Saiyuki Reload Volume 2 Book

Saiyuki was my guilty pleasure, and Saiyuki Reload is my new, full-fledged addiction. This was another great book! I was a little bit disappointed that the Sanzo party took care of that doppleganger situation so quickly and easily - I was hoping they'd have to trade off and kill each others' doubles. I think that would have had potential for some great melodrama and laughs - as it was I cracked up when Gojyo, Hakkai and Goku realized that Sanzo had a double, and all thought at exactly the same time "We could kick the shit out of it!" Such a loving and merry band of degenerate saviors! ♥ I found it to be a very interesting twist that the group got separated at the river, since, though they've been separated before, it never really happened in the midst of a crisis. Though Dokugakuji and Yaone are still technically calling themselves enemies to the Sanzo party, they were acting pretty aggressively as allies all the while. The crazy illusionist youkai was quite the sadist, but I liked his very conversational manner as he tortured them with their own minds. I was so thrilled when Sanzo broke the illusion, again using his Buddhist philosophy of 'carry nothing' - he's still definitely my favorite character, and, though he's the only human of the group, I think he may actually be the strongest. I wonder what will become of Goku now that he has to fight this emotionless killing machine that Kougaiji has become; I really do hope there's a way to save Kougaiji without killing him - maybe that's sappy, but this is technically a shoujo manga, and I want him to be able to save Lirin and see his mother again. Ah, this stuff is getting good! I can't wait to read the next book!