meganbmoore (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
meganbmoore) wrote2006-08-02 06:54 pm
meganbmoore) wrote2006-08-02 06:54 pm
Entry tags:
brisco county jr and saiyuki love
My "Brisco County Jr." DVDs finally came this week, and I just finished the pilot. Happily, it lives up to my memories.
Also, I just binged on the "Saiyuki: Reload" anime(as in, the entire series between Sunday and yesterday) and the first 4 volumes of the "Saiyuki: Reload" manga. I feel the need to babble. As there shall be Kougaiji love and possibly pictures(I shall decide for sure as I near the end) there shall be a cut for those who don't care.
Yup, there were pics. Feel minimal incentive to go back and change my text, as food is ready.
Also, I just binged on the "Saiyuki: Reload" anime(as in, the entire series between Sunday and yesterday) and the first 4 volumes of the "Saiyuki: Reload" manga. I feel the need to babble. As there shall be Kougaiji love and possibly pictures(I shall decide for sure as I near the end) there shall be a cut for those who don't care.
First things first: the manga and anime don't cover the same story. The Saiyuki anime branches off into an orginal storyline about 1/2 way through the series, diverging from the Saiyuki manga around the end of vol 6 or beginning of vol 7. The Reload anime takes a couple of one-off stories from the Reload manga that are independent of the main storyline and some more original stuff, and then about 1/2 way through, it goes back and finishes the rest of the Saiyuki manga series. As I understand it, "Saiyuki Reload: Gunlock" covers the events of the Reload manga...
Moving on...
For those not familiar with Saiyuki, it's essentially an extremely modernized, anti-hero quest retelling of "Journey to the West." One of the most notable things about the series is that the "heroes" are really just the only guys around who can do the job, and the noble, fair (and nice) guys are the ones who are, technically, the bad guys. There's a sacriligeous monk, a man who became a demon via mass murder, a half demon who puts "girl crazy" to shame, and a hyperactive monkey who looks like a human. Oh, and at best, the lot of them barely tolerate each other and would never concede to worrying about each other(even though they do) Somehow, though, they manage to work as "heroes," and generally manage to save the day. You shouldn't like any of these guys, but you do.
That said, this has got to be flat out the angsty-est anime out there(seriously, Wolf's Rain and the Samurai X OVAs have nothing on this series.) And I don't think I've ever seen an anime that didn't have its fair share of angst. And, for once, the angst is pretty well earned. In fact, they're all fairly well adjusted for their pasts. Well, except Hakkai...I'm fairly certain he thinks the world would be better off if everyone has dead, but he's conditioned himself to be the way Kanon knew him (Hakkai being the mass murderer I mentioned, and Kanon being the woman he became a mass murderer to try to save)
Also, I didn't realize this until someone asked me about the female characters last night, but I think this may be the only anime I love(or even like) that doesn't have a major female character. Yes, it has several female characters in recurring roles, all of whom are important to the series but there's no major or central female character. Usually, I don't even have to LIKE the female characters(though I can't think of any where I flat out dislike the major female characters. Even with Miaka in Fushigi Yuugi, I don't DISlike her, she just annoys me, and she does get better.) I'm not sure if that just means the series is extremely, extremely good, or if I'm just incredibly distracted by other things(see below)
And now for the Kougaiji love.
Kougaiji is, flat out, the worst bad guy ever. Not that he's a loser. In fact, he's the best, most charismatic leader and probably the most powerful character on the show. And, with the possible exceptions of Dokugakuji and Gojyo, the best fighter. But he's also the nicest, noblest, most honorable guy and biggest softie on the show, too. He's a bad guy because it's the only way to save his mother and protect his sister(while it's never flat out stated, I always have the feeling that Lirin's well being is directly dependent on his good behavior) As such, while he's motivated to get the job done, his instincts are to help Sanzo and co., not only because of the whole "right thing" bit, but because he likes them and really has no interest in seeing the bad guys win(in fact, given the events last time we saw him in the manga, there may be a major change coming on that front)
Kougaiji is the guy who comes across his enemies when they're in the perfect position for him to take what he needs and leave them to rot, and instead, he saves them. And later, when he comes across them determined to not go easy on them, his instinct when he finds out that one is critically injured is to offer transportation(mind you, he almost immediately added conditions, but the instinct was to help.) And, later, an enemy is so sure of his good behavior and honor that he actually calls a time out during a fight to yell at a teammate(who, like Kougaiji, occassionally forgets they're supposed to be enemies) Kougaiji is the guy who SHOULD be the hero of the series, but got stuck with the bum job of being the bad guy(of course, when it's time for the series to end, he'll end up on the right side then grow a brain and go marry Yaone, but for now, he's the bad guy)
And now, Kougaiji pictures:
*these are not my pics. I just googled and stole them.
And:
Both Kougaiji and Sanzo's groups(because someone would fly to Texas and hurt me if Sanzo wasn't in at least one picture):
Moving on...
For those not familiar with Saiyuki, it's essentially an extremely modernized, anti-hero quest retelling of "Journey to the West." One of the most notable things about the series is that the "heroes" are really just the only guys around who can do the job, and the noble, fair (and nice) guys are the ones who are, technically, the bad guys. There's a sacriligeous monk, a man who became a demon via mass murder, a half demon who puts "girl crazy" to shame, and a hyperactive monkey who looks like a human. Oh, and at best, the lot of them barely tolerate each other and would never concede to worrying about each other(even though they do) Somehow, though, they manage to work as "heroes," and generally manage to save the day. You shouldn't like any of these guys, but you do.
That said, this has got to be flat out the angsty-est anime out there(seriously, Wolf's Rain and the Samurai X OVAs have nothing on this series.) And I don't think I've ever seen an anime that didn't have its fair share of angst. And, for once, the angst is pretty well earned. In fact, they're all fairly well adjusted for their pasts. Well, except Hakkai...I'm fairly certain he thinks the world would be better off if everyone has dead, but he's conditioned himself to be the way Kanon knew him (Hakkai being the mass murderer I mentioned, and Kanon being the woman he became a mass murderer to try to save)
Also, I didn't realize this until someone asked me about the female characters last night, but I think this may be the only anime I love(or even like) that doesn't have a major female character. Yes, it has several female characters in recurring roles, all of whom are important to the series but there's no major or central female character. Usually, I don't even have to LIKE the female characters(though I can't think of any where I flat out dislike the major female characters. Even with Miaka in Fushigi Yuugi, I don't DISlike her, she just annoys me, and she does get better.) I'm not sure if that just means the series is extremely, extremely good, or if I'm just incredibly distracted by other things(see below)
And now for the Kougaiji love.
Kougaiji is, flat out, the worst bad guy ever. Not that he's a loser. In fact, he's the best, most charismatic leader and probably the most powerful character on the show. And, with the possible exceptions of Dokugakuji and Gojyo, the best fighter. But he's also the nicest, noblest, most honorable guy and biggest softie on the show, too. He's a bad guy because it's the only way to save his mother and protect his sister(while it's never flat out stated, I always have the feeling that Lirin's well being is directly dependent on his good behavior) As such, while he's motivated to get the job done, his instincts are to help Sanzo and co., not only because of the whole "right thing" bit, but because he likes them and really has no interest in seeing the bad guys win(in fact, given the events last time we saw him in the manga, there may be a major change coming on that front)
Kougaiji is the guy who comes across his enemies when they're in the perfect position for him to take what he needs and leave them to rot, and instead, he saves them. And later, when he comes across them determined to not go easy on them, his instinct when he finds out that one is critically injured is to offer transportation(mind you, he almost immediately added conditions, but the instinct was to help.) And, later, an enemy is so sure of his good behavior and honor that he actually calls a time out during a fight to yell at a teammate(who, like Kougaiji, occassionally forgets they're supposed to be enemies) Kougaiji is the guy who SHOULD be the hero of the series, but got stuck with the bum job of being the bad guy(of course, when it's time for the series to end, he'll end up on the right side then grow a brain and go marry Yaone, but for now, he's the bad guy)
And now, Kougaiji pictures:
*these are not my pics. I just googled and stole them.
And:
Both Kougaiji and Sanzo's groups(because someone would fly to Texas and hurt me if Sanzo wasn't in at least one picture):
Yup, there were pics. Feel minimal incentive to go back and change my text, as food is ready.
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