Saiyuki poll

[louiselux]

Saiyuki people, it's time for a poll:

So, emungere and I have been pondering these important questions about Sanzo and Hakkai.

[Poll #646083]

Do feel free to elaborate with comments.

Comments

[cicer.livejournal.com]

Though Hakkai is an Overwhelmingly Competent Caregiver, one understands from his background and continuing Issues that he is and was a fundamentally hubristic, selfish person (Kanan much?). It is Gojyo, in all his insecurities, his openness, who is entirely likely to be the dependent one, no matter what it looks like when he sleeps with the waitresses.

I completely agree with this assessment, and you said it much better than I did. At several points in the series, I am stuck with how arrogant and absolutely selfish Hakkai can be. He is not a selfless or altruistic person in the least. Even going after Kanan was, in a way, selfishly motivated.

Gojyo, I think, has bigger issues with not feeling deserving or worthy of attention or kindness, and I'm sure most of this traces back to his mother. He's desperately looking for someone to love him, but not really expecting that anyone will. He is a kind person by nature, too, and I don't the he has the capacity to be cruel. At several points in the series it becomes obvious that he gets squeamish harming other people, whether it's women or children, or just someone he feels so for. By contrast, when Hakkai or Sanzo are in a similar situation, they don't hesitate to kill or hurt, doing what they feel needs to be done. Gojyo doesn't have the same capacity.