Madlax vol. 4 and Saiyuki Double Barrel Collection 5 DVD Anime Reviews
First to recap: Saiyuki, the first series, was released previously on 12 discs. But ADV in their infinite brilliance is currently re-releasing the hit anime on 6 double disc volumes, all at a low affordable price. You can own the entire first series of Saiyuki for less than half the price of the original 12 discs! That, in my books, is awesome.
The story so far (please note: The recap and review may contain spoilers.): Four unruly and unlikely heroes travel West to stop the up rise of violent demons across the land as the heroes search for a powerful scripture that can save their world. Their land, Shangri-la, was once a place where humans and demons lived in peace. That is until others attempted to resurrect a great demon king whose very essence may be what's causing the demons to turn violent. Our heroes; Sanzo the cursing, smoking, gun toting monk, Goku, the irrepressible monkey demon, Gojyo, the womanizing gambler, and gentle Hakkai. All four have tragic pasts that hide behind their smiles and belligerent attitudes. Yet they will stop at nothing to save Shangri-la and help those who suffer.
Review: The eight episodes on this double disc set reveal a great deal in terms of both the childhoods of the band of heroes, as well as their new enemies - Homura God of War and his growing army set on rebelling against the heavens. At last we see into Homura's heart as well as that of at least one of his two right hand immortals. Although we still do not know the reasons for his interest in the innocent and kind Goku, he moves ever closer to his mysterious goal. In seeing part of his motivations, we're also given a never before seen glimpse into Goku's past 500 years ago before he was imprisoned. Up in the Western Heaven, we see Goku meeting Nataku for the first time (the main villain from the first half of the series), as well as the strange set of events that set things into motion for all of the main characters. We witness Goku involved with three men that have a nagging similarity to three other companions of Goku's acquaintance...
This is exactly one of the
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