Saiyuki Reload Volume 3

Saiyuki universe #12

by Kazuya Minekura, Athena Nibley (Translator), Alethea Nibley (Translator)

Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai, a band of four handsome young adventurers, travel the land to fight the demonic youkai, almost human-looking beings with pointy ears and bat wings.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Action, Adventure, Josei

208 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1999

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

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fight continues against Kougaiji and his crew versus Sanzo and his, but Kou is able to find himself again with Yaone and Dokugakuji. We then get more of Sanzo's backstory (before he became the chain smoking, drinking, unlovable character we love anyway!) in the burial arc and lastly, witness the Sanzo party's celebration of a year heading west.

Sanzo is my favourite character so I love finding out more about him and his tortured past. I don't think many people would still be sane after what he has lived through!

[Illy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. I loved the flash back of Sanzo and goku. I really like the fight scene and the anniversary chapter. Honestly just super cute and heartwarming over all.

[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.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

About Ukoku: maybe I should have realized he was Ni Jianyi, because of the glasses and the hair color. Oh well, it's fine. Thanks to good old Google, everything's all sorted out.

I don't mind the whole woobish 90s thing where everybody has a terrible background and there's a lot of violence in both their past and present and every guy's a sad boy deep inside. Some contemporary fanfiction digs into this idea too deeply for me, but this PG-13 level of it is just fine. The guys' current, bickering camaraderie shows that if you have some mates around to travel, eat, drink, and beat up opponents with, the darkness feels a little further away, for a little while.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Volume 3 was a very satisfying read. I know I will read this volume again. The contents of this volume was not an episode so this was all new to me. So much back story and information. Sanzo is fascinating. He is such a contradiction but there is a reason for everything he says and does. He is carrying so much pain. He reminds me of Frodo bearing the weight of the ring. The anniversary chapter was very good too but I wondered what Hakkai’s reminisces of the year would be. Sensai’s humor is delightful!!! She makes me laugh out loud. What a great sense of humor and timing.

[wulvz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series will never leave my heart. The untouchable art style, the untouchable character designs, the way even characters I hate carry so much beauty in their design and philosophies I can’t fully hate them. The way the protagonists are all broken and houseless characters, finding homes within each other. The way each character is fully capable of being cringe and unpleasant while simultaneously profound and intricate. I love this series, I love every chapter on Sanzo’s past. I love that this author never chooses to sugarcoat trauma. Incredible incredible :-)

[Khari · Rating 4 out of 5]

孫悟空の章は素晴らしかった。孫悟空のキャラとすごく同情する。彼の悲劇な過去はこの話にちょっとだけのぞいてる。本当にかわいそうな存在している悟空は。

[Mosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of juicy fights and background story!

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reas this for Goku. Sanzo is just bonus.

[Omar Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Origin first

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 2.5

Honestly not a lot happening in this volume. Half of it was flashback stuff and the present day stuff was just a quick wrap up of the fight that was happening in the previous volume. Rounding up mostly because I think the scene where Sanzo and Goku met is very cute.

[Paula Greenfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. The characters are great and their adventures are awesome.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Kougaiji's new outfit!! Haha!! Yes, my review needed to start with that!

I don't have much else to say other than this was another awesome volume! Most of it was things that happened in the past, giving the reader a little bit of history of Sanzo and Ukoku.

Goku was SO ADORABLE during the time Sanzo found him!! I was squeeing for sure! See!! Just look at him!!



Haha, okay...moving on...

I really love Koumyou a lot! He is just such a fun, interesting, mysterious character. I love any scenes with him in it!

But, let's be honest, ladies especially, we all know what our favorite part of the manga was:


Amirite? Hahaha!! It's so wonderful I felt the need to point it out on the picture itself :-p Haha!!

Anyway, here are some more pics from the volume that I loved!

[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the conclusion of the 'against the stream' arc (Sanzo and co. vs. Kou) it becomes a real flashback volume - We get Ni's relationship with Sanzo's old master, Sanzo's past and the meeting between Goku and Sanzo. Beautifully detailed artwork as ever and always nice to get insights into the characters. Excellent stuff.

[alfreeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good background on Sanzo, how he gets set on his path. The story of how Sanzo came to free Goku. Sanzo lost the credit card.

[Sofía Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having Sanzo and Goku's burial part made this one of my fav

[keereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read

[Ruben Monteiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a bit lost with the story. Specially the little glimpse moments. But glad to be back to the past.