Saiyuuki RELOAD: burial

Saiyuuki RELOAD: burial was released in 2007 as a three-part original video animation series produced by Studio Pierrot. It serves as an adaptation of the 'Burial' arc from Kazuya Minekura's long-running manga series, which provides a darker, more introspective look into the backstories of the main characters, Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Cho Hakkai. The production sought to capture the melancholic and gritty aesthetic of the source material, pivoting away from the more episodic tone of previous television adaptations to focus on the traumatic origins that define the protagonists' current journey.

The animation design was overseen by Studio Pierrot, maintaining the distinct character visuals established in the earlier RELOAD series while employing a sharper, more dramatic art style to match the somber narrative themes. Directed by Koichi Ohata, the project was received by fans as a significant entry in the franchise, valued primarily for its faithful emotional depth and the high production quality of the character-centric storytelling. It remains a notable example of late-2000s anime craftsmanship, bridging the gap between the franchise's action-heavy roots and its more profound character study components.