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Saiyuki Reload vol. 7
What is that Tarot card doing there?
You see, I had a problem deciding how to express anything about this volume above the cut, without spoiling the story. The previous volume had left us in a totally horrible moment. If you recall, there had just been two really wonderful conversations about life and death - but mostly about life - touched off by the results of Hazel's resurrection powers. Gojyo and Hakkai had discussed their future - and the emphasis should be on "their," despite Hakkai's extended fantasy on the indestructible woman he is supposedly seeking. Meanwhile, Goku had seemingly touched Sanzo with his understanding of the points Sanzo was making about living life fully, without dwelling on life's end. Sanzo has given Goku that little smile before, but not while Goku was awake to see it - and I don't think Goku was fooled by the fact that the smile was aimed at Sanzo's cigarette.
Then something attacked Goku, and there was blood everywhere. Bam - end of volume 6.
So, volume 7, and this card. This is the Six of Swords (from the Rider-Waite deck, if anyone is into that sort of occult trivia). Swords represent trouble, strife, sorrow. A ferryman poles a shallow barge over a river, carrying two huddled figures, adult and child, and six swords, apparently driven point-down into the floor of the barge. The usual interpretation of the card is "leaving sorrows behind." But when I read this card, I see that the sorrows - the swords - are in the boat with the refugees. Although they have succeeded in obtaining passage away from whatever they have left behind on the bank, they carry their sorrows with them.
And so it is with the Sanzo ikkou in this volume.
Sayuki Reload vol. 7 (review)
It's not that hard to guess who attacked Goku. Hazel's obsession with Ukoku, and Sanzo's flashbacks, make it pretty plain. And at this point, I have to conclude that Ukoku/Nii means to destroy Sanzo - not kill him, that's too easy and not satisfying enough. He wants to break him. I find myself thinking of Chin Yisou's attacks on Hakkai, actually. And this isn't even driven by something as understandable as revenge - it's just part of Ukoku's contest with Koumyo.
What isn't clear to me is whether Ukoku counted on Sanzo's killing rage. Sanzo's first thought isn't trying to save Goku. As the almost-tender moment of shared understanding is shattered and Goku falls to the ground bleeding from dozens of serious wounds, I'm guessing that Sanzo assumes Goku is dead, and his first thought is to kill the one who did it. I'm not sure Ukoku had counted on that. The manipulation seems aimed at making Goku's friends remove his diadem, so that he's revealed as the Seitan Taisei and Hazel is forced to confront the bogeyman that Ukoku has built up for him. And of course, that happens anyway - when Hakkai and Gojyo can't stop the bleeding with their best combined efforts at chi-based healing and first aid, it becomes their only choice.
Other hard choices present themselves. Because they need to save the innocent inhabitants of the town from Goku's rampage, Hakkai removes his youkai power limiters and attacks, despite the dangers that he will be affected by the Minus Wave. Hazel and Gat have to trust Hakkai enough to fall in with his plan to stop Goku. And when Sanzo returns from his fruitless hunt, Gojyo - the only other member of the party left standing - just can't bring himself to forgive their human ally for leaving them - for leaving Goku, who worships Sanzo - in this time of need.
There are so many things that I liked, or that moved me, or both: Hakkai in youkai form is very cool. But just as cool is the fact that what finally stops Goku is not Hakkai's considerable physical powers in his youkai form - it's his educated, rational, controlled mind, which figures out how to use both his own youkai powers and Goku's summoned lightning storm. Hazel, who has avoided addressing any of the youkai by any sort of name, shouting "Mister Spectacles! Don't you give up!" when Hakkai goes down. Gojyo's despairing thought - "Why am I so useless?" - as he tries to revive Hakkai. That Hakkai's first thought when he comes around is for Goku. His and Gojyo's little interaction after that, when Hakkai asks Gojyo why he's making "that face" - I bet he's trying not to cry - and Gojyo tells him to shut up (and can't help smiling as he does it). The two shots of Gojyo, bloody and burdened with his friends, and Sanzo, in his (comparatively) pristine robe, walking away from each other. Hakkai's and Gojyo's joyous relief when Goku comes out of his coma. Gojyo's mixed fury and hurt as he explains to Goku why Sanzo isn't with them. Hakkai toughing out the pain from his leg injury and refusing to let anyone be blamed. And Goku deciding that he has to hide his feelings about Sanzo's desertion because he's making the other two worry. The kid is growing up - but oh, what a heartbreaking way for it to happen!
And then there's Hazel's fairly blatant attempts at flirtation with Sanzo - in front of poor Gat, too. I wanted to smack his perky little face, but it made me laugh, too.
To me, the remainder of the book - as we follow the three youkai through their ineffective attempts to provide for themselves, and their eventual arrival at the youkai desert town, and also travel with Sanzo and Hazel (and Gat) to the town at the oasis, with Hazel dodging Sanzo's questions most of the way - is one long, slow piece of misery. A confrontation is building up, there are mysteries to be solved. But I'm not feeling terribly curious about any of that - all I want to do is somehow clear the air and bring the four of them back together again.
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Well, actually, I can't take credit for having Goku think of Sanzo as his sun ... it goes back to his Gaiden days with Konzen.
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