As of July 2017, the Saiyuki franchise has sold 25 million copies in circulation worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time; it has become a mainstay of manga/anime culture, and its entries have continually garnered critical praise and accolades.

Genjo Sanzo, the complete opposite of the image expected of such a high-ranking bronze, is entrusted with the mission of going to the west of Togenkyo in order to stop the resurrection of evil god named Gyumao.

Shortly after, while Sanzo and his gang are taking a well-deserved rest in a restaurant-bar, they are attacked by Yaone, the herbalist from Kogaiji, the son of the terrible bull demon Gyumao, who intervenes to save her.

As Genjyo Sanzo, Sha Gojyo, Cho Hakkai and Son Goku continue their pilgrimage west, they encounter a mysterious fortune teller, Chin Yi-So.

The tortuous thread of destiny inexorably guides the four friends... Cho Gono committed a terrible crime in the name of revenge.

During their journey, Sanzo and his gang infiltrate the lair of a desert youkai believed to have stolen one of the sutras of the opening of Heaven and Earth.

Goku hesitates but his emotions, his desire not to lose a loved one, push him to make a terrible decision: he takes off his golden crown himself!

Faced with the sad fate reserved for the twins Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Gojyo loses his cool and sets out alone in the footsteps of the one who calls himself "God".

Whoever he may be, he is undoubtedly the most formidable adversary the gang has encountered so far, and our heroes already find themselves trapped in his hands, in a deadly game where the rules mean nothing.

[14][15] In January 2004, Tokyopop licensed the series for an English language release in North America,[16][17] and published the nine volumes between March 2, 2004, and July 12, 2005.

[44][45] The final series titled Saiyuki Reload Blast, started serialization in Ichijinsha's josei manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum since December 2009.

[d] Due to the change of manga publisher, it continued serialization in Ichijinsha's josei magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum[62] from November 2003 issue,[e] and ended in May 2009 with four volumes.

[65] Saiyuki Ibun was published from September 2009 and was serialized in Ichijinsha's Shōjo manga magazine Comic Zero Sum WARD.

The second OVA episode was released on February 29, 2000, and was followed by the premier of the 50-episode anime television series Gensomaden Saiyuki, which Studio Pierrot produced.

[87][88] In January 2021, Liden Films announced a new anime series titled Saiyuki Reload: Zeroin, which was directed by Misato Takada, and scrpted by Michiko Yokote and Aya Matsui.

Noriko Ogura designed the characters and served as chief animation director, and Yūsuke Shirato composed the music.

A limited-edition DVD reissue of the 2009 stage plays Go to the West and Dead or Alive was announced for May 10, 2017, coinciding with the 20th Anniversary of the manga series.

A behind-the-scenes documentary titled Saiyuki Kagekiden: Over the Bullets for the event includes cast insights on their experiences with the show; it was broadcast on Tokyo MX1 and online via mcas on December 25, 2016.

Frontier Works has released three drama CDs of the anime series Saiyuki Reload Blast on September 27, November 29, and December 20, 2017, respectively.

[127][128][129] The drama CDs includes original stories of all three episodes, and the comments of the actors Toshihiko Seki (Genjo Sanzo), Sōichirō Hoshi (Son Goku), Hiroaki Hirata (Sha Gojyo), and Akira Ishida (Cho Hakkai).

[130][131][132] A CD box set called "Saiyuki" Premium Collection that includes 19 audio drama series from 1999 to 2012 was released by Frontier Works on June 26, 2019.

[136][137][138] The first official novel of Saiyuki was written by Misagi Hijiri, illustrated by Kazuya Minekura, and published by G-Fantasy / Square Enix.

[150][151] Kazuya Minekura wrote an extra 39-page novel called Saiyuki Crossroaders, which was published by Zerosum Online Book.

[180] as of volume three, Minkura's art received mixed reviews, Chavez gave a very good grade to Story content described the relationship between Sanzo and Goku as unique, similar to a parasite and its host on the surface, but very deep and cherished by both.

[181] Jeanne of Aestheticism.com praised Minekura's Saiyuki, described the manga art as energetic and the story as a daring reconstructionist vision of the novel that references it in clever and refreshing ways; she also said it is fast and interesting, entertaining, and its pages are littered with anachronisms.

[182] Maria Lin of Animefringe.com praised Saiyuki's plot that filled with action-packed stories which contains violent themes and is very serious on occasion and humor to prevent from being heavy.

[184] NiDNiM also gave a 17-out-of-20 score to the second and third volumes, and called the manga very entertaining and surprising, and described the pages as beautiful and accurate.

Against the backdrop of a mythological story, not very innovative, the author indeed plays a lot on flashbacks, which give depth to the characters while bringing the essential dramatic side, and the experience accumulated by our heroes.

[196] Irene salzmann of Splash Comics praised the first volume of the manga, and described the characters as charming and lovable with a wealth of dark secrets, and the story as exciting, humorous, sometimes deep and full of ambiguities.

In the character of Sanzo, she finds an irresistible charm and described the deep sense of camaraderie between the heroes convincingly and truly affecting.