The Anime News Network is reporting that the 25-episode Saiyuki Reload anime series will debut on the Starz/Encore Action pay cable channel on Wednesday, November 8th, at midnight (ET, PT).  Saiyuki Reload is a sequel to the popular Saiyuki anime series, which was based on Kazuya Minekura's influential bishonen Saiyuki manga, which was itself based on the famous classical Chinese novel, Journey to the West, first published in 1590 during the Ming dynasty.

Journey to the West has provided the inspiration for a number of manga and anime series including Dragon Ball and Monkey Typhoon as well as for Minekura's Saiyuki, which features four extremely handsome (bishonen) versions of the novel's four travelers.

ADV released the original Saiyuki anime series here in the U.S., while Geneon has put out both the Saiyuki Reload and the Saiyuki Gunlock sequels (the fourth DVD in the Saiyuki Gunlock series is due out October 24th).

Meanwhile in Japan the production of a new OVA (original video animation) Saiyuki Reload: Burial has just been announced.