Saiyūki (TV series)
 | This article needs more citations. (September 2016) |
| Saiyūki | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 西遊記 | |
| Genre | Fantasy Shenmo Action Adventure |
| Created by | Yuji Sakamoto |
| Starring | Shingo Katori Eri Fukatsu Atsushi Itō Teruyoshi Uchimura Asami Mizukawa |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| No. of episodes | 11 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 84 minutes (Ep.1,11) 54 minutes (Ep.2-10) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Release | 9 January – 20 March 2006 |
Saiyūki (西遊記) is a 2006 Japanese historical TV drama based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. It is a successor to the popular 1970s TV show Saiyūki, known outside Japan as Monkey. There have been three dramas and one special based on Journey to the West that have aired previously, making this one the fifth adaptation in Japan.
Fuji TV made an unusual decision to air this on 9pm every Monday, a primetime slot usually reserved for romantic dramas, hoping to capture both the young and the old by making this choice. While the series started off with viewership nearly reaching 30%, its rating gradually sank, barely making it at 20% at one point; the last episode finished off with 24.7%.
Rather than producing a second season, Fuji TV and Toho produced a feature film version of Saiyūki,[1] that was released in Japan on 14 July 2007. The film was a box office success, becoming the 8th highest-grossing film of 2007 in Japan.[2] The whole plot of the film is loosely based on chapters 32-35 of Journey to the West, Son Gokū trying to save a kingdom (with the help of a young princess)[3] usurped by King Gold Horn and Silver Horn. The DVD was released on 1 January 2008, in two formats: a single disc version with audio commentary and trailers, and a 2-Disc limited collector's edition with documentaries and making-of featurettes; it has also been released to both DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the United Kingdom, under the title Monkey Magic: The Movie.[4]
Cast
[edit]- Son Gokū - Shingo Katori[5][6]
- Sanzōhōshi - Eri Fukatsu[7]
- Cho Hakkai - Atsushi Itō
- Sha Gojō - Teruyoshi Uchimura[8]
- Princess Rin Rin - Asami Mizukawa
Notable guests
[edit]- Kadono Takuzo
- Takuya Kimura
- Rieko Miura
- Keiji Mutoh
- Hitomi Takahashi
- Shaku Yumiko
- Ayumi Ishida
- Masaaki Sakai—Portrayed Son Goku in the original Monkey TV series, appeared here as Buddha.
List of episodes
[edit]| # | Translated title in English | Original title in Japanese | Directed by | Japanese viewership | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land of Fire | 火の国 | Kamasaku Sawada | 29.2% | 9 January 2006 |
| 2 | Land of Hot Springs | 温泉の国 | Kamasaku Sawada | 24.8% | 16 January 2006 |
| 3 | Land of Dreams | 夢の国 | Kamasaku Sawada | 23.8% | 23 January 2006 |
| 4 | Land of Sands | 砂の国 | Gaku Narita | 22.5% | 30 January 2006 |
| 5 | Land of Children | 子供の国 | Gaku Narita | 22.1% | 6 February 2006 |
| 6 | Land of Forest | 森の国 | Kamasaku Sawada | 20.6% | 13 February 2006 |
| 7 | Land of Ghosts | 幽霊の国 | Hiromasa Kato | 21.2% | 20 February 2006 |
| 8 | Land of Time | 時の国 | Gaku Narita | 20.9% | 27 February 2006 |
| 9 | Land of Flowers | 花の国 | Gaku Narita | 20.7% | 6 March 2006 |
| 10 | Land of Separate Existence | 滅法国 | Kentaro Takagi | 20.5% | 13 March 2006 |
| 11 | Tenjiku | 天竺 | Kamasaku Sawada | 24.7% | 20 March 2006 |
Soundtrack
[edit]Selected pieces of score from the series, as composed by Satoshi Takebe, were released on 1 March 2006 by Avex Trax.[citation needed]
The Original Soundtrack to the film, also composed by Satoshi Takebe, was released on 1 August 2007 by Rhythm Zone.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "宅建は独学で取得できるか!?". Saiyuki.jp. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ↑ "2007 Japan Yearly Box Office Results". Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ↑ "The 2007 film". IMDb.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ↑ "Monkey Magic". Cine-Asia. Showbox Media Group. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
- ↑ "来年１月スタートの月９「西遊記」、５代目孫悟空は香取！". Archived from the original on 26 December 2005.
- ↑ "香取慎吾主演のフジ版「西遊記」、オーストラリアで灼熱ロケ". www.sanspo.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 November 2005. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ "フジ月９「西遊記」旅の仲間は揃った！三蔵法師に深津絵里". www.sanspo.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 12 January 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "内村"沙悟浄"５年半ぶり連ドラ出演！フジ月９「西遊記」". www.sanspo.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 24 October 2005. Retrieved 7 September 2026.