Saiyuki Livewatch Episode 3 Where the Gods Are

Time once again for the Saiyuki Livewatch! We're on to episode 3, Where the Gods Are. While not a personal favorite episode of mine, it’s still a lot of fun for me to watch parts of this and...basically be reminded that Born-Again Believers are apparently universal. 

....I love the Merciful Goddess. She's a fucking troll as well as understanding that...well, the guys need to grow as people. Seriously, she is one of my “give no fucks” life goals.And speaking of trolling, it's time for Goku trolling. Seriously, walking human sunshine but dumb as a bag of hammers. Even Hakkai's in on the fun this time. Poor thing. Goku, you need to throw down paper next time! REVENGE FOR THE MONKEY! ....Someone explain this to me. I get that everywhere needs a place of worship but....the middle of a canyon in fucking nowhere? Seriously? Who's coming to this temple?! How do they get offerings to offer prayers to the gods?! WHERE THE FUCK DO THEY GET THEIR FOOD FROM?! This place looks like it's built into the fucking canyon wall! There is NO space for a damn garden and there ain't one near the gates. HOW DO THEY EAT?! And it can't be cannibalism as we'll soon see! ...Although they ain't that damn holy as we find out. Considering they're willing to let travelers go without shelter because they're not monks themselves. Or, well, until Goku spilled the beans by calling Sanzo by his title. Oh, um, Genjo Sanzo is a title. I'm....not 100 percent sure what his actual name is? Toa maybe? We'll find out the name he grew up with but I don't know if that's quite the same thing.We also learn in this episode that Sanzo's master, the previous Sanzo, was Koumyou Sanzo so....I guess maybe Sanzo's name is Genjo?   Eh, regardless, Sanzo's name gets them into the temple and in front of the abbot to beg lodgings for the night based on Sanzo bein' Sanzo. Basically, as Hakkai says, the Sanzo is the bigshot of bigshots for Buddhist monks and guards the founding scriptures of heaven and earth. OUR Sanzo, in fact, inherited two of them. We'll find out why he only carries the one around when his past gets brought up later in the show. Seriously, Gojyo, don't badmouth the guys putting you up for the night WHILE THEY'RE IN EARSHOT. Save it for when they're gone stupid! ...Gojyo. Shut. The fuck. Up. I get it, you hate judgemental people. MAYBE don't egg them on though? Like....They haven't kicked you out yet. There might still be a chance of saving this. SHUT UP! Wow. Way to save this, Sanzo. And it pisses off the 'servants' too. But at least they're fed and given a place to stay. Just gotta make it til morning. Then you can bitch and complain and snarl all you want about them. WOW, kid. Or Yoh, whatever your name is. Way to lay it on THICK. I can't tell if this kid is legit or just doesn't know any better. Maybe both. Even Hakkai's like "Holy shit, dude. For real?" Yep, these guys are vegetarians, like your average Buddhist monk. I have no idea where these assholes are getting their food. Seriously, this is bugging the shit out of me. ....I seriously wish I knew how to play Mahjong, the poker-like version not the "match things" version. I have no fucking idea who won. So yep. All the cigs, what looks like porn, mahjong set, and booze gets confiscated by the monks. And Yoh ends up acting like the adult. Well. ish. ....I just realized that Yoh acts like one of those super into-it Born Again Christians. Follows every tenet, even the ones that aren't that important in comparison to doing the right thing or being a good person. Or in THIS case, even defending yourself since somehow this temple somehow has not been hit by demons, guess what's coming, but also has no way of defending itself should shit go sideways. Speaking of! Guess who barges into the temple while Goku and Gojyo are whining about things they really want that they can't have?! *ding ding ding* Bingo! A demon! Uh, yeah, you know that story about how this place is super holy? Apparently demons aren't affected by shit like that. Well, this one anyway. I'm....not sure what they're supposed to be chanting here since what little Buddhist chants I know came from Ghost Hunt but uh....Either these guys don't have the spiritual power to fill a teaspoon or these chants don't do shit. It's not entirely clear which it is since Sanzo's the only one shown to be able to use holy anything to fight demons. Maybe it's only certain things that work, like the gun and the founding scriptures of heaven and earth. It's not spelled out in the show but if it is in the manga, I haven't found it yet. XD There's Sanzo for ya. Cutting through the bullshit and just stating what he sees. He's a dickhead but he's at least honest. These monks are very spoiled and don’t realize just how fucking lucky they are until they get attacked and almost completely wiped the fuck out. Ah, the point deduction bit. Another thing I almost wish had been a running gag. This one I get. It's kinda hard to make more than one opponent go from 100 down to 0 to justify a kill. But this one's still gold during the fight. Ah, Hakkai. Not only up on your shonen tropes BUT figured out how to make his very first chi barrier almost on the fly. I love this man. ^_^ Yeah, my first time through this and I thought it was just shitty taste in clothes too Gojyo. Nope, dude can make a scythe out of his arm. Gross. Not sure why he needs the shoulder pad on THAT side of his body though.... And Sanzo on the scene to knock a demon around with one punch and adding a whole heap of points on for idiocy. Almost outta the game, ugly. And for insulting Sanzo, while also dropping a truth bomb, that brings ugly to negative points and a hit from the scripture and a bullet to the head. Well, this leads Yoh to a lot of questions. Mostly revolving around just why Sanzo, the holiest of monks, has killed so many people. And we don't get a reason. Instead, Yoh, and us, are told that it's easier to be closer to God while you're dead than it is while you're alive.  But the point isn't necessarily to just give up. The point is to figure out WHY you're alive, what makes you keep fighting. And we see a rare Sanzo smile as he promises to teach Yoh mahjong on his way back. Well unspoken promise. It counts. And that's the end as the boys march further to the West. Until next time guys!