English Dub Review: Saiyuki Reload Blast “Promise”

Everybody dies. The End. The Beginning.

Overview (Minor Spoilers)

In the wake of Goku’s outburst in the throne room of heaven, the gang make a mad dash for the dimensional gateway to earth. Knowing full well that all of heaven is against them, the gang make a promise to meet again. Oh, wait, you were attached to these guys? After I told you two episodes ago that they all die? This episode is gonna suck for you. Is it a bit melodramatic in their endings? You betcha. But, they’ve earned that much. As much as we’ve only known these characters for two episodes, in their hearts and souls, these are the Sanzo Party. We’ve known them for years. That connection is there, and they went pretty heavy handed in how they died to make sure you feel it. Otherwise, their rebirth wouldn’t feel as satisfying.

Where each character shined was in how they chose to meet their end. Tenpou slaughtered a ton of guards, all while thinking about whether he left the oven on, or where he could bum a smoke. As if all of this was beneath him, even his own death. He had better things to do. It was hilarious… and then it was over. This is also a great callback to how Gojyo met Hakkai, with the latter face down and beaten within an inch of his life. I found it interesting that the three gods went into this knowing full well they would die and would be reborn at the same time.

Knowing a bit of the source material on which Saiyuki is based, I have to say that this is a vast improvement in the plot. It gives the characters deeper, more visceral motivations for their actions, and makes their connection in their new life just natural. Goku doesn’t feel like a crazy kid taking things too far. His reactions are reasonable given the unreasonable surroundings that heaven’s politics placed him in. Kenren and Tenpou aren’t forced to reincarnate for dumb reasons. They were killed because they challenged the position and power of some jerk of a politician. This story has done the source material justice, and actually uplifted the characters.

The animation we see here is a good deal better than usual. That is to say, there was some. Goku’s Seiten Taisei form always signals the beginning of a great fight, so they had to do something more than the usual battle montage. I never really expected the fight to be with Kanzeon. I knew she was powerful but never thought the “Merciful Goddess” was a fighter. They play with blurring the camera throughout the episode, making it feel more cinematic. It also amps up the tension by making it feel as if we are seeing events through our own eyes. We’ve seen them do this many times in the series, but I noticed it more in this episode for some reason.

This story arc, though it delved into the ancient past of all the characters, was truly about Goku. We followed closely with his thoughts and feelings. To that extent, Greg Ayres has had to work hard to emote deeply and thoroughly for the kid. He’s done a great job, and it felt like he broke out of the typical ways of speaking that Goku used. His pain was deeper, I felt. He didn’t rely on Goku’s voice cracking to show how upset he is. Also, I felt like I was finally able to connect with Shelley Calene-Black as Kanzeon at the end. For once, she showed real emotion, and Shelley brought it.

Of course, this brings me to the big issue with this episode: the very end. Kanzeon just narrates everything that happens between Goku making it through the gate and Sanzo finding him later. This could have been far more impactful if we had just seen it. Show Kanzeon locking an amnesiac Goku in his prison. Show her walking back through heaven with all the sakura trees bald. Show us the events leading up to Sanzo finding Goku. Don’t just tell us these things happened. Let us feel them.

Our Take

The story is excellent, the characters felt strong and deep, and the voice acting follows suit. The animation decides to come out and play, and the art is freaking stylish as usual. The only downside is a bit of exposition where we needed a demonstration. As such, I give this episode nine reincarnations out of ten. Don’t waste them.