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Saiyuki universe #16
Saiyuki Reload Vol. 7 (Saiyuki Reload, #7)
Goku's life hangs in the balance after the attack of an unknown enemy, and Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai are at total loss... Until Hakkai suggests they pull off Goku's diadem. But no one seems ready for what is about to happen: Facing Goku in youkai form is more than they bargained for—it may cost one member of the party their sanity!
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2006
1 person is currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Kazuya Minekura
211 books188 followersKazuya 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 23, 2012
Wow...what can I say about volume 7...its my favorite volume! FINALLY Minekura-sensei reveals Hakkai's demon form, and I nearly fainted! Their is an epic demon battle that is just amazingly intense and will have you on your seat. I was in tears through this whole book. I loved it!
Update (October 22nd, 2012)
Oh boy, today was the third time I've read this volume (though probably my 5th or 6th time reading the battle sequence because it is so bad ass) and I STILL was on the edge of my seat. My heart was racing, I had tears in my eyes, and I was practically tearing the pages out I was turning them so fast to see what would happen! The first half of this volume is just so amazingly epic!! I can't get enough!!
I love this series of photos of the boys using each other's weapons. I've named them Sha Sanzo, Cho Goku, Genjo Hakkai, and Son Gojyo :-p
DEMON HAKKAI!! (I'm putting this one under a spoiler just because Minekura-sama hyped him up for this big reveal, and I don't want to ruin it for her or anyone else)
But, in classic Minekura-sama fashion... here is another demon Hakkai teaser (oh so hot)
Pardon the whited out spot where my thumb was, but this picture is bad ass!!!
Update (October 22nd, 2012)
Oh boy, today was the third time I've read this volume (though probably my 5th or 6th time reading the battle sequence because it is so bad ass) and I STILL was on the edge of my seat. My heart was racing, I had tears in my eyes, and I was practically tearing the pages out I was turning them so fast to see what would happen! The first half of this volume is just so amazingly epic!! I can't get enough!!
I love this series of photos of the boys using each other's weapons. I've named them Sha Sanzo, Cho Goku, Genjo Hakkai, and Son Gojyo :-p
DEMON HAKKAI!! (I'm putting this one under a spoiler just because Minekura-sama hyped him up for this big reveal, and I don't want to ruin it for her or anyone else)
But, in classic Minekura-sama fashion... here is another demon Hakkai teaser (oh so hot)
Pardon the whited out spot where my thumb was, but this picture is bad ass!!!
January 24, 2009
* We all figured as much if a situation like this came up, but it's great to see Sanzo actually losing his shit in canon when Goku gets taken down like that. It's also done in one of the more painful ways possible, as Goku was hit at a particularly "ha ha, caught you caring, Sanzo" moment, Sanzo can't take it out on any targets around him, and he can't even feel the presence of anyone around to pin it on, meaning that he's blinded in many ways. When he figures out that it has to be Ukoku, it must feel like Goku was hurt so badly as a shot at him. Hakkai has to slap him out of his state of shock. That Hakkai shows no hesitation in doing this amuses me. Of course Sanzo runs off looking for his target as soon as his shock wears off. He has to do something; he has an even greater horror of being helpless than most people do. His hunt is depicted as a drop into the void, which makes sense considering that his ultimate adversary is the keeper of the void sutra.
* Hakkai maintains a doctor's cool pragmatism, while Gojyo is emotional and yelling at anything he can at first until the necessity becomes obvious.
* Hakkai's magically reappearing, clean sash kills me. It reappears almost immediately after Gojyo takes it off to bind Goku's wounds! I guess that's just Hakkai magic.
* Nice that the mother protecting her child from Seiten Taisei and later Hakkai taking a blow meant for Gojyo mirror Koumyou's pose in front of Kouryuu and Sanzo protecting Goku from Rikudo back when.
* Hazel, you really thought you and Gat would just take Seiten Taisei down and drink in the town's praise, didn't you? You went from offended to afraid really fast, didn't you, dumbass? Same way you really thought Sanzo would see the error of his youkai-liking ways later?
* Finally we get a look at youkai!Hakkai. Nice detail on his fake eye still looking human. Cool vines! But the fight between him and Seiten Taisei was really confusing at a lot of points.
* Gojyo carries a lot on his half-human, half-youkai shoulders. Literally, later on. But even if you don't want to read slash between him and Hakkai--do I know anyone like that? *g*--the love here on both sides is obvious. He's out of his league on fighting in this part, but as support and the voice of sanity/restraint he's priceless. So brave to lay hands on and face Hakkai when he's in that state. Nice that as Hakkai comes back to himself after that confrontation he covers his youkai eye with his hand... and looks out with his fake eye of humanity. Gojyo's also the one to slam the diadem back on Goku's head.
* Sanzo returns too late to be any help but just soon enough to see the rest of his team and two of his enemies cure Goku and fix the mess that had left him paralyzed in shock and helplessness. Ow.
* Even Hazel has a brief moment of rooting for the home team as he yells that Hakkai can't die. Even he's not always a bigoted ass.
* Gojyo pretty much brings Hakkai back to life through sheer force of will and love. I can't see any other way of reading that scene.
* "Sorry, dick. I've got my hands full. So I can't beat you senseless right now." I've heard some fans say that they're unhappy with this, Tokyopop's, translation of Gojyo's words to Sanzo, saying that these are angrier and more hate-filled than they should be. I don't have an informed opinion on that, but I can go with Tokyopop's reading based on how Gojyo makes Sanzo out to be even worse in his talk with Goku later.
* Aaaaand Sanzo goes off with Hazel and Gat without a word since the voices of cooperation in the Sanzo party, Hakkai and Goku, are out cold at the moment. Gojyo's too pissed off to talk, and Sanzo's too shell-shocked and guilty to know what to say or even put up his usual pissy mask.
* Goku wakes up three days later. It's good to know that facing near death and a rampage as Seiten Taisei have some costs. After Goku doesn't believe Gojyo's front of cheerful, crass lechery, Gojyo gives an even more unflattering picture of Sanzo than what actually happened, and Hakkai doesn't really correct him much, just offers a few tidbits of a slightly more sympathetic reading of the situation. Interesting. Gojyo's indifference and nonchalance, even where Hakkai's collapse is concerned, is either him trying not to care so much about it all or possibly him being exhausted after that fight and days of what must have been intense worrying. Goku immediately blames Sanzo's departure on his having shown weakness (of nearly dying!) in front of him. Aw.
* Sanzo's not happy with his new company and not shy about showing it to them. He just wants confirmation that Ukoku Sanzo told Hazel that Goku is the Seiten Taisei and knowledge of where Ukoku is so Sanzo can show him his feelings personally. Hazel takes all this as more opportunities to flirt with Sanzo. Sanzo's 11-year-old girl moment of "Get away from me! You're so gross." kills me. Anybody who wants to get fresh and say Sanzo's weak should consider him motoring along at a fast, nearly inhuman walk. *g* He's not all that far behind Jeep.
* Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku quickly realize that without Sanzo's gold card they don't have the money to feed themselves or get rooms to stay in. Heh. Although Hakkai's joking, that his first suggestion for a working skill he's good at is prostitution, kills me. Whatever the look on his face is, a scared Gojyo and Goku stop complaining about having to work.
* Hazel is trying to feed Sanzo well and richly. Alas, Sanzo really would prefer rice and tea. I wonder if his stomach can handle all the rich food Hazel's trying to cram into him. He is a guy who prefers his meals stale and weak. He may smoke and drink, but in some things he's still an ascetic. Or he has an ulcer. *g*
* The working for a living is not going well. *g* Surprise surprise. They couldn't last three days working part-time. Fortunately, the youkai town they're taken in by realize they're youkai and thus not to be eaten. The whole "born again" concept should provide plenty of headaches for our heroes in times to come. Eventually the youkai that go mad settle down and the only difference is that the humans they once regarded as sentient creatures look really tasty and they no longer have qualms about giving in to that? Lovely. I'm sure the heavily armed human town nearby will have its own version of corruption, but I can't hold it against them that they're armed and refusing to let youkai near them when their youkai neighbors see them as mutton for the dinner table. I, personally, couldn't eat something that could hold an intelligent conversation with me before someone killed it, but the youkai don't see that as a problem.
* The youkai hope Hakkai, Goku, and Gojyo are soon "born again" so they can be their "real" selves. Goku, thinking of how joyfully homicidal Seiten Taisei is, wonders what he is now, then. It doesn't seem that Gojyo actually can go berserk and thus has no chance of being "born again." He's been wandering around without a limiter for over a year with no hints of insanity showing up. Though my snarky side wonders if Gojyo turning berserk involves him waking up one day and starting to think that he looks kinda tasty. And having to get Hakkai to bite his prey for him since his own teeth are so blunt....
* Their youkai host idolizes Kougaiji like he's a rock star. That's so cute.
* In the armed human town, Sanzo's losing patience with Hazel on the Ukoku thing, while Hazel's playing him like the world's bitchiest a violin.
The split between Sanzo and the rest of his party gives the opportunity for this human vs. youkai thing, since Sanzo would be eaten by the youkai town and the rest of the Sanzo party would be shot on sight by the human town. It's hard to say exactly what Sanzo's thinking post-split since he says little aside from "Who told you about Seiten Taisei?" and the only thought we get to hear is that small, sad one about just wanting rice and tea, but I imagine that he feels that he has to get his mojo back (heh), that his being around puts a target on anyone near him he cares about, that being around people he cares about is a weakness, and that Ukoku is manipulating things behind the scenes and has to be taken out. Or he's blindly seeking vengeance. Either way, he's back on the road pretty much alone, and we know what that did to his mental state last time....
I really liked the drawings of the guys with each other's weapons.
* Hakkai maintains a doctor's cool pragmatism, while Gojyo is emotional and yelling at anything he can at first until the necessity becomes obvious.
* Hakkai's magically reappearing, clean sash kills me. It reappears almost immediately after Gojyo takes it off to bind Goku's wounds! I guess that's just Hakkai magic.
* Nice that the mother protecting her child from Seiten Taisei and later Hakkai taking a blow meant for Gojyo mirror Koumyou's pose in front of Kouryuu and Sanzo protecting Goku from Rikudo back when.
* Hazel, you really thought you and Gat would just take Seiten Taisei down and drink in the town's praise, didn't you? You went from offended to afraid really fast, didn't you, dumbass? Same way you really thought Sanzo would see the error of his youkai-liking ways later?
* Finally we get a look at youkai!Hakkai. Nice detail on his fake eye still looking human. Cool vines! But the fight between him and Seiten Taisei was really confusing at a lot of points.
* Gojyo carries a lot on his half-human, half-youkai shoulders. Literally, later on. But even if you don't want to read slash between him and Hakkai--do I know anyone like that? *g*--the love here on both sides is obvious. He's out of his league on fighting in this part, but as support and the voice of sanity/restraint he's priceless. So brave to lay hands on and face Hakkai when he's in that state. Nice that as Hakkai comes back to himself after that confrontation he covers his youkai eye with his hand... and looks out with his fake eye of humanity. Gojyo's also the one to slam the diadem back on Goku's head.
* Sanzo returns too late to be any help but just soon enough to see the rest of his team and two of his enemies cure Goku and fix the mess that had left him paralyzed in shock and helplessness. Ow.
* Even Hazel has a brief moment of rooting for the home team as he yells that Hakkai can't die. Even he's not always a bigoted ass.
* Gojyo pretty much brings Hakkai back to life through sheer force of will and love. I can't see any other way of reading that scene.
* "Sorry, dick. I've got my hands full. So I can't beat you senseless right now." I've heard some fans say that they're unhappy with this, Tokyopop's, translation of Gojyo's words to Sanzo, saying that these are angrier and more hate-filled than they should be. I don't have an informed opinion on that, but I can go with Tokyopop's reading based on how Gojyo makes Sanzo out to be even worse in his talk with Goku later.
* Aaaaand Sanzo goes off with Hazel and Gat without a word since the voices of cooperation in the Sanzo party, Hakkai and Goku, are out cold at the moment. Gojyo's too pissed off to talk, and Sanzo's too shell-shocked and guilty to know what to say or even put up his usual pissy mask.
* Goku wakes up three days later. It's good to know that facing near death and a rampage as Seiten Taisei have some costs. After Goku doesn't believe Gojyo's front of cheerful, crass lechery, Gojyo gives an even more unflattering picture of Sanzo than what actually happened, and Hakkai doesn't really correct him much, just offers a few tidbits of a slightly more sympathetic reading of the situation. Interesting. Gojyo's indifference and nonchalance, even where Hakkai's collapse is concerned, is either him trying not to care so much about it all or possibly him being exhausted after that fight and days of what must have been intense worrying. Goku immediately blames Sanzo's departure on his having shown weakness (of nearly dying!) in front of him. Aw.
* Sanzo's not happy with his new company and not shy about showing it to them. He just wants confirmation that Ukoku Sanzo told Hazel that Goku is the Seiten Taisei and knowledge of where Ukoku is so Sanzo can show him his feelings personally. Hazel takes all this as more opportunities to flirt with Sanzo. Sanzo's 11-year-old girl moment of "Get away from me! You're so gross." kills me. Anybody who wants to get fresh and say Sanzo's weak should consider him motoring along at a fast, nearly inhuman walk. *g* He's not all that far behind Jeep.
* Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku quickly realize that without Sanzo's gold card they don't have the money to feed themselves or get rooms to stay in. Heh. Although Hakkai's joking, that his first suggestion for a working skill he's good at is prostitution, kills me. Whatever the look on his face is, a scared Gojyo and Goku stop complaining about having to work.
* Hazel is trying to feed Sanzo well and richly. Alas, Sanzo really would prefer rice and tea. I wonder if his stomach can handle all the rich food Hazel's trying to cram into him. He is a guy who prefers his meals stale and weak. He may smoke and drink, but in some things he's still an ascetic. Or he has an ulcer. *g*
* The working for a living is not going well. *g* Surprise surprise. They couldn't last three days working part-time. Fortunately, the youkai town they're taken in by realize they're youkai and thus not to be eaten. The whole "born again" concept should provide plenty of headaches for our heroes in times to come. Eventually the youkai that go mad settle down and the only difference is that the humans they once regarded as sentient creatures look really tasty and they no longer have qualms about giving in to that? Lovely. I'm sure the heavily armed human town nearby will have its own version of corruption, but I can't hold it against them that they're armed and refusing to let youkai near them when their youkai neighbors see them as mutton for the dinner table. I, personally, couldn't eat something that could hold an intelligent conversation with me before someone killed it, but the youkai don't see that as a problem.
* The youkai hope Hakkai, Goku, and Gojyo are soon "born again" so they can be their "real" selves. Goku, thinking of how joyfully homicidal Seiten Taisei is, wonders what he is now, then. It doesn't seem that Gojyo actually can go berserk and thus has no chance of being "born again." He's been wandering around without a limiter for over a year with no hints of insanity showing up. Though my snarky side wonders if Gojyo turning berserk involves him waking up one day and starting to think that he looks kinda tasty. And having to get Hakkai to bite his prey for him since his own teeth are so blunt....
* Their youkai host idolizes Kougaiji like he's a rock star. That's so cute.
* In the armed human town, Sanzo's losing patience with Hazel on the Ukoku thing, while Hazel's playing him like the world's bitchiest a violin.
The split between Sanzo and the rest of his party gives the opportunity for this human vs. youkai thing, since Sanzo would be eaten by the youkai town and the rest of the Sanzo party would be shot on sight by the human town. It's hard to say exactly what Sanzo's thinking post-split since he says little aside from "Who told you about Seiten Taisei?" and the only thought we get to hear is that small, sad one about just wanting rice and tea, but I imagine that he feels that he has to get his mojo back (heh), that his being around puts a target on anyone near him he cares about, that being around people he cares about is a weakness, and that Ukoku is manipulating things behind the scenes and has to be taken out. Or he's blindly seeking vengeance. Either way, he's back on the road pretty much alone, and we know what that did to his mental state last time....
I really liked the drawings of the guys with each other's weapons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2018
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.
My copies of this manga are all beat up, but I know I'll read them again. Everytime, it's a treat.
November 16, 2024
Idk. This one really did not hit. Have you ever watched an anime where a fight went on way too long but it felt like the animators were intentionally hiding the best parts of the fight from view? That’s what this volume felt like, I couldn’t tell what was happening half the time in the big fight (between 2 Youkai we know in love, which in theory should’ve been insane and awesome). Then the dragging of the split up, page after page of the boys getting part time jobs was a bit absurd and ridiculous and an unneeded plot point.
Love this series nonetheless and the art style never fails just genuinely the weakest volume thus far in the sequel series for me.
Love this series nonetheless and the art style never fails just genuinely the weakest volume thus far in the sequel series for me.
December 16, 2023
There’s something different about this volume that has my heart racing! I’ve watched the entire series (so far) and Zeroin had me curious, but I didn’t know the “death” thing would be in this volume! Man, it makes me feel things toward Sanzo and I’m not sure what I think about that.
Ugh, I have to get the next volume already! But it’s so hard to find! I will succeed in this endeavor - I must!
Ugh, I have to get the next volume already! But it’s so hard to find! I will succeed in this endeavor - I must!
September 6, 2017
斉天大聖の悟空は最高だ！
強いし、かっこいいし、ミステリアスだ。
八戒の妖怪姿もかっこいい。アニメはまるで見せたくない姿たけど漫画でよく見られる。彼の蔓技は美しいと彼の知能と組めすごく有効。
この本で三蔵の行動が一番分かりにくい。悟空がやられた時に多分先生のことを覚えて心が真っ白になったと思う。でも、やっぱり、みんなと離れるはダメ三蔵は仲間が必要だ。
それにしてもこの妖怪町の話見覚えがない。アニメにはなかったかな。楽しみ。
強いし、かっこいいし、ミステリアスだ。
八戒の妖怪姿もかっこいい。アニメはまるで見せたくない姿たけど漫画でよく見られる。彼の蔓技は美しいと彼の知能と組めすごく有効。
この本で三蔵の行動が一番分かりにくい。悟空がやられた時に多分先生のことを覚えて心が真っ白になったと思う。でも、やっぱり、みんなと離れるはダメ三蔵は仲間が必要だ。
それにしてもこの妖怪町の話見覚えがない。アニメにはなかったかな。楽しみ。
July 31, 2021
actual rating: 3.5
Really liked the beginning of this with all the Sanzo angst and the Goku vs. Hakkai fight but not loving how they split up towards the end because I know that's going to make the new volume a pain to get through. First part was definitely one of the high parts so far though. I'm really just here for the angst and drama between the boys anyway.
Really liked the beginning of this with all the Sanzo angst and the Goku vs. Hakkai fight but not loving how they split up towards the end because I know that's going to make the new volume a pain to get through. First part was definitely one of the high parts so far though. I'm really just here for the angst and drama between the boys anyway.
October 24, 2023
Gotta love when Goku is the ace up everyone's sleeve.
June 10, 2024
Take off the diadem ♾️
July 4, 2025
EPIC!!!!!!
January 29, 2015
This is probably one of my favourite volumes of "Saiyuki". After Goku is deadly injured, Sanzo is filled with pure murderous intent. While he goes after whoever did this, Hakkai and Gojyo are left with the task of saving Goku. Because Hakkai can't heal him, they end up taking off his limiter. That helps, but now they have to deal with the Seiten Taisei - which, without Sanzo's help, isn't that easy.
There are just so many awesome, angst-and *feelings*-filled scenes in this volume it just about made my heart burst. And, of course, there is Hakkai in his Yokaiform. I don't know what it is about that (I may have read a few too many fanfics about that), but yeah.
There are just so many awesome, angst-and *feelings*-filled scenes in this volume it just about made my heart burst. And, of course, there is Hakkai in his Yokaiform. I don't know what it is about that (I may have read a few too many fanfics about that), but yeah.
April 9, 2013
Another excellent volume continuing the "Even a Worm" story arc. Goku is dying and the only way to save him is to remove his diadem limiter. Goku goes bezerk, proving to Hazel that Ni was indeed telling the truth. With Sanzo abandoning the party the others struggle to contain Goku. Hakkai has to remove his own limiters and almost dies in the process...
Exciting stuff with gorgeous, intricately detailed artwork and larger than life characters. Recommended.
Exciting stuff with gorgeous, intricately detailed artwork and larger than life characters. Recommended.
August 25, 2014
Goku is attacked by an unknown force leaving him fighting for his life. Sanzo gives chase to whatever it was that is responsible, leaving Hoku in Hakkai and Gojyo's care. They quickly realise that the only way to save Goku is to remove his diadem...
Chaos is unleashed and the fall out results in Sanzo leaving the others to go with Hazel and Gat.
An aside: Hazel hitting on Sanzo and Sanzo's indignant reaction is very funny!
Chaos is unleashed and the fall out results in Sanzo leaving the others to go with Hazel and Gat.
An aside: Hazel hitting on Sanzo and Sanzo's indignant reaction is very funny!
December 18, 2014
One of my favourite books in the series! Finally hakkai's demon form is revealed and i nearly fell off my chair for i was so excited! it doesn't help that he is my favourite character either! Really enjoyed this volume!!
August 15, 2017
Ahhhhhh, This is it, the pay off it's pretty cool. I want more of this.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews