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Though I have enjoyed Saiyuki immensely, I still think I should give some thought to the original story, called the 'Journey to the West', by the Chinese author Wu Zeng En (I think...). Keep reading, I think this will be quite long so I have broken it up into acceptable portions.

Yeah, my friend Saru-chan has really gotten into Journey to the West. Not only is she writing fanfics of Saiyuki, but also based of the original Journey to the West.

About Genjyo Sanzo (and counterpart Tang Sanzang):
Genjyo Sanzo: We all know who this guy is, the worldly and usually violent Buddhist priest Sanzo. He is the only human of the group, same as the original, but big differences follow....
Tang Sanzang: Sanzang is a very gullible, naive, trusting and innocent monk. He has no battle techniques at all and only he gets to ride the hakuryuu-turned-horse. he meets goku first, on his journey to the west (the saiyuki manga says that he meets Goku BEFORE the journey really starts) . Goku is his first disciple, and he disciplines Goku with the use of chanting a sutra, which makes the diadem on Goku's head give him the most awesomest headache ever. (alot more painful than a paper fan). While Sanzo usually is the first to take violent action, Sanzang is the last person to suggest violence in any situation. Actually, Goku is the one to suggest killing first, even demons/youkai who are ever-waiting for sanzang's 'immortal' flesh.
How different is that?

I lightly looked at it...nothing major...

haha Sandy... it makes him sound like a little panzy

i use to love the drama series when i was little! addicted!

I LOVED the original Journey to the West when I was little (yes, I'm Chinese so I know ^^), and I have the comic (comic, not manga) version of it. I actually have more than one edition lying around.

Goku was actually a monkey demon who had been banished from heaven, coz he ate the peaches which were meant for some peach festival, then he rampaged the whole place. He had his Nyoibou too, it was taken from the Eastern Dragon Lord...is Goujun (from Gaiden) the Dragon Lord of the East or the West?

He was also trapped under a mountain for pretty long, and it was Sanzo who saved him, and put the limiter on him (it was meant as a punishement for misbehaving though - it tightens when he wants it to).

Hakkai was a pig demon who ate lots and DIDN'T do the cleaning...and Gojyo was a kappa who was bald and lived underwater. And Sanzo was a monk.

A serious, proper, sober, BALD, monk.

Yes.

Journey to the West has tonnes of side stories where Sanzo is kidnapped by some demon who wants to eat him. And he's always helpless, waiting for someone to save him. Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai were actually Sanzo's disciples, and he was the one who gave them new names - Goku, Gojyo and Gonou are all written with the same first kanji.

Hakuryuu was actually there too, although he was a dragon who was turned into a horse for Sanzo. Not a jeep. Characers like Nataku and Kanzeon Bosatsu and Li Touten and even Jiroushin were in there as well. I'm not sure about Kougaiji Ikkou though...but I think Gyumaoh came in somewhere.

One of the reasons I like Saiyuki so much is because of the all parodies...I grew up knowing Sanzo as a bald monk who was all innocent and proper, and it's nice to see a Sanzo who definitely isn't stereotypical...

I also like Houshin Engi (based on Fengshen Yanyi, another Chinese novel) which is another parody-ish manga, except not as extreme as Saiyuki...

Both versions are really cool, and I doubt that Saiyuki would've been as funny for me if the original Journey to the West didn't exist. Nowadays, I'm like "OMG mum!! It's Tangzeng and Wukong and Bajie and Wujing!!" and she's like "-sigh- Kids these days..."

yes I used to be obsessed with the original story when I was little (it's calle Shi Yo chi in chinese 西遊記) I thnk it's a terrific story, for those of u who havn't read it, u should definatly read it biggrin