#Uproar in Heaven

[seraphim-seeker]

I’m well aware that Sun Wukong can throw hands like no tomorrow but-

I’d Kill for this Wukong. Look at him!

He’s Adorable and Precious

[naughty-nephi]

Imagine with me if you will-

Yandere! (1961) Sun Wukong.

I’m not really good at writing yandere attributes aside from obsessive nature, stalking, etc. So, I want to hear from the great yonder what headcanons y’all would have for this Yandere! Wukong

[the-monkey-ruler]

Which translation/adaptation of JTTW is best for beginners? Besides maybe Dragon Ball (doubt it counts)

Heh yeah I mean it’s a great anime but I don’t think you would have a good Xiyouji experience per se. Usually, I see Dragon Ball used as a gateway for people to THEN read/watch Xiyouji content but like it doesn’t really have much Xiyouji plot wise even if the characters are homages.

I would say that if you want an ACCURATE Xiyouji experience then you can choose between three shows. That being the classic 1986 which is many people's first Xiyouji experience as the cast is so iconic you see these designs in dozens of movies and their influence in future performances. The second is more family-friendly but still one of the most charming and fairly accurate portrayals is the 1999 Xiyouji animation, I would say far more younger people's first piece of media and without a doubt the best Xiyouji animation series thus far personally. That last I would suggest is 2011 Xiyouji series which is one of the more newer shows and I would say I would that if you want more modern effects and humor than this might be a preferance to the 1986 version. They both have their own charm but just depends on what you are looking for!

Now while these are the most accurate there are some Xiyouji media I would still recommend even if they take far more liberties.

This without a doubt being the 1996 tv series. This is portrayed as more of a drama but between the characters and the pure HEART AND LOVE that is in this show that you will be falling in love with the characters. It vaguely follows the Xiyouji monster of the weak formula but taking far more time to humanize each enemy and having our main cast overcome not only physical obstacles but also their own emotional obstacles as well. Fantastic show. Another is Chinese Odessey (please note this is a two part movie)! This does NOT follow the journey at all instead more of an introspective of the character Wukong. This is more of comedy but this is a cult classic as one of the first romance films with Wukong to show him as more of a complex hero which was a deviation from how he was portrayed in media for years as this point. This movie is silly but it is actually very heartfelt and makes you feel for these characters's plights. If you don't know Xiyouji I would say you will be confused, but you can fall in love with these characters anyway! Whil I can't suggest Dragon Ball I can suggest another Son Goku from My Son Goku! This is a Japanese production but the animation is so fluid and the characters are not only charming but there are some heart reaching scenes in this very cute art style! I would say give this a watch if you enjoy anime but also can appreciate angst even in a cute style.

If you are looking for more just great Xiyouji movies that you can pop in and a fantastic one is the 2015 Hero is Back! This was the Wukong come back animation-wise since 1999 and a lot of people first Wukong in the big screens! Does take liberties story wise as we don't see Sha Wujing or any of the journey really, but the HEART and soul of Sun Wukong is there. Another great one is just watching the first and classic 1961 Havoc in Heaven! This was the staple of Wukong iconics for decades and even now you see this Wukong in commercials! This is just a beautiful art style and without a doubt charming and feel good vibes. This one is surprising but actually Nezha Reborn where Sun Wukong actually makes a cameo appearance, but I hear so many people got into Xiyouji just cause how much they love him. So while it's not Xiyouji I would say give it a watch if you are a die hard Sun Wukong fan.

There is also Monkey King Reborn which while less known I still think is wonderfully popular and shows both great animation and also how all three characters of Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing interact in a movie. There is also Monkey King 2 which I know that usually I would say which the first movie but honestly the second movie is my personal fav. You don't miss much without watching the first as the second starts right at the begging of the journey and we are introduced to some of the best designs for these characters in my opinion. This last one is kinda of a hit-or-miss but Conquering the Demon! This one follows Sanzang as a demon hunter in a loosely based story of him finding his disciples, each more monstrous than the last in a dark-comedy! If you enjoy Stephen Chow films then you know what kind of humor you are going to get but it is new take on Xiyouji films in a unique but still entertaining manner! They really make you feel for Sanzang as a character and one of the best humanizations of him really as a man still learning about the world himself.

There some other that are great but I would suggest more on a second watch or if you know the story more! Saiyuki / The Great Alakazam was the first eng dub saiyuki piece of media that came to the USA and still had a lasting influence with the beloved character Rinrin! There is also Monkey King 2009 that only looks at the story BEFORE the journey, adding so many elements to Wukong's childhood and his relationship with the Six Eared Macaque. I would also suggest the Monkey King Netflix Movie as while it is fast-paced it really makes you understand how dangerous but also how complex Sun Wukong is. I think it was a charming movie so give it a watch!. Last is Immortal Demon Slayer! This movie was based on a web novel that was extremely popular in the early 2000s which was based off Chinese Odessey funny enough! This is a movie I would suggest if you know Xiyouji already but it such a tragedy I have to share if you love angst.

If anyone wants to share their what was their first Xiyouji or their favorite Xioyuji please let me know!

[beastomato]

how girls look at you wwhen they cause havoc in heaven

[aerkame]

I Love This Version of Sun Wukong

I'm not sure just how many movies there are featuring this version of Monkey King, but I noticed that he always treats kids so well it's honestly heartwarming and adorable to see. It's such a breath of fresh air to see this from a character like Monkey King.

Some examples: Monkey King helping DingDing put on his shoe (DingDing vs. The Monkey King), Monkey King helping one of the younger kids climb up his cudgel to join the others (Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven), and Monkey King comforting and grooming a baby monkey with no mother (From This Post).

I have no idea who was behind the design of this character, but they made this version of Monkey King so well and they made him very lovable. I also like how he pretty much stays in character no matter the movie, even if it's with different writers. Everyone seems to get what kind of character he is.

On top of that, his character traits in general really do match that of a monkey. He's caring (especially towards kids or younger monkeys), playful, and protective.

I definitely want to make a list of all movies I have seen so far with this version of Monkey King in it so I can share it with you guys. The problem is that I don't know what this design is called or if this design of the character even has a name. If you know, please let me know! Messages are always open.

[pumkin-patchwork]

doodle, redraw from “Uproar in Heaven” which was my favorite film ever as a kid (and is still a banger today)

[duraznosenelcielo]

🍑✨

[annaberunoyume]

Sun Wukong being a Protector of the Horse, indeed.

[sketching-shark]

I was curious to know, is there a specific adaptation of JTTW that you particularly enjoy? Whether its good or accurate isnt important but more like in your personal taste

AUGH going to be honest @seasonalsummers in that I don't feel like I can pick just one...there's so many excellent retellings! But I will take this opportunity to present some of my favorites.

So first up we have the 1986 Journey to the West tv series. It is in many ways very goofy and gaudy, but there's just as many reasons why it's considered one of the best retellings out there, from its genuine heart to the adherence to the og classic. And needless to say its Sun Wukong really set a standard for cheeky scheming monkey behavior. You can start watching it here:

Next up is 2016s The Monkey King 2. While this film is one of those retellings that gives the White Bone Demon a lot more prominence than she has in the og classic--and definitely has its own silly stupid moments--it also stands as one of the very few retellings that directly addresses the paradox of Tang Sanzang's mission: that he's trying to get the sutras to help mortals achieve a state of peace all while abhorring violence, and yet its only because of the violence of his disciples, especially Sun Wukong, that he's able to right a number of wrongs or simply go from day to day uneaten. You can watch it here:

And now it's time to give kudos to 2015's Monkey King: Hero Is Back. While this film is FAR from a faithful retelling and (usual refrain) has its own silliness, pretty simple plot, and gross-out humor, it also has so much heart and stands as a wonderful embodiment of the dad Wukong characterization. One also has to give it credit for its main child character, Jiang Liuer, being a genuinely charming kid who's wonder at the world and desire to do good drives the story forward in a sincerely lovely way. You can watch it here:

More recently--and in a work that is at best only loosely following the plot of Xiyouji--is 2022's Lighting Up the Stars. This film follows the story of a Li Nezha coded little orphan girl Wu Xiaowen and a Sun Wukong coded funeral director Mo Sanmei as they go from a very tense relationship to a genuinely loving father-daughter relationship. While there are moments of this film that feel kind of overwrought, it's an honestly wonderful exploration of what goes into dealing with death and the importance of love in all its many forms during life. I also have a soft spot for Mo Sanmei, who from what I've seen is the very peak of explicitly shitty cringefail loser who then genuinely works hard to become a better person Sun Wukong out there. It can be watched here:

Turning away from film and animation for a moment, I simply have to give proper kudos to Chaiko Tsai's comic The Monkey King. Between the gorgeous art, fun character designs, a good sense of how to translate many of the stories of Xiyouji into comic format, and a resolution to the Sun Wukong vs. Niu Mowang fight that I actually prefer above that in Journey to the West itself, this is definitely a comic worth going through! You can purchase it here for about $30.00

And last but certainly not least, one simply has to give due credit to 1964's Uproar in Heaven. It's an absolute gem of stylized Chinese animation, a work with the very rare allowance on the Monkey King getting to go full grandpa for tons upon tons of monkeys at Mt. Huaguoshan, and it's very faithful to the first half of the og classic with the difference that here Sun Wukong does his havoc in heaven and gets away with it. All around its a really fun work to watch and does have a lot of importance from both an animation and a historical perspective. You can watch it here:

So those are my favorite adaptations of Journey to the West! It's but a fraction of the adaptations out there, but I hope other people found these as fun as I do.

[whathaveidxne]

Havoc in Heaven (1961)

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@thealmightyemprex @themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie

大鬧天宮 / Dà nào tiān gōng (Havoc in Heaven)

113 in x of animated feature film history Release: 1964 Country: China Director: Wan Laiming

“The story is based on the earliest chapters of the Ming Dynasty shenmo novel Journey to the West. The main character is Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, who rebels against the Jade Emperor of heaven.

Wan Guchan, of the Wan Brothers and one of the animators of the feature film Princess Iron Fan, began planning the production of Havoc in Heaven––sometimes called Uproar in Heaven––after its release in 1941. However, the project was delayed for over a decade after the Japanese capture of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and later by the Chinese Civil War.

Wan Laiming returned to Shanghai as director of Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1954, and production of Havoc in Heaven resumed shortly thereafter. The first part of the film was completed in 1961 by Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan. The second part was completed in 1964 with the assistance of Wan Chaochen and Wan Dihuan. Both parts of the film were screened together for the first time in 1965. This was the last major animated film of the Second Golden Era of Cinema of China. A year later, the entire industry was effectively shut down by the Cultural Revolution.

The name of the movie (大闹天宫) became a colloquialism in the Chinese language to describe someone making a mess. Countless cartoon adaptations that followed have reused the same classic story Journey to the West, yet many consider this 1964 iteration to be the most original, fitting and memorable.

The film won great acclaim after putting on the screen. It received Best Film Award at the 13th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the 12th London International Film Festival respectively, enjoying high reputation both at home and abroad.

At the time, the film was also used as a joke metaphor for the ‘havoc’ being caused by Mao Zedong (the monkey) in ‘heaven’ (China).”

(source) (source)

Havoc in Heaven is available on YouTube.

FIRST POSTED: 12/2/16

[teddy-bear-queen]

Watching the 1964 Havoc in Heaven movie and my sister comes in-and-out to watch it (she is 8). She can’t quite keep up with the subtitles, but knows enough about monkey king to get the general idea.

It’s kind of neat explaining to her that “heaven in China is different to Australia” (ik its a religion thing but she’s too young to understand those specifics). I told her there’s many different gods in China, and she says “like Jesus?” NUDNDJS

Idk it’s cute

I did my best to explain to her, but it’s just interesting seeing how she doesn’t quite understand these things. My family isn’t religious, btw. Jesus/God/etc. are just the only heavenly deities she knows.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting and kind of goofy, so yeah

[the-monkey-ruler]

Uproar in Heaven (1976) 闹天宫

Director: Liu Wenyu / Liu Yuhe Starring: Wang Mingzhong / Liu Yuanhan / Song Feng / Lou Zhenkui / Niu ​​Fenghua Genre: Opera Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Also known as: An Tianhui Type: Retelling

Summary:

The Jade Emperor planned to restrain Sun Wukong with a heavenly official title because of his great magical powers, and conferred him the title of "Great Sage Equaling Heaven" to manage the Peach Garden. Sun Wukong then enjoyed the peaches in the garden to his heart's content. The Queen Mother held a Peach Banquet, but did not invite Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong was very angry and broke into Yaochi and stole the wine and fruits. He also entered the Tushita Palace and stole the golden elixir refined by Taishang Laojun. Then he returned to Huaguo Mountain. Li Tianwang led the heavenly soldiers and generals to capture him, but was defeated by Sun Wukong.

Source: https://chinesemov.com/1976/Uproar-in-Heaven

Link: N/A

[seraphim-seeker]

Barrel O’- You get it

Just using Gacha Club to have my persona/OC Nephilium interacting with the different versions of Wukong +MK

LMK

Monkey King (2023)

Monkey King: Reborn

Hero is Back

Overly Sarcastic Productions

Journey to the West: The Legends of the Monkey King

Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back

Uproar/Havoc In Heaven

New Gods: Nezha Reborn

[annaberunoyume]

Such an expressive simian one.

obsessed

[aerkame]

I have issues with committing to long fanfictions, but I have a feeling that the one I'm working on will be good. I say so because I'm drawing fanart of it already lmao.

On a side note, geladas are super cool. I love lions so obviously the reader is going to be based on a gelada so I have an excuse to make them fluffy with big ol' saber fangs and a mane. >:p

Also ignore the quality, it's late and I wanted to draw while in bed okay?

ALSO, I did double check, and it appears both males and females will grow 'manes' and have fangs. Females don't really have fur that's as long as the male's or good fangs, but it's good enough. Meaning the reader can have a mane regardless of gender. So immersion shouldn't be broken. (I prefer making x readers immersive for everyone)

It's giving..."I is fierce!"

Cutoff text: Large arm and shoulder tuft, Big teef (sabertooth-like), reverse crescent blade chest tuft.

Context (SPOILERS)

Reader gets turned into a small monkey either by accident or on purpose. Inspired from the design of the monkeys in Uproar in Heaven and The Lotus Lantern (the little monkey seen in the movie). Chaos ensues. Also reader gets mistaken for being a lion cub A LOT.