Season Two, Volume Three:

Episode 35: Solitude: Solitary Soul:
The origins of Homura were explored in this episode. Essentially, his half-breed status and forbidden love of a mortal made him the prime candidate of his current position. As Homura reminisces about his past, Kougaji, armed with a powerful mystical artifact, attacks him. During the battle, guess who drops in unexpectedly (our quartet of heroes, that's who). The episode helped explain Homura's motivations and the nuances of the characters is one of the reasons I've come to truly enjoy the show as a whole.

Episode 36: Brotherhood: Crimson Flower:
Gojyo gets trapped in a cave with Dokugakuji, his mortal enemy (as well as his brother). Their dilemma is compounded when a demon attempts to kill them both, forcing them to call a temporary truce and work together. In a series of flashbacks, the story explores their childhood and gave some insight as to how each differs (as well as how similar they are to one another, despite their protestations to the contrary).

Episode 37: Taciturnity: The Smile That Was Locked Away:
The guys stumbled upon a burning village that appeared to be abandoned. Hakkai discovers that it is his childhood home and the orphanage he grew up in still standing. The theme of the DVD again pops up in a series of flashbacks, with Hakkai's childhood the central theme this time. His motivations were explored and the team must do what they do (fight evil demons) to protect the town (and Hakkai's long lost love).

Episode 38: Fleeting Vision: Unfulfilled Promise:
Sanzo's youth was looked at in this last episode of the DVD, particularly in relation to his long love of wine. The team is attacked by a minor group of weak demons but dispatched them quickly before finding some good wine. The team enters a wine-drinking contest in the local town they pass but soon find that there's more to meet the eye than a simple contest. They are then attacked by a horde of simians controlled by a demonic creature.

I liked how most of the main characters were treated to a look at their formative years. This helped explain some of the actions they took previously and added a layer of complexity to the show as a whole. When the entire series is released, I may have to watch it all at once (perhaps over a long weekend) to gain a better understanding of the show since the subtleties and minor threads are constantly weaving around even what appear to be stand-alone episodes (although those who pay attention will notice a lot more going on). I'm going to rate this one as Recommended but I strongly suggest fans watch the show from the beginning since so much was built upon what happened in earlier volumes. Taken as a whole, I'm thinking the series itself is worth a higher rating; perhaps ADV will release it as a super-sized set when all the episodes have been released.

Picture: The picture was presented in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color, as originally shot. For the most part, it was well done and I didn't see any compression artifacts or other problems with the picture aside from a bit of grain and some minimal video noise. My only concern is that the show employs a number of visual effects that don't always work but overall, I think even those effects are growing on me as time passes.

Sound: The sound was presented in either a 5.1 English language Dolby Digital track or the original 2.0 Japanese track with English subtitles. During the dialogue, the separation wasn't all that great but during the fight scenes it was better. In all, I liked the Japanese track better but the English dub was also enjoyable for me. I have noticed some subtle differences in the two tracks over recent volumes, differences that actually change some parts of the story. Listen to both tracks if you're an anime fan in order to get the most out of the show.

Extras: The best extra was the background notes that filled in a lot of the cultural information for the series. Considering how limited my knowledge of Chinese mythology is, this made a number of aspects much clearer than they would've been. The other extras were trailers, sketches, a clean open and closing sequence, and a pretty color poster as an insert.

Final Thoughts: I actually liked this one as much as Saiyuki 8, no small feat since the series hasn't always peaked my interest. For the most part, the central themes deal with redemption, character growth, and the over the top buddy humor between a group that can barely get along with each other (even when their survival depends on it).