Genjo Sanzo (Saiyuki)
Genjo Sanzo is a male anime and manga character who features in Saiyuki.
Contents |
Biography
Genjo Sanzo (Japanese: 玄奘三蔵, Hepburn: Genjo Sanzō)
According to Ukoku Sanzo his father was a government official named Rin Tokou. He was a political activist who was exiled to Oujyouin in Rishyu, the northern-most town of Togenkyo. He was 51 years old when he met Sanzo's mother, a woman named Kouran. She was 17 years of age and the daughter of a shop peddlar. After he was conceived, his father went missing and his mother went off into the wilderness to bear this child alone where she died shortly afterwards.
The infant was placed in a basket left floating in a river. Before he could drown he was saved by Koumyou Sanzo. Koumyou named the boy Kouryuu (江流 lit. Creek Flow), which means flow of the river, and took him to the Kinzan temple. From that time on he raised the boy like his own son and Kouryuu came to love and respect Koumyou. When Ukoku Sanzo who had become the second youngest Sanzo to ever achieve the rank of High Priest that made a visit where Koumyou remarked that Ukoku and Kouryuu 'looked the same'.
Koumyou and Kouryuu's lives were put into danger. One night, around the time that Kouryuu was 13 years old, Koumyou called him in to speak with him. He ordained the boy as his successor and gave him a formal Buddhist name. His final words were "Be strong now, Genjo Sanzo." At that moment, a gang of youkai broke into the room demanding Koumyou's two sutras. In an effort to save the boy, Koumyou protected Kouryuu and gave his life. The Seiten Sutra, which he was wearing, was stolen by the killers. Kouryuu told the temple what he had witnessed and was unjustly accused of killing Koumyou himself, but the truth was proven when he showed the red shakra, a mark of divine approval, that had appeared on his brow. He announced his intention to leave the temple at once, find the murderers and retrieve the Seiten Sutra. He was formally appointed the newest Sanzo Priest - the "31st of China" - and given his priestly regalia; charge of the Maten Sutra, his master's second sacred scripture; and a weapon from the temple's armory, the demon-killing shoreijuu or "banishing gun".
Over the next four years, Genjo Sanzo was forced to kill many times. Sanzo eventually came to Chang'an and visited The Temple of the Setting Sun, to ask the The Three Aspects for information on the whereabouts of the Seiten Sutra. He received orders to stay in Chang'an, despite wanting to look for the sutra, because his current eyes were "dead", and he was told that "If he saw the sutra with those eyes, he wouldn't even recognize". While in Chang'an, Sanzo, beset by horrible nightmares from his past, shut himself away in the temple and prayed. The other monks commented that he did not recite any sutras during this time. One night, restlessly prowling the halls, he met the head priest, Archbishop Jikaku, smoking. Sanzo—who did not approve of smoking at this time—talked with the older man, who jokingly referred to him as a 'demon', because of his golden hair and his habit of appearing only by moonlight. On their second meeting, Jikaku offered his box of cigarettes to the young Sanzo; they were grudgingly accepted.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Genji Sanzo was a male of relatively average height and athletically wiry, although he's usually enveloped in his very loose beige robe. He has bright golden blond hair kept vaguely short and violet eyes, and is considered to be strikingly attractive. Draped over the shoulders of the robe is a green-bordered scroll covered in Tibetan calligraphy, the Maten Sutra, one of the five Tenshi Kaigen or "Sutras of Heaven and Earth". The sacred sutra's powers protect it from accumulating any signs of damage or wear, despite its being worn in all sorts of weather every day for years. It was has been mentioned more than once that he is fair looking, once a villager even tried to make a move on him, but was immediately greeted with a gun to his forehead before he could touch him.
He was indifferent, short-tempered, and a rational thinker; most of the time he won't fight unless absolutely necessary, even if the others are. He is most easily annoyed by Gojyo and Goku's constant bickering. Most of the time, he solves this problem by threatening to punish them by hitting their heads with his paper fan or firing his gun at them to get them to shut up. When they're resting, he usually smokes, reads the newspaper and drinks a beer or tea. He refuses to admit that his companions are his friends, but he implicitly says that they are a place he can come back to. He typically announces his companions as his servants, and is never grateful no matter how many times they rescue him from death. In particular, he hates being pressed to defend his unusual position as a human traveling with youkai companions. Despite his gruff and impersonal attitude, he cares deeply for his companions - though he was loath to acknowledge it - and was quick to defend others in need. He and Goku spend the most time together, owing to the fact that they've known each other for so long.
Though he never actually took Buddhist vows and seems to hold all divinities in contempt, he maintains a few monastic habits. He eats very sparingly and his favorite dish continues to be chazuke (茶漬け) which is basically rice steeped in green tea - a typical monk's meal. He refuses to lecture on religious teachings when asked, but often delivers philosophical points with blunt and direct insight when people need advice. The one teaching of his master's that he continues to hold in high regard is muichimotsu, [Mu (none, nothing), Ichi (one) Motsu (to hold); so "hold not one (thing)", "hold nothing"], a precept that forbids forming any attachments in the material world. He does become aware that he has used muichimotsu as a defense against forming friendships or emotional attachments, for fear of losing them as he did his master, but it is uncertain whether or not this awareness changes his opinion of the teaching.
He is the current holder of the Sanzo title and the wielder of very powerful sutras, though he is usually content to keep those stored away and shoot people immediately. He met his trio of party members through various traumatic adventures and brought them together, offering them a chance to start over. Despite his grouchy exterior, he is revealed to be a good person at heart
Powers and abilities
Sanzo has two main weapons that he uses periodically; those being his Maten Sutra and the gun he's carried with him since he first became a Sanzo priest. He hardly ever fights without his gun and the Sutra on his shoulders, and is seen as a very formidable foe when forced to fight.
Translated as the 'scripture of darkness', it is the Sutra that Genjyo Sanzo carries. All Sanzo are required to protect one of the five Sutras. Most of the time, it sits on Sanzo's shoulders, and it is mentioned in passing. Kougaiji has tried many times to take the Sutra but has failed. It has been said that with the five Sutras collected, Gyumaoh can be resurrected. In order to use the scripture he must recite a mantra, ending in the command Makai Tenjo, at which point, the scripture is activated. The only time Sanzo really uses the Sutra is when he can't use his gun or Goku's diadem has been broken/removed. He has also used this during an attack in one the villages that Sharak Sanzo has been protecting. They both realized that using two sutras at the same time causes it to resonate, creating incredible power. He is the only non-divine character so far to be able to reconstruct Goku's diadem. He is also somewhat of a match to the Sage, as seen when he fights him in the anime. It is speculated this is due to him retaining some of his godlike power from his previous incarnation as Konzen Douji. Though Sanzo prefers to use his guns, he is also good in hand-to-hand combats. It is both shown in the manga and novel that Sanzo is able to beat a bunch of people who look much taller and stronger into pulps.
Notes
- Genjo Sanzo was created by Minekura Kazuya where he featured in the setting of the Saiyuki universe.
- The character was loosely based on Tang Sanzang from Journey to the West and written by Wu Cheng'en.
In other media
Television
Appearances
- Saiyuki: (1997)
External Links
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