hakkai go after Gojyo to give him a piece of their minds for deserting them. He is currently trapped in a bubble at the mercy of the evil Sanzo who wants him as a new toy.

This is the first time we see our heroes lose a fight and it really dents their morale. Fantastic artwork as usual, punchy dialogue and rip roaring adventure. Great stuff. Looking forward to the big show down in the next volume!

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Oyceter · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://oyceter.livejournal.com/371851...

[Ariel Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! ^ _ ^

[Nura · Rating 4 out of 5]

jarang-jarang liat sanzo depresi :p

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not fond of the Kami-sama arc if I'm honest, but it is interesting to see how the Sanzo party deal with absolute defeat... Not well, in case you were wondering ;-)!

[Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. The story with the god is serious and exciting. I'd forgotten Kou's weird transformation. Anticipating the finish of this arc...

[keereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read

[Ruben Monteiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a good sign when a story has various main characters and you are eager to know all of them pretty much at the same level.