Saiyuki recs and links

[louiselux]

I'm very behind on my reading, but here are a few things wot I have enjoyed recently:

Teine Coisrigte by karose, Yakumo/Sanzo. We don't get to see Sanzo the devout priest much, but we should, because he must've been once. Also, Yakumo!

Part 5 of Ranma!Saiyuki from emungere. Gojyo as a girl, experimenting. Warning: contents hot.

Taboo by mistressrenet Sanzo/Hakkai/Gojyo. This is just so perfectly them.

hydr0phobia makes some interesting points about Sanzo and Goku here

And, and, something about Gaiden I've never understood

In chapter 7 when Kenren is tied to a chair and Hakkai says something like 'I can't be as soft hearted as you. I can't work under anybody else.'

I don't know what he means. Because the 'can't work under anyone else' seems to refer to Kenren being dismissed from the army. But Kenren is Tenpou's subordinate, so Tenpou can't mean what he seems to be saying: 'I can't work under anyone but you.'

Maybe it's a translation thing. I know Li Touten makes a big thing of referring to Kenren as Tenpou's 'master', but that's his way of winding Tenpou up. Isn't it?

I am confused.

Comments

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Would that make him Kenren's right hand man? *snerk*

I vaguely remember something like that myself with Goujun, but I obviously didn't get it. Thanks for the info-- I really need to go back and reread things.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

I vaguely remember something like that myself with Goujun, but I obviously didn't get it

I think you may be remembering a fanfic, because Tenpou talking to Goujun isn't in the manga. The only discussion of the point, as said below, is when Konzen asks Tenpou why he's content to be subordinate to Kenren, and Tenpou only says 'I don't like being conspicuous.' P.47 of the tank FWIW. Afterwards we get Konzen's thoughts about OMG could it be that Tenpou's dekiberately using Kenren as a way of provoking those upper echelons of the army who seem to be up to something fishy, that we were just talking about? But no details given and no mention of Litouten- and FWIW no guarantee that Konzen's guess is accurate either.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that. I think what was bothering me was not knowing how or why this apparent rank change had taken place. So it appears that Tenpou has either actually given Kenren more power (or at least made it seem so) to make Tenpou look like he isn't interested in running the army. Or no one has actually changed rank, because that would be noticeable and suspicious, but rather Tenpou is making it seem as though his General is dominating him. Interesting. The first one seems most likely, because Tenpou already has his dizzy, obsessed with books persona to play on. He already acts like he's not interested, even before Kenren shows up.

[emungere.livejournal.com]

making it seem as though his General is dominating him

*snickers* (yes, i am apparently 12 years old at heart.)

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

*emits muffled squeaks*

Amd I was being all serious too...

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

No-one has actually changed rank because marshals still outrank generals, as Konzen says, and these guys still have those ranks. But in some semi-official way Tenpou's duties have been transferred to Kenren, because it seems to be general knowledge that Kenren is kind of 'acting Marshal' at the moment and Tenpou is his subordinate. The way Konzen puts his question- why are you satisfied/ why do you put up with being someone else's assistant- is ambiguous. It could just as easily mean that the arrangement was instituted by someone else as that it was Tenpou's own decision, and might even imply that Konzen doesn't know which it is.

My own speculation on the point is here (http://home.eol.ca/~basara/saiyuuki/back_then.htm).

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link to your story-- I enjoyed it hugely, and also the decidedly un-romantic proposition at the end. It really made me smile-- war gods, but, you know, still guys.

I think what your story highlighted for me is how bizarre a situation it is for Tenpou to act as an adjutant to Kenren, and I liked how you made sense of it-- and really its the only reason that does make sense.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I just wish Minekura wouldn't leave all these great gaping holes of unanswered questions in her settei. Fic opportunities, of course, but still--