#koumyou/goudai

[saiyukiitaliaandinternational]

Sanzo lineages

Just a random thought about the title Sanzo priests bring with them, in future the concept of lineage in Buddhist tradition will be analysed better. I mean Genjo is called Genjo Sanzo the 31st of China, Koumyou is labelled as Koumyou Sanzo the 30th of China, Sharak Sanzo is the 28th of Arhat, Ukoku Sanzo is Ukoku Sanzo the 24th etc. I've noticed each Sanzo has a number and this reminds me of lineages we see in Buddhist tradition i.e. Sakya Trizin title of Sakya lineage of Vajrayana tradition in which we have now the 43rd Sakya Trizin which is Gyana Vajra Rinpoche in case you are curious.

So taking note of the numbers, I speculate each Sanzo, linked with each sutra, is connected with a specific lineage. For example Maten Sutra had 31 Sanzo priests, Kouten Sutra had 28, Muten Sutra had 24 and so on. So I don't think it's something linear such as:

Ukoku (24th)➡️ Sharak (28th)➡️ Koumyou (30th)➡️ Sanzo (31st)

This doesn't make any sense, we have something more like:

Maten-kyō: Koumyou Sanzo (30th)➡️ Genjo Sanzo (31st)

Kouten-kyō: unknown Sanzo (27th)➡️ Sharak Sanzo (28th)

Muten-kyō: Goudai Sanzo (23rd)➡️ Ukoku Sanzo (24th)

As for others we don't know titles nor the names but I think each sutra that governs a specific aspect of existence has its own lineage. If we follow this reasoning I can see that the lineage with the least number of Sanzo priests is the one about Nothingness and Death which I find quite interesting and shows the difficulty of obtaining it and handling this deep concept. Sorry for this uninteresting post, I just wanted to let out a random thought that was over my mind these days.

[nighttimefjaeril]

Jaaaaae! I wanted to send an ask for the ship thing! But Houmei and Jyoan got taken hahaha sooo...pick your second favourite ship! ♡ [[Also I hope you're having a great day today!]]

Hello darling, first of all, sorry for taking it so long >

So, since you gave me the option of choosing the ship it took me a while to decide: that’s because, besides the obvious nr.1 (aka Houmei/Jyoan), I love my other favorite ships pretty equally: Koumyou/Ukoku, Houmei/Toudai and Ukoku/Kami-sama (yes, lots of Koumyou/Houmei and Ukoku in there unsurprisingly :’D)

I’m not gonna tackle the last one as I know it’s a no-no couple for you my friend ;) As for the others… I was gonna do Koumyou/Ukoku at first, ‘cause I did the previous one with Houmei already and wanted to use his “mature” form this time: but then, after talking to @amadriel and @kimagattinanera about it, I’ve decided to go with Koumyou/Goudai instead, as it’s a less popular ship that needs more love :3 This way I can still use Koumyou over Houmei, and well, Momo-chan is still Momo-chan, despite some more years on his back and less hair on the top of his head ;) xD

Who said “I love you” first

Oooh again, this isn’t so immediate to reply, because I don’t think that they would say these types of things to each other often; they’re definitely the kind of couple that lets actions speak louder than words. Also, Goudai would definitely react all flustered upon hearing such passionate declarations :‘3 Koumyou knows this well, so he tries to tone it down a bit. But still, it was definitely Koumyou the one who said it first, because hadn’t he been the one to be honest with his feelings first I’m not sure that they would’ve ended up together in the end :’) Momo is incredibly shy when it comes to these things and it’s hard for him to express his feelings, so he needs someone like Koumyou to take the first big step and allo him to open his heart to him.

Who would have the other’s picture as their phone background

Goudai would have a nice picture of him and Koumyou, taken on a vacation, where the two are standing together in front of a marvelous view with a drink in their hand, all smiling and happy; it took him forever to decide which one to use because half of these had Koumyou making silly faces, the other half had Goudai  closing his eyes or looking too serious and grim (he’s not good at putting on a fake smile for pictures): finally they were able to take one where they were acting natural and comfortable, probably aided by a few drinks ;) As for Koumyou, he used to have an old picture of him and Momo during training days as his backround, Genkai probably took it; but after a while he replaced it with a picture of baby Kouryuu of course ;) He takes tons so he keeps changing it every month pretty much hehe~

Who leaves notes written in fog on the bathroom mirror

Ah, this is pretty much mirrors the one I previously wrote: it’s always Koumyou who writes and draws random stuff on the bathroom mirror (he doesn’t draw butts and dicks anymore though… maybe :’) ). Goudai sees it, finds it cute for a second before getting mad at him, but instead of cleaning it himself he has Koumyou do it, hoping this way that he will learn his lesson… someday. ; D

Who buys the other cheesy gifts

Similarly to the Houmei/Jyoan one, Koumyou still cherishes the habit of finding the tackiest, most useless trashy knick-knacks as a joke-gift for his partner :’D Of course, a second serious gift would follow, but Koumyou just can’t say no to bad taste for laughs :’D Goudai would just shake his head and scold Koumyou for the money he has wasted on such a piece of tat, but he would still keep all of his gifts somewhere hidden, where the eye can’t see… :3

Who initiated the first kiss

Again, there could be so many different ways that this could have happened…as much as I love fantasizing about Toudai, his shirt open and pecs in sight, holding the beautiful damsel Houmei in his strong, muscular arms, kissing him passionately in the moonlight (lol), I’m pretty sure that Koumyou had to take the first step and initiate the kiss, otherwise if it was up to Momo-chan they would have waited for the rest of their lives :’) That or he would’ve teased and torment him so much to the point where he left him no other choice but to kiss him… poor Momo ;) But yeah, Koumyou had to be the driving force for their romance, in a way or another.

Who kisses the other awake in the morning

Goudai as an attempt to waking up Koumyou: first he starts by hook, kissing him gently and whispering sweet words to his ear, then by crook by shaking him and yelling at him :’D In the end, when he’s finally awoken, they may indulge in a more or less extended cuddle session, depending on how much time they have left before getting their day started (and that only depends on how long it takes for Koumyou to wake up ;) )

Who starts tickle fights

Erm… I don’t think that Koumyou would ever dare attempting that :’) Let’s face it, if he tried to tickle Goudai he would end up severely crushed(perhaps he did try once back in the training days and from that day forward has never made anymore attempts :p ) so he knows that he would be better off not poking the bear :’D However, I could picture Goudai tickling him Koumyou as a means to take revenge on him for some wrongdoing (he tries not to show it, but he’s extremely ticklish), or again, as an attempt to wake him up on time in the morning :‘3

Who asks who if they can join the other in the shower

Hmmm… probably Koumyou, which depending on the subtext the invite may either entail either sexytimes in the shower or just an extended relaxing bath time for Goudai, who’s always in a hurry and never takes his time to enjoy the finer things in life, at least according to Koumyou: he doesn’t it like the “pampering sessions” all that much as we all know that Goudai is a spartan man, but if he gets to focus on Koumyou instead of himself - helping him washing his long hair, washing his back etc., it’s something that he would definitely take pleasure in doing (especially if ends up leading to sexytimes heheh~)

Who surprises the other in the middle of the day at work with lunch

I can imagine both knowing their way around their kitchen; Goudai is probably the best cook of the two, but Koumyou is the one that gets more adventurous with his food and always tries out different dishes and combinations of flavors, so I could picture him surprising Goudai in the middle of training his students with some interesting-looking dish (by interesting I mean weird and/or gross) that surprisingly ends up being delicious.

Who was nervous and shy on the first date

That would be Momo, that goes without saying :‘3 He’s just not very comfortable with the idea of dating, or better: he’s not comfortable with all the unavoidable clichés that dates usually entail: the small talk, the flirting, the desperate attempts at making a good impression and all that jazz… for this reason, Houmei tried to make things appear a bit more informal for him, but as soon as Toudai realized that what they were having was not a normal night-out with a friend but an actual date, he literally went “oh crap!” and got tense all of the sudden xD Good thing that Houmei managed to save the situation with a skilled recovery, and everything went smooth after that… but needless to say, things between them have never been the same from that day forward :‘3

Who kills/takes out the spiders

This one also mirror my previous ship post: it’s Koumyou who forces Goudai to take care of bugs and spiders by acting over-the-top terrified on purpose because he’s a lazy piece of shit that pushes the dirty work onto others:’D He definitely has a talent for that, and of course Goudai knows it’s all an act, but puts up with it anyways ‘cause he’s top notch husband material :3

Who loudly proclaims their love when they’re drunk

Hmmm well I can’t really imagine Goudai ever getting drunk; sure, he enjoys his alcohol, but always in moderation. Koumyou, on the other hand can hold his alcohol pretty well, perhaps even better than his partner, but would end up going overboard from time to time :‘3 And it’s during those times that he would get… more affectionate than usual, a bit more flirtatious and even a bit frisky perhaps x°D Because of that he would proclaim his love and lust for Goudai loudly and proudly, embarassing poor Momo into oblivion and probably not really setting up the mood for later unfortunately… x°D But as drunk!Koumyou would probably end up falling asleep anyways as soon as he reaches the mattress, I guess it really doesn’t matter in the end, does it? :3

So yeah, that’s all folks! I think in the end I made the right choice ;) I’ve had so much fun coming up with these, usually my other fave takes the spotlight so this was a great chance for me to express my love for this amazing pairing! And thank you so much my dearest Nimo for offering me the chance to tackle it, hope you’re gonna enjoy reading my Koumyou/Goudai headcanons, and sorry if some replies are a bit similar to the previous ship post I made, but after all it’s still Koumyou/Houmei we’re talking about so… ;)

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

[texting]

Toudai: where are you

Houmei: I left early

Houmei: Sorry I couldn't stay longer :(

Toudai: wtf where are you going

Houmei: I'm going home

Toudai: are you kidding me come back

Toudai: you're drunk

Houmei: don't worry I called an uber

Toudai: we drank at your place

Houmei: Oh

Houmei: Where am i going

Toudai: wow seriously?

Toudai: get the driver on the phone

[zaruba-needslove]

My Saiyuki Fanfictions

Might as well promo the whole set XD. Pity AO3 has no option to share the whole series lineup so had to manually do this. The order is correct at the time of posting.

Title: Unbelievable Relationships: Konzen Douji & Son Goku, Kenren Taishou & Konzen Douji & Son Goku & Tenpou Gensui Characters: Konzen Douji, Son Goku (Saiyuki), Kenren Taishou, Tenpou Gensui Series: Part 1 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Kenren-centric. At times he wondered how deceitful Konzen might appear to other people. As much as looks may deceive when it comes to Goku.

Title: Flowing River Relationships: Koumyou Sanzo & Goudai Sanzo Characters: Kouran (Saiyuki), Kanzeon Bosatsu (Saiyuki), Jiroushin (Saiyuki), Koumyou Sanzo, Goudai Sanzo Series: Part 2 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: It never occurred to him that the voice he was following would lead him to find a beautiful child in need.

Title: Crows of the Dark Night Relationships: Koumyou Sanzo & Ni Jianyi | Ukoku, Genjo Sanzo & Koumyou Sanzo, Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku, Ni Jianyi | Ukoku & Kami-sama Characters: Ni Jianyi | Ukoku, Koumyou Sanzo, Genjo Sanzo, Kami-sama (Saiyuki), Son Goku (Saiyuki) Series: Part 3 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Ukoku-centric. Even now... he's still waiting for someone to kill him. Or not?

Title: Innocence Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Koumyou Sanzo, Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku Characters: Son Goku (Saiyuki), Genjo Sanzo, Koumyou Sanzo Series: Part 4 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Somehow, watching Goku playing just outside of his room made him feel at peace.

Title: Return Relationships: Goujun & Tenpou Gensui, Jeep | Hakuryuu & Cho Hakkai, Goujun & Kenren Taishou, Jeep | Hakuryuu & Sha Gojyo, Jeep | Hakuryuu & Genjo Sanzo, Goujun & Son Goku, Goujun & Konzen Douji, Jeep | Hakuryuu & Son Goku Characters: Jeep | Hakuryuu, Goujun (Saiyuki), Cho Hakkai, Son Goku (Saiyuki), Sha Gojyo, Genjo Sanzo Series: Part 5 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Goujun-centric. How he wished that he could've been able to join them...

Title: Fatal Dose Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku, Cho Hakkai & Genjo Sanzo & Sha Gojyo & Son Goku Characters: Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku (Saiyuki), Koumyou Sanzo, Cho Hakkai, Kougaiji (Saiyuki), Sha Gojyo Series: Part 6 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: A short retelling of what happened in the chapter 'Fatal dose'. Written mostly from Sanzo's and Goku's perspective of what happened during their encounter with the scorpion demon.

Title: The Cherry Blossom Memories Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku, Konzen Douji & Son Goku, Cho Hakkai & Genjo Sanzo & Sha Gojyo & Son Goku, Kenren Taishou & Konzen Douji & Son Goku & Tenpou Gensui Characters: Son Goku (Saiyuki), Genjo Sanzo, Sha Gojyo, Cho Hakkai, Kanzeon Bosatsu (Saiyuki) Series: Part 7 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: It's a pleasant day... and Goku takes Sanzo out for some cherry blossom viewing.

Title: Unlike Before Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku Characters: Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku (Saiyuki), Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo Series: Part 8 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: "The one standing right here was no longer the same person as before!"

Title: Precious Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku, Cho Hakkai & Genjo Sanzo & Sha Gojyo & Son Goku, Cho Hakkai/Genjo Sanzo/Sha Gojyo Characters: Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku (Saiyuki), Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo, Hazel Grouse, Ni Jianyi | Ukoku Series: Part 9 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: What was precious to someone, wasn't always so clear to see by other people. Sets during the Even a Worm Arc.

Title: The Light of the Sun Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku, Konzen Douji & Son Goku, Cho Hakkai & Genjo Sanzo & Sha Gojyo & Son Goku Characters: Son Goku (Saiyuki), Genjo Sanzo, Sha Gojyo, Cho Hakkai Series: Part 10 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Post Reload. Ever since they left the village with that birdman living alone on the cliff's edge, Goku had become too quiet and so unlike his usual self. This caught the attention of the remaining members of the Sanzo party.

Title: Infuriating Relationships: Cho Hakkai & Genjo Sanzo & Sha Gojyo & Son Goku Characters: Sha Gojyo, Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku (Saiyuki), Cho Hakkai Series: Part 11 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Gojyo-centric. Sometimes he wondered if they just love messing with him.

Title: Reach Relationships: Nataku & Son Goku (Saiyuki), Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku Characters: Son Goku (Saiyuki), Genjo Sanzo, Cho Hakkai, Sharak Sanzo Series: Part 12 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: Goku... and Nataku. Somehow he felt pulled to attempt to find out the truth. For his own sake... as well as Goku himself.

Title: Alone Relationships: Genjo Sanzo & Son Goku Characters: Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku (Saiyuki) Series: Part 13 of The Sun and the Everlasting Light Summary: "Sanzo priests... can be extremely lonely at times."

[lenievi]

the more I read the more I love Sanzo. 

reload volume 7, 8, 9, 10

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- You know, the thing about Sanzo and Goku’s relationship is that on the outside it appears that it’s Goku who is more attached to Sanzo, but in reality it’s actually Sanzo who is more attached to Goku. (I could talk about the first half volume a lot, but it would be too long and what I would say about Sanzo’s actions would just be a summary of what comes up later in the volumes anyway, i.e. why he did it, why he went with Hazel, how he felt... In any case, I love Sanzo freaking out and running a town marathon~ because it brought a change which is very very visible in Blast)

- I still find it funny that the youkai girl has similar personality to Sanzo 

“she’s quite pretty. if you look closely” lmao Goku choose your words better

reload 8

“what about your parents?” “I don’t have them... I think” “I see” “hmmmm, if I think about that... does it mean that Sanzo’s my foster parent?” 

(I wish TP’s translation was better and didn’t make Goku say it as a fact when he’s just questioning what Sanzo could be to him, which is still in line with past events - “you also have one, don’t you? an absolute existence.” “Absolute existence? What? Which? Who?”

I see, I don’t actually have parents, does it mean Sanzo is acting as one?) 

- I really like the Oasis arc 

- “Fate isn’t something you decide on or something you choose. It’s already there when you notice.” I know this is about Gat, but I feel like it can be said about the ikkou as well. 

- lol when Hazel uses his exorcist powers, Sanzo is like “heh, so you can use a technique like that too”, which is what he says later to Hassan as well. I wonder if Sanzo is a bit jealous that he wasn’t taught anything or if he’s really just complimenting them (the thing is the situation is the same, Sanzo’s words are the same, so he means it in the same way for both Hassan and Hazel)

- I really like Petit burial. Sanzo is really kind.

- it’s fun that Minekura also came up with background for the characters in the omake - like you know, modern university AU where Sanzo and Goku are childhood friends who are living together, where Goku was raised by Kouymou as well after his parents died in an accident when he was small (x)

reload 9

- *head desk* I knew that Koumyou named Ukoku after raven that cried out when Ken’yuu killed Goudai, but I didn’t realise that he literally named him “raven cries” (probably because it got lost in English translation, with there being no kanji). Or is it a crow? Hazel says “raven” but idk what’s more common among fans

- tbh I feel like Ukoku is just jealous of Sanzo, because he “got” Koumyou, because Ukoku never had a master who would love him

- but when Ukoku used his sutra against Sanzo’s Makai Tenjou, did they feel something since two sutras were used at the same time? 

- so according to Ukoku, Kouymou’s death was close to a suicide (duh), he died for Sanzo’s sake so Sanzo could inherit the sutras and become a full-time Priest Sanzo, because sutras can only be inherited when the previous Sanzo is dead. Now the question is why it was needed when Sanzo was 13? (does it mean that Ukoku doesn’t have chakra, because he wasn’t chosen as a successor before he killed Goudai?) ETA: because of the original Saiyuki where he started to be called Genjyo at the age of 13?

- how come that Gat is bleeding when Ukoku cuts off his arm, but when some youkai cut it off at the beginning of this arc, there was no blood?

- Sanzo feels fear the whole time Ukoku si slowly erasing the “memory”, but I’m so happy that he only realises what it is he feels when Ukoku is about to get to erasing his early times with Goku and when he gets to their first meeting, Sanzo loses it again. If Sanzo loses it because of himself (because he feels like it would be Goku who would disappear from his life [I’m not sure how much Sanzo understands what’s happening despite Ukoku saying that it was Sanzo disappearing and not Hazel and Gat]) or because Goku would never meet him and therefore stay in the cave is irrelevant to me, because both are good.

- I also like that whenever Sanzo might have some doubts or when he’s lost, it’s Goku who is allowed to have some “inspirational speech”, because “it’s actually Sanzo who is supported by Goku”

reload 10

- before I only read the Chuang Yi’s translation, so I wonder how the original will feel and if I’ll find new things/interpretations thanks to it

- you know, I know it’s a pretty stupid reason, but Ukoku wants to erase Sanzo just to get Koumyou back, right? :D

- so Sanzo only calls Hazel “Hazel Grouse”

- Gat’s end made me cry T_T And his last words were in Kansai-ben T_T

- Gat: “Please take care of Hazel” Sanzo: “Only you can use that gun” I find it really poetic that Sanzo used Gat’s gun to avenge Hazel and Gat.

- “Sanzo’s enemy is our enemy.”

- I know that we will probably never know if Hazel regained his memory or not and I can’t decide what’s better for me: 1. Hazel repressed all memories, because Gat’s death was that painful, so now he lives in the village, feeling like he’s missing someone, but he can live a pretty good life 2. he remembered everything and is suffering somewhere alone

- I wonder if “the promise from 500 years ago” in the “preview for Blast” refers to the promise between Konzen and the rest or if it’s “let’s play again” with Nataku, but considering that Goku saw “a vision Nataku sent where they were exploring”* I assume the latter, but... 

*I believe that was Nataku’s memory/an image that came from Nataku, because that never happened and it was something Nataku dreamt about

Anyway, in all 19 volumes, whenever Sanzo called Goku “you stupid monkey”, Goku never shot back “don’t call me a monkey”. He only does it with Gojyo. The only time Goku said “I’m not a monkey” to Sanzo was when they met, because Goku wanted to tell him his name.

[stuffedbunnies]

I’m now a pro and I know how to trim posts, but not cool formatting. Koumyou, praise me.

@koumyou-sanzo 

“This had nothing to do with Goudai. Besides, you were able to overcome your sufferings, didn’t you?”

This could have been a friendly observation if his voice wasn’t unusually cold.

“You’re right, but he didn’t have to. This wasn’t the fight for his succession yet, you only attacked him on a childish impulse - I really was not going to let you kill him in such a cowardly way.”

It’s the first time he heard that tone in Koumyou’s voice and it sent shivers up his his spine, both in a positive and negative way. “Did I?” he parroted pushing his own luck again, childish or not now he’s just curious to see more of this new side of Koumyou “Of course you weren’t going to let it happen, he deserved the honorable death he wished for.”

[saiyuki-the-strange]

How these eleven colors shall blend...

Saiyuki Ibun 『最遊記異聞』 is a spin-off of the succesful Kazuya Minekura’s series Saiyuki, a liberal adaptation from the Chinese classic Journey to the West. Unlike its predecessor, Ibun is a completely original story that focuses on the youth of Genjo Sanzo’s master, Koumyou Sanzo Hoshi, here portrayed as a young, free-spirited novice monk under the name of Houmei.

The story takes place around 40 years before the main storyline and it’s set at Taisou Temple (Taisouji), a place renowned for forming the most influential figures of all Tougenkyou: the holders of the sutras of Dawn and Time, the Sanzo priests. Along with two other Sanzo priests that have appeared in the main storyline (Goudai Sanzo and Tenkai Sanzo), as well as several new characters, we witness young Koumyou competing in the race for the Sanzo title, until only eleven candidates remain. Things start to really take off from there, as a blend of tension and camaraderie rises among the first faction and increasingly difficult challenges await ahead… In Jikaku (Taisouji’s abbot)’s own words, “let us observe then, how these eleven colors shall blend.”

Saiyuki Ibun was published for the first time in the 11th issue of Ichijinsha’s Zerosum WARD magazine in September 2009. Its first tankobon was released in May 2013 with three different covers (regular, limited and Animated limited), and hasn’t been updated ever since, due to Minekura’s chronic health issues. The volume has also been translated into italian and distributed by Dynit.

A stage production by Saiyuki Kagekiden 『最遊記歌劇伝－異聞－』 has been announced at the end of 2017 and will take place at Tokyo Dome City Theater G-Rosso from September 4th to September 9th 2018(more info here: https://www.clie.asia/saiyukikagekiden/ibun/ ).

As of now, Saiyuki Ibun manga’s status in uncertain, but according to the Saiyuki Ibun cast event, the story will continue.

[darknessthatdevours]

‘Alternate ending’

'Do you ever wish you could change the past?'"Of course not. I’m quite comfortable with who I am today."'But what if things were different?'

It all started when that hand grabbed a hold of his arm. The fingers dug in tight, and it felt like his bones would break. Opening his mouth Ken’yuu was about to voice his anger at the weird, blond Sanzo. And yet, as soon as he saw that look of disapproval, and the coldness in those eyes, he was rendered silent. There was a chill that took over his body, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away, even as the cold eyes turned from him.

Silence took hold, of the two, and even the sound of the difficult task the other monks in training had, Ken’yuu couldn’t move.

Before he could comprehend what was going on, the grip on his arm was released. Dark eyes quickly turned to the skin which was already bruising. A dull ache throbbed deep into the muscles, and a wary step back was taken. Although, it appeared it wasn’t needed as the blond had moved away.

Eyes carefully followed to the scene that had just occurred.

Goudai Sanzo was dead. And Koumyou Sanzo was approaching the one student who was still standing.

That should have been him! This should have been his moment. Burning filled his chest, stomach twisting into knots. And oddly enough, despite the heat filling his body, his head felt cold, blank, and fuzzy.

He had put on a perfect act, playing the good student. He learned quick. He was the best candidate. And that was taken from him! He should make it right. Any other situation he would make it right… But if he tried to now, it was clear that he would only be stopped.

This was the first time in his life that Ken’yuu ever felt this.It was a dark, disgusting, overwhelming sensation. And he enjoyed it.

Screw taking what he earned from Goudai. A new plan was set in his mind. He would become stronger, and then take what he deserved from Koumyou himself. He would kill the monk and take those scriptures. He would become the new Sanzo, and he would have two scriptures at his disposal instead of the one.

Yes… That would work.

[saiyukiitaliaandinternational]

Ken’yuu faccia da WTF XD

Quest’ultima parte del dialogo tra Ken’yuu e Koumyou mi ricorda un po' i gong’an Ch’an (o koan Zen, se siete più familiari con lo Zen), essi sono strumenti della pratica meditativa e constano di affermazioni paradossali che distruggono le concezioni intellettuali del praticante al fine di risvegliarlo. Ho sempre visto Koumyou come un grande praticante Ch’an e di conseguenza vive proprio in modo Ch’an ogni aspetto del vivere anche il “semplice” raccogliere le foglie per arrostire le patate. Evidentemente Ken’yuu non ha realizzato tale cosa (e mai la realizzerà cosa che vedremo poi quando chiede a Goudai Sanzo le qualità per essere un Sanzo), ma la sua faccia ed espressione sono senza prezzo, da sbellicarsi dalle risate XD XD

[koumyou-sanzo]

Welcome to Koumyou’s life as a single dad of numerous sons, Ken’yuu, Kouryuu, Gonou and lil’ Kami! (are they his? Did he adopt them? You’ll never know)

Everyday is lively with the visits of his coworkers Goudai and Tenkai, and the many visits of Nii, the science professor of the eldest son, who seems to prefer Koumyou’s company rather than Ken’yuu’s homeworks, the many attempt of Ken’yuu and Kouryuu to make him leave definitely, (”and now I say we set the kitchen in fire that’ll make him go away.” - “Ken’yuu no." - “Ken’yuu yes. Do you want to find this creep in father’s bed tomorrow morning?” - “eeeew.” “Exactly, now hold my glasses I have a fire to start”) Kami’s troubles at school because he had no idea he couldn’t just bring back a little friend home and claim he was his new favourite toy, and Gonou’s vain attempt to find a calm and peaceful room to read in this house.

In next week’s episode! Ken’yuu is at this age! Reading too much BL, he discovered it was not that weird to have this kind of feelings for his father since they were not blood-related. What will happen?

[nighttimefjaeril]

Shipper manifesto (or "why do I ship Houmei/Jyoan?")

Welcome to rareshipping hell, grab a seat, grab a drink, ‘cause this is gonna be a long one.

So, I’m pretty sure that anyone that has ever the slightest interaction with me, can at least tell two things about me: 1. I’m incredibly, borderline insanely passionate about Saiyuki Ibun 2. I love Jyoan and Houmei the most.

Now, I’m sure that most of you also know that I not only I love them separately, as their own characters, but also together. ‘Cause I ship them, you know. Hard. I’m probably not very subtle bout that, am I? But at the same time, I have to say that, unless I’m in an environment where I know people are gonna be accepting, I don’t feel extremely comfortable talking about it. Why? I’m not sure to be honest. This is not a problematic pairing by any stretch of the imagination, the guys are roughly the same age and there are no signs of dub or non-con in their dynamics. I guess that what it all boils down to is my fear of having people come up and tell me “But WHY?”. Which, to be fair, it isn’t an offensive question at all, per se. It’s probably that people wanna know the reasons behind me shipping these two characters. Gosh, they probably never thought about it, they’re just curious, and understandably so. It’s just that my silly, insecure mind can’t help but perceive this otherwise innocent question as judgemental. As in like “How can you ship these two as they barely interacted in the first volume??” , “How can you ship them when you should ship Koumyou with Ukoku (I do) and in his Houmei-form with Toudai (I also do, I’m a shameless multishipper) and Jyoan has Ganpuku (I…sort of do?) as his go-to shipping partner!”. Again, I’m not saying that these are necessarily the other person’s thoughts behind the question, it’s just how my mind perceives it most of the time, and I feel like I have to justify myself for liking it, in a way. Well, today I thought I try and leave my insecurities behind and explain once and for all why not only I ship Houmei and Jyoan, but it’s also probably my OTP. For now. Until Minekura gives us more Ibun and you know, things may change…

Why do you ship Houmei/Jyoan?

There are many ways I could start this… it’s a combination of things really. The easiest way to put it is this: I’m in love with the potential dynamics of their relantionship, based on the chemistry of their personalities… which is definitely the most developed thing about Ibun characters so far. Not the estabilished history with each other, as there is very little of it at this point as the story has just began; not their backround, which is hinted at best, and not their motivations, which in most cases are still pretty murky. But their personalities, their well-roundness… for characters that have only appeared in one volume, they’re all incredibly developed. This is one of Minekura’s greatest strengths: being able to create intriguing and memorable characters within their first apperance. Of course there is room for further development for all Ibun characters (including Houmei, we may have seen more of him compared to but we still know so little about it) but as far as the core of their personalities goes they’re incredibly well-constructed and adaptable for many, many scenarios.

We know that Jyoan is a proud, ambitious, tsundere-like character that wants to be at the center of attention at all costs; we know that Houmei is a free-spirited, kind but sneaky, incredibly gifted boy that succeeds in everything he does with very little effort. With these canon elements in mind, I think it’s only natural to imagine a scenario where Jyoan, who is probably one of the most driven candidates, would feel nothing but a devouring envy towards Houmei, who pretty much surpasses him in everything (hell Minekura even pointed out that Jyoan is one of the best with spells… only second to Houmei :’D) without even trying. We haven’t seen this yet, true, but to me it’s just a natural progression of the premise we’re given with these two. Actually, we have proof  that Jyoan is well aware of Houmei’s incredible talent, as he has shown towards the end (he basically wants him out because he knows he’s the biggest threat, and goes as far as to saying that “Whatever they test they put him through, Houmei will manage”. He states that in front of everyone too, and guys, this is Jyoan we’re talking about, someone who would put anyone down in favor of himself at any chance!). So, knowing Jyoan’s pettiness and… not-so-understated personality, I can’t expect nothing but obsessive jealousy towards Houmei. And once the object of his obsession realizes that, after wondering for quite some time why does that purple-haired weirdo keep looking at him like he wants to put a hex on him, wouldn’t you think that Houmei wouldn’t pass the chance to take this to his advantage, or at least have some fun with it at Jyoan’s expenses? 'Cause let’s face it, Jyoan is lthe perfect victim for Houmei’s trolling, more than anyone else; he’s touchy, petty, resentful and while I wouldn’t call him dumb nor exactly naive, I think… he would fall for it? :’D At the beginning at least; I stongly believe that at some point he would be able to tell that Houmei is full of shit, and why you ask? Easy: because Jyoan hides his true personality behind a mask as well. A narcissistic and self-confident façade that hides his insecurities and weaknesses, just like Houmei hides his real nature behind his ditzy and goofy persona. I think that, once they get to know each other a little bit more, it would be pretty apparent to both, and the discovery would lead to some tense and perhaps dramatic moments between them (you know, like “Bitch you fake” “LOL bitch look who’s talking” xD).

So yeah. We have Jyoan’s obsessive jealousy towards Houmei, and Houmei taking advantage of that for his own enjyoment. They both may be calling each other fake at some point and may get into a twink fight. So where does romance come to play in all this?

To be fair, I’m not even sure if I ship this romantically or not. I mean, I do I guess, but not in a “and they lived happily ever after” kind of way (do I ever lol). I will say this: I definitely believe that,given the premises aforementioned, I don’t think it’s hard at all to imagine some romantic/sexual tension building between them as a natural progession. Because you see, obsessiveness can lead to attraction pretty easily, in a “love-hate” kind of way. Isn’t “being attracted to your rival” one of the tropes as old as time (from Jyoan’s pov that is)? Besides, it may be a pretty weak point to make, but Jyoan is obsessed with beauty, too, and well, is there anyone more beautiful than Houmei around the temple (beside Jyoan himself, of course, of course! :’D )? Let’s be honest, Jyoan is a bit shallow that way, he would be attracted to the prettiest person… second to him :p I do however believe that his attraction wouldn’t be limited to that: it’d be a mix of awe and jealousy towards Houmei’s talent, his intelligence, his popularity, his good looks… would Jyoan ever admit that? No, but deep down, would he want to (get) hit (by) that? Probably.

This took only Jyoan’s side into consideration, so what about Houmei? Why would he be attracted to Jyoan?

First of all, I would like to make a point about Koumyou that comprises every other ship revolving around him: usually, it’s pretty easy to tell how the other person involved feels about Koumyou. But how about him? Do we really know how he truly feels about Ukoku, Goudai or whomever? We can imagine that he cares about them, sure, but does he really show it? I think not, at least not to the extent that the other person does. That’s because Koumyou is an incredibly aloof, distant person, with a very complex and detatched attitude towards life itself. His Houmei-form isn’t that much different, quite the contrary: he may hide it more behind his goofball façade, but his thoughts and attitude aren’t less enigmatic than his more mature self.

Having said that… based on what was said earlier, I think that Houmei wouldn’t think much of Jyoan at first. The “rival” narrative doesn’t really hold up for him. He would definitely find Jyoan odd (which he is), maybe irritating even, and perhaps him and Toudai would make fun of him a little, 'cause remember, Toudai doesn’t like Jyoan and viceversa (they would never bully him of course, but maybe commenting something along the lines of “Oh that weirdo is making a fuss again, how did he even end up here?”). But after playing some practical jokes on him and getting to know him better, I feel he would warm up to Jyoan quite a bit. He would find his tsundere-ness and over-the-top-ness pretty endearing, probably because it would make him laugh. He would have fun around Jyoan, in a way or another. They’re both pretty strange, “extra ” kind of people, not in the same way of course, but they do share some similarities and who knows, they may discover they have more stuff in common than they think (like c'mon, like they wouldn’t love spending their evenings with clad in robes, face masks on, catching up with some ridiculous gayass program that only them would be into :’D). Also, I feel that Houmei would be able to pick up on Jyoan’s attraction (or well, weird mix of contrasting feelings and “I-it’s not like I like you or anything, b-baka”) towards him pretty soon, and would he go for it? Sure, why not? I feel that Houmei would be…adventurous that way and would basically go with the flow, it the premises are right. Knowing him, he would definitely take pleasure in teasing Jyoan and well, basically play with him a bit, unless… things turn into a nuisance. If it takes too much effort, Houmei is likely to lose interest fast, leading both parties to frustration and unresolved sexual tension. Which, I don’t know about you, I’m all for. (Also, I have no problem picturing Houmei finding Jyoan attractive, he’s a pretty boy, just like he is. Unless he’s solely into big, masculine dudes, which I think not *cough*Ukoku*cough*, I think that there are good chances that he would find him fuckable. I don’t think he would have a “type” anyways).

Ok, now that we’ve roughly estabilished how their dynamics and chemistry work, what’s next? Would they fuck? If yes how?  Would it be hot or not (Hell yeah it would!)?

And then what?

Alright, let’s talk about sex. I don’t know about you, but the temple of hot dudes in fundoshi scenario just works for me. Much like prison, the military etc., it’s one of those things where sexual frustation may lead even the straightest man to… exploration (I don’t think it’s Houmei and Jyoan’s case, BUT). Without elaborating too much on it, I think that, if these two would reciprocate attraction, it’s most likely that they would end up doing it. Why wouldn’t they? They’re young  men in their prime and probably suffering from the worst case of blue balls ('cause you know, forced celibacy), it’s only natural that they would find a way to release some tension. I have a thing for Koumyou as a top in general, and with Jyoan, well… Jyoan definitely strikes me as a bottom. I’m not saying he wouldn’t top like ever, but… yeah, it’d be definitely a very rare occurance. Ok, one could argue “the feminine one as the bottom cliché”, but actually, I don’t think it’s quite the case with these two: in fact, they’re both pretty feminine dudes. Dare I say that, between the two, Houmei could be actually the most feminine? Appearance-wise Jyoan has a more androgynous look, but who speaks like a schoolgirl and uses “watashi” between the two? Minekura mentions that Jyoan can be surprisingly masculine at times, and I can honestly see that, as in his demenor is definitely more aggressive and imposing. Despite all that, Jyoan in my eyes would still be the world’s biggest bottom, and a very submissive one at that. Me and others have often referred to him as a “pillow queen”, too, which I think it’s very fitting: Jyoan makes you work for it, only then he would reciprocate…maybe (I headcanon him to be pretty skilled at oral though, blame it on the illustration where he’s licking a lollipop: goddammit Minekura, be a little bit more subtle about it :’D). But all the attention must be on him, all the time. As for Houmei… he would be happy to oblige :D He’s the most adaptable and creative of the two, and he would get a kick out of dominating Jyoan, for sure; no matter the position or role, he’d be the one in control all the time. And Jyoan would be totally ok with it, whether he admits it or not. Also, I could picture them being into some light kink stuff, nothing too extreme, but you know for sure that ropes would be heavily involved (well guys, Koumyou would have had to practice on someone before going all out on Ukoku, wouldn’t he? ;) ). To put it shortly, I think that they would have very good sexual chemistry. Would that reduce their relantionship to the one of two fuckbuddies? Eh, don’t think so. Perhaps it could start that way, you know, once they overcome all the confusing feelings and tension (which may take a while lol). But I do believe that they would definitely manage to estabilish some form of emotional connection and bond, once they get to know each other better. And since we know that they’ll spend at least two years together living under the same roof, I’d say that there is more than enough time for that.

Having said that… do I think that their relantionship is meant to last forever? Probably not.

…

“BUT YOU SAID IT’S YOUR OTP AND YOU DEDICATED THIS UNREASONABLY LONG POST TO THEM AND-” Ok, ok, I know, but hear me out. Not all otps are meant for an happy ending. Some of us prefer some… contrasting and unbalanced dynamics that would lead to drama. Tormented lovestories. Awful people doing awful stuff and making each other suffer. Perhaps it’s one person loving the other more and receiving less in return? Perhaps it’s a crippling inferiority complex leading them to believe that? Or perhaps it’s simply a matter of incompatibility, despite all the love and the good that it’s there? Or it could be also for reasons that go beyond their will. Or it could also be just that Jyoan is an egoistic and childish piece of shit and Houmei is a manipulative insincere bastard, you know. I do sense a certain degree of dysfunctionality between them, of the kind where being together doesn’t bring up the best but the worst in them. I’m not saying that there is no other way to interpret their relationship, and I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t dream of a universe where Houmei and Jyoan would grow to become just like the guys from Vicious (if you have never seen it, look it up and tell me that Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi’s characters aren’t Jyoan and Houmei respectively in their sixties :'3 ). But I do believe that, in a way or another, their relantionship is probably not going to be a long-lasting one. Probably too much drama. Too much instability. Lack of trust and fear of committment could play a role in it, too (no I’m not blaming everything on Houmei, like can you imagine how it must be being around a perpetually pissed primadonna for a long period of time? Yeah, can’t really blame him). Even with this conviction in mind, do I still love it and ship it to death? Heck yeah. If anything, this only reinforces my devotion, as it’s said that the most beautiful things are meant to be short-lived…you know, like a butterfly (insert JYOAN IS GONNA DIE IN IBUN!!!! conspiracy theory).

I think that I covered everything. I guess I could get into the whole symbolism topic, bringing up the fact Houmei being very often surrounded by butterflies in Ibun illustrations, including a black one, and well, Jyoan has been associated with both butterflies and the color black (the black kitsune mask illustration and his “mundane” clothes are always monochromatic, too); I could also point out that butterflies are attracted to light  (Houmei = light ; Jyoan = buttefly), until they burn themselves to death; I could bring up the fact that their birthdays’ numbers are basically flipped (Houmei -> 29/08; Jyoan -> 28/09 = 29/08 28/09) and more. The thing is, I don’t think I necessarily need to bring any evidence to the table in order to make this pairing acceptable. Or any other pairing, for what it’s worth. 'Cause at the end of the day, it’s all a matter of taste. My reasons for shipping a pairing are personal and legitimate, and don’t require any justification for that. I wrote this so-called manifesto mostly for myself, as a way to rationalize why I like Houmei/Jyoan so much. If, at the same time, this can help others understand my fascination behind it, and who knows, maybe appeal some into learning more about it, then even better. I’m not trying to convince anyone to ship them or that they’re canon, not at all; I just want to prove that it’s totally ok shipping two characters just based on potential and personal, subjective feelings, and that rarepairs aren’t less “legit” than more universally accepted ships, canon or not. If you look deep enough into the characters and use your own imagination as a way of filling the gaps left empty by canon, anything it’s possible. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

So… could all this gigantic amount of text be summed-up as: “I ship it because I like it”? Well, yes. I’m very sorry.

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

Houmei: Look into the eyes of my heart, Momo.

Toudai: No.

[saiyukiitaliaandinternational]

Tabella cronologica di Saiyuki

500 anni fa: Son Goku viene sigillato nel monte Gogyo.

24 anni fa: nascita di Kouryuu. Viene abbandonato in un fiume. Koumyou (35 anni) lo salva e se lo porta con sé.

23 anni fa: nascita di Cho Gonou. I suoi genitori sono esseri umani e ha  una sorella gemella. Nascita di Sha Gojyo, suo padre è un demone e sua madre un essere umano.

20 anni fa: Koumyou Sanzo (39 anni) conosce Ken'yuu (17 anni) presso il tempio Zenou. Goudai Sanzo muore e Ken'yuu sussegue al suo maestro, divenendo Ukoku Sanzo Houshi ed eredita il Mutenkyo. I genitori di Gojyo (3 anni) si suicidano per il loro amore. Gojyo inizia a vivere nella casa della matrigna e del fratello Jien (9 anni). I genitori di Cho Gonou (3 anni) divorziano. Gonou vive con la madre mentre la sorella vive col padre.

19 anni fa: Koumyou (40 anni) inizia a viaggiare in posti differenti assieme a Ukoku (18 anni). I monaci buddhisti del tempio iniziano ad odiare Kouryuu (6 anni).

18 anni fa: Koumyou (41 anni) conclude il suo viaggio e ritorna al tempio di Kinzan. La madre di Cho Gonou (5 anni) abbandona suo figlio in un orfanotrofio.

17 anni fa: Ukoku (20 anni) visita il tempio di Kinzan dove vive Koumyou.

15 anni fa: Vocazione.

14 anni fa: Ukoku (23 anni) prende con sé un ragazzino e visita di nuovo il tempio di Kinzan. Il ragazzino senza nome conosce Kouryuu (11 anni).

12 anni fa: morte di Koumyou (47 anni). Kouryuu (13 anni) diventa Genjo Sanzo e il proprietario dei Seitenkyo e Matenkyo. Lascia il tempio alla ricerca del Seitenkyo che è stato rubato.

11 anni fa: la matrigna di Sha Gojyo (12 anni) cerca di ucciderlo. Lei muore e il fratello di  Gojyo (18 anni) lo abbandona.

8 anni fa: Genjo Sanzo (16 anni) arriva al tempio di Keiun. Conosce l'abate che muore presto dopo aver reso Sanzo ufficialmente capo del tempio. Cho Gonou (15 anni) lascia l'orfanotrofio e studia all'Università con una borsa di studio. Lì conosce la sorella Cho Kanan. Sha Gojyo (15 anni) conosce Banri e diventano soci.

6 anni fa: Sanzo (18 anni) conosce Goku (13 anni,a dire il vero ne avrebbe 513 di anni) davanti alla prigione di roccia. Iniziano a vivere insieme. Cho Gonou (17 anni) lascia l'Università e inizia a vivere con Kanan.

5 anni fa: la sorella di Cho Gonou (18 anni) viene rapita da Hyakugan Maoh.

4 anni fa: seguendo un ordine degli Sanbutsushin Sanzo (20 anni) va alla ricerca di un assassino e porta con sé Goku (15 anni,anche se ha 515 per la verità). Cho Gonou conosce Sha Gojyo, entrambi hanno 19 anni. Cho Gonou cambia il suo nome in Cho Hakkai e vive con Gojyo.

3 anni fa: Banri ritorna all'improvviso e incontra nuovamente Gojyo, entrambi hanno 20 anni. Per la prima volta Goku mangia uno stufato.

1 anno fa: Sanzo (23 anni) convince Hakkai e Gojyo (entrambi hanno 22 anni) ad accettare le missioni affidate a loro dai Sanbutsushin.

Adesso: Viaggio in Occidente.

L'immagine l'ho presa da: http://saiyuki.wikia.com/wiki/Saiyuki_Chronological_Time_Table dove trovate anche la tavola cronologica in inglese che io ho tradotto qui.

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

[Toudai, shaking his protein shake]

Houmei, pops his head in: Do I hear margaritaaaaaaas?

Toudai: ...no, Houmei, it's 10 am.

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

Houmei: i talk a lot huh

Toudai: yes but it's nice

Toudai: i like hearing your thoughts

[[Later]]

Houmei: Grapes are easy to acquire and easy to eat

Toudai: if you say anything else on this topic im going to murder you

[incorrect-saiyuki-quotes]

[Zouryou has assigned excessive homework]

Ryūzen: There's only one solution. Someone has to go to Zouryou and talk to him.

Doutaku: I vote we all look at Houmei at the same time.

[They do.]

Houmei: [Not paying attention] In a way, all of you are right...[notices their stares] Okay, what was I tuning out?

Ganpuku: You have to get Zouryou to call of some of the homework! You're the one with the silver tongue.

Jyoan: Yeah, go tongue Zouryou.

Houmei: Guys, what makes you think I can convince Zouryou of anything if I can't convince you not to make me do it?

Seiran: Well, I guess it does sound crazy...

Toudai: Houmei does raise a good point.

[The others murmur in agreement]

Toudai: Wait! You are convincing!

[The others gasp and exclaim their realization]