Dr. Ni

Dr. Ni Jianyi (你 健一) is one of the villain of anime/manga, Saiyuki, who is instrumental in helping Gyokumen Koushu to revive Gyumaoh. He is an evil genius and considered one of the main enemies of Genjo Sanzo and the Sanzo party. He is also the Sanzo who holds the Muten Sutra---Ukoku Sanzo

Appearance
When it comes to outer appearances, Ni doesn't look evil at all with his scruffy hair cut, thin stubble of a beard, slightly wrinkled lab coat, pink bunny slippers, and ever-present stuffed bunny.The malicious smile, though, destroys the facade for those who would look more closely.

If anyone would be bothered to look at details, Ni has jet-black hair in a short haircut, with a few bangs. As Ukoku Sanzo, he lets his hair as it is, with the back slightly ruffled. He wears the standard Sanzo robes, he is the only Sanzo who doesn't have a chakra on his forehead. As the demented doctor, Ni's hair is slicked back, although a few stubborn strands of his bangs stay where they are. Beneath the scientist's labcoat is a shirt and tie, as well as dark slacks. He also seems to fit the appearance of a middle-aged, overworked doctor: lean but not very fit, without the potbelly. Always, a pair of square glasses sits in front of black eyes, and a cigarette is usually between his lips. He has a nondescript face, easy to forget if you miss the glint of malice in his eyes.

Personality
Ni's personality is difficult to nail down, as well as his motives, but to those who have met him, it boils down to one thing: insanity. As Ukoku or Dr. Ni, he presents himself as being calm, intelligent, and a bit of a philosopher and at the same time walks around in bunny slippers and talks to stuffed toys. Most would simply regard him as the usual crackpot, but Ni is very much in his proper senses. The scientist has a 'hobby' of playing with other people like toys or pieces in a chess game, as if they were guinea pigs of life. This is his main motive in life, since he doesn't desire material possessions.

Manipulating calls for high intelligence, and he has just that. Ni has a full knowledge of nearly all forms of learning, including human science, Buddhism, and even martial arts. A bit too much, when you think about it, but Ni never reveals to anyone ALL that he is capable of and hides his malice with a smile.

In Saiyuki Burial, it shows him explaining to Koumyou Sanzo that he doesn't feel alive unless he's in a life-or-death situation. Whether this plays any role in his decision to help Gyokumen Koushu revive Gyumaoh is unknown.

Strengths
Very knowledgeable and intelligent. Always calm, sly and well versed in Martial arts. Unparalleled in concentration (can use buddhist techniques without chanting, but that does not include invoking the Muten Sutra).

Weaknesses
Cold, detached and ruthless. Treats everything like a game. Has no permanent alliance. Hates losing or feeling humiliated (enough so that he drops his poker face and loses his temper, and may even physically lash out). Mortal.

Fighting Style Overview
Ni doesn't fight. He strikes deal, escapes, or gets someone else to do the dirty work. He wouldn't put himself into a fight unnecessarily in the first place. However, that doesn't mean he can't fight. Ni retains most of his Buddhist powers, and he is able to use them without chanting a mantra. When he decides to show what he can really do, one of his attacks creates multiple gashes on a person without actually touching him. This has to be within range (2 m). Ni is only playing when he resorts to martial arts. Not to disregard the Muten Sutra, but Ni doesn't invoke it unless he wants to get rid of a god, and for the meantime that isn't necessary.

Equipment
Mr. Bunny (aka Bun-bun or Usa-chan)- Container for the Muten Sutra, thus constantly ripped apart and repaired again whenever needed.

Muten Sutra ("Death" and "Nothingness") - The sutra entrusted to Ukoku Sanzo. When invoked, it allows Ukoku to call forth the essences of the dead, as long as they haven't reincarnated yet. The souls may take the form of any of their former lives (sometimes shifting from one to another), but they are not solid, nor are they allowed to stay for long. They're pretty harmless unless, it's a particularly annoying soul who likes to frighten people. The Sutra can also banish/free souls trapped on earth, and make any being around it temporarily mortal (it can't make beings immortal).

Background
He was born and raised in an extremely normal, albeit rich family. Both his parents were graduate school professors. Although he entered graduate school at a young age, skipped a few years and received his doctorate in accordance with his parents’ expectations, one day he suddenly left home to become a Buddhist monk. He had an interest in the title of Sanzo priest, as it was supposedly the hardest title to receive, and had become an apprentice monk called “Ken'yuu” training under Goudai Sanzo when he met Koumyou Sanzo, who had been called by Goudai to witness the naming of his successor. Although his act as a friendly and smart, albeit mischievous student fooled many, Goudai, as well as Koumyou, saw right through it. After murdering the previous Sanzo priest Goudai and succeeding to the title of Sanzo priest himself, he was christened “Ukoku” by Koumyou. He wandered the world with Koumyou for a year, after which he set out on a solitary, roaming journey.

As Ukoku Sanzo...
Formerly known as Ken'yuu, he was granted the status of Sanzo (the highest in all of Buddhism) at 19 (before Genjyo's appointment, he was the youngest person ever to be entitled as 'Sanzo'), and placed in charge of the Muten Sutra, one of the 5 Sacred Scriptures of Heaven and Earth. However, due to the method he used to acquire his rank - a battle to the death with his master, Goudai Sanzo - he never received his chakra from the gods, and was therefore branded as heretical.

Ukoku Sanzo portrays himself as calm and wise, though always with a malicious smile on his face. An incredibly intelligent man, he also excelled in academics (Ph.D at 17), and always spoke in cryptic riddles. After the death of Koumyou Sanzo ten years before Saiyuki began, he disappeared, later resurfacing as Ni Jianyi.

It is later revealed that he passed down his knowledge, powers and possessions as a Sanzo to his disciple, a young boy he rescued from a life of slavery/prostitution and named Kami-sama. However, he did not pass down the Muten Sutra which remains in his care, hidden inside a stuffed toy rabbit kept with him constantly. His reasons for working with Gyokumen Koushu are still unknown, though he is revealed to be one of her human lovers.

With his Fellow researchers...
In Saiyuki, he is the head scientist in charge of reviving the Ox King Gyuumaoh, in the employment of Gyokumen Koushu. To accomplish this, he is using the forbidden mixture of human science and youkai magic (which cause the Minus Wave that sends the Sanzo-ikkou on their journey West), aiding the procedure with the sacred scripture known as the Seiten Sutra.

One of his underlings is named Professor Hwang, who is also a capable researcher and always provides follow-up reports and assistance to Ni's work. Her reasons/intentions for working with him remain unknown. From Gensoumaden Saiyuki: she was believed to be a high achieving student during high school days. She was also teased by Dr. Ni for secretly harboring feelings for Gyokumen Koushu.

Another one is an odd, aged youkai, with cables wired to his head and special mechanical goggles implanted into his eyes. He is always seen working and keying in computer data, or sometimes playing chess with Dr. Ni. It seems that because of the wires, he is also one of the youkai that has not gone berserk and able to assist in the revival process.

Saiyuki Reload Blast
Ukoku's whereabouts are currently unknown, even by those who work close with him at Houtou Castle.

Relationships
Koumyou Sanzo - For Ukoku, Koumyou is the moon and while he is the night. Koumyou met a student name Ken'yuu when he visited Goudai Sanzo in his Zen'ou Temple. Koumyou became interested on him. Later on, he had a chance to talk to Ken'yuu while he was sweeping that he reminds him of his student back to Kinzan temple and might grow up like him. Telling him that he resembles Kouryuu in some respect. Ken'yuu tells Koumyou that he wants to be a Sanzo. After some little chat, Koumyou invited him to eat potatoes. Ken'yuu teases Koumyou that regular old man doesn't wear ponytail and for him Koumyou is an odd Sanzo Priest. He can't even tell if Koumyou is brilliant or retarded. Another question for Koumyou, Ken'yuu asked him if he could kill him if he asked to. Koumyou is the one who christened him as "Ukoku Sanzo" and traveled with him around the world. When Koumyou was staying in Kinzan Temple, Ukoku visited him and even made a bet.

Kami-sama - He was picked up by Ukoku while selling his body to live and called him Kami-sama. He was thoroughly spoiled by Ukoku. He was raised as a selfish prince and even adore Ukoku with something close to obsession, but Ukoku sees him nothing as a toy. He even took him to Kinzan Temple where Kami-sama met Kouryuu for the first time. As he grew up, Ukoku gave him an odd castle and everything inside. In Kami-sama's final moment, Ukoku didn't helped Kami-sama, but instead he just answered his question if "God" really exist. Ukoku tells him that he thinks that God don't really exist. He left Kami-sama in the crumbling castle.

Gyokumen Koushu - Dr. Ni acts like the right-hand man of Gyokumen Koushu. It is also implied they act as lovers, a thing that seems to disgust Professor Hwang. In the manga, it was shown that the two was obviously in some sort of sexual relationship, while the anime has just hinted at it.

Inventions
As seen in the manga and anime

The Mandrake Plant (Jingko tree) - It was created and personally given to a temple by Dr. Ni. The priests unknowingly accepted the gift from Dr. Ni, planting it in front of their temple, where it grew to full size within a week. Its branches were able to scratch any person who climbed on it, effectively stealing the DNA of the person. With the DNA, the fruit once plucked can grow into that person's clone, though it withers unless cut from the tree with a special tool. It was also able to produce seeds, that once eaten, were able to grow from inside the stomach, sprouting out vines and taking control of the victim, forcing them to go to the roots of the Mandrake to become human fertilizer. It was banished by means of Sanzo's gun and Goku's nyoi-bou.

Queen Bee - Ni devoted his free time to inventing this tiny mechanical bee, able to inject bee DNA to the neck of a human who has suffered anger, hatred and disrespect in silence, thus transforming him or her into a bee youkai. The victim will be consumed by rage and will attack anybody she sees. Sha Gojyo was able to see the source and destroy the bee.

Demon bracelet - Given to Kougaiji as a gift. It is able to double demon muscle strength with a price of pain. The research on this bracelet is still at preliminary stage, and excessive use will cause severe damage to the body. Kougaiji was aware of this, but did not realize the full extent of the consequences until Goku destroyed it. In an example of Ni's twisted sense of humor, the bracelet is stamped with a design of rabbits.

Red paint gun - The invention used by Zakuro, a youkai specializing in hypnotism. It looks like a colourful toy gun, but when used, splashes pink liquid that causes disintegration, even to rocks. It was used on Gato (Saiyuki Reload Gunlock), but he managed to survive and be healed by Hazel Grosse.

Incubation chamber - One of these is used to contain Gyumaoh's body while Gyokumen's forces retrieve the essential Seiten and Maten Sutras. Another chamber is used to place an injured Kougaiji to heal and brainwash him, while another was used for Lirin, who was to be used for some sort of sacrifice. Other youkai were also placed in these chambers, for use in Dr. Ni's research and experiments.

Gallery

 *  Main article: Dr. Ni gallery

Trivia

 * Dr. Ni's hobbies are of bad taste. He likes to interfere in the affairs of others. Since it's not difficult, he gets tired of it easily. He has so many randoms interests, that it's hard to name just one in particular. He, however, collect rabbit themed items.
 * Dr. Ni refers to himself as "Nii-tan". "-Tan" is another honorific is cutesy and often reserved for pet-names. It is similar to "-chan" or "-pon".
 * He likes dried snack foods and trying new things at the market until he's bored with them. He likes carbonated beverages and Alcohol.
 * Dr. Ni is allergic to eggs.
 * Dr. Ni ordered a bunny suit for Kougaji's team (except for Lirin) making them angry, upset and embarrassed.