The standard 2.0 in both English and Japanese. No complaints here.
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More Japanese TV adverts alongside MVM’s own trailers. Not a lot but it’s short and relatively painless.
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I’d started to lose hope with the previous volume of Saiyuki Reload what with its obvious and condescending plots and a complete lack of direction. After eyeing this disc it with distinct suspicion, I hesitantly put it in my player and braced myself for four more episodes of painfully inoffensive entertainment. Praise be indeed that it’s not so bad this time around.
Don’t get too excited. The first episode here isn’t much better than before. Centering on Hakuryu, that dragon/car thing the Sanzo party travel in, it breaks off into having a bunch of escapades with some kids. It’s harmless enough all right, but ultimately a pointless use of production money and viewing time. Skip that episode and it turns out that, shock horror, Saiyuki Reload suddenly starts to develop a proper serialised story!
I’ll admit that my cynic-o-meter is currently cranked up to 10 but if this volume is any sign of things to come I’ll can at least able to bring it down to about a 7. After beating around the bush for half a season, the bad guys finally figure out that yes indeed they are bad guys and finally make a serious attempt to fight our heroes. I still get a bit of wicked joy from seeing our heroes get kicked into touch, so it’s no bad thing when the attack spills over into the next episode.
This new thread of progression isn’t original in the slightest. Also, this new arc relates much more to the supporting cast than the main group. While this may normally a problem I find these issues to be irrelevant. It’s a damn sight better than the previous volume and drags the series back out of the pit of Saturday morning-type material and into the genuine realms of the vaguely diverting. It may sound like faint praise but seriously this is a positive step forward that piques my interest to wanting to see the next volume. While things are on the up, it’s still a slight cause for concern that the best parts by far are still the short joke sequences found at the end of each episode. They feel like a bit of a reward for toughing things out and the humour has a high hit ratio. When all’s said and done this volume’s still fairly average fare which can be enjoyed in a mindless state. At least it shouldn’t have you clawing at the walls and in my mind that’s a good thing.
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There are real signs that after all it’s troubles Saiyuki Reload may just have something going for it. I’ve got my fingers crossed and I‘m wishing it luck, but if it all ends up falling through I can always find solace by watching the half-decent intro sequence repeatedly instead. "
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