Sha Gojyo (Saiyuki)
Encyclopedia
is the third main protagonist
in the manga
and anime
, Saiyūki
, created by Minekura Kazuya. He is the hanyou (half-yōkai
) companion of the Sanzo-ikkō ("Sanzo's party"), armed with a version of a shakujō
(officially titled a shakugetsujyo). Its crescent blade is attached to a chain and he can control it for a mortally-accurate long-distance attack.
or unclean in general society. Part kappa
(a water imp), a ladies' man, and an equal-opportunity flirt, he can be friendly and easygoing until someone or something offends his innate sense of justice. As he was an abused child, he is quick to defend and fight for lost or wayward children—often without concern for his own well-being—because they remind him of his experiences as a youth.
Gojyo likewise does not like to see women crying as they remind him of his stepmother, who, in scenes portraying Gojyo's childhood, hates and abuses Gojyo because he is the child of her husband and his human mistress. Gojyo wants to comfort his stepmother but never succeeds. Though she constantly abuses him, his older half-brother, Sha Jien (who later changed his name to Dokugakuji), is supportive of him. When Gojyo's stepmother (Jien's birth mother) attempts to kill Gojyo, Jien kills her before she can do so.
Gojyo's elder half-brother, Sha Jien (who has renamed himself Dokugakuji, and who is currently in the service of Kougaiji, the Demon Prince) killed their demon mother while she was attempting to kill Gojyo for being the child of her husband's human mistress. It is from this incident that Gojyo has two scars on his cheek. Jien and his mother were also having a sexual relationship. Jien and Gojyo had a very close relationship.
He is very loyal to the group. No matter how much he protest he is immensely fond of all of them, even Goku, with whom he is always seen to be arguing with. Though out of everyone in the group, he is closest to Hakkai. He helped to heal Hakkai after Hakkai turned into a youkai (by killing over a thousand demons), and even stuffed Hakkai's entrails back into him by himself. Also, he is the only man ever been permitted to 'sleep in' Gojyo's bed. In addition, his and Hakkai's (Kenren and Tenpu respectively) former incarnates were very good friends in Heaven.
(officially named a shakugetsujyo), which is a modified version of a yuèyáchǎn. The main modification is a chain stored in the pole attached to the crescent moon shaped blade allowing him to attack enemies at a distance.
The Shakujou is a weapon that he 'inherited' by breaking a sealed jar within Sanzo's home temple, during a fight with Goku; they each obtained the Shakujou and Nyoi-bo respectively. The weapon is said to stay with its master until death.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, Saiyūki
Saiyuki
is a manga series by Kazuya Minekura which was serialized in G-Fantasy from 1997 to 2002. The story is loosely based on the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West . In 1999 the Saiyuki OVA by Tokyo Kids was released. A year later it was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot...
, created by Minekura Kazuya. He is the hanyou (half-yōkai
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
) companion of the Sanzo-ikkō ("Sanzo's party"), armed with a version of a shakujō
Shakujo
A khakkhara is a Buddhist ringed staff used primarily in prayer or as a weapon, that originates from India. The jingling of the staff's rings is used to warn small sentient beings to move from the carrier's path and avoid being accidentally trodden on...
(officially titled a shakugetsujyo). Its crescent blade is attached to a chain and he can control it for a mortally-accurate long-distance attack.
Background
Gojyo's crimson hair and eyes express his mixed heritage, and he is often labelled tabooTaboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
or unclean in general society. Part kappa
Kappa
Kappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
(a water imp), a ladies' man, and an equal-opportunity flirt, he can be friendly and easygoing until someone or something offends his innate sense of justice. As he was an abused child, he is quick to defend and fight for lost or wayward children—often without concern for his own well-being—because they remind him of his experiences as a youth.
Gojyo likewise does not like to see women crying as they remind him of his stepmother, who, in scenes portraying Gojyo's childhood, hates and abuses Gojyo because he is the child of her husband and his human mistress. Gojyo wants to comfort his stepmother but never succeeds. Though she constantly abuses him, his older half-brother, Sha Jien (who later changed his name to Dokugakuji), is supportive of him. When Gojyo's stepmother (Jien's birth mother) attempts to kill Gojyo, Jien kills her before she can do so.
Personality
He is the only person who smokes more than Sanzo and is almost always seen with a cigarette hanging from his lips. If Sanzo smokes one, Gojyo smokes three. Although he fights constantly with Goku, he looks upon him as an elder brother would. He is a self-admitted "lady-killer" and, before the "Journey to the West", he made his living through gambling and passed his time with the ladies.Gojyo's elder half-brother, Sha Jien (who has renamed himself Dokugakuji, and who is currently in the service of Kougaiji, the Demon Prince) killed their demon mother while she was attempting to kill Gojyo for being the child of her husband's human mistress. It is from this incident that Gojyo has two scars on his cheek. Jien and his mother were also having a sexual relationship. Jien and Gojyo had a very close relationship.
He is very loyal to the group. No matter how much he protest he is immensely fond of all of them, even Goku, with whom he is always seen to be arguing with. Though out of everyone in the group, he is closest to Hakkai. He helped to heal Hakkai after Hakkai turned into a youkai (by killing over a thousand demons), and even stuffed Hakkai's entrails back into him by himself. Also, he is the only man ever been permitted to 'sleep in' Gojyo's bed. In addition, his and Hakkai's (Kenren and Tenpu respectively) former incarnates were very good friends in Heaven.
Weapon
He carries a weapon that is commonly referred to as a ShakujōShakujo
A khakkhara is a Buddhist ringed staff used primarily in prayer or as a weapon, that originates from India. The jingling of the staff's rings is used to warn small sentient beings to move from the carrier's path and avoid being accidentally trodden on...
(officially named a shakugetsujyo), which is a modified version of a yuèyáchǎn. The main modification is a chain stored in the pole attached to the crescent moon shaped blade allowing him to attack enemies at a distance.
The Shakujou is a weapon that he 'inherited' by breaking a sealed jar within Sanzo's home temple, during a fight with Goku; they each obtained the Shakujou and Nyoi-bo respectively. The weapon is said to stay with its master until death.