#not genjo?! anything but genjo?!?!

[astralyrical]

my apologies for the inactivity as i am pretty busy with school things sksbskjs,, that said ! wukong did not just ..... steal genjo .... from her ... 😭

[beyblader-observations]

So, I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but Garland strikes me as being Asian, particularly from somewhere around India or China. This is going to be based on anime stereotypes, so bear with me.

My number 1 example of a character that leads me to believe Garland might be Indian is Akio from Utena.

He’s actually a bit darker than Garland, but the darker than your average anime skin tone with the nearly white hair and that red dot on his forehead… it’s all very similar.

The red dot appears to be a bindi or something similar. I thought putting this on men was a cultural inaccuracy that got passed down through anime in Japan, but from my research, it looks like men do sometimes wear those.

This leads to the possibility of him being either Hindu or Buddhist. This opens up the option of him being from various countries that follow these religions. I’m going to talk about the option of him being Chinese for the moment.

Not that a sleeveless shirt in any way indicates a character being from China, but I do see a similarity between Garland’s clothing and that of Genjo Sanzo from Saiyuki, who is a Chinese Buddhist monk. The shirt itself wouldn’t be indicative of anything if it wasn’t for the fact that Sanzo also has the bindi on his forehead. As far as I know, that sleeveless shirt is not in any way an actual article of Buddhist clothing. But anime tends to inspire and borrow from each other, so it’s not entirely impossible that the intention was there.

To add to the Chinese option, if I’m not mistaken, Garland appears to do kung fu (Please correct me if I’m wrong). Of course people from anywhere can learn Kung Fu, but generally with anime, especially with Beyblade, people tend to be connected with their routes, such as how Takao’s grandpa teaches him Japanese kendo.

I wanted to theorize the option of him being Tibetan or Nepalese, since those are right on the cusp between China and India, but there’s no specific indicator of this that I could find. He could also be from a Southeast Asian country that kung fu and Buddhism both spread to.

My conclusion is that despite his last name Tzetbalt being translated as Siebald, I can’t see him as being German. He definitely seems Asian of some variety. But then we have the question of his very white, blonde haired, blue eyed sister… So it IS possible that he’s a mix of German and Asian. He could be German Chinese Indian American. These Bega bladers are a mystery, since they don’t tell us what country they’re from like they do with the other teams.

I forgot to take his first name into consideration. It’s an English word. It came from an old French word, but it’s been in the English vocabulary for a long time, so this might be an indicator of him being from the U.S.?

P.S. He also looks a bit like Shinobu Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho. As far as I can tell from his name and what was mentioned in the story, he’s Japanese.

[tofueggnoodles]

Extreme Bath Log Disk 2 – Track 1: Mahjong Parlor 401

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Click here for translations of previous tracks.

Summary: As they tried to best each other at mahjong, Gojyo, Tenpou, Nobuto and Kubota talked about various things such as Tenpou’s job as a writer, his reason for learning mahjong and how he came to live with the Genjos.

--------

Tokito: The ground floor of the place I’m living in is a laundry. I heard that the business was passed down to Kubo-chan by an uncle of his.

(Sound of an automatic door opening, followed by a chime.)

Kubota: Welcome. (checks the items of clothing) One, two, three... it’s five pieces in total, right? The suit and the shirt will be ready tomorrow, but the coat will take about five days’ time. Would that be fine with you?

Tokito: My guardian, Kubota Makoto, gives the impression of being the pleasant proprietor of a laundry – but that’s just his guise during the day. From 8 o’clock in the evening, once the laundry business closes up for the day, another shift begins on the basement floor, where a different shop,...

(Sound of tiles clacking against each other.)

Tokito: ... Mahjong Parlor 401, inconspicuously opens for the evening.

(Someone discards a tile.)

Tenpou: Ah, Gojyo-kun, that’s a ron. [Tenpou called a ron since Gojyo just discarded the tile Tenpou needed to win the round.]

Tenpou (reveals his hand): Let’s see... I’m a non-dealer this round, so with the seventy fu from my hand, you owe me four-thousand and five-hundred points. [Only the discarder pays the winner when a round ends in this manner. Fu: along with han, determines the basic points.]

Gojyo: Damn it! Seriously? (throws some point sticks onto the table) Here, take your winnings**. [point sticks: used to keep scores in riichi mahjong, https://riichi.wiki/Tenbou]

Nobuto: Seventy fu.... Ten-chan-sensei, are you really a beginner?

(They shuffle the mahjong tiles in preparation for the next round.)

Kubota: At least, this is your first visit here, isn’t it?

Tenpou: Mahjong is a rather profound game, don’t you think? I’ve had no experience in games at all except for Japanese chess and backgammon.

Gojyo: If anything, you’re rabid backgammon player.

Nobuto: I’d intended to bring my elder brother along, but he left the country in a hurry right after the memorial service. It was a mistake to bring along mister writer here in his place.

(They are now building ‘walls’ out of the shuffled tiles: Each of the player start to arrange the tiles, likely in a two-tile high row. Once each player has built their wall, these are pushed together at the center of the table to form a rough square.)

Kubota: He probably wanted to get back [to his job] rather quickly because of the tense situation over there. I would’ve loved to play a few rounds with Kenren-san once in a long while, though.

Tenpou: Indeed, I’m far from an adequate replacement for Kenren, but opportunely, I’m in the midst of picking up mahjong. Since I plan to include a scene featuring a mahjong parlor in my next work, I’ll be working hard at material-gathering tonight.

Nobuto: You seem to be quite in demand as a writer. What sort of novels do you write?

Gojyo**: Erotic novels.

Kubota: Porn.

Tenpou: It’s a specialized genre**.

(As the dealer, Kubota rolls a dice twice to decide which tile to start the dealing from.)

Nobuto: So the saying is true: people are not always what they seem to be.

Tenpou: Erotica as a form of literature is the culmination of mankind’s single-minded obsession throughout history.

Kubota: Well, I do think that’s a good example set by those who came before us. Pon. [This is the call to complete a triplet from a discarded tile.]

Tenpou: Jii.... [he is being dramatic by vocalizing a sound effect which indicates that he is staring fixedly at Kubota]

Kubota: Hmm? What is it?

Tenpou: This is one of those “I can tell that there’s a stain on your back” moments, isn’t it? [A stock phrase uttered by the main character of the manga “Mahjong Hishō-den: Naki no Ryū” just before he wins a round of mahjong. It likely implies that the hero is able to see through his opponent.]

Gojyo: So it’s a mahjong manga you’ve been learning from?

Tenpou: Since there are illustrations in a manga, even a beginner can easily understand what’s going on.

Kubota: Do you intend to continue learning mahjong from that unusual book?

Tenpou: It did allow me to grasp the basics**. Hmm... it seems tough to aim for a top-scoring hand with these tiles. If I’m to aim for a runner-up–

Nobuto: I already have a triplet of one bamboos, so a baiman should bring me close to the top score. [baiman: 16,000 points for non-dealer]

Kubota: Since I’m the dealer, a mangan would be good enough for me. [mangan: 12,000 points (dealer)]

Tenpou: Oh? Could it be that you two are trying to provoke me?

Gojyo: Everyone’s just trying to get ahead. Each is thinking: Is the player to my left holding a concealed dora triplet in his hand? [dora: the tile next in suit to a face-up tile in the dead wall. It adds a multiplier to the player’s hand.]

Tenpou: Come to think of it, there’s no automatic dealing table in this mahjong parlor, is there?

Kubota: I don’t like automatic mahjong tables.

Gojyo: I bet that’s because you wouldn’t be able to tamper with the tiles at critical moments if we were to use an automatic table. [He is implying that Kubota cheats – aside from saving time, automatic tables are supposed to make it harder to cheat.]

Kubota: Such a thing is a trade secret. Chii. [This is the call to complete a sequence, used only for discards from the player immediately to the left of the caller.]

Gojyo: Now who just got the tile he’s been waiting for from the player to his left?

Nobuto: Say, it looks as if this parlor’s been reserved for our exclusive use. Is it always like this?

Kubota: It depends on the day. Basically, we’re able to earn our living from the laundry on the floor above, so we don’t even put up a signboard for this parlor at the entrance.

Gojyo: Since the customers are all guys, you should’ve at least hired some cute parlor attendants.

Kubota: Hello, here’s your cute parlor attendant.

Tenpou: If you were to dress Tokito-kun in a maid costume, he might look rather fetching, don’t you think?

Nobuto: I think that would drastically alter the nature of the business.

Kubota: On that matter, the Genjo family business is an all-guys affair too, isn’t it?

Gojyo: Like I said before, if our bathhouse would employ a girl or two as part-timers, I would’ve been a bit more motivated to work there and we’d be able to attract more customers.

Nobuto: If we’re to employ young ladies, that’s definitely because there’s a certain guy who’s apt to make a move on them.

Gojyo (discard a tile with force): You’ve completely misinterpreted my intent**.

Tenpou: Nobuto-kun, you're a fine one to talk when it comes to women, aren’t you?

Nobuto: Well, at least I’m not as bad as my elder brother used to be.

Kubota: What a lively conversation we’re having.

Tenpou: That particular characteristic of Kenren’s certainly runs in the family, doesn’t it?

Nobuto: There’s nothing wrong with that. Gojyo, you’re not seeing anyone special at the moment, right?

Gojyo: I’m so busy that I can hardly find the time to meet people. Also, no matter how I think about it, our house is not the most conducive environment to casually bring a woman back to. Right, mister writer?

Tenpou: I don’t have anyone to bring back to my place.

Nobuto: Not even one? Despite the fact that you write erotica?

Tenpou: Only one-percent of the depictions in erotica are derived from real-life experience. The remaining ninety-nine percent are powered by the writer’s imagination.

Kubota: An apt remark. On that subject, I heard that your current office used to be Kenren-san’s room.

Gojyo: That’s right. It’s next to my room.

Nobuto: That time when out of the blue, my elder brother brought this mister writer home and left his two kids with me before hurrying overseas, everyone in the household was totally flabbergasted.

Tenpou: To be honest, I was flabbergasted too. Be that as it may, the fact is that I, who lack the ability to stand on my own two feet, can now do things such as eat three square meals a day, take a daily bath and get a proper night’s sleep. Even now, I’m grateful to Kenren, who had provided me with a place where I can do all of those things.

Kubota: Certainly, if one’s living in that house, one can take as many baths as one wishes.

Tenpou: Still, I got scolded by Kenren the other day for dozing off in the bath.

Gojyo: Is my old man your mother? Kan, I call kan. [A call to declare that the player has four of the same tile in their hand.]

Kubota: Oh, you’re sure motivated. I thought you’d given up.

Gojyo: They say attack is the best form of defense. The one who’s given up and is discarding only safe tiles is the player opposite me.

Nobuto: Who knows if that’s really the case.

Gojyo: You’ve been discarding safe tiles for quite a while, haven’t you?

(A cellphone buzzes.)

Kubota: Is that your cellphone, Sensei?

Tenpou: That’s a Line message from my editor. Sorry, I thought that there would be no reception since we’re on a basement floor.

Nobuto: What does the message say?

Tenpou: It seems to be an urgent matter. They’ve found a large amount of out-of-order pages in the copies of the book that is to be launched next week.

Gojyo: That’s terrible, isn’t it? The royalties from your books pay for more than half of our household expenses.

Nobuto: If that’s really the case, it’s the management of the bathhouse that’s at fault.

Tenpou: I guess I’d have to go. The other party would’ve already seen the read receipt.

Kubota: Don’t worry about us.

Tenpou: Please excuse me then. I’ll take my leave of you now. Please allow me to continue the material-gathering on another day, okay?

(Getting up from his chair, Tenpou walks to the door and opens it.)

Gojyo: Bye.

Nobuto (eyeing Tenpou’s hand): Hmm? He’s just one tile short of a winning hand. That mister writer was for aiming for a baiman in earnest. That was close.

Kubota: What shall we do? Continue with three players or invite someone else to fill in as the fourth player?

Gojyo: Gramps is the only one that comes to mind, but it’s long past his bedtime.

(The door opens.)

Kubota: Welco– Oh, good evening.

Nobuto: Yo, young master.

Hakkai: Please excuse the intrusion so late in the evening, Kubota-san. I saw Tenpou rushing out in a hurry just now – did something happen?

Gojyo: He was called out to work by his editor. Say, why are you here, Hakkai?

Hakkai: Why else? I’m here to fetch you home, Gojyo.

Gojyo: Hah? Why?

Hakkai: You promised to man the attendant's booth during the morning tomorrow, didn’t you? Idling your time until this late in the night, you won’t be able to wake up in the morning tomorrow.

Kubota: I see. The uncle’s the mother to this one. [referring to Gojyo’s earlier remark about Kenren mothering Tenpou]

Gojyo: I’m gonna be all right. I’m not a kid after all!

Nobuto: Don’t be so tough on him, young master. That’s right, since you’re here, take over the spot that Ten-chan-sensei’s just vacated.

Hakkai (sighs): Understood. Then, Gojyo, if you beat me, I’ll let you off your duty tomorrow morning.

Gojyo: Eh? Seriously?

Hakkai: On the other hand, if I win, I’ll have you man the attendant's booth throughout the day and the evening tomorrow.

Gojyo: Hah?

Hakkai: Also, in that case, as part of the collective responsibility, Brother-in-law will take care of the tidying-up during the afternoon break.

Nobuto: Oh.

Hakkai: Well then, shall we begin?

(They shuffle the tiles.)

Tokito: It’s a long night for the men at Mahjong Parlor 401.

--------

(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure of. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about mahjong. The mahjong stuff was cribbed from various sites on the world wide web (:

Trivia:

1. The order of their seating: Gojyo → Tenpou → Nobuto → Kubota

2. Unanswered questions: Is Tokito present in the mahjong parlor? Or is he only “there” to provide the opening and closing narrations? After listening to that one-word line at 2:22 for the n-th time, I am still not sure whether it was Gojyo or Tokito who answered Nobuto’s question about the sort of novels Tenpou wrote.

3. For what it's worth, the mahjong hand before Kanan is one possible hand of Chin Isou (all of one suit).

[geraniumplant]

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐔 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 ~

- Vash Saverem : Age 20. Plant Engineer & track star. He got a full-ride scholarship along with his brother Nai. Started a band with his friend Wolfwood. (lead singer & bass guitarist) Doesn't have his license because he never passed his driving test. He basically walks everywhere unless he can get a ride from Wolfwood or Meryl. Favorite hang-out spots are the bakery, the coffee shop, & the track.

- Nicholas D. Wolfwood : Age 22. Dropped out of beauty school to help his brother pay for & run their childhood orphanage. Nico washes hair at the salon & is a guitarist in Vash Saverem's band. His main means of transportation is his motorcycle. He's very street-smart & feeds the neighborhood stray cats & dogs.

- Genjo Sanzo : Age 23. A biblical & theology major. He's not too passionate about this choice of study but was inherited the Sanzo title from his late adopted father, so a lot is expected of him. Despite being a trust fund kid he's down to earth but a loner. When he's not on campus he can be found smoking on his apartment porch or browsing the nonfiction section of the local bookstore. (he never buys anything though)

- Vergil Sparda : Age 25. An adjunct professor of Medieval literature. He's considered prissy or stuck-up compared to his carefree twin, but the guy is overworked & lonely. In his spare time, he collects & refurbishes artifacts. He pays child support for his son who was a result of a teen pregnancy. When the mother left Vergil gave his son up for adoption to the Fortuna family, because he believes they provide him a better life.

- Mizu : age 19. An exchange student from Japan who lives with a host family. Mizu is a Sociology major & trained mixed martial artist & boxer. They practice at the dojo regularly & do odd jobs on the side, participating in several boxing matches for money. Can be found around the dojo, the gym, & the coffee shop.

D Dracul : Age 20. A Demonology major that minors in psychology. He wants nothing to do with his rich, high-status father & does many odd jobs to support himself, his education, & his stoner twin. This includes Uber, Door Dash, & picking up shifts at the mom & pop hardware store. D is an all-around friendly guy. Kinda dresses goth/hisper-like & is very quiet.

[recre8ed]

@r3loaded : continued from discord. ( moonlit conversations )

Somehow, the honesty is surprising. Sanzo is usually more candid during times like these, but Hakkai knows he's the sort of person who doesn't like to show this kind of vulnerability and uncertainty to others. It feels like being handed someone else's precious glassware—statements like this never mean nothing, but they mean more when it's Sanzo who's saying them.

How many times now has Sanzo offered his feelings on a platter, when it's just the two of them? Hakkai isn't sure he knows the exact answer, but the question alone makes him smile without much else in the way of reason.

"That's very like you," Hakkai says, training his eyes properly on Sanzo again. He looks almost frustrated, Hakkai thinks—it's the look he gets on his face every time they talk like this and Sanzo says something he wouldn't say if anyone else was awake. Like he's not sure how he feels about admitting to these things.

His gaze doesn't leave Sanzo this time. 

Each of the three of them know Sanzo in their own way; Goku follows, Gojyo fights, and Hakkai scrutinizes. He talks and he observes, subconsciously trying to put together the puzzle that is Genjo Sanzo whenever he's offered another piece. Hakkai would like to think he already has an understanding of what the broader picture he is, but he can't help looking for what he's missing anyway, filling the gaps with Sanzo's minute details.

Hakkai likes what he sees—Sanzo under the moonlight, and everything that lies beneath his skin.

"Maybe it's something you should consider, when you have the time," Hakkai suggests. "As long as you're alive, there are things you can do—right? Putting your situation aside, how would you want to live?"

The question is mostly rhetorical, since Hakkai doesn't actually expect Sanzo to respond to it with anything more complicated than an 'I don't know', if he responds at all. He'd only asked it to fill space, to make conversation. 

Sanzo has more thoughts and feelings that he keeps tucked away to himself, but Hakkai isn't devoid of things to confess.

"Even if I don't know where I'm going to end up, there are things that appeal to me. I'd like to live in a decently sized house with plenty of people to take care of, mouths to feed, and messes to clean up after. Somewhere close enough to a school that I could take Jeep there every day and make money teaching." 

There are plenty of Hakkai's ideals that he doesn't share; he doesn't tell Sanzo how he'd like it if they could all live closely together, if not in the same place outright. How nice it would be to clean up after Goku and Gojyo, and still be able to meet Sanzo on quiet, lonely nights. How he'd like to fall in love with someone again and feel with certainty that they'd live on through anything.

"I know that's a lot to ask of life," Hakkai admits, "but it's a good thing to work towards, and I could do it anywhere."

He'd only been joking about walking the whole way home, but the core motivator for joking about that and confessing his wants is the same—Hakkai is desperately afraid that things will go back to the way they were when all is said and done, and that distance will be dredged between the two halves of their party once again. If the journey doesn't end, they'll at least all be together. If it does, Hakkai strives for a life he can share with them all.

Not for the first time, Hakkai has the nonsensical desire to join Sanzo in smoking. He doesn't voice it.

"... If you ever do make a decision, I think everyone would continue to follow you," he continues instead. "Like a pack of ducklings who've imprinted on your unfortunate self."

[randoimago]

Oops. Sorry about that! There's an old anime called Gensomaden Saiyuki! It's loosely based on Journey to the West. But there are many differences!

1. The world has humans & youkais (demons)

2. Youkais are like humans but much stronger & pointy ears

3. Youkais can look like humans if they wear power limiters

4. Youkais are like humans where there are good & bad ones

5. The youkais are being driven to madness & violence because of a youkai named Gyokumen Koushu

6. Gyokumen Koushu is trying to revive her notoriously bloodthirsty violent husband (she's actually his concubine)

7. Gyokumen Koushu is a selfish & dirty coward who does anything even to sacrifice her family to get what she wants

8. It's Schizo Tech where it's medieval and futuristic like there's guns, modern cigarettes, & credit cards for some reason

9. The monk here is Genjo Sanzo who is a short-tempered monk who drinks & uses a gun. He is jerk with a heart of gold no matter how much he denies it

10. Son Goku is an energetic & gluttonous who is psychically & mentally a young teenager despite being 500 years old at least

11. The kappa/sand monster/bearded middle-aged man is named Sha Gojo (half human half youkai) is a flirty & abrasive man who cares about his companions

12. The pig man is human turned youkai named Cho Hakkai (he wears power limiters so he looks like a human). He is an intelligent & polite man. But he's terrifying when he's angry

13. There is a tiny dragon named Hakuryu that can turn into a car

14. All four of them are attractive

Is this better? Sorry! I don't really know how to recommend an anime!

The first one you sent was fine (just a lot of terms used I probably wouldn't understand until I watched it)! My response was supposed to be humorous cause this show sounds like a wild ride

[rosssrandomblog]

Since this week I have no time to draw, take this meme.

For the last prompt of the saiyuki month challenge by @saiyukimonthchallenge.

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

Tenjin: If you don’t have actual wings to escape Shangri-La with your son, home-made is fine

Genjo: No It Isn’t

Ukoku: it is if your son isn’t an idiot

[pafallende]

‵ @spendourlives   /   sc. — sentence from (x).

     “ i need to make a shirt that says ‘hated by families everywhere.’ ”

[multi-fandom-imagine]

Headcanons of Sanzo & Hakkai with shy s/o pls?

A/n: So cute! My favorite boys { Will Gojyo will be my number 1 }

Genjo Sanzo

👑: Is a little peeved at first, doesn’t really understand how he can handle someone who’s so shy but this is before you two even got together.

👑:When Sanzo actually realizes his feelings he starts to find it…cute. He likes how shy and flustered around him.

👑:Often tease you about your shyness but he is the only one that can tease you everyone else would just get a very blatant threat. He does not take to kindly some random asshole treating someone he loves like crap.

👑: He finds out that he needs to initiate a kiss, you’re really pulling him out of his shell.

👑: Will be the one to initiate sex, is also the dom.

👑: While he will never admit it, he likes it when you fall asleep against his shoulder.

👑: Also enjoys when you hide against his side whenever you’re embarrassed about something.

👑:You 10000% mean the world to him and Sanzo would do anything to protect you.

Cho Hakkai

🌿:Is more open about his relationship with you. Will happily hold you’re hand in public. When he knows you’re tired from walking he’ll happily carry you on his back.

🌿: Thinks you’re adorable, likes how shy you can get around him. { it’s refreshing }

🌿: You feel like home, with you he thinks that is life has meaning. While you may not talk much he just loves how soft spoken and kind you can be.

🌿: His nice guy persona drops the moment he sees that you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. You’re too important to him and he knows that you won’t say anything so it’s up to him.

🌿:Likes how the quietness between you both isn’t awkward.

🌿: Hakkai may do some light teasing but if you don’t like it then he’ll stop.

🌿: Loves that you tug at his sleeves for any acts of intimacy.

🌿: Won’t do PDA if it makes you uncomfortable.

[blackkatmagic]

U and V for the ask meme?

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

I already implied the first, but - Genjo Sanzo from Saiyuki is probably my favorite character in anything ever. He's the first character where I ever really felt the whole "good is not nice" trope, and his personal philosophy, and how he lives it, really hit me hard at a time in my life when I needed that.

The second...is likely Gemma Doyle from the book/series A Great and Terrible Beauty. She's a character who's trying so hard to fit in and do what's expected of her and as the trilogy progresses she starts to lose that, starts to push boundaries, and she ends up this half-wild magical thing who makes her own choices in a defiant, desperate sort of way that just resonates with me. She's also vaguely queer and maybe a little in love with her best friend and I adore her, okay.

Third would have to be Eli Bradley from the Young Avengers comics, even though he was dropped from the team after like one volume, because I really love his storyline about trying to be a hero, trying to live up to his family's history and make that history right at the same time, and ending up going to bad places in the course of that quest. And it's just - it's nice to see a character who's a little cold and a little brusque and is still so desperately good, who tries to be better and has things blow up in his face and still keeps trying.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Oof. Um. This is going to sound kind of bad, but. Marc Spector, honestly. I've had a lot of struggles with mental health and faith and purpose, and maybe it was just finding the MK comics at the right time, but Marc resonates with me personally in a way not a lot of characters do. He has family issues and anger issues and his mental health problems pushed a lot of the people he loved away. I'm bipolar, rather than having DID, but Marc's story is one I really, really feel.

And maybe sometimes I also want to carve a man's face off in an alley, so.

[ichika27]

Saiyuki Reload -Zeroin- 11

A few more episodes and it’s over. I really wish they’d make another season that goes after Blast. Anyways, I understand why people enjoyed this arc in the manga cause it’s great! I’m so happy they decided to make a new adaptation of it.

Hazel has just woken up from a dream. He saw his past up to this point and wondered if anything would have changed if he had taken care that flower like his master asked him to back then. Hazel tells them that due to his desperation back then to be strong and become an exorcist, he got more enthralled with the "crow" rather than his master's words.

Sanzo asked if this so-called crow was the same guy who told Hazel about the Seiten Taisei and told the other two that he too had met this crow and that he knows of this crow's other persona (as the doctor).

And so Priest Ukoku Sanzo finally appears. Upon mentioning that Sanzo should've been taught by Komyou how to greet people, Sanzo fires a shot at him. Sanzo shoots the man multiple times but somehow, none seem to stick and Ukoku just calmly walks over towards him. When he finally got closer, Ukoku was able to hit Sanzo and dodge all of Sanzo's attacks.

Ukoku then manages to injure Sanzo's right arm so Sanzo ended up trying to use his sutra.

Sanzo was unable to finish his incantation as Ukoku seemed to have used his own power. Sanzo sees a vision of the sutra getting destroyed although it's fine in the real world. Sanzo tried to attack him again with his fist but Ukoku just happily dodged them all.

As he does this, Ukoku tells Sanzo all of the info he knew about him and then informs Sanzo of who his real parents were - Sanzo's biological father is Rin Tokou who is a 51 yo politician and his mother is 17 yo Kouran who is a daughter of a shop peddler. The two weren't able to be together due to politics and Kouran got driven out due to her pregnancy and passes away after giving birth. His father went missing shortly after and his whereabouts are unknown even now.

Ukoku continued to dodge and successfully attack Sanzo during his monologue. Ukoku then got to the part where Komyou died protecting Sanzo which pissed of Sanzo. He also said that there's no way Komyou could get killed by weak demons just like that so Komyou must've lost on purpose for Sanzo.

As Sanzo is on the ground from Ukoku's last attack, Gato jumps in to fight, asking Hazel to let him do what he wanted for three minutes. Ukoku shows that he also knows a lot about Gato - where Gato came from and how he met Hazel. Gato isn't affected by this as he thinks all Ukoku has is nothing but data.

Gato fires at Ukoku who runs up to him and dodges. When Gato grabbed Ukoku by the head to fling him away, Ukoku uses his powers and Gato finds one of his hands cut off. This made Hazel panic and tells Gato to move away from Ukoku as Gato may get erased.

Meanwhile, Sanzo managed to finally get up after desperately trying even though he's still in pain from having his limbs broken. He than says he feels ashamed if this was all he got as it meant he can't shoulder the name "Sanzo Party". Ukoku's response to this is to say that being unsuccessful at killing Goku was a miscalculation.

Ukoku activates his sutra, the Muten Scripture whose power is to turn everything - from attacks to even spaces - into nothingness. It could even turn reality into a void.

Ukoku explains how there are two things that humans use to confirm their existence: their "sense of self" (one's experiences and memories) and "others" (confirming one's existence through the eyes of others) which helps build up one another. He then asks what would happen if "Genjo Sanzo" never existed and proceeds to engulf Sanzo in darkness.

Slowly, Sanzo's memories are disappearing starting from the latest ones. Hazel tried to call out to him but he and Gato suddenly disappears or so it seems as Ukoku informs Sanzo that Sanzo is the one disappearing instead.

Sanzo's very existence is starting to disappear. Sanzo tries to run away from the darkness but it follows as Ukoku tells him that he no longer exist and the people he knew had never met him. Memories of meeting Gojyo and Hakkai slowly disappears with the lasts being Goku's.

As he sees the moment when he had met and freed Goku from the cave prison, Sanzo reaches out as he asks for it to stop...

And someone grabs his hand and pulls him out of the darkness flinging him towards a tree in the back lol.

Sanzo opens his eyes and sees his comrades in front of him with Gojyo and Goku arguing about whose fault it was that Sanzo now probably has additional injuries while Hakkai is healing him. Sanzo yells for the two to shut up but his body is still in too much pain and can't get up.

Ukoku says Sanzo must be ashamed to be seen by his comrades in a weak state but Goku responds by saying they've seen each other in such situations before as they travel together after all.

Ukoku smiles as he once again remembered the bet he had made with Komyou. With Komyou betting on the next rising sun.

---

Okay, I have so many thoughts and opinions on this episode’s contents and what I wanted to write here had been playing in my head for days. It felt like there’s so many things I’d be typing that I felt too lazy to start this hahaha. Since it’d be super long, I’d be putting it on a separate post.

It’s finally the battle between Sanzo and Ukoku!

Ukoku is that one annoying asshole villain who isn’t only hard to kill but is being a smug bastard while doing it. I appreciate the Genjo Sanzo lore though. I don’t doubt the info he’s got (how he got it, I dunno) although the part where Sanzo’s real dad went missing and hasn’t been found makes me wonder if he knew where the man was also (but then again, it doesn’t matter unless the guy would show up for some unfathomable reason later).

Ukoku Sanzo’s power is pretty scary the more you think about it. It’s literal nothingness. He can just make anything disappear in a blink of an eye and he can also make it so that you won’t even know what was gone if he wants to. The darkness can be scary but the fact that it can eat you not just from the inside mentally but also your time itself. Many people fear death and their impending last moments but what if those last moments meant there’d be nothing at all left of you at all? I personally believe in the afterlife but if there’s such a thing as the power to take everything away, then we won’t even have that.

It’s kinda rare to see Sanzo feel... scared. The current situation wasn’t something he could easily deal with and it’s trying to take away everything from him including himself. I love that at the end when his memories of reaching out to Goku switched to the current situation of Goku being the one to grab his hand to bring him back to the light. Sanzo took Goku out of his prison of basically nothing (no memories as they were sealed away and nothing much to do for 500 years of his life) and now Goku took Sanzo out of the darkness that was threatening to make Sanzo’s life basically nothing (memories being erased and his entire life not existing in the first place). It’s great!

And if we add the events of Gaiden in there: Goku took Konzen out of his boring monotone life by reaching out first. Konzen dies with his life meaning something and promising to reach out to Goku first next time they meet which he did and as stated above, he also saved Goku’s life of boring monotone imprisonment. Oh my god this show is continuing to give me the feels!

And the guys making a ruckus when Sanzo’s been saved (sort of, Goku broke his bones further by yeeting him to a tree). The last time they all saw each other, Goku and Hakkai were injured and unconscious and Gojyo was upset at Sanzo but now that they’re reunited, everyone is just talking and acting like they normally would. Like everything went back to normal and it didn’t feel wrong - none of them are faking their emotions or forcing things to be like it was before like nothing happened. This is just how they are as a group. As Goku said, they’ve been travelling together after all.

I wonder what happened to Hazel and Gato though. They just sort of suddenly disappeared. They’re probably still there so I’m wondering if they’d back up the Sanzo Party with the fight against Ukoku Sanzo.

I love this arc. I heard it was good but holy crap it’s better than I expected! The themes, the events, and all of the feels. I’ll miss this once this season ends. I guess we’d have until next week or two after this. Til then!

[tofueggnoodles]

Extreme Bath Log Disk 1 – Track 1: Prologue

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Links to some introductory material:

Translation of a short story Minekura-sensei wrote before the Drama CD was released (by @soto-translates)

Translation of the character map by @soto-translates

Characters who are aged up: Sanzo (drastically, 60 or above), Kubota (he has to be older than 17 in this universe), Nobuto (likely in his thirties or older instead of 24), Hakkai (ditto)

Characters who are aged down: Tokito (second year high-schooler, 17 instead of “around 20” in WA), Gojyo (likely between 19-21 in this universe instead of 24)

Characters who stay more or less the same age (plus minus one year): Goku (18ish in Saiyuki, 17 in this universe), Saito (18)

Unknown age or irrelevant: Mishiba (22 in Bus Gamer), Tenpou, Kenren (the last two should be at least middle-aged in this universe)

Overall summary of the Drama CD: Slice-of-life with some plot in the first half. The Genjos (Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku) run a bathhouse in a shopping district, where the businesses are struggling against competition from the new shopping mall opposite the train station. Among their neighbors and acquaintances are Kubota and Tokito from Kubota Laundry, Saito from Saito Liquor Store and Tenpou, a writer who lives with the Genjos. There are also two sons who are living elsewhere, wayward Nobuto and globe-trotting Kenren. To me who grew up on a staple of Japanese TV serials in the late nineties to the early 2000s, the story evokes a feeling of nostalgia for a vanishing era and lifestyle in a typical mid-sized Japanese satellite town.

Now, on to the first track!

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Summary: Waking up from a surreal dream in which he and his relatives fought a bunch of youkai, Goku headed downstairs for breakfast.

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Sanzo: Tch. What a bother! (shoots and takes out a youkai)

Hakkai: They’re coming in an awfully big flock again. ** (hits a few youkai with a ball of chi)

Gojyo: Over there, Goku!

Goku (twirling nyoibo): Leave it to me! Oryaa!

(Youkai cries out as nyoibo smashes into them.)

Gojyo: There’s no end to them, so just finish them off in one strike, Sanzo-sama!

Sanzo: Don’t order me around, damn kappa! (starts to chant a Sanskrit mantra)

Goku: Hmm?

Hakkai: What’s the matter, Goku?

Goku: Don’t you hear a strange sound? (An alarm bell rings in the background.)

Gojyo: Hah? Has your hearing turned as stupid as the rest of you too?

Goku: That’s not it! There, you should be hearing it as well – it’s a bell-like sound.

Hakkai: Ah, surely that’s because breakfast is ready, isn’t it?

Goku: Huh?

Sanzo: Makai Tenjo!

(The ringing sound grows louder.)

Goku: Ah.... eh? (turns off the alarm clock)

(The ringing sound stops, replaced by the sounds of chirping birds and bicycle bell.)

Goku: Uhh....

Hakkai (from downstairs): Goku! If you don’t get up now, you’ll be late!

Goku: Crap! (flings off his blanket)

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(Sounds of running water, vegetables being chopped and the clear chime of a bell. The last one is typically heard at a Buddhist household altar [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butsudan]. Sanzo chants a Sanskrit mantra.)

Goku (runs into the living/dining room): Morning, Hakkai!

Hakkai: Good morning. Sorry, but could you fetch the miso soup from over there?

Goku: Okay! Eh? Gojyo’s already awake? How unusual!

Gojyo: Why you. I mean, can you not address your big brother so casually this early in the morning? [Instead of using the term for elder brother, such as ‘onii-san’ or ‘onii-chan’, Goku addresses him by his first name, which is considered rude.]

Goku: I’ve been doing that since I was a kid, haven’t I?

Gojyo: It’s because of stuff like this that you’re still very much a kid, you pipsqueak of a baby monkey!

Goku: Then, is a NEET who abandoned his studies at the university mid-term an adult? [NEET: young person not in education, employment or training]

Gojyo: I’m not a NEET! I’m a freelancer! A freelancer! [He uses the term freeter, which can mean anything from someone who is deliberately unemployed, underemployed or a freelance worker.]

Goku: Don’t talk like you’re a real freelancer. There’s nothing admirable about it at all.

Gojyo: Why, you cheeky monkey! Show a bit of respect for your elders–

(A loud gong resounds.)

Sanzo: You two damn kids are being noisy so early in the morning!

Goku: Ah, morning, grandpa.

Gojyo: You’re way noisier than we’re, old man!

Sanzo: Who’s the old man, you thickheaded greenhorn?

Gojyo: You’re a grandfather. Doesn’t that make you a real old man? Or have you finally gone senile?

Sanzo: Hah? Compared to that idiotic-looking deep-red head of yours, my head is way much clearer!

(They start to grapple with each other.)

Gojyo: I don’t want to hear complaints about the color of my hair from an old man who dyes his hair blond in order to appear younger!

Goku: Jeez, stop fighting in front of the altar!

[Depending on the Buddhist sect followed by the household, the altar may contain either the pictures of deceased relatives or tablets engraved with their names. So in this sense, Goku is berating Gojyo and Sanzo for fighting in front of Kanan and Konzen :) ]

Hakkai: Yes, that’s enough. Everyone, breakfast’s ready.

Goku: Breakfast!

Sanzo: Tch.

Gojyo: Yeah, yeah.

Hakkai: All right then–

All four: Let’s eat!

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(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure with. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.

[candycutter13]

Character Quote #249

“Hold nothing. If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your father, kill your father. Free of everything, not bound by anything. Live your life just as it is.”

Source: Gensoumaden Saiyuki (S1 Episode 11) Character: Koumyou Sanzo & Genjo Sanzo

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

How to be Good to a Seme - 1

So, this isn’t calling out grievances to anyone in particular, but rather some food for thought I want to dump on all of you who, like many, may have followed my blog because of the huge collection of seme powerhouses it hosts.

I hope these tidbits can help you in finding RP more enjoyable for yourself as well as any other RPer with muses like mine who are typically portrayed as more domineering and in charge, not just in smut situation but in all aspects of love life and out. Some of mine include Sephiroth, Fushimi Saruhiko, Munakata Reisi, Roy Mustang, Jumin Han, Sesshoumaru, Genjo Sanzo, to name the most popular...

As a very first disclaimer I want to instantly destroy one common myth: a seme muse does NOT appreciate a 24/7 submissive uke partner.

You know what I’m talking about here. The typical ‘girlified’ (and I apologize to all girls for using this term) partner who is stereotypically portrayed in fanarts as being a stuttering, trembling, meek mess in the hands of his/her dom seme.

I’ll tell you here and now, having a partner who is like that fulltime gets boring and annoying SUPER FAST. Why? Because the seme thrives on conquering control.

So where’s the enjoyment in taking control over someone who just hands it over like it’s hot shit? None. If the partner is always appearing weak, lacking in its own will, without providing any tug-of-war dynamics with the seme, the seme will get bored, and go look for an actual challenge. There’s no game in overpowering someone who in the first place shows no power at all.

Do not misconstrue my words as saying that the seme is rape-y. That’s a whole other can of worms on top of a really shitty stereotype that I do not wish to address in this post. But you must think of the muse as a cat, the typical “playing cat and mouse” metaphor works wonders to describe this. If you just give a cat a dead toy that it can do anything with, the cat will soon leave it be and look for something that actually moves, runs, fights back a bit. Provides a challenge and makes the reward of taking charge so so much more rewarding.

So this might open the eyes to some of you on why your seme partner (and me) seems to react with disapproval, hostility, or boredom upon immediately receiving control of your designated uke/sub partner. It is a delicate balance that you must achieve, not go to the unrealistic extreme that’s often portrayed in art. Remember that fanarts are still images, they don’t show all the in-betweens, before and after of a couple dynamic. Do not use that still image as reference for what your power play fantasy is supposed to be. It’s not going to work.

I may do more of these eventually, but right now I just wanted to dump this burning thought out of my head. Let me know your thoughts if you like, but be civil.

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

Genjo, to Gojyo: By your inflection, I can tell that you think what you're saying is funny...