Season Two, Volume Four:

Episode 39: Misty Rain: Rain
During a prolonged bout of rain that effectively prevents the team from continuing on their journey, Sanzo seems to be ill or at least suffering from a deep depression. This leads Goku to worry about it and after a bit of a spat, Sanzo lashes out at his young charge, who promptly leaves the rooming house they're staying at. Homura captures Goku and offers to revive his lost memories of a previous lifetime, something that might well increase his powers and make him dangerous to all those around him.

Episode 40: Twilight: The Irate Sun:
After the Merciful Goddess ponders the past (500 years ago), the show regresses to that time where the entire cast is seen in their previous incarnations. Heaven is very boring and luckily, the guys, Sanzo (named Konzen Douji here), add that extra touch of disorder to liven things up a bit. Seeing Goku and friends in a purer form, adds some depth to their characters. Their earlier selves are shown to have markedly similar personalities and head towards a remarkably similar fate. Even their antagonists are shown, making this a revelation in terms of motivations.

Episode 41: Collage: Quiet Expulsion:
All is too perfect in paradise for the Goddess and she sets out to change that fact by manipulating the course of events. The four end up together after a fight during the Jade Emperor's speech, an unheard of distraction that binds them together for eternity. Little do they realize their fate is sealed for many generations to come.

Episode 42: Festival: Unforgettable View:
Back in the present, the team runs into Shien after they hear his fight with Lirin. Hopelessly outmatched, she soon finds out that his power is far greater than she is capable of handling. In a surprising turn of events, the whole team doesn't join in on the attack but it tied in the previous episodes quite well with a lot of unanswered questions raised about the particulars.

I've enjoyed this series more as time progresses and the ability of the show's writers to change things up by revisiting the past intrigued me. In what amounted to an arc of shows that were tightly related, the show grew quite a bit in several ways. There was also a hint of things to come as told in brief flashes but only enough to peak my interest in a show that has earned a rating of Recommended.

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 to Saiyuki, Final Fantasy Unlimited, Kaleido Star, Bastof Syndrome, Steam Detectives, Robotech Remastered, Gravion, sketches, a clean open and closing sequence, and an interesting poster detailing the characters now versus their counterparts 500 years prior.

Final Thoughts: I strongly suggest you start watching this show at the beginning and work your way through since it continually builds on what took place before. That said, this volume was a strong showing in an improving series, one based as much on myth and legend as modern day interpretation of it. The depth of the series has surprised me and I think those of you with an interest in something more intriguing than the latest fighting show will like it just fine. Just as in Volume 9, the show offered a lot to keep you interested and it looks like the next volume will be a winner too.