16 An Ode to the Living

An Ode to the Living is the sixteenth episode of Gensoumaden Saiyuki.

Summary
''"As the rain continues, it washes away everything: the sorrows, the pain, the regrets. Yes, even the sins. As the crimson of blood burns into the crimson of sunrise, there is a new dawn of hope, A ray of light only the living can see." - Genjo Sanzo''

Sanzo and Goku are walking through the forest following after Cho Gonou with Gojyo trailing behind them. Sanzo suspects Gonou is headed for Hyakugan Maoh's castle—the very place where he committed all those murders.

Meanwhile, Gonou ahead of them, catching his breath and hoping that Gojyo isn’t getting into trouble on his account. He notices that he’s still carrying Sanzo’s banishing gun, but he has little hope of returning it now. He pulls out a broken pocket watch, a gift from Kanan. He flashes back on all that has occurred since the moment he open the door to their home and realized she was gone. Abruptly, a booted foot knocks him down and pins his head to the ground. It's an angry youkai, a survivor of the Dark Crow Clan that he massacred.

Gojyo says that Sanzo, as a priest, should know that he’s a Hanyou, what the color of his hair and eyes means. Sanzo admits of course he does: it's the marks of the unholy union between humans and youkai. Gojyo says Gonou found penitence in the color of his eyes and that’s not going ot let Sanzo take the life that he worked so damn hard to save. Sanzo asks if Gojyo stupid. If he thinks the only thing that’s red in the world is blood. Goku drives that point home by tugging on Gojyo hair and appearing let down because his hair is cold. He thought that because it was so red, it would be hot. Gojyo realizes that though he'd thought he only wanted to save Gonou, he did it in hopes of redeeming his own pointless life; the one who really needs saving is himself.

Suddenly Goku snaps to alert attention: Sanzo asks why, and Goku says he smells blood. Sanzo and Gojyo pelt off following his lead.

The Dark Crow youkai fiercely berates Gonou, saying that Hyakugan Maoh forced his clan to capture Kanan. He would let the whole tribe live if they offered just one woman, but Gonou's revenge has robbed them of all the lives that even the Hundred-Eye Demon was willing to spare. I see, says Gonou, then I'll atone with myself. He begins by beginning to pull out his right eye, before he's tackled by Goku, who says his eyes are too pretty to destroy. Sanzo asks if Gonou thinks the gods will save him, because the only person that can save you is yourself. The gods don’t save anyone. Gojyo Quotes Sanzo’s earlier sentiments about take a life, and the crow youkai, frustrated, charges at them, only to be shot down by Gonou. Sanzo takes his gun back and asks Gonou if he’s going to Hyakugan Maoh’s castle. He then takes the lead as they head in that general direction.

They proceed on to the castle, only to find that it's been torched and burned to the ground. Gonou can't even give his beloved's remains a proper burial. As he falls to his knees in despair, Gojyo tells Sanzo to chant a sutra for her. Sanzo eventually constants, but he says he’s not chanting it for the dead. As the sun raises, each member of the to-be Sanzo ikkou looks back on their pasts, the good and the bad. Afterwards they depart. Sanzo leaves Goku in Gojyo’s care while he takes Gonou to see the Sanbutsushin. He returns to retrieve Goku, claiming that Cho Gonou is dead.

Gojyo appears again, his long hair cut back. He meets with some of the girl from the bar in the streets and false prelude into his time away from the bar. As he’s walking down the street he stops at a produce stand to buy and apple, where he’s met with the pretty green eyes he’s seen before. They head to the temple in Chang’an where they find Goku and Sanzo. Gojyo confronts Sanzo about lying to him and Sanzo says he’s an idiot for not using his head. Buddhist don’t kill. Gonou reintroduces himself as Cho Hakkai. And after bit, they all head out to eat. Flash forward to the present, they’re all back in Jeep and the sun is shining. Gojyo and Goku are bickering, Sanzo’s fighting as well and Hakkai keep driving merrily. Gojyo think “They're just living, so we can die Laughing."

Quotes

 * "A high ranking monk like yourself should know what I am from the color of my hair and eyes alone." - Sha Gojyo to Sanzo


 * "You're a half-breed, born of the unholy union between man and demon. It is said that their children have crimson eyes and hair." - Genjo Sanzo to Gojyo
 * "Eyes the color of blood. He said he found penitence in these eyes. I won't let you kill him. even if this is just my vanity, I won't let you kill him." - Sha Gojyo to Sanzo


 * "This is so stupid... What are you getting out of this. I don't care how you were conceived. Do you seriously believe that the only red thing in the entire world is blood? If you do, then you might as well just shave your head right now. I know a temple you can join." - Genjo Sanzo to Gojyo


 * "Awh, your hairs cold after all... You're hairs so red I thought you would be burning up. But it's not hot at all. You're just a fake." - Son Goku to Gojyo


 * "I let my hair grow long and now I'm trying to save someone who needs me. But the one that wants to be saved is me." - Sha Gojyo


 * "So, you wish to have your revenge that badly, eh?... Well alright then, fine. It's not a life I would miss that much anyway... I make a deal with you. First I'll give you my right eye. After that, you can have my left, then my ear, then my nose, and my face--" - Cho Gonou to Crow youkai


 * "I heard that you believe red was the color of penitence. Penitence to what? The Gods? The gods do not save anyone. You alone are responsible for saving your life. You could kill yourself, if you want to escape that way. Killing yourself will not accomplish anything, but there are something that you can do if you're still alive." - Genjo Sanzo to Gonou


 * "No. If you want to kill him, well then you go right ahead. But I should warn you that those who take it upon themselves to kill others, have to be prepared to have others try to kill them in return. That's what they call of consequences, my friend. I was some cranky old monk who once told me that." - Sha Gojyo to Crow Youkai


 * "I don't chant sutra for the death, ya got that?" - Genjo Sanzo


 * "Sanzo spoke in a voice so clear, it dispelled any and all doubt and it seemed, for a moment, we could all see again as we gathered around this golden luminous light." - Sha Gojyo


 * "Not this guy. Though I did spend some time with a tall dysfunctional blonde, and impulsive excitable little airhead, and had an emotionally unstable headcase with a pretty face shack up with me for awhile." - Sha Gojyo to the ladies


 * "Nothing's changed. No matter how many times I cut it, my hair's still red when it grows back and my eyes are always crimson when I look in the mirror. But I'm starting to be okay with that." - Sha Gojyo


 * "They're a beautiful red, aren't they Gojyo?" - Cho Hakkai to Gojyo


 * "Buddhism forbids taking a life. He may be a criminal but you didn't think we'd actually kill him, did you? Just use your head." - Genjo Sanzo to Gojyo


 * "It's funny. I've sought death for so long, but now... There's nothing more valuable in this world to me than life." - Cho Hakkai to Sanzo
 * "Will you cut it out. I wouldn't go on a trip with you fools if you paid me." - Genjo Sanzo to future Sanzo ikkou


 * "That's what Sanzo said three years ago. And we're still driving... I guess the best way to put is that we're stuck with each other. Our origins, our mission, our past; none of that really matters. We're just living to so that one day, we can die laughing. And it's not looking like this little field trip of ours is going to be ending anytime soon." - Sha Gojyo