The BEST episodes written by Nobuaki Yamaguchi
#1 - Encounter ~fake~
Saiyuki - Season 3 - Episode 4
As the youkai mob descends on the villagers, Goku goes into full asskicking mode and takes out half of them within seconds. Who the hell is this kid? they demand of each other, and then, 'better call the others!' Damn, there're more of them? says Goku; he orders Kon to get the villagers back into the cave, as far as they can go. You're gonna defend them all by yourself? the demons jeer, but Goku says he sure is, and then smashes the cliffside, sealing the villagers inside the cave. Now they're safe from you, he says, and grins at the demon army, saying he'll take them all on. The still shirtless H, G & S look around what seems to be an endless cavern full of bones and torches. Can it truly be an illusion? it looks so real...Sanzo draws and aims at the strange youkai, but he grins and says Sanzo can't do any harm with that melted gun. As soon as he says it, the shoreijuu seems to glow red-hot, and Sanzo drops it, staring at the half-puddle of metal on the cave floor. Do you see now? all three of you are in the palm of my hand, says Zakuro. They look at each other in alarm, and Zakuro adds that if they keep zoning out like this, they'll be paralyzed by snakebite. Right: at once snakes materialize from thin air, draped all over the ikkou-minus-9. Sanzo gets it: this is all psychological, he says, but mental and physical damage are linked here--so if they believe what's happening, it really does happen. He's using a hypnosis technique! Hakkai yells, don't listen to Zakuro! [heh, Hakkai --like us--must have read the manga, since the enemy youkai's name hasn't yet been given here.] --That's easier said than done, chokes Gojyo, sounding badly rattled. Zakuro grins, and announces that looking at the snakes more closely, he sees that they're actually human hands. And [eeew...] of course they are: a slithering mob of disembodied arms, crawling over the ikkou and grabbing up from the ground, hauling them down. Back up on the edge of the cliff, where they still are in rea
#2 - Standoff ~muzzle~
Saiyuki - Season 3 - Episode 9
The guys are waiting on the top of a mountain for Sanzo, but there's no sign of him. We see that as it was too steep for Hakuryu, Sanzo decreed they'd climb it on foot, and Goku promptly suggested a bet on who'd reach the top first: loser to buy barbecue for the ikkou. He'd thought that would be Gojyo, but the hanyou comes in third; so where is Sanzo?... Below, the footsore monk has stopped for a break, and has just lit a smoke when Lirin careens out of nowhere. Sanzo gets off two shots [and realizes that's all he had; he wasted too much ammo shutting up a quarrel] before the demon princess lands such a blow to the rock he's on that the whole cliff-edge avalanches into the valley below. (Hakkai hears the noise, but Gojyo says he's just imagining things. Though it did seem that they all heard the gunfire...)==UH-oh; there's the Maten Sutra caught on a tree branch, lost in Sanzo's fall! Sanzo reaches the bottom a second before Lirin and instantly aims at her; she grins wryly and says she's failed. So shoot, baldy, she dares him. Brat, he retorts, aren't your guardians around? She begins to say she's tough enough alone, but her stomach growls so loudly that she halts in embarrassment. I'm all out of meat buns, he says with his dry evil grin; just go on home. But she snaps back that she can't give up and go home this time; and we see again the Kou-tachi rescuing her from Dr. Ni's experiment in ep. 6. Afterward, her brother had warned her to stay away from "all of them" from now on, even her mother, and promised to protect her no matter what. She said she would, and Dokugaku and Yaone looked on, smiling, as prince and princess sealed the promise with a pinky-swear. [Awwww. =)] --Now Lirin grits her teeth; big brother did his best for me, she thinks, so I have to do my best for his sake!--Baldy Sanzo, she yells, give me the scripture! Kyoumon?--he glances at his shoulder, registers that the priceless sutra is gone, and reacts with admirable composure. Stop calling
#3 - Buried Dream ~snow drop~
Saiyuki - Season 3 - Episode 10
Wrapped in long cloaks, the ikkou trudges through a snowy mountain pass. Goku and Gojyo gripe about the cold, and Hakkai reminds them that this wasn't his idea: a villager told them the only way west was over this mountain. Gojyo hopefully asks if there might be a village or an inn on the way. Hakkai doubts anyone lives up here-- but then a flight of arrows zings into the snow at their feet. Go home! get off this mountain! yells a young, angry voice, and we see the archers are a gang of little kids. People from the village aren't supposed to come up here, they say, and Gojyo's attempt to explain that they aren't villagers is just met with more arrows. Ignore them, growls Sanzo, and the ikkou takes off at a gallop through the blinding snow--and runs right off the path, landing in a heap (not too far) below. A tall figure, dressed for the weather and muffled up in scarf and goggles, finds the unconscious foursome... We see a pot of soup bubbling over the fire. Sanzo's eyes slowly open; he sees a youkai bending over him and in a flash has the demon by the collar, pistol at his head--but we can see that this youkai is the one who rescued them. Wow, you're fast, says the stranger mildly, and then Hakkai and Gojyo chime in to assure their leader that the demon, whose camp they're in, is their benefactor. Quite a greeting, says the big guy, amused; you're pretty violent for a monk. [He has a nice smile, dark hair and grey eyes; a deep voice and a steady, calm presence.] Sanzo snorts; so, a youkai not affected by the Minus Wave, he says. --Something like that. --The youkai passes Sanzo a bowl of soup. Gojyo adds with tipsy happiness that there's sake' in it, and Goku is already sound asleep by the fire =). Sanzo accepts the bowl with poor grace and irritatedly asks why the group is so relaxed. Hakkai replies that there's not much more they can do right now, as the snowstorm has turned into a blizzard. The big youkai [I'll go ahead and say that his name is Yakumo] adds t
Watch Now:Amazon#4 - Onslaught ~intruder~
Saiyuki - Season 3 - Episode 17
After the last-episode flashback: As they drive across the desert, Hakkai is amused to realize that his companions are having the same argument fast asleep that they usually have awake ("Hungry... *snore*" "Shaddap, bakazaru...*snore*" "Both of you shut up ..zzz")--but then has to wake them with a stomp on the brakes as a pack of demon assassins appear. Double-checking that these are bonafide youkai and not human zombies, Gojyo and Goku arm up and prepare with glee to kick ass, but are beaten to the kick by those spoilsports the Hazel-tachi. Gojyo shrugs that they're making his life easier and flops back in the seat, calling to "Hazel-chan" to keep up the good work; but Goku outright hates him, and Hakkai wonders just what his intentions are. Who cares, growls Sanzo; let's go. At Houtou Castle: Kougaiji is looking on with big-brotherly tenderness at a curled-up-sleeping Lirin (aww =) when Doku and Yaone arrive with news. (Man, is it good to see the Kou-tachi again or what? =)=) Something strange is going on, says Yaone; we're getting reports of our people being wiped out in large numbers. What? do we know what's happening? asks the shocked prince, but a silky voice cuts in; my my, sounds bad, says Dr. Ni. I told you never to come in here again, snarls Kou-sama, but the doctor replies that he overheard something about our dear prince's friends being killed...could someone have a grudge against demons? Kou storms up to him with fists clenched--what are you suggesting, bastard?!--but Ni just smirks and says, make sure you don't die too, ojii-sama. And goes on his way while all three glare undying hatred at his back. --Lirin-chan, undisturbed, sleeps peacefully on. In a windswept desert town, the SI has stopped at a restaurant. Gojyo and Goku's squabble over the last meat bun is interrupted when the waiter delivers a basketed bottle of wine to their table, saying "that gentleman" asked him to deliver it. --Guess who. --Hazel waves amiably, and Hakkai wonders aloud
#5 - Misgivings ~hesitation~
Saiyuki - Season 3 - Episode 18
After the flashback: everyone is frozen with shock as Dokugaku thuds to the ground. Gato reloads one gun. Yaone calls Doku's name; Goku runs forward and leaps into the air. Gat aims at him, but the saru lands at Doku's side, glaring daggers at the big native, and loads the fallen youkai onto his shoulders. His look positively dares Gat to do anything about it, and Gat chooses not to, reloading his other pistol instead as Goku carries Dokugaku to safety. The big guy groans in pain; Yaone runs to his side to assess the wound, saying it looks bad. Kougaiji is furious with Goku, saying that this is their fight and the SI was told not to interfere. ==Kou watches as Hazel heals Gato's sword slash (and his clothes along with it, whoa!)--Hazel sees them watching and smiles knowingly. Goku tells Kou it's impossible to stop Gato by just wounding him, as Hazel will keep healing him with youkai souls, but Kou grates that that doesn't matter: "I'll vaporize him." Seriously pissed-off-mad (and he's gorgeous that way =), the prince tells Goku that the ikkou is in his way and needs to clear the hell out now. Goku grins and says he gets it; grateful Yaone gives him the thanks the prince is too angry to give, Goku replies with a thumbs-up and bounds back to his crew. Hazel chuckles and, in his acid-sweet way, remarks how nice it is to see demons gettin' along so well together. But the next thing Hazel hears is Kou beginning the chant that raises Engokuki (yaay!! we've missed him/that/it! =) , and he stares in dismay-becoming-alarm as a storm of power roils around the youkai prince and his huge fire-demon familiar boils forth. Gat stands between Hazel and the monster, but his eyes are (justifiably!) terrified as it looms toward them, and Hazel, realizing they're no match for this, drags him along as they leap clear. The Hazel-tachi runs for it as the SI watches--then they belatedly realize they're parked directly in Engokuki's path (yike!), and barely pile into Hakuryuu in time to
#6 - Strategy ~checkmate~
Saiyuki - Season 3 - Episode 22
After the flashback: the I-3 are attacked by another PoRY calling them "Sanzo-ikkou" and demanding the sutra, and G&G are royally ticked off by it, bashing the hapless youkai with a lot more force than is usually called for. We're not his group! ("Sanzo-ikkou ja nai!") snarls Goku, and he and Gojyo--having KO'd all the youkai--go into a stamping and yelling tantrum, while Hakkai mildly asks if they really ought to blame everything on Sanzo. We have to get there before him no matter what! insists Goku. Let's go!--but then yet another PoRY pops up from nowhere, also yelling "Sanzo" and "sutra"! G&G literally see red, roaring "We're not in his goddamn group!" as they rip into the demons, and Hakkai rolls his eyes and wonders just what Sanzo's doing right now... their angry racket is so deafening that in the Heavens it even disrupts Kanzeon and Jiroushin's shogi game, and the Merciful One Hirself snaps "Urasai!" --Meanwhile, Sanzo is sitting in a desert canyon, having a smoke, when he hears a chiming of bells. Hm? -he pauses, and the jingle comes again, echoing off the Monument Valley-like stone pillars...and then, ta-da! the foe appears. I've found you! calls down Zakuro; long time no see, Genjyo-Sanzo-houshi. He leaps down to face the monk. You should feel honored, he says, cackling with glee; I've been summoned from hell just to defeat you. --Sanzo, who we thought had killed this creep in their last meeting, takes the sight of him with admirable calm. Zakuro cackles again and holds up his string of bells. Who are you?--asks the monk. You can't have forgotten me, retorts Zakuro, and after a second Sanzo growls, "Oh, it's you, bastard." (Then a flashback to make sure we too remember the illusionist youkai--like we could forget the one who put Gojyo through such torment.) Zakuro, wasn't it? he asks. That's right: the Master of Illusions, Lord Zakuro! No man is more beautiful or elegant than I, there's no way you could forget me! crows the youkai, and Sanzo snorts tha