Sorry for the delay, exams are eating my brains X3
Previously: Hakkai and Jeep
Here's Kanzeon Bosatsu, Jiroushin, and the Three Aspects!


Kanzeon Bosatsu

☆ In the original, too, the one who advised Priest Genjo Sanzo to journey to retrieve the scriptures and the one who ordered Goku and the rest to become Sanzo’s disciples was this bodhisattva. If anything troubling happens to the Sanzo Ikkou, the original Kannon would appear on the spot and state how they were to proceed, but because she’s constantly showing up I could only think that she’s a character who might not want to always appear (laughs). She always has an attendant called Ascetic Engan with her. Because she’s a symbol of compassion and mercy, she even extends salvation to the youkai who have been taught a lesson by Goku, and carries them to Heaven with her; however, her line at those times is “I have a use for this one, too”, and I don’t know about that (laughs).

☆ I’ve looked at numerous works that inspect “Hsi Yu Ki”, and the opinion that Kannon is purposefully sending the Sanzo Ikkou trials, and that Heaven is amusing themselves by observing the trials is the most abundant. “Saiyuki”’s Kanzeon Bosatsu is a character I made who displays this image on all faces with all her might. Did I exaggerate it too much?

☆ The bodhisattva “Kannon-sama” is famous in Japan as well as in China, and both the “Heart Sutra” synonymous with Priest Sanzo and the “Kannon Sutra” are Kanzeon Bosatsu’s scriptures. Her name in India where she was born is “Avalokiteshvara”. When translated, this becomes the “Universal Feeling” [maybe? 観自在] which represents Kanzeon Bosatsu.

Jiroushin

☆ The “Jiroushinkun” of the original is, of course, not Kannon’s lackey. He is one of the gods famous even in China, and according to one theory he is a beautiful young god who excels in both literary and martial arts. In the original “Hsi Yu Ki”, he has enough power that he manages to catch the violent Son Goku, who stumped even Prince Natha. It seems Jiroushinkun always has his pet dog by his side.

☆ As for that woeful old man “Jiroushin” he’s drawn as in Saiyuki, I would like you to think of him as an original character who is a mix between this “Jiroushinkun” and the “Ascetic Engan” who in the original Hsi Yu Ki is always seen at Kanzeon Bosatsu’s side. As for why I chose this setting, Kannon’s disciple “Ascetic Engan” is “Heavenly King Takutou Li”, in other words he is the son of Saiyuki’s Li Touten, and that would make him Brothers with Prince Natha. This would be inconsistent within my Saiyuki, so I placed not “Ascetic Engan” at Kannon’s side, but that type of long-suffering old guy.

☆ Incidentally, “Jiroushinkun” is said to be one and the same as “Youki” who appears in Chinese legend, and because he is said to have a “third eye” on his forehead, I put that kind of pattern on my Jiroushin’s forehead…… Even though it’s useless (laughs).

Three Aspects

☆ These are completely original characters who don’t appear in the original “Hsi Yu Ki”. There may be many who feel the name is out of place, but I brought in these gods with that type of name to symbolize the fact that the Shangri-la world, and thus the “Saiyuki manga” itself, is a mishmash of elements not limited to one religious theme. It’s a name meaning “mix up Buddhism and Shinto”, or in other words “cats and ladles” [猫も杓子も “Any Tom, Dick, or Harry”]. Although it’s a popular belief that the phrase “cats and ladles” itself refers to Shinto and Buddhism……

Next: Gyuumaoh, Gyokumen, Kou and Dokugaku