Interview de Goku-san !

Here's the first Saiyuki interview, with Goku!


Saiyuki Interview: Goku
With “Saiyuki RELOAD” heading to completion, the Sanzo Ikkou face a brand new stage. What are their personal feelings about the ‘journey’ and their ‘companions’?
Special 5 Issue Serial Project

First Guest: Son Goku
Of this group so rich in individuality, Son Goku is the character with the most optimistic, innocent image. Tears, anger, smiles -- he continues to mature from a young ‘boy’ into a ‘young man’. During this long journey, not only his innocence, but his ‘true self’ is threatened.

[Son Goku continues the long journey to India along with his companions, led by Genjo Sanzo. Today only we step temporarily away from the ‘Sanzo Ikkou’ who stuck together through pain and joy, and conduct an exclusive interview.]

How are you today? No injuries?
[Goku]: Oh, um, yeah. I’m good.
Whenever I get super hurt, Hakkai heals me little by little. And I usually always have small cuts anyway.

Are those cuts from fighting?
[Goku]: Yep. Like here (elbow wound), or this one here (knuckle wound). My arms get hurt a lot, and my nails break really easily. It gets hard really quick to use power when I don’t have nails, so that’s kinda inconvenient.

... It’s lucky you don’t get many broken bones... Previously you said you don’t undergo Hakkai-san’s qigong techniques for everyday injuries?
[Goku]: Oh, yeah. If it’s not a serious injury... he doesn’t use qigong when I slam my finger in the door (laughs), or get caught on tree branches, stuff like that. Qigong, it’s really hard on Hakkai’s body.
But actually, more than that, it’s really dangerous to forget what it feels like to get hurt, or what pain feels like. That’s why I just leave the wounds I get from fighting, and these little ones. They’ll heal eventually, even if they hurt.
Me, I’m okay with pain, but I’m no good with itching (laughs). Itching is way harder to put up with.

Like when your wounds are healing?
[Goku]: Yeah, I’m not supposed to scratch at the scabs and stuff. Sanzo scolds me a lot, “... Don’t scratch.” It looks like Sanzo’s not paying attention to anyone, but he pays close attention to weird things (laughs).

Are you sure he’s not just reading your movements...? (smiles) You are together for long periods of time.
[Goku]: Yeah, that could be it. I’m usually around Gojyo and Hakkai too, not just Sanzo. We probably know everyone’s habits and... whatever we try to do usually.

What sort of habits?
[Goku]: Um, there’s a lot... like, Sanzo’s habit of playing with his nails in sensitive situations, or Gojyo’s habit of rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Those two kinda resemble each other in some ways. Like their habits of clicking their tongues. Sanzo usually clicks his tongue when he’s irritated, but Gojyo usually does it when he wants to eat something. But even when Sanzo’s not really irritated, like when he’s just found something or something, he clicks his tongue. And that click sounds kinda different from the angry one.

You can hear the difference? (laughs)
[Goku]: Well, they’re totally different. Other than that... When Sanzo’s talking with his eyes closed, that’s when he’s thinking about something. When Gojyo’s thinking, he’s really quiet and always tapping out a rhythm with something. He uses his fingers or his lighter... and tap, taptap, tap, tap, taps on the table. But Gojyo can’t think for very long, so pretty soon he says “Agh!!” or something and gets up, and quits thinking (laughs).

What about Hakkai-san?
[Goku]: Hakkai... has a habit of pressing his palms together when he talks. I’m only guessing, but probably when he’s talking and plotting something, his hands are usually like this, joined together. And when he presses all his fingers together like this, like he’s praying, that’s the stubborn Hakkai version (laughs).

Stubborn?
[Goku]: Yeah, it’s when Hakkai seems really determined somehow...... Other than that, oh yeah, we call it “Stiff Hakkai” (laughs). That’s the moment when Hakkai’s been going about normally, then suddenly he goes expressionless and stands really still and stiff. It only lasts about one second. That’s Hakkai’s habit when he’s thought of something and he’s thinking really fast inside his head. Sanzo’s the type to move when he’s thinking of something, but when hakkai’s brain goes zoom!, for one instant he completely stops moving.
Usually at an inn or something, when Hakkai realizes “... huh, I don’t have the room key,” he’ll stiffen up for an instant, and then turn right to Gojyo and say, “The last one to take the key out was Gojyo, wasn’t it?”... or something. In that moment, he’s probably fast rewinding several hours’ worth of memories.
Hakkai says he knows he does it too, and that’s why he doesn’t think really deep thoughts in the middle of a fight. He might die if he’s distracted for just a moment.

That’s quite a severe world.
[Goku]: Usually just daily living isn’t that draining. For me and for everyone else.

Goku-san, you’re surprisingly attentive to your companions’ minute moves.
[Goku]: You said surprisingly! (laughs) ... Yeah, that’s ‘cause I’m around them pretty much all day, no matter where we go or what we do.

How do you feel about today, all alone for one?
[Goku]: ...... I can’t sit still (laughs)

Do you have alone time during the journey?
[Goku]: Umm... not really. But I am alone sometimes when I’m taking a bath at an inn, or sleeping, depending on the inn. I’m pretty much always with someone or other, so I don’t really pay attention.

You don’t notice? (laughs)
[Goku]: Surprisingly it doesn’t bother me (laughs). It’s different when I’m with someone I don’t know... but when I’m with those guys, I’m totally fine whether we’re silent or talking. And when I really want to be alone, they’ll just leave me alone.
...... Oh, sometimes a lot happens and we get separated, but lately I think I’m okay with that.

When you say okay, what do you mean?
[Goku]: Huh? How do I say it...... It’s like, “everything’s all right”. Before, I would think about all kinds of useless stuff.

Was there anything that triggered your being about to say it’s all right?
[Goku]: ... Not really a trigger, more like a feeling. Like, I’ll be fine no matter what happens to me, and they’ll be fine no matter what happens to them! Things’ll work out if we all go at them full power, and I’ll back them up with full power, and they’ll do the same for me. When we get separated I don’t know when or where someone’ll get attacked, or what kind of enemy’ll appear, so that’s a huge worry, but... we’ll always be together no matter what. Before, I didn’t like being in a situation different from that, but now, even if no one’s right next to me, I don’t get uneasy.

Could that be because you trust them?
[Goku]: Yeah. Probably.

You say that with so much certainty.
[Goku]: Well, they’re not here now (smiles). If they were, there’s no way I’d say it (laughs).

Earlier you said ‘depending on the inn’. Have there been any memorable inns up until now?
[Goku]: Let’s see, it really depends on the place. There’s tiny, run-down motels, and huge hotels. There’s even places with vibes so creepy I don’t even wanna go in the room.

Are those ‘horror story’ -like places? You’re quite sensitive to spirits, if I remember correctly.
[Goku]: Um, well, it’s not like I can really see them or anything. I just feel them. Places like that, as soon as I step in I can’t calm down. I just wanna get outta there, and I fidget. It’s like... “Ah, I don’t think I can take it”. But Sanzo and Hakkai, even if they see or feel ghosts, they’re completely calm. Gojyo doesn’t seem like he’d sense ghosts at all. What’re those antennae there for? (laughs)

Ah, I don’t think they’re any kind of sensor... (laughs)
[Goku]: Oh that’s right, inn stories. There’re places that aren’t scary like that, but they’re scary in another sense ‘cause the floor feels like it’s gonna collapse just from walking on it, or places that don’t look like they have baths, or there’s the opposite where they’ve got huge, luxurious baths, but those’re really rare. I like huge baths......

Do you get all excited?
[Goku]: Yup, I do (smiles)... Although, before, huge hotel-like places were really rare and fun, but now I think I like the small inns too. Small inns seem to have better food. Before I liked filling up on just what I liked, but lately I like eating local favorites, and home-style cooking. I think, “Ah, this is what traveling’s about.”

So you define your travels with food? (laughs)
[Goku]: Yup (laughs). I mean, might as well, since I’m on the road.

Do you have the freedom to enjoy the food because you’ve gotten used to traveling?
[Goku]: ... I guess so. Basically though, I think it’s a waste if there’s food I haven’t tried. I mean, how’ll I know if it’s delicious or not if I don’t try it?

You really like eating.
[Goku]: Yup, I do. Gojyo makes fun of me for it, saying “You think everything is delicious.” But that guy usually never tries anything new. He only has beer, and stuff that really tastes like snacks, and meat. I think I’ve got way better taste than he does (laughs).

It’s nice when there’s an inn, but you camp out often, don’t you? Isn’t it rough?
[Goku]: Oh, yeah. But it’s not really rough for me, as long as there’s water and food. The other guys too... They get bummed out when we can’t stay at an inn, especially Sanzo, but they’re surprisingly used to the camping out itself. Actually, Sanzo’s the one who taught me the ‘do’s and don’ts of camping’
... Only thing is, we’re always moving around doing something everyday, so I wanna wash off the sweat. Also, wounds’ll get infected if you don’t wash them, and then if you’re unlucky you’ll get a fever. It sucks when you’re camping with a fever. It’s your loss if you catch a cold or something.

Wait, you mean no one will take care of you?
[Goku]: Well, the surroundings’ll get a little calmer (smiles). You’re pretty much on your own aside from when you’ve gotten hurt fighting. It’s like, “Hurry up and get better.”
... It’s not that they’re cold, it’s probably that they don’t want the guy who caught cold to feel like he’s holding everyone else back.

[In contrast to the ‘brash’ impression given by Son Goku’s innocent smile, we felt that he is more sensitive than anyone to the air between him and his companions. And more than anything, he places great importance on the shared atmosphere between his friends.]

So you’re going to continue traveling with your companions for a long time yet.
[Goku]: Yup.

Is there anything you look forward to?
[Goku]: Nope, not a thing (laughs). It’s not like anything’s really gonna change.
......Oh, but I think for me, there’s still a bunch of things I need to see.

Like what?
[Goku]: Well, it’s really hard to... properly see a whole bunch of things. Like stuff I don’t like... there’s a lot of things I can’t do anything about, and I haven’t really experienced things like that. I’ve slowly come to realize that as we travel, there’s a ton of stuff I need to know. I can’t get strong if I don’t.

That’s very harsh.
[Goku]: I’m dumb, so I can’t answer when faced with difficult stuff. But I wanna see all of it, when I run into stuff like that.... I can’t explain it well......
It might be easier to pretend not to see, or look away. But I’d definitely regret it later.

But you’ve seen things properly until now.
[Goku]: ... Well, I wasn’t alone. Sanzo especially was always nearby, and backed me up. Everybody else knows a lot more than me, so... I learn a lot from what they say and do.
....... But that’s no surprise, right (laughs).

As you get closer to India, enemy attacks increase even more, and it must be difficult to find time to rest...
[Goku]: Yeah. But there’s nothing we can do about always being on edge. I like how it was up ‘til now, and I’d like it to stay that way.

No matter where you go, you’ll do it in your own way?
[Goku]: Yup, that’s right. Making our way however we can, that’s us.

[He’s a boy who shows a strong will and a big tolerance with his carefree words. The one who understands the void - Goku. That name personifies him.]

NEXT
Next issue’s interview is with Cho Hakkai
We are collecting questions for the interviews planned with Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo, Genjo Sanzo, and Minekura Kazuya!
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