The correct Saiyuki manga reading order is publication order — start with the original series and work forward through its sequels, saving the prequel for last. Below you’ll find the full sequence, which editions to buy, and everything a newcomer needs to jump in with confidence.
Kazuya Minekura’s Saiyuki (最遊記) is one of the most beloved dark fantasy manga franchises out there — a violent, morally complex, and surprisingly emotional reimagining of Journey to the West, a centuries-old Chinese story about a monk traveling west with powerful, supernatural companions. Four deeply flawed guys. A jeep that’s actually a dragon. Demons everywhere. It rules.
But the franchise spans multiple series, a prequel (a story set before the main events), a side story, and several anime adaptations. If you’re coming in fresh, figuring out the right reading order can feel like a puzzle.
This guide lays it all out: the correct reading order, which English editions are available, and where to start today.
Saiyuki Manga Reading Order — The Quick Answer
Publication order is the correct reading order. There’s no complicated flowchart here. Read the series in the order they were released, and everything will make sense.
Here’s the path:
- Saiyuki (the original series) — 9 volumes, completed
- Saiyuki Reload — 10 volumes, direct sequel continuing the main journey
- Saiyuki Reload Blast — 3 volumes (ongoing — resumed serialization Sept. 2024), the latest chapter of the main storyline
- Saiyuki Gaiden — 4 volumes, prequel set in Heaven, best experienced after the main line
- Saiyuki Ibun — limited release, optional prequel set approximately 40 years before the main story
In manga, a “volume” is a single book-length installment — the numbered paperbacks or hardcovers you’ll find on shelves or in digital stores.
Start with the original Saiyuki. That’s the foundation. Everything else builds on it.
For the original series, the Kodansha Resurrected Edition is the way to go — four omnibus hardcovers (each one collecting multiple volumes into a single, larger book) that gather all 9 Japanese volumes in a beautiful package. More on that below.
Every English Edition of Saiyuki Compared
The English publishing history of Saiyuki has a few twists. Here’s what exists and what’s actually worth buying.
Tokyopop Singles (Out of Print)
Tokyopop, one of the early English-language manga publishers, originally released the first Saiyuki series as 9 individual volumes. These are long out of print. You’ll only find them secondhand, and prices vary wildly depending on condition and availability. They did their job at the time, but they’re not the edition to chase in 2026 unless you’re a collector.
Kodansha Resurrected Edition (Current In-Print Edition)
This is what you want. The Kodansha Resurrected Edition packages the entire original 9-volume Saiyuki series into 4 hardcover omnibus volumes. The presentation is gorgeous — hardcover binding, physically larger pages, and the kind of production quality that makes these look fantastic on a shelf.
These are readily available at major retailers and are the definitive way to read the original series in English right now.
Saiyuki, Vol. 9 (final volume)
| Edition | Format | Volumes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyopop Singles | Paperback, single volumes | 9 | Out of print |
| Kodansha Resurrected Edition | Hardcover omnibus | 4 (covering all 9 JP vols) | In print |
Digital Availability
Digital editions of Saiyuki are available through various manga platforms. If you prefer reading on a tablet or phone, check your preferred digital storefront — the original series is generally accessible digitally.
Sequel and Prequel Series Editions
For the sequel series, Saiyuki Reload was published in English by Tokyopop — they released 9 of the 10 Japanese volumes before their North American operations wound down, so those editions are now out of print and only available secondhand. Saiyuki Reload Blast (3 volumes) and the prequel Saiyuki Gaiden (4 volumes) have not been published in English manga form as of this writing. Saiyuki Ibun (1 volume) likewise has no English release.
The core reading path — the original Saiyuki via the Kodansha Resurrected Edition — is fully accessible in English and in print. Beyond that, tracking down the Reload singles secondhand is doable with some patience, but availability for the rest of the franchise depends on future licensing. It’s worth checking current retailer listings before planning a full shelf set.
The Verdict
The Kodansha Resurrected Edition is the definitive starting point for new readers. It’s in print, it’s beautifully produced, and it collects the entire original series. Start here, then work your way through the sequels and prequel.
The Complete Saiyuki Reading Order Explained
Let’s break down each series so you know what you’re getting into.
Step 1 — Saiyuki (最遊記)
This is where everything begins. The original Saiyuki runs 9 volumes and is a completed series. It was originally published by Enix in Japan, with chapters appearing in the manga magazine Monthly G Fantasy before being collected into book form.
The setup: the monk Genjo Sanzo and his three companions — Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai (collectively known as the Sanzo party) — are sent west to stop a forbidden experiment that’s driving demons across the land insane. It’s a road trip. With guns, claws, and a lot of cigarettes.
What sets Saiyuki apart from other Journey to the West adaptations is its tone. This is not a children’s retelling. The Sanzo party are damaged, sarcastic, frequently violent people who happen to be saving the world — mostly because someone told them to. The relationships between the four leads are the heart of the series, and Minekura builds that foundation entirely within this first run.
Dark fantasy — stories that blend fantasy elements with serious, violent, or morally complex themes — is baked into the DNA here. Demons aren’t just monsters — they’re people whose sanity has been stripped away. The moral questions around killing former innocents give the series a weight that stays with you.
Read this first. No exceptions. The Kodansha Resurrected Edition Vol. 1 is your entry point.
Step 2 — Saiyuki Reload
Saiyuki Reload (10 volumes) picks up directly where the original series ends. The Sanzo party continues their journey west, and the story deepens both the world and the characters considerably. New antagonists enter the picture, and the stakes escalate.
The transition from Saiyuki to Reload is seamless — this isn’t a partial restart with a new cast. It’s the next chapter of the same story. If you finished the original 9 volumes and want to know what happens next, Reload is the immediate answer.
The art also evolves noticeably in Reload. Minekura’s style becomes more refined and dynamic, and the action sequences benefit enormously from that growth.
Step 3 — Saiyuki Reload Blast
Saiyuki Reload Blast (3 volumes) continues the main storyline further. This is the latest installment in the primary Sanzo party narrative, pushing the journey closer to its destination and raising the emotional stakes even higher.
The tone in Reload Blast gets darker and more intense than the earlier installments. Characters face consequences that have been building across the full length of the franchise, and the payoff is real.
For readers working through the franchise in order, this is where the long journey starts to converge toward its climax. Note that Reload Blast returned from a five-year hiatus in September 2024 and is currently ongoing — new chapters are actively being published as of this writing, though only the three compiled volumes are currently available in book form.
Step 4 — Saiyuki Gaiden (Read After the Main Line)
Here’s where the reading order matters most. Saiyuki Gaiden (4 volumes) is a prequel — it’s set in Heaven, approximately 500 years before the events of the main series, and tells the story of the characters’ previous lives.
You can technically read it at any point, but reading it after the main line series is strongly recommended. The emotional impact of Gaiden depends entirely on your attachment to the main cast. Details that seem like interesting backstory become devastating once you know where these characters end up.
Gaiden is also a self-contained story — meaning it has a clear beginning, middle, and end that doesn’t leave you hanging — which makes it a satisfying read on its own terms. But its power comes from context.
Save it. You’ll be glad you did.
Optional — Saiyuki Ibun
Saiyuki Ibun is a prequel set approximately 40 years before the events of the main series, with only one volume released in Japan. It’s connected to the Saiyuki universe but features different characters and a separate narrative.
This one is for fans who’ve read everything else and want more of Minekura’s world. It’s not required for understanding the main story or the prequel. Think of it as bonus content — enjoyable if you’re already invested, totally skippable if you’re not.
Anime Watch Order vs. Manga Reading Order
Multiple anime adaptations exist across the Saiyuki franchise, covering various storyline segments from the manga. The anime roughly follows the manga’s publication order, so if you’ve read the manga, the anime timeline will feel familiar.
If you came to the manga because you watched a Saiyuki anime — a common path — the reading order above still applies. Start from the beginning of the manga even if you’ve seen an adaptation, because the source material covers more ground and delivers scenes the anime sometimes condenses or skips.
That said, the manga is the definitive dark fantasy experience. The anime adaptations vary in quality and don’t always cover the material as thoroughly as the source. Some fans enjoy them as a complement to the manga, while others treat them as a separate thing entirely.
If you want to watch the anime, following the same publication order as the manga works well: start with the adaptation of the original series, then move to the Reload-era adaptations.
But if you’re choosing between manga and anime? The manga is the more complete and more consistently excellent version of this story. Minekura’s art and the way she arranges panels on each page do things that animation doesn’t always capture.
Things to Know Before You Start
A few things worth knowing before you dive in:
- This is not a kids’ version of Journey to the West. Saiyuki features significant violence, moral ambiguity, dark supernatural themes, and mature content. The characters smoke, drink, gamble, and kill. It’s a manga aimed at older readers — think late teens and up — that earns its dark fantasy label. Go in with appropriate expectations and you’ll have a great time.
- The art evolves dramatically across the franchise. The early volumes of the original Saiyuki have a distinctly late-90s manga aesthetic. By Reload and Reload Blast, Minekura’s art is considerably more polished and detailed. If the early art doesn’t immediately grab you, stick with it — the visual quality improves steadily.
- Publication gaps happened due to the author’s health. Kazuya Minekura experienced serious health issues that caused extended breaks in publication over the years. This means the franchise took a long time to unfold. For new readers, this is actually good news — you can read without waiting. But it’s worth appreciating the persistence behind these books.
- The character dynamics are the real draw. The plot is compelling, but the four-way relationship between Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai is what keeps people coming back for decades. These are some of the most well-developed ensemble dynamics in dark fantasy manga. Their bickering, loyalty, and unspoken bonds are genuinely moving.
- Start with the Resurrected Edition. The hardcover omnibus format from Kodansha gives you the best reading experience for the original series. Bigger pages, sturdy binding, and the satisfaction of holding a quality book.
Where to Start Today
Here’s the simplest possible action plan:
Pick up Saiyuki Resurrected Edition Vol. 1 from Kodansha. It collects the opening chunk of the original 9-volume series in a hardcover omnibus format that looks and feels great. This single book will tell you immediately whether the franchise is for you.
From there, follow the Resurrected Edition through all four omnibus volumes to complete the original series. The 9-volume Saiyuki works beautifully as a self-contained dark fantasy story — it delivers a complete narrative with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end, so you won’t be left hanging.
If you finish the original and want more, be aware that English availability for the rest of the franchise is limited. Saiyuki Reload can sometimes be found secondhand (Tokyopop’s out-of-print edition covers 9 of the 10 Japanese volumes), but Saiyuki Reload Blast and Saiyuki Gaiden have not been published in English manga form as of this writing. Check current retailer listings before committing to a full collection — the licensing situation may change over time.
Four guys heading west. A world gone mad. A story that’s been captivating readers for over two decades. Grab volume 1 and see for yourself.