#tang sanzang reference

[the-monkey-ruler]

Naraka Bladepoint (2021) 永劫无间

Date: August 12, 2021 Platform: PC / Xbox One / PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series X|S Developer: 24 Entertainment Publisher: NetEase Games Montréal Genre: Action Theme: Martial Arts Type: Appropriation

Summary:

Naraka Bladepoint is an online action game developed by 24 Entertainment and published by NetEase Games Montréal for PC and Xbox Series X|S.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/naraka-bladepoint/3030-76351/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mcFd6W2eRwM

[exploringwonders-mads]

Most underrated JttW reference in the whole show, but that’s just my opinion.

The writers could tell me they took this scene word for word straight from an English translation, and I’d believe them.

[benevolenterrancy]

The monster spurted a mouthful of water over the Tang Priest and shouted "Change!" Sanzang's real body was hidden away and he was turned into a striped tiger to their mortal eyes. All fled in terror except a handful of gallant generals who charged the tiger, hacking wildly with every kind of weapon. After a turmoil that continued until evening they finally caught the tiger, chained it, and put it in an iron cage.

[beastomato]

going west

[itsabouttimex2]

Dude Tang sanzang really sound like a gentle but also....ya know-

and maybe we could get a fic of him?I kinda curious actually-

Taken Aboard

Yandere Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong

(I’ve noticed recently that I enjoy writing yandere introduction fics- them meeting you. The content is a bit softer, but I enjoy establishing these things!)

You don't really want the shiny little key, no matter how important it looks. You just know that it's important. Made from polished silver and ending in many prongs, with a large gemstone set into the bulb... it was clearly valuable.

But you don't want it. Not the silver, not the jewel. You want what comes with taking it- a chase. And if these people didn't want to play your games, why would they come into your forest?

They’re only at the very entrance of the forest, where the trees are thinnest, but it’s still a foolish expedition that they’re surmounting.

There's easier ways to get through the area, after all. The forest is thick with trees and sharp vines, running with many rivers and populated by thousands of different animals. Clearly, these strangers are in no rush and have supplies to spare if they're traveling directly through instead of around.

So what's the harm in one little game?

You’ve learned all the creatures in this forest by heart- their scents and sounds and shapes, each palm-sized critter and earth-shaking beast impossibly dear to your heart.

Your hands; diminutive and deft, shift from tight skin to soft feathers. And as nail curves to talon, the bones of your fingers slide around your palm until they’ve diminished from five to four. In a sudden. startling flash of golden light does the rest of your form fall away.

As the aureate rays that wrap your body burn away from your reducing frame, the new truth of your body becomes clear- you’ve taken the form of a diminutive songbird. Were it not for your green-flecked wings, you would be entirely indistinguishable as a demon by the eye alone.

There’s just enough wind filtering through the dense forest to aid your feathers, sending your small form skyward.

You gather speed by twisting around clustered branches and thick tree trunks, breaking through a canopy of foliage and soaring to the warm sky.

Wings close to your body, you zip overhead the group and unfurl them in what would be a grand display, had you a more imposing form.

Tucking your wings tight, you dive haphazardly, snatching the key from a very startled monk all dressed up in a fancy cossack with a jangly golden stick.

Prying the metal free from his fingers, you retreat to the denser woods, taking a moment to perch as he calls out indignantly for you to return.

But you don’t even have time to gloat to yourself before a multicolored hawk comes at you, red and blue and ginger feathering.

Barely you manage to dodge, watching the bird soar past. The wind left in it’s blazing wake is so fast that your feathers are nearly torn out by their quills.

It rounds sharply, lurching at you again, only missing when you drop from the branch and dip towards the ground. The hawk turns and dives, losing you as you loop a low-hanging branch. It curves the bend with you, only inches away. Through the leaves, it misses by a hairsbreadth, mistaking a browning leaf for your insignificant form. Over the river your shadows startle the koi, causing them to retreat to the muddy depths. All across and through the forest are you hounded, slowly falling closer to the talons of the glorious hawk.

And you finally slip, diving too slow to avoid the clutch of avian claws.

But cold keratin is not what cages you.

Furry fingers tightly enfold your fragile form, stuck fast between the palms of the Monkey King.

He drops from the sky with some measure of grace, tail swaying in glee born of victory.

Exhausted from the chase, you concede defeat in the form of birdsong, melodically peeping and chirping to the simian from the cage his hands form.

Sun Wukong pauses at your display of surrender. It’s not often that a demonic enemy accepts being beaten. He carefully opens his hands to view you- and, to his disbelief, you hop onto the pointer finger of his right hand, holding the little key in your beak.

“You’re a funny little demon, aren’t you? So cute, but so darn troublesome… here, give me that.”

You don’t protest or fight as he snatches the jeweled key, stuffing the metal into his pocket.

“Wukong! Wukong, don’t hurt them!” Says a worried voice from just a few paces away, clearly out of breath from running. “Wukong do not make me recite the… sutra?”

His voice trails away at the sight of you, cupped in the simian’s ginger-furred hands.

“…they aren’t running, Master. They just… gave me the key after I caught them.”

The monk approaches slowly, then takes you into his gentle hands, a note of pity in his contemplative eyes. One soft finger brushes against the green spots that speckle your quills.

“Demon, I kindly ask you- reveal to me your name and form.”

With a giggling peep, you do as asked and immediately return to your true form- in his palms.

Tang Sanzang gasps from the sudden shift in weight, pulled to the ground before he can right himself. You giggle again, sprawled half on his lap and half on the dirt. And Sun Wukong laughs too, enjoying a moment of indignity from his oft-stoic master.

There’s a flash of irritation that fades the second the monk gets a good look at you- gods, you’re only a child. And so thoroughly ragged too. Mud and leaves in your never-cut hair, your fingernails chipped and uneven. Shredded clothing and no shoes.

“Have you been out here long, little one? In the forest, all on your lonesome?” Pity in his voice, compassion in his eyes. “When was the last time you had a meal? A drink? Come, quench yourself with my canteen,” he commands, lifting the fur-wrapped metal to your lips.

“They’re not a baby,” Wukong argues, tapping one clawed finger against your nose. “And don’t act like they’re harmless, Master.”

You pull away from the canteen after a long sip, sticking your tongue out at him. “No one asked you, Hóutóu!”

“Are you getting cheeky with Sun Yéyé? Maybe I should chase you all around your own home again, brat!”

Tang Sanzang sighs, not cutting into the squabble. Petty arguing was better than outright violence, and neither of you seemed all too serious about the verbal spat.

All he can really do is change the subject.

“I can hardly leave a little one all alone out here- even in the forest, it must grow cold at night. Come, you may rest in my tent when the sun falls. Then we shall find your parents, and-“

“Nope!”

“…excuse me? ‘N-no’, little one? You mustn’t joke with me like that-“

“I’m not joking,” you cheerily and confidently respond. “This whole forest is my home! And I don’t have parents, anyways! I was born from a fallen peach tree!”

That didn’t sound… too implausible, honestly. Strange things gave birth to demons, after all. Rocks, in Wukong’s own case.

But, even if you were a demon born of nature and the wilds…

Wouldn’t it be horribly cruel to leave a child out here, all alone?

You were small enough to still fit in his lap, small enough that you only came to Wukong’s hip even when you stood on your toes.

A child. Gods, how could you have survived on your own for so long? Demon or not, you were a child. Gods above, he couldn’t leave you here.

It couldn’t be that you’d leave easily. You had just declared that this forest was your home. And with the powers and skills you had, simple force wouldn’t be enough.

He… had some praying to do. To Guanyin, and to another blessed length of golden metal.

You would not be staying here a night longer.

[journeytothewestresearch]

Fun JTTW Text Reference for Artists

I've written at length about Sun Wukong's golden headband (here, here, here, and here). Anyone who has read the novel will know that it is used to rein in Monkey's unruly behavior through the application of pain. Such events have been portrayed by artists like Chen Huiguan in his Newly Illustrated and Complete Journey to the West (Chen Huiguan Xinhui Quanben Xiyouji, 陈惠冠新绘全本西游记, 2001) and Tianwaitang in his piece Tripitaka's Curse (2010).

But I've never seen someone depict the instance with the greatest potential for an everlasting visual impact. In chapter 27, Tripitaka angrily recites the tightening spell 20 times to punish Monkey for killing what he thought was an innocent woman (it wasn't). This causes our hero's head to deform like a cartoon character!

The sight so frightened the Tang Monk that he fell from his horse. Lying on the road, he did not speak another word except to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell back and forth exactly twenty times. Alas, poor Pilgrim's head was reduced to an hourglass-shaped gourd! As the pain was truly unbearable, he had to roll up to the Tang Monk and plead, "Master, please don't recite anymore. Say what you have to say" (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 2, p. 23) 唐僧一見，驚下馬來，睡在路傍，更無二話，只是把緊箍兒咒顛倒足足念了二十遍。可憐把個行者頭勒得似個亞腰兒葫蘆，十分疼痛難忍，滾將來哀告道：「師父莫念了，有甚話說了罷。」

The original Chinese lists the "double-waisted" calabash gourd (yayao'er hulu, 亞腰兒葫蘆). I hope this gives artists an idea of what Wukong's head would look like.

I've previously noted how the novel describes Sun Wukong as an actual monkey, and it's because of this that the headband would likely rest on his eye orbits. I imagine his head being squeezed into the shape of a calabash gourd would make his eyes comically (or grotesquely) bulge, too.

[violetvirus]

How does the six ears macaque play apart in the journey to the west cyberpunk story

i don't have his reference ready yet but i couldn't help but jump at the chance to talk about him

stone monkey 2.0, or the six-eared macaque prototype, is by all means a better version of the first stone monkey prototype. his hearing especially was enhanced, which is why he was given the name six ears despite not having any. almost identical to the first, macaque is much more obedient and harder to rewire than wukong was. because unfortunately due to tripitaka's own tampering with wukong, it was discovered that robots with a set personality are much harder to rewire. so they implemented this same idea in macaque, alongside a circlet kill switch so he could be easily rid of if he goes off mission. because he and wukong look so similar, many people turned on wukong, assuming he had betrayed the slums and returned to the jade city government.

macaque is intensely jealous of wukong. when he first came online, wukong and tripitaka were separated due to wukong's continuous use of violence. tripitaka was firm that if that's the personality wukong chooses to develop, it's fine, but he was no longer allowed to live alongside tripitaka. macaque sees wukong as abandoning a great home, a great life. his hatred bleeds over onto tripitaka as well, partly due to his own programming to kill/arrest him. macaque somewhat knows that it is much less likely he would be given another chance at a new personality like wukong did, because tripitaka would struggle with wiping his old code and rewiring him properly, and it angers him.

macaque is a reminder to wukong of all the things he hates about himself. his original coding, his violence, his origins as a robot created for destruction. macaque is all of wukong's most negative traits amplified, which he despises. so the animosity goes both ways.

macaque has given up on the idea that he may live freely like wukong was able to. but maybe it's not quite as out of reach as he thinks. who knows...

[angstandhappiness]

NEAT

I decided to redesign the character from “Journey to the West” since the first version I designed of them was mostly based off of “Lego Monkie Kid”.

This way it should be easier to twll apart what I draw for JTTW from what I draw for Monkie Kid and my AUs.

[journeytothewest-daily]

Welcome to The Journey to the West (西游记) Daily!

You are about to beging a reading journey to get the hidden Buddhist texts accompanied by the monk Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing, Zhu Bajie and Bai Long Ma.

To beging this journey you must subscribe to the newsletter, which you will find at https://journeytothewestdaily.substack.com/. You wil receive your first email this week, welcoming you and sharing information about what's to come and what I will include in the emails.

However, beforehand I want to tell you already that you won't receive a daily email, despite the name of the newsletter. The chapters are dense and full of references to folklore or religion references that you might be unfamiliar with, so you will receive an email every 2 or 3 days maximum.

If this is the first time that you hear about this newsletter and you don't know what Journey to the West is...

The classical Chinese novel Journey to the West is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled to the "Western Regions" (Central Asia and India) to obtain Buddhist sūtras (sacred texts) and returned after many trials and much suffering. Gautama Buddha gives this task to the monk, whose name in the novel is Tang Sanzang, and provides him with three protectors who agree to help him as an atonement for their sins. These disciples are the Monkey King, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, together with a dragon prince who acts as the monk's steed, a white horse. The group of pilgrims journey towards enlightenment by the power and virtue of cooperation.

The novel is perfect for the epistolary format, since it's is divided in different and disconnected adventures, so you don't have to always remember what happened in the previous chapter to read the next!

We'll be reading Anthony C. Yu's translation since it is the first unabridged version that we have available in English. It is about 100 chapters long.

As I said, you will receive a first email as soon as you subscribe and an introductory email in a few days. Please, share this post so more people can read along. Use the hashtag #jttwdaily if you want to comment your impressions. I'll share the most important dates soon.

May the Buddha help you in your endeavours.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Xuanzang's Cassock (2012) 玄奘袈裟

Director: Zhang Xin Screenwriter: Wu Huaijie Starring : Song Tao / Ji Wen Genre: Drama Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2012 Duration: 83 minutes Type: Crossover

Summary:

The movie "Xuan Zang's Kasaya" tells the story of the treasure "Hundred Gold Clouds and Water Moji Kasaya" left by Master Xuanzang, an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty, who was dedicated in Mogao Grottoes on the eve of the Revolution of 1911. Suddenly, various forces gathered in Dunhuang, each with different purposes in search of the treasure cassock. Rongqing, the Minister of Academic Affairs, strongly recommended Yao Kun, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, to go to Dunhuang to search for Xuanzang's cassock, hoping to use the magic power of the treasure to save the precarious Qing Dynasty. Yao Kun and his cousin, antique businessman Xia Zifeng, disguised themselves as businessmen and headed to the desert. Yao and Xia went to the "Sihai Inn" and met the proprietress Yu Niang. They also met Guan Yanfei and Guan Yanruo, brothers and sisters, sons of the Gansu General Soldier. The Guan brothers and sisters also came here to find the cassock. His elder brother Guan Yanfei was secretly coerced by Yuan Shikai.

In order to protect the family from Yuan Shikai's persecution, he secretly assisted the commander Cang Lang sent by Yuan Shikai to snatch Xuanzang's cassock and sell it to foreigners in exchange for arms. The simple and reckless Guan Yanruo thought he was looking for the cassock. It was for the sake of the imperial court, and out of eagerness to protect the treasure. He was afraid that something might happen if the cassock fell into the hands of a merchant, so he wanted to find the cassock before Yao and Xia, so he opposed them at every turn. The clues to find the cassock were so intertwined and obscure that everyone racked their brains and couldn't find the way. In the end, the knowledgeable Yao Kun first found the clue. Guan Yanfei took advantage of his plan and simply used Yao Kun to follow him to gradually get closer to the treasure cassock.

In the confrontation with Yao Kun, Guan Yanruo was gradually moved by Yao Kun's integrity and kindness and developed a good impression. In the process of searching for Kasaya, he discovered that his family was being controlled by Yuan Shikai's special envoy, Cang Lang. The search for the cassock was also ordered by Yuan Shikai, not to protect the national treasure. As everyone gets closer and closer to the cassock, Cang Lang forces Guan Yanfei to do whatever it takes to get the cassock as soon as possible. In order to get the final clue, Guan Yanfei puts Yao and Xia into a dungeon. After being tortured, Xia Zifeng told Guan Yanfei where the cassock was buried in order to save his cousin Yao Kun. So Canglang took Guan Yanfei and his men straight to Baobogou. At this time, Guan Yanruo used a trick to kill Yao Kun and Xia Zifeng. During the escape, the three were discovered by the Qing soldiers guarding them, and they were assisted by Yu Niang at the critical moment.

After defeating the Qing soldiers and rescuing them, it turned out that Yu Niang was a private treasure-protecting organization that had been operating near Dunhuang. After learning that Yao Kun was ordered to protect the cassocks, she had already sent people to observe secretly. In the end, while protecting the treasure With the help of others, Yao Kun and others got the cassocks first, but were surrounded by soldiers brought by Cang Lang and Guan Yanfei. When they were desperate, Yu Niang and her men arrived again. It turns out that Yu Niang and Xia Zifeng are both folk treasure protectors, and they lurked in the desert to protect the national treasure. A melee broke out between good and evil. Guan Yanfei tried to protect his sister and had a dispute with Canglang. Guan Yanruo was injured by Canglang in the melee. Guan Yanfei also died under Canglang's knife while trying to save his sister. In the end, Yao Kun killed the wolf and ended the melee. Yao Kun returned to the capital with the treasure cassock. Looking back on what he saw and heard during the treasure hunt, he deeply felt that the Qing government could no longer save the country. And the Qing Empire that he worked hard for ended its 268-year rule in depression... No so-called "divine power" can withstand the rolling tide of history.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/20427158/

Link: N/A

[m1nsur0]

[JTTW OC: 智平] Character Profile

Name: 阮智平 (Ruan Zhi Ping)

Age (JTTW): 1471

Height: 7’1” (215CM)

Pronouns: He/Him

Unflinching and unwavering in all ways, the Violet Dragon is not ever referred to as “pleasant” to endure, however it is preconception welcomed if it abstracts him to the follies of the living.

“Trying to turn him from his planned path is akin to throwing brittle knifes to a cliff face.” - Wujing

“The strangest man around, that’s for sure. Ya ever meet a doctor that wants you to come to him through death’s door?” - Bajie

“Abrasive, but all good pieces of sandpaper must be so.” - Sanzang

“More stoney faced than Ol’ Sun! Nothing The Great Sage can’t crack open.” - Wukong

SUMMARY: (a bit of a long one i would say)

-Born the eldest child of the Dragon [REDACTED].

-Left his home as a ward under the tutelage of Divine Knowledge at the age of 8, and began his own career in academics before reaching adulthood.

-Spends 400 years in isolation between painted realms and isolated corners of the primary realms, the only signs of his life are routinely submitted papers and documents regarding his innovations and social critiques.

-Gets unwillingly found by the Heaven’s Dog, and swears an accord to His Divinty to avoid a change in lifestyle.

-Emerges to his native lands briefly after reported Yaoguai disturbances in the Seas, and commits the minimum of social requirements to younger relatives before returning to isolation for another 200 years.

-After reaching undeniable renown of his works, he agrees to spend one year every century in mortal plains. Towards both placating his kin and making unwanted ties to other realms for research efficiency.

-Around age 800, his lack of care for social nuances lands him in hot water with the Jade Empress. Both hands are whipped on her command, to ensure consequences on his ability to write and study- the only thing of importance to him.

-Another century of isolation, however this time in his original bedchambers from his home at his parent’s residency. Not a single paper is released by the scholar, and he is as much of a ghost in his home as ever before.

-The joint efforts of Wenchang and Erlang prompt Zhiping to agree to meeting with them outside of politics, and he takes the long walk across the lands to meet them.

-On the walk, finds the first sprig of amusement in 500 years from a crash figure trapped under a mountain.

-Erlang and Wenchang pass on the Emperor’s “pardons of his actions” regarding The Court, and is ushered to Yao Wang and Guanyin to heal any internal injuries in his hand. After this comes a deal struck to expand Zhiping’s access to Heaven’s archives and scholars in apologies.

-The dragon scholar delves even further into his research, invigorated, and is not seen in person for another 300 years. Any work regarding outside beings having express magic pathways to avoid physical encounters.

-Guanyin enlists Zhiping to round off the group of pilgrims under a deal. Zhiping makes it clear that he cares not for buddhahood as the pre-established reward to other contract members, and accepts the task once his proposal is the one defining his involvement.

-Spends the years until the journey more social than normal, knowing that the environment he will have to endure

-Joins with the Tang Monk before reaching The Monkey King, is notably silent in comparison to the others in the group. Not one for small talk or “unnecessary” words.

-Ends up as the group’s healer due to his medical and surgical education, however is known to allow any other party member to suffer physical pains for a safe extra moment if they pushed his buttons recently.

-Despite being one of the group’s dragons, he never interacts with one other than Bai Long Ma- with plausible and pragmatic excuses to leave before meeting any other dragons in passing.

-About 2 years into the Journey, takes in an injured wolf pup, which then stays along for the ride from that point on after regaining it’s health. It takes a few years for Sanzang to settle with the predator.

-Zhiping is “closest” (as much as he can be) with Wujing due to their shared stable personalites, and an odd affection to Bai Long Ma that the group can’t seem to figure out as to why.

-Wukong and Zhiping have the first shift in their allyship after when Zhiping is almost entirely focused on the affects of Samadhi fire, in which the monkey feels something change in him after being on the receiving end of genuine care for the first time in centuries.

-Wukong becomes a bit of a step father to the group’s grown wolf, honing it’s protective and hunting skills. Most Definitely Not to work his stead once the journey fractured the group post-completion. He picks the dog up like he’s still a puppy.

-Zhiping breaks off from the group briefly at the Xiliang Kingdom due to his academic work, after many whines from the horse and dog. Reminding them that he is not bound to this task like the rest of them, and he knows that they’ll manage until they rejoin.

-He reunited with them later, now dealing with a cold-furred-shoulder from the monkey king.

-The golden circlet becomes his next area of research, both in neutrality of how the spell works, and how to possibly alleviate Wukong of the pain in unjust casting. The universe is against him completing that work until the scriptures are delivered- it renders the end goal void. But he keeps the project on the back burner regardless.

-Wukong and Zhiping enter a rocky exclusivity, born of Wukong’s paranoia of separation and possessive nature.

-Sanzang is confronted by Zhiping about his illogical use of the tightening spell, after an explosive argument, Sanzang says a comment out of bounds. The wolf scars the monk in retaliation, and Zhiping departs the group a second time with said canine. But not before placing soothing salves in the luggage Wujing carries.

-Seasons pass, and whilst the group can function on their own, Wukong works to convince Zhiping back with Guanyin’s additional effort, he then comes back after providing Wukong with a plan to outsmart Meifa Guo’s King.

-Zhiping remains with the group from then on, closer to the non-humans as ever before, but warning Sanzang that there’s no circlet or Guanyin to prevent him from being eaten by a dragon should he get too bold.

-The amount of wedding traps the pilgrims have encountered at this point prompts Wukong to make a veiled comment about the two of them after the run in with the Jade Rabbit.

-Tripitaka attains Buddhahood, The Journey Completes

-Wukong refuses anything beyond the removal of the circlet, Zhiping collects his agreed rewards. Their relationship stays strong as Zhiping takes Bai Long Ma and the Wolf, as the Dragon returns to a small island in view of Huaguoshan to complete his studies based on the Journey.

-The Monkey King is the only one he allows to enter the Island, and always makes comment on how not even the Divinity was allowed entrance to any of Zhiping’s domains.

-Throughout continued courtship, Wukong Learns that Zhiping has been inspired to start an academy from his enjoyment of educating the pilgrims from time to time. And the Monkey King decides he is the only one capable of funding such a project. It becomes a part of his betrothal gift to ensure it’s perfect.

-The academy is first open to only 3 monkeys from Huagoshan for a few decades, with no more than 4 at any given enrolment. Wukong declares himself a permanent student of Zhiping, and so only 3 others set foot on academy groups at most.

-Zhiping eventually expels his betrothed for his habit of never doing the assigned work, and only listening to the lectures that focus on botany or weapon masonry. Anything else is Wukong trying to distract the dragon to end work early.

-Nezha is not accepted as a student, despite his repeat attempt at entrance.

-Zhiping limits the academy to two students once he becomes King Consort, substituting it with public lectures beyond the regular medicinal ones to to anyone on Huaguoshan.

VISUAL DESIGN:

“His clothes are thin and fold neatly, they are as considerate of my weary bones as he is.” - Wujing

“Bah! Too Floaty, Too Floaty! It would do better for him to dress in a way that would not make others confuse him with a Lady” - Bajie

“Very delicate, for a Dragon.” - Sanzang

“Oh, very soft… very soft…. I would know most of all.” - Wukong

Zhiping dresses in old fashioned Deep Style clothes, light in colour and light in weight. shifting through Winter Blues, Spring Purples, Summer Pinks and Autumn Oranges.

Even on the journey, his clothes remain ideal for desk work, knowing that his skills in long-range combat and Wukong’s reliability means he has no need to change his wardrobe’s Function.

Once Wukong attaches himself to Zhiping, the outer layer of his hanfu is repurposed as a loose garment for the monkey- both as a signal of their connection and the monkey’s urge to playfully steal from his companion.

He bears no weapons on his person, only writing equipment in deep pockets and in his sleeves, his bow and arrow are stored in dimensional magic spaces that work towards efficiency in drawing a shot. This allows him to make the group look less intimidating due to how feeble he presents himself- before Wukong shatters the illusion.

Standing at 7’1”, he is only a few inches shy of Wujing and “Two Bajies Tall” (as the group says), his dragonic tail also stretches two meters from back to tip. However with how heavily it is armoured with thick scales it is seen as a blunt weapon more than a 5th appendage.

Both Horns and Tails are hidden in all but few specific scenarios. Either when he is alone in isolation or around a group he knows won’t press into his ancestry or kin’s identity. They are slightly more blue-toned than his hair and eyes, and glimmer like mother of pearl under the light. To Wukong’s disappointment, they are not shown within his reach, due to his habits of pulling and pinching.

STATS:

Physical Traits:

A classic glass-canon in fights, beyond his title as the “Feeble Scholar” Zhiping boasts highly specialised utility of his mind and body. His nature as a dragon offsets this fragility through lifestyle, and allows him a comfortable zone of sustainability before taking advantage of his innate speed to avoid conflicts that take away from time he could put towards research.

Too young to properly learn the sword and spear before leaving home to Wenchang’s abode, any combat skills in his youth were cultivated through observation of Heaven’s soldiers- and later a trade off with Erlang. This stuck to gaining skills in archery and knife throwing, preferring to stick to long range.

[Endurance: 2]

-Due to his lifestyle being limited to his desk and labs, the dragon does not refine his form beyond what is necessary to complete tasks related to his research. His skin is soft and unweathered from any hard labour, and if he grasps and scrolls to fast he is likely to gain a paper cut.

[Strength: 6]

-Unwillingly to spend time away from studies, and heavy lifting is done via magic manipulation- never by hand. It doesn’t help that said magic can reduce the tension needed to fire arrows. Slightly below average for a dragon, but left to dwindle without upkeep.

[Magic: 10]

-Due to both the wide field of Magic studies, and interwoven nature of it with earthly science, Zhiping quickly gained great abilities in it under Wenchang in Heaven whilst still a child. Gaining skills in conventional and sealed branches of magic due to sneaking into Xuanwu’s archives when his classes had finished for the day.

[Speed: 9]

-Born of the Seas, His body is built to manoeuvre water that offers far more resistance than air, and such finds anything above the water’s edge to offer no push back. His thin stature is aerodynamic and sleek, however the lack of muscles means he can only sprint in ways similar to a cheetah before he needs to halt.

[Constitution: 6]

-His body is naturally suited to ward off illness and fatigue, however his habits of using himself as a test subject for various pellets and spells has worn down various aspects of his body. His stomach can no longer handle eating more than once a week, and his hands still feel phantom pains. Walking the wolf does help build up stamina again, though.

Social Traits:

Blunt and uncaring for comfort in his words, the Violet Dragon has often found himself at the end of outcries from his harsh comments. It takes years for the best natured people to understand his sheer truthfulness and neutral intent. It has worked equally in his favour and against regarding goals. But he would rather lose his senses before he gains baseless placation in his encounters.

The path of erudition is where every step of his treads, no action or words are made if they do not move him in the right direction.

[Athleticism: 4]

-Briefly trained in proper etiquette by his kin and given a structured life until his departure to isolation, Zhiping has experience in courtly dance and basic performance arts. More graceful than strictly powerful, he can perform feats of entertainment and water-based traversal. However lacks the ability to measure up to other dragons in regards to endurance travel or weight lifting.

[Charisma: 0]

-Not inviting both subconsciously and by curated personality, Zhiping bolsters no way to prompt endearment and prefers using his bristly nature to nip any outside fondness in the bud. Any bonds forged with him are this tempered through years of putting up with harsh environment and even harsher comments. He has only every failed in inheriting courtly manners.

[Willpower: 5]

-Swings like a metronome between hyper focus and callous disregard for any topic depending on how it aligns with his scholarly pursuits. Topics can be hotly pursued and suddenly dropped when reevaluated to not hold any further academic value. It means that any he decides to pursue is hunted relentlessly, in a very specific scope of interest.

[Intelligence: 18/10]

-Undeniably the foundation of his being and soul, his mind overpowers every other part of him. Able to grasp any unfamiliar field of study to the highest degree within one day cycle. However with how long he has lived there are few topics left for him to discover anew. His intelligence does not stop at traditional means, with excellent abilities to decide his emotional and psychological state- and more importantly others. Possess such mastery over his emotions that many think he possesses none.

[Self-control: 6]

-He can easily coordinate his desires to what is pragmatically ideal to the moment, shutting off what is unnecessary or irrelevant to the task at hand. But also possesses no desire to temper the intensity of his studies towards compile knowledge. Dragons do have a nature to hoard.

[Creativity: 7]

-Study of the world is to study the arts and mind. There are infinite topics of interest regarding the creative arts, and creativeness in methods of conduct are often the only way to achieve results in contexts of tight parameters. When he is rarely not researching, Zhiping can be found illustrating his notes or tuning his Ruan.

Black Myth: Zhiping

Following the Mortal Death of Wukong, Zhiping’s efforts have continued on focusing on sustaining the lives of Huaguoshan’s inhabitants, ushering them to his academy under intense protective magic wards to avoid any more of Heaven’s Soldiers reaching them.

Some monkeys of Wukong’s mountain follow immediately, some stay with the healers he has instructed until this moment. Some flee the mountain. Zhiping states that the Mountain itself will attract the ire of Heaven and that the Academy can provide solace, that it would be forever open to any of Wukong’s denizens.

Quest 1: Medicinal Brews

Required: [Rescue Shen Monkey] [Gain access to Shen Monkey’s services] [Defeat the Whiteclad Noble] [Defeat Elder Jinchi] [Defeat Rat Royals] [Obtain: Loong Scales]

Speak to Shen Monkey, if [Loong Scales] are in possession, completing all new dialogue alluding to a healer who solved his chronic wounds will end in receiving [Ziluolan Pellets]

(Ziluolan Pellets: If added to a flask originating from a monkey, will create immunity to DOT effects- but will not remove the build up of Four Banes.)

Quest 2: Western Waters

Required: [Defeat Kang Jin-Star] [Defeat Cyan Loong WHILST having Ziluolan Pellets in brew effect] [Defeat Cyan Loong wearing Loong armour OR wielding a Loong Staff][Possess at least 4 Loong Pearls] [Talk With Bajie near Kang Jin Loong body]

After Bajie finishes his monologue, having all mentioned pre-requisites achieved will provide additional dialogue on Wukong and his involvement with Dragons. Allow for this extra dialogue to finish to have Bajie pass on the [Broken Arrow Tip Curio]

(Broken Arrow Tip: Takes up two equip slots. Allows [Pierce] to be applied to all damage. [Pierce] will reduce enemies DEF by 25% when headshots are landed. Can stack with multiple of the same Curio.)

Following Western Waters being completed, speaking to Chen Loong will start a cutscene related to Zhiping and the barrier towards his Academy grounds. The Destined One having a birthright allowing access to this island will make Chen Loong as to go there to ask the Dragon of that domain for a list of seeds. Receive [Seeds and Saplings List]

[This opens up the Sprawling Roots Quest]

Following Western Waters being completed, speaking to Xu Dog will open dialogue on the academic papers released on celestial pellets he has near his furnace. Complete this dialogue to be asked to take his noted questions to the paper’s Author. Receive [After-Lecture Questions]

[This opens up the Loong Road to Perfection Quest]

Quest 4: Familiar Seas

Required: [Defeat All Four Loong Bosses] [Defeat Yellow Loong with Ziluolan Pellets in Brew] [Defeat Yellow Loong with Broken Arrow Tip Curio Equipped] [Apply Pierce in Thrust Stance at least once during fight with Yellow Loong]

If the boss fight is completed with all above tasks, Yellow Loong will relinquish the rune needed to open a pathway through the Academy Ward.

Quest 5: Painted Realms, Painted Fogs.

Required: [Possess the reward rune from Yellow Loong] [Unlock Somersault Cloud]

After unlocking the ability to fly around Huagoshan, finding Bajie staring westward on a platform in the open-map will start a cutscene of him complaining about an odd fog cloud beyond the waters. He will end the cutscene muttering about Wukong’s Dragon. Flying towards the Fog will prompt a cutscene where the unlocking rune will dispel the illusioned cloud, and open up the Secret Area: Yinshi Academy.

Progress through the path to Yinshi until you encounter a Dragon Wrapped Gate.

Possessing the [Loong Scales] and at least 4 Loong Pearls will awaken the Dragon from slumber, and initiate the boss fight with [White Dragon, Son of Ao Run]

Fighting the White Dragon will end with a cutscene at 25% health, where a wolf will unavoidably interrupt any attack the Destined One is making, and will take the equipped weapon with it as it runs down the path towards the academy.

Drinking from the Gourd whilst the [Ziluolan Pellets] are in brew will end the boss fight early, and the player will retain their equipped weapon. A wolf will grab the attention of the player and guide them down towards the academy.

Both Boss endings will reward the player with [4x Celestial Ribbon]

Once the Destined one reaches Yinshi’s front door, A cutscene will start showing The Violet Dragon healing an elderly monkey.

There are no other fights in this map, and the Destined one cannot draw any weapon or cast spells once this point has been reached.

Quest 6: Violet Scales, Violent Tales.

Required: Complete [Painted Realms, Painted Fog] [Have Broken Arrow Tip Equipped]

The Violet Dragon will not speak, nor pay the Destined One any attention unless they walk directly into his line of sight after he moves to his open desk.

The Dragon will reach for the broken arrow tip, [This will remove it from the player’s inventory permanently] and will traverse the room to hand the Destined one the [Pristine Arrow Head Curio]

Leave the area via fast travel or Somersault Cloud to reset Yinshi Academy, then return to The Violet Dragon. This will prompt dialogue, asking if the Destined One knows the NPC’s name.

Exhaust this Dialogue to receive [Amethyst Abacus Necklace]

Zhiping will provide access to the reward chests deeper in Yinshi, and if given excess materials, will upgrade medicines beyond Xu Dog’s formulas.

(Pristine Arrow Head: Takes up two equip slots. Allows for the [Shatter] effect to be applied to enemies. [Shatter] will apply 2% DEF reduction with each hit onto the enemy, stacking up to 20 times as long as the wearer is not hit. Stacks reset upon taking damage.)

(Amethyst Abacus: Takes up one equip slot. Wearing this curio will allow the user to summon Langgou, highly affective against some bosses.)

After this Quest, Zhiping will move on schedule around the map.

Sprawling Roots: Talk to Zhiping whilst he is in the Gardens, and with [Seeds and Saplings List] in inventory will end with gaining the [Seed Pouch] to give to Chen Loong.

Loong Road to Perfection: Talking to Zhiping whilst he is in the Lecture Halls, and with [After-Lecture Questions] in inventory will end with gaining the [Refined Fomula] to give to Xu Dog.

After all mentioned Quests are completed, The Destined One can now:

-In Yinshi Academy, use the equipped weapon to throw near Langgou, Zhiping’s Wolf, to play fetch. (If the Jingu Bang is equipped, you will have to play a game of tug with Langgou.)

Collect rare plants from the Academy Gardens, however taking more than 5 per visit will result in Zhiping removing the Destined One from the secret area for the day.

Listen to Zhiping’s tales of the Journey in the Archives.

Pat the White Dragon, Son of Ao Run as you pass through the Gate.

Using the [Amethyst Abacus] in Painted Mount Mei will take Xiaotian Quan’s aggro from the Destined One during Region’s Boss fight.

[angstandhappiness]

Oh that's fascinating! And a bit terrifying at the end what

Hello I have an question!

How do you do character design and make yourself come up with creative ideas for them? Outfits, fantasy, etc

I’ll appreciate all and any advice :)

It is very difficult for me to come up with ideas off the top of my head, which is why I’m so grateful that the world makes ideas for me.

For example, the silver horned demon brother, from one of my JTTW comics was annoying for me to think of. “What has horns that isn’t an animal, something ancient and creepy?” I had been looking through videos of cave formations when I saw a kind of build up that looked an awful lot like mushrooms. Bam! One discovery snowballed into this spooky design of the silver horned demon, a decaying eye filled form that lives deep in a cave with his brother

For the Queendom of women, I didn’t even need to think of anything. I simply researched the actual Queendom and based their clothing off of the real people. They have tons of beautiful art and scenery as well, so it was easy to work with once I knew what I was looking for through research

💥WARNING, MAGGOTS SPIDERS AND BODY HORROR❌ I couldn’t find a way to blur the images??

For the design of the seven spider women, I was very unsatisfied with their role in the book. I wanted them to leave a lasting impression with their limited time. I didn’t change anything about their story, but I instead used the fear of insects and impregnating for their monster design, right before Wukong kills and defeats them. They’re based off the wasps that lay their eggs inside spiders, and they cocoon together in an amalgamated form like that of a spider nest, leaving them as horrific humam-spider monsters

[benevolenterrancy]

BRO I'M SORRY BUT...HEAR ME OUT ON SAZANG-AAAAAAAAAA THAT CUTEY PATOOEY LOL!!!!!!!!

I will absolutely hear you out, I am prepared to listen and to learn 👀

[sporkfingers]

Some Tang Sanzang concept art that I don’t think I’ll finish anytime soon, but whateva

The scar on his head is from a spat with wukong gone wrong, spur of the moment which he regretted after he realized what he had done-

he waited for his sifu to use the fillet tightening sultra to punish him, he’s shaking, apologizing profusely in a small voice. To his surprise he doesn’t feel the painstaking ache of the band squeezing. Instead, when he looks up he finds Tripitaka, his sifu, looking at him with a horrified look on his face. But…. He’s not scared of wukong… he’s scared of himself, if he could cause such a reaction in this godly simian, a demon that the heavens feared, then…what he had been doing…it wasn’t right, it couldn’t be.

-Lololol that’s my head canon/ my own home brew story of Jttw that I’ve been making in my mind, I like to imagine that’s the point where they’re relationship starts to turn for the better and instead of reluctant companions they become friends who wish to protect each other in every way, no matter the cost. They are representative of the mind and the heart, like in most cases they clash and argue, resent and fear each other, but when finding balance and harmony throughout their journey the mind and heart grow closer and work as one. They’re relationship to me is something more than friendship, it’s love but not romantic love, but it’s also not familial love like a father and son, though some translations of the book describe their relationship as such I’d like to think of it as something deeper. Again not romantic kissy love. These babes are Buddhists lololol but it is more than friendship. I might post my version of the story on here and you can interpret as you please, father son, a couple, friends, enemies. But know that in the end what him and sun wukong have is complex, it can not be summed up in one word. At least that’s my take on them,

Also the other scars are from demons, getting captured and such, the scar between his eyebrows he got as a baby, and the read on his wrists are from rope burn, again from being tied up and captured.

I like to see the monk as having a fit build despite acting and appearing weak, though he does not know what to do with this rocking bod he has. (This drawing was inspired by gidget… I loved their reference for their tang and decided I would make my own concept sheet depicting his scars and body type as well.)

I want to start posting my dynamic stuff on here and actually drawing my Jttw ideas… I just get really perfectionist about them and end up only liking the art after a year goes by and it’s too late to post them….

If you made it here tell me what you think, I’ve spent like 5 minutes writing this and my cat is chirping angrily at me cause she wants me to pet her lolololol so pouty, my cute baby is throwing a fit

Sorry if you think these takes are trash it’s just my headcanons, they might change overtime though

[itsabouttimex2]

I was re-reading some of the Primal Moon stuff and I just kept thinking... If this is how badly everyone else gets affected, imagine how Chang'e gets during the Primal Moon!!!

Poor girl is probably losing her marbles up there, all by herself!!

Primal Moon Tier List

Actually… Chang’e is doing just about the same as canon! She’s a little lonely to be on her own, and a little worried for the world down below… but she’s managing!

For reference, here’s what I’ve workshopped for Primal Moon so far!

Humans and Celestials, if they have no animalistic features or demonic heritage, are unaffected by the creeping Viridescence, and are therefore free of any harmful effects of the lunar cycle. Which gives us a total of eleven characters (temporarily twelve with Seasons 1-3 MK) who are left the same in Primal Moon.

As for the others, with potential targets outside of Y/N listed in parentheses…

Sun Wukong is a monkey, c’mon. He; by the very nature of his species, needs company and affection. So what if he snatches up a darling cub (or two) from the streets and bundles them home as they kick and scream for help anticipate a week long stay with the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. He’ll dote and smother until you’re all worn out from begging for your freedom receiving his affection to tuck the both of you into bed, ready to spend a quarter of the month in a frenzy of familial love. (MK, Macaque, Ne Zha, Tang Sanzang, Ao Lie, Zhu Baije, Sha Wujing)

The Azure Lion has been burdened by primal want for family since his earliest days in the Celestial Realm, quite often being “given” a still-young Ne Zha to coddle, sitting for hours with the little deity in his lap, grooming his hair to perfection with a massive tongue. But that was centuries ago, and now he needs someone new to “parent”… most likely being Y/N. (Sun Wukong, Macaque, Peng, Yellowtusk, DBK, young Ne Zha, MK, Mei, Red Son)

Bereft of his lover, Kui Mulang devolves into a more merciful and someone brooding individual, sometimes refusing to devour souls even when the ones presented to him are choice selections. He mostly manages to compose himself, however- until a pup or kit is presented to him, at which point he slowly begins to mold them into the “perfect child” for him and his lovely Jade Maiden- and he’s sure that she’ll love Y/N as much as he does. (MK, Mei)

Arrogant as they may be, the Golden-Winged Peng is indeed still an avian, with powerful brooding instincts. They have some vested interest in little stragglers and chicks, souls who haven’t found their footing yet. If you have wings of some kind, expect lots of flying lessons and feather cleaning. For younger or smaller individuals, Peng will frequently perform brooding, though in a very gentle way- they’ll have you sit on their lap and then squish themselves all around you with feathery neck fluff and muscular arms and then their golden wings over all that to firmly ensnare you. (Macaque if he’s much younger than they are, Mei)

———————————————————————-

The Spider Queen isn’t usually interested in making heirs- she wants the throne all to herself for as long as she can have it… but if a charming and powerful individual were to wander into her sewers, maybe the lady wouldn’t red be able to deny herself an attempt at courting them? After all, a child of your blood and hers would be a magnificent creation (and weapon) indeed- although the means of birth would be by magic. She doesn’t have any interest in nine months of pain or suffering, after all. (Sun Wukong, Macaque, Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan, Scorpion Queen)

As always, our lonely Scorpion Queen longs for companionship in any form, be it partner or paramour. Expect her to try and hook up with the friendliest face she can find, often in the form of the sweet little mortals who go hiking past her lair in an attempt to separate from the wildness of the city. After all, maybe a little darling child would help ease her loneliness! (Tang, Pigsy)

Huntsman is out on the streets looking for a suitable partner, not necessarily for want of a lover so much as he wants his pick of the “superior” stock showing off their strength to lure in mates- the thought of having a child to pass on all his knowledge to doesn’t exactly deter the arachnid. However, he’d be content with “just” getting a lifelong sparring partner out of it.

———————————————————————-

After the death of his beloved son, Ao Guang goes from “almost unaffected” by the rising moon to borderline delusional. He usually stays locked up tight inside his chambers, away from anyone who he might “confuse” with his departed Ao Bing. If one seems to be young in either appearance or behavior, he’s not unlikely to snatch them up and spirit them away to his chambers for a week of grief-fueled doting. If one outright looks similar to the dragon prince, expect him to treat them as a reincarnation or descendant. (Mei, Ao Lie)

Ao Lie tries to step up and take care of those around him, but tends to stumble and fail along the way as his mind deteriorates. There’s some bass understanding of the world (eg: fire burns, raw meat sickens, clothes keep you warmth) but a lot of the finer details are lost on him. Still, he just wants to help! If his target/targets outright reject this behavior/try to run, Lie will assume draconic form and wrap them all up in his massive green coils. (Mei, Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing)

If anyone is “losing it” mentally, Xiangliu probably shows it the clearest. There are moments of blatant hysteria as he screams about “monsters” and “chaos” and “caves”, pounding cracks into the tiles beneath his feet and etching his feelings across the walls of any residence- and then he’s horribly silent and withdrawn, each little snake on his head leering and limp. It’s hard to tell what he actually wants, given that he’ll never communicate outside of hysterical shrieking and wanton destruction. (Sun Wukong)

———————————————————————-

Macaque’s most blatant changes are internal, the Viridescence stripping his inner inhibitions away- unlike Red Son below, this doesn’t manifest in tears or desperate pleas for love, but a wide spur of self-injurious behavior that displays itself in many forms- often trending towards stereotypies such as overeating, scratching away skin, and picking out clumps of hair. For “his own good”, Macaque tends to be the victim of other demons during the moon’s rising.

Twice a year Red Son makes himself a promise- “This time I won’t break,” he says to himself, working through a dozen new techniques and tactics to try and prevent himself from cracking and falling apart in a messy puddle of tears… all of which fail in a tidy little row, leaving poor Red Boy to weep into the lap of whoever his mother has kidnapped to tend to him… he’s actually mostly in his right mind, just incapable of biting back his tongue or tears, allowing potential romance to bloom as the verdant moon rises. (MK, Mei)

As for Mei, she’s… well, an entirely different person in Primal Moon. She’s spent so very long being taught to constantly repress herself in order to keep others from harm and agony, which the poor girl always has on her mind, no matter the day or circumstance. She’s quieter, clumsier, lonelier. She speeds on busy roads, plays with lighters, trauma-dumps to her followers… deep down, Mei believes that her inevitable fate is to be a monster. At some point this belief leads her true nature to unlock under the power of the Viridescence, causing Mei to transform into a dragon and start hoarding “treasure”… often in the form of her dearest friends/romantic interests. (MK, Red Son)

———————————————————————-

Like I’ve gone over before, MK grows extremely unstable after spending years perfectly suppressing his demonic heritage- like a spring wound too tight, he just snaps. He’s one of the few that grows legitimately violent with any “darling” he might have, forcing them to become troop-mates. He willingly falls under the command of Sun Wukong, who has become equally delusional. It’s not impossible for them to build a “troop” made entirely out of kidnapped friends and family. (Mei, Red Son, Macaque)

Though the Demon Bull King’s behavior towards his wife alone would put him halfway in the “looking for a mate” category, his behavior towards everyone else (minus Red Son) is extremely violent to the point of essentially returning to his former warlord days- and unlike many others on this list, doesn’t even bother to fight his desires. He’s just... letting go. And everyone else is left to suffer for it. The only way he ends up with a new “family member” is if he either talks Iron Fan into a new child, or she kidnaps a mortal herself to take care of Red Son.

Sha Wujing just... regresses. Back to his bone pit, to constant fighting, to streams of blood flooding his lonely river. Back to before the monk and his dear brothers. Everything just... smears to a splash of bright red and he settles for grinding anything he finds “upsetting”. Most of this is born of blind fear and repressed sorrow, so Wukong (if he’s holding himself together) is usually sent to bear Wujing’s mighty swings one after the the other as he moves in for a hug. Once the big blue giant has cooled off and come to his senses, he’s utterly overwhelmed with guilt at the sight of all Wukong’s bruises and cuts, and spends the next week taking care of him like a little brother.

———————————————————————-

As a goddess from time immemorial, Nüwa is… a little “out of touch“ when it comes to interacting with mortals. You can’t spend a handful of forevers hiding away and come out of it with stunning social skills, after all. She’s not exactly skillfully soft, but doesn’t see the need to be horribly cruel or vicious with. When the lunar haze from above softens her inhibitions, Nüwa turns to undermining the agency of her ward, subtly working to convince them that she- and she alone- can tend to their needs. (MK)

In his current state, Sandy really is the most “harmless” a yandere can be, settling for only the very occasional drugging to keep you complacent and docile while the musclebound monster man pampers you through the settling haze. The only thing changed by the Primal Moon’s impact is that Sandy becomes much more willing to verbally strike down the notion of independence by guilt-tripping you into staying “to keep him calm” as he wraps your smaller form in thick fleece blankets and pours another cup of tea with a strange layer of film on the top. (Pigsy)

Goliath doesn’t mind the viridescence too much, all things considered- more than ever during the event so people want to fight, so he’s never too busy “thinking” or “planning”- he’ll just pummel down any threat to his Queen and drag the body off to be converted into a fellow spider demon. The only real difference is that he’s not afraid to drag you out to bear witness to the growing violence and danger bred under the verdant lunar light, and then force you to patch his wounds as a show of the “affection” he expects you to have.

Already something of a troublemaker, Zhu Bajie mostly remains his old self during the semi-annual event, knowing which cards to play to get the Great Monk to do as he pleases, often to either his own or Sun Wukong’s detriment. Now he’ll direct that worsening (and at times downright malicious) manipulative behavior to you, trying to second-handedly browbeat you into submission. It’s not even that Bajie understands why- the moon just fucks his brain up so bad that he doesn’t bother pushing back against the notion that you should suffer for his own amusement.

———————————————————————-

Throughout many centuries, Yellowtusk has trained long and hard to repress the worst of his instincts, to utterly astounding success. When not working with his sworn brothers, the pachyderm demon is traveling about to aid little mortals in need, though his brain is just fogged enough to disregard basic autonomy and personal boundaries. The big guy ends up pretty “hands-on” as a result, often holding and moving about mortals like dolls.

Given that he was an actual human to start with, Syntax works the opposite of MK- he’s not just “not repressing” the moon, it simply has no impact on him. Then upon his baleful transformation, Syntax just… isn’t all that different. You can change a body, but not the soul beneath it. He’s still a person, deep down.

Mr. and Mrs. Dragon have put themselves under the same rigorous training that they ensured Mei underwent, leaving them mostly untouched by any form of enthralling bestial behavior, both rather rational and composed. Still, they aren’t exactly above snatching up maybe a new worker -cook or maid or cleaner- from a lower class to “dote on” through the week- and if that individual is young enough they may well pursue adoption when the haze lifts.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

hi!! i'm pretty new to hypnosis mic and have found your blog through your manga translation archive a month ago. i genuinely admire your work and hope you feel well right now or will feel well. can you translate fighter's road at some point? thank you :D

Sure thing! Under a cut for length

I assume this was requested because the anon wants information on the various references and allusions in the song. So I'll keep to a literal slant (adding words when necessary to avoid confusion-inducing sentence fragments) and leave a metric shit ton of footnotes. Please note this is not an exhaustive list of allusions, particularly in terms of visuals.

Here's the video to follow along.

It is also helpful to know that each character is dressed like someone from classical Chinese epic Journey to the West. Gentarou is Sha Wujing, Dice is Zhu Baije, Ramuda is Sun Wukong, Jakurai is Tang Sanzang, and Doppo and Hifumi are collectively the White Dragon Horse.

Jakurai: And thus have I heard [1] the theory of evolution [2] is current once more! Your journey is not yet over--inside all that darkness, all that wickedness in your soul, there's still a chance to shape up. Better yourself! Spread your wings and fly to heaven! [3]

Hifumi: It's me, Gigolo, coming in like Ryuujin [4] swooping down from the skies. What time did you all get here? Say what? I don't understand a bit of it--your lame ninjutsu [5] is all nonsense to me! [6]

Doppo: One step, two steps, three--here comes the Doppo [7] horse. Yeah, that's right, tense up. Hey, where do you think you're going? Don't try to hide in the shadows, and watch out, because these hindquarters have a kick! [8] I've been through my fair share of battles [9], but you guys are just amateurs by comparison.

Gentarou: If you ask me, you're not worth our time[10]--just a few wannabe rappers bumbling around in the dark. [11] If you want to take us on before you're ready and get washed away by my flow [12], that's your prerogative. You're just an illusion that wouldn't exist without light. [13]

Dice: Here's some advice from Dice: I'm a rare breed [14]; I've got more luck and skill than I know what to do with. But you wouldn't know how to handle it. Sharing with you the thrills I seek is casting pearls before swine. [15] You're just acting tough when you've got no rap skill to speak of.

Ramuda: Waah, waah! [16] Who's crying now? This is just a minor monkey's obstacle [17] before my main goal. 'Cause life got in the way, and oopsy, I took a bit of a fall. [18] But now I've set off again. Yeah, I've had a few setbacks along the way, but I don't let it get me down! I keep on keeping on, and now I'm flying through the sky on my cloud! [19]

All: Catch this sick flow! Suffering and Buddhist training; to the east, west, and the east again. Fighter's road! [20] (Fighter's road) Fighter's road! (Fighter's road) A journey of the spirit through the power housed in words [21]; forging new paths. Fighter's road! (Fighter's road) Fighter's road! (Fighter's road)

As we encounter hardships along this road, we'll take each other's hands and keep going. Fighter's road! (Fighter's road) Fighter's road! (Fighter's road) Casting off our mud-stained clothes; you gotta understand that now there's a light worth fighting for on this fighter's road! (Fighter's road) Fighter's road!

Try this drop! [22]

[23]

[1] This is a common sutra opening.

[2] "evolution" is synonymous with growth, so less literally this is like "There's always room for growth!" The "theory" part is there for the rhyme.

[3] Not Christian heaven; consider it more like mystical divinity or the dwelling place of the gods.

[4] An ocean god.

[5] Come on, you've all seen Naruto, you should know what this is. Broad term for ninja moves. Hifumi's saying the opponent's "moves," maneuvers, or raps--I don't remember the context of this episode--suck ass.

[6] Literally "nenbutsu in our ears." An outrageous pun. "[Reciting the] nenbutsu, a Buddhist mantra, in a horse's ear" is a proverb similar to English's "casting pearls before swine"--the horse gets no value out of the nenbutsu. As Hifumi is currently in a horse costume, he's the referenced horse getting nothing out of the opposing team's raps.

[7] Kanji joke. Doppo's name also has the kanji for "step" in it.

[8] Again, please remember that Doppo is in the horse costume.

[9] Another outrageous pun. Literally "a thousand warriors and ten thousand horses" which, in this case, refers to someone who's "fought" a ton of metaphorical battles. Normally, one assumes this metaphorical veteran is fighting the thousand warriors, but perhaps Doppo's boasting of defeated ten thousand other pairs in horse costumes...

[10] Literally, "a kappa fart." This image should evoke a slight bubble in a river at most--the kappa is presumably underwater. Note that Gentarou sings this by a river.

[11] Referencing the previous verse's bit about hiding in the shadows. Also, ninjas. But not good ninjas, because these ninja-rappers are lost in the darkness.

[12] Also being washed away literally by the river. I am making an assumption that he means "by my [rap's] flow" based on both the chorus and basic word association. The word used for "washed away" here is actually a noun containing the noun for "flow," so virtually any Japanese reader will put two-and-two together.

[13] This is partially just for the rhyme/"yooo Gentarou said the i-word" factor, but it's also going back to the idea of ninjas and shadows. A shadow can't be cast without light kind of vibes.

[14] The word he uses here is partially just for rhyme and partially to evoke the image of an exotic or mythical animal.

[15] Literally. This is a proverb Japanese borrows from English, and as such it usually has a more Western feel than would be appropriate for this song. But it rhymes, and pearl is one of the Eight Treasures and often included in lists of "traditionally Eastern" gemstones. So it still fits. In this part of the video, you can see the other team trapped in pearls.

[16] Yet another outrageous pun. Ramuda--who, again, is dressed like Sun Wukong or the monkey king--spells his crying noises with the kanji for monkey.

[17] More puns. A "monkey's obstacle" is the name of a mushroom, although the mushroom's name means "a monkey's seat."

[18] Right before he falls, he references a nursery rhyme about that same mushroom mentioned above: Monkey's seat/Sit down!/Sit down now!/The monkey plops down with a/BUMP! Ramuda brings it up here to tie into him falling down, ie. having a setback, and also to reinforce the monkey angle.

[19] In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong learns how to somersault from cloud to cloud to cover huge distances very quickly. This is usually depicted in art as cloud(s) carrying him. In the video, Ramuda's got... a skateboard...? reminiscent of his staff. Sun Wukong's staff flies too, although turning into a flying skateboard is a new trick haha.

[20] It's fair to assume "fighter's road" should evoke the image of a literal road and also a tao in the sense of a way of living or being.

[21] Kotodama is the concept that certain words or phrases contain magical or spiritual power. Hypmic references this constantly to refer to the force the mics imbue in their raps or, occasionally, the figurative power of words to effect major change.

[22] Drop of...what? Outside of Ramuda's usual association with the word "drops," the video shows him blowing a hair to make lots of little flying Ramuda clones. This is one of Sun Wukong's many powers. So... drop of hair? Drop of spit? (Sun Wukong sometimes spits on the hairs.) Given the shot just before this and the importance of light/shadow imagery in this song, I could also see an argument for a "drop" of light. Light is usually treated as a liquid in Japanese imagery.

"Try this" should be more like "Take that!" or "Try this on for size."

[23] The anime version of the song ends here, but it looks like there a few more choruses in the full version. Most of it repeats what's said elsewhere in the song, but the new text is as follows:

Searching for the true purest of hearts, come on!

Let me hear your voices, yo! Come on, brothers!

Posse! Matenrou! We've still got it in us to walk the rest of this road!

A pox upon uta-net.com for not letting me copy/paste those...