More than a decade after the third instalment of the anime was released, it's finally confirmed: Saiyuki is getting another animated run.
Titled Saiyuki Reload Blast, Kazuya Minekura's manga will be animated, albeit by a different studio. The franchise says goodbye to Pierrot, as Platinum Vision (responsible for Servamp) will be at the helm of animation for the new anime.
To commemorate this new anime, we're finally given a sneak peek teaser of Saiyuki Reload Blast. A number of scenes are very familiar from the older anime installments, which I've followed back as a kid.
According to Anime News Network, the original seiyuus of the cast from the previous anime are all coming back. That means Genjo Sanzo will be voiced by Toshihiko Seki, Son Goku voiced by Souichiro Hoshi, Sha Gojyo voiced by Hiroaki Hirata, and Cho Hakkai voiced by Akira Ishida.
A couple of fight scenes are very similar in movement and look—there's Goku's staff, Hakkai's hand combat moves, and of course, Sanzo's gun. I appreciate the refined character designs. Granted, the show was released back in the 90s, and the design had been in accordance to the era's anime designs.
And against all odds, at least the four guys didn't get too much of a bishonen treatment. Goku does look a little older, though it's possible that this is due to the story's progress than an oddity in design. If anything, even Genjo Sanzo looks manly—as manly as his flowing blond locks can be.
A quick shout-out to Sanzo's you're-dead scowl. If there's one thing that Sanzo will never be without, it's his gun-pointing scowl that makes the kappa and the saru scared to death.
Saiyuki Reload Blast is expected to premiere on TV this July.
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