Konnyaku Honyaku is back! Soto's started putting up photos and stuff from her Japan trip at elfsoto if you're curious, but there wasn't nearly as much Saiyuki stuff to be found as she'd hoped. But, here's the next bit of the Comparative Analysis: Intro + Konzen, Kenren and Tenpou

Earlier: a bunch of people (≧∪≦)


Second, a comparison between “Hsi Yu Ki” and “Saiyuki Gaiden”

Introduction

The original “Hsi Yu Ki” story has a two-part structure. The first half is the story from Goku’s birth scene until Goku is imprisoned in the Mountain of the Five Elements by Shakyamuni. The latter half is the story of Goku becoming Sanzo’s disciple and going with his companions to India on a scripture-seeking journey.

“Saiyuki Gaiden” is something that attempts to draw this type of first half, but rather obviously the entire story and the settings have become Minekura Originals.

As for why, first of all in the original “Hsi Yu Ki”, Sanzo’s previous incarnation “Konzen Douji”, and Gojyo and Hakkai’s previous incarnations “General Kenren” and “Field Marshal Tenpou” didn’t meet Son Goku in Heaven. In the original, there are scenes in which Gojyo and Hakkai say “When I was in Heaven~” and talk about their previous lives, but truly that is all.

Actually, there isn’t one scene in the story where their previous incarnations appear, and when he was in Heaven Goku rampaged all on his own.

“Saiyuki Gaiden” is something that uses the original as a basis and supposes “What if Goku did meet Sanzo and the others in Heaven?” It’s even more of a parody than the main story.

Konzen Douji

☆ He is Genjo Sanzo’s previous incarnation, and second disciple to the Buddha Shaka Nyorai. It seems he made light of the Buddha’s teachings and was forced to reincarnate. He is known as ”Konzen Douji” [金蝉童子 Golden Cicada Child], or “Elder Konzen”. Genjo Sanzo himself knows nothing of this previous life, nor does he seem to remember it, but for some reason the youkai who attack Sanzo know that “that Zen monk is the reincarnation of Elder Konzen”.

☆ I read somewhere that Shaka Nyorai’s second disciple is Kanzeon Bosatsu’s nephew, and made “Saiyuki Gaiden”’s Konzen into Kannon’s assistant. It isn’t written in the original what form Konzen’s violation of the Buddha’s teachings took.

General Kenren

☆ He is Gojyo’s previous incarnation in “Hsi Yu Ki” as well. Only his name sounds cool; his job is putting up and taking down one of Heaven’s shop curtains [noren 暖簾] (that’s why ‘Kenren’ [捲簾] is written as ‘roll curtain’ [noren wo makuru 暖簾を捲る]……) However, he is a slightly pathetic character who was sent down to the lower world for the sin of breaking a precious glass. He then became the youkai “Sha Gojyo”. So, he is more Gojyo’s “previous form”, rather than Gojyo’s previous incarnation. He even has all his memories.

☆ “Saiyuki Gaiden”’s Ken-niichan has absolutely no relation to the original anymore. I don’t think he was called a military man in the original either…… It was just a name.

Field Marshal Tenpou

☆ In the original, like Kenren is for Gojyo, he is Hakkai’s previous incarnation. He enjoyed living in Heaven’s river as Field Marshal Tenpou but, drunk on sake, he laid hands upon the moon spirit (a beauty and someone else’s wife), and was sent down to the lower world. It seems he was in the army’s top ranks, after a fashion, and knew of Goku’s rampaging in Heaven. Later, when he met Goku in the lower world as Cho Hakkai, there is a scene wherein he complains “Do you know how much of a pain it was for us when you rampaged in the Heavenly Palace?” It is made clear that Field Marshal Tenpou was in the punitive squad Heaven sent against Goku.

☆ Since in “Saiyuki” Hakkai and Gojyo’s natures are switched, in “Saiyuki Gaiden” as well, laying hands on someone else’s wife becomes Kenren’s job (laughs). Incidentally, Tenpou and Kenren being the subordinates of the Dragon King of the Western Seas is also random.

Only Nataku, Li Touten, Goujun and the conclusion to go!