Gensomaden Saiyuki

Gensomaden Saiyuki
Gensomaden Saiyuki volume one DVD cover by ADV Films
Genre
Anime television series
Directed byHayato Date
Produced by
  • Ken Hagino
  • Tetsuya Watanabe
  • Tomoko Gushima
Written byKatsuyuki Sumisawa
Music byMotoi Sakuraba
StudioPierrot
Licensed by
Original networkTXN (TV Tokyo)
English network
Original run April 4, 2000 – March 27, 2001
Episodes50 (List of episodes)
Sequels

Gensomaden Saiyuki (幻想魔伝 最遊記, Gensōmaden Saiyūki) is a Japanese anime television series that is based on Kazuya Minekura's manga series Saiyuki. The show is set in Shangri-La, an earthy paradise where humans and youkai (demons) live peacefully together. The world is invaded by "Minus Waves", which are created by the mixing of scientific research and magic in an attempt to resurrect an ancient, powerful and evil god named Gyumao. The youkais return to their bestial habits, killing and eating humans. Goddess Kanzeon sends the Buddhist monk Genjo Sanzo and his acolytes Son Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Cho Hakkai to Tenjiku (India) to stop the curse and prevent Gyumao's resurrection.

The series is produced by Studio Pierrot; it is directed by Hayato Date and written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, and the music is composed by Motoi Sakuraba. Gensomaden Saiyuki is the first season of the Saiyuki anime series; it is followed in the first-series continuity by the film-adaptation-and-direct-sequel Saiyuki: Requiem in August 2001, and Saiyuki Reload from October 2003 to March 2004.

Gensomaden Saiyuki's 50 episodes were initially broadcast from April 4, 2000 to March 27, 2001, in Japan on TV Tokyo. In July 2001, ADV Films licensed the series in North America until 2009.[4][5] Enoki Films holds the U.S. license to Gensomaden Saiyuki under the title Saiyuki: Paradise Raiders.[1]

In October 2009, Madman Entertainment announced it had licensed Gensomaden Saiyuki in Australasia. The series was released at a rate of one episode a day and remained online until 20 January 2010.[6] in North America AEsir Holdings licensed the anime, released the series as part of a complete collection of Saiyuki on DVD in February 2013 and April 2015, and on Blu-ray in March 2019.[7][8][9][10][11]

The episodes have two opening and closing themes; the first opening theme "For Real" by Hidenori Tokuyama is used for the first twenty-six episodes and "Still Time" by Tokuyama is used for the remainder of the episodes. The two closing themes are "Tightrope" by Charcoal Filter and "Alone" by Mikuni Shimokawa.[12]

  1. ^ a b c "Saiyuki". Enoki Films USA. January 27, 2002. Archived from the original on January 27, 2002. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anime Reviews Saiyuki was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference THEM Anime Reviews was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "New ADV Releases in July". Anime News Network. April 1, 2003. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "North American Anime, Manga Releases, June 16-22". Anime News Network. June 19, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "Saiyuki added to Madman's Screening Room+, Code Geass R2 coming soon". Anime News Network. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "Section23 Films Announces June Slate". Anime News Network. AEsir Holdings. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  8. ^ "Section23 Films Announces June Slate". Anime News Network. AEsir Holdings. February 22, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "Section23 Films Announces April Slate". Anime News Network. AEsir Holdings. April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  10. ^ "Section23 Films Announces April Slate". Anime News Network. AEsir Holdings. December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Section23 Films Announces March Slate". Anime News Network. AEsir Holdings. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "スタッフ". tv-tokyo.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2023.