#jttw adaptions

[thrandilf]

Behold, the middle-aged Chinese protagonist whose gender occasionally changes depending on portrayal who we can all relate to and project on

[rwreblogs]

pigsy may be mk's dad but wukong is mk's decades older bio-brother who moved out when mk was a toddler then came back to visit him fifteen years later with trauma, starbucks, and the messiest ex-situationship you've ever seen in your life

[heshemejoshi]

going west

[lavaflowe]

Receiving a gift from the Universe

Close ups:

[majachee]

eepy expressions,,,

his ears change sizes and have wifi bars depending on his emotions, and whether or not he's using his powers

pls dont screw up thw formatting tumblr...

[fluffypotatey]

Honestly, LMK turns the plot on its head so often that I've never voiced this due to the Macaque hate club, but legit. What if Wukong killed Macky trying to save him because as we've seen with MK, he can use that amount of force, that same line, trying to keep someone from certain doom, so why not an out of control monkey with hijacked powers? Macky just. doesn't remember. but that might even be plot relevant since Wukong also doesn't remember things, supposedly. *stares at Nine.* He might've never done anything to Tripitaka and friends, I mean, current Macky has never even SAID anything about hating those guys, heck. He out right SAYS the Monk was good for Wukong and he was allegedly killed AFTER the journey, even if the friendship ties between them never ended afterwards, I honestly struggle to see Macky even being angry enough to want to "save" Wukong as he never did before to just.....be so crazy about it to the point Wukong needs to kill him over it. He'd stand down, he WOULD listen to reason, right? Unless if something else was going on? There'd have to be some other trigger for him to just go off like that, as for all these memories. I bet the "he" Nines was talking about could have been the Demon King of Confusion. You can really make up some fun new powers there, the guy's the first villain ever in JTTW, it's kind of poetic, and also. "Demon KING." Sure, good foe for the Monkey King. They can give him the LBD treatment in raising the prestige.

What if Wukong killed Macky trying to save him[…]?

this has, honestly, been my own theory for what went down since i started lmk. like i knew they would be vague about Wukong and Mackoach’s circumstance because, you know, Wukong did a murder in jttw and this is a kid show intended for an audience of 8-10 year olds. and that kind of topic is a doozy to do right in media (Western media especially).

anyway, by s3, i was under the impression that Macky assumed Wukong killed him final blow style, but Wukong actually left him incapacitated enough for him to admit defeat (and maybe, possibly leaving him for dead, oblivious to the fact that Mac might be too weak to use his shadow powers) because of how much lmk utilizes unreliable narratives. but then, watching Wukong’s and MK’s fight really solidified that original theory of mine. when Mackintosh frees Wukong from his memories in 5x07 (also jfc Wukong literally spent a whole season trapped in his memories and has to do it all over again, my poor babygirl ;-; he’s exhausted!!!!) Wukong looks horrified.

STOP MAKING HIM RELIVE HIS PAST HE ISNT OVER IT AT ALL AND HOLDS TO MUCH GUILT AND REGRET (pls continue!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏 put him through the ringer!!!!! make him snap por favor 🥺🥺🥺🥺)

ahem. AnYwAY!

clearly, that fight is considered one of Wukong’s deepest and darkest memories (which were what the 100-eyed Demon was looking for. because he likes the good tea like me frfr) and doesn’t like looking back at. in a way, it makes sense with how much distance he placed between himself and Macody in 1x09 (almost….indifferent one might say 👀 or trying to act apathetic about it which comes off annoyed…..ain’t that interesting?)

but yeah. good food for thought :3

[generouskittentidalwave]

I want to ask, how do people in China actually view Lego Monkie Kid?

No doubt that Lmk fandom as a whole has a major issue with drowning out the voices of people in China and the fact that this show is based on genuine relfion and mythology that is taken, from what I've heard and seen, quite seriously.

Now I've been a fan of the show for a very long time, so much so that it got me into researching and learning as much as I could about it jttw and the religion and mythology behind it all, which led to some interesting things I've noticed about it and the show as whole.

For one, lmk killing the Jade Emperor so quickly and easily was a bold move, seeing as it's the equivalent, from what I've seen, of taking Jesus and easily disintegrating him by throwing him down a flight of escalaters so hopefully they have an explanation for that later on. There's other things that have been pointed out like it not lining up 100% with the book and some minor things here and there, and people not understanding things cause they never read the book or because some things were changed and it was misinterpreted. However at the same time there have been many jttw adaptions (with this one being unique as it's more of a 'sequal') with some made by America and some made by China that also make changes here and there, from what I've seen and heard that are also loved.

Which leaves me a bit confused and to genuinely ask, how do people in China view lmk? Is it good or bad? Is it respectful or disrespectful? And is it okay for one to like and enjoy the show like me and many MANY others have been? I know it might seem like a silly question, but to overthinkers like me and many others out there (Yeah I see you), it can be pretty draining to think about how you could be enjoying a show that is harming others without you realizing it. So now I created this posts to hear your thoughts on it ^^

I do ask that it is kept civil as it's meant to teach and educate, not offend others or tear people down. I hope to hear your thoughts and learn more about all of this ^^

[shih-coulda-had-it]

huge fan of black myth: wukong if only because you the protagonist are going on what you think will be a lonely hero's journey, you the blank slate whose last joke was pretending to be a peach about to be eaten, but for like a majority of the journey to the end you get uncle pigsy. and uncle pigsy (infamous pervert character) looks like this:

and his backstory cutscene? hello???

[moonsun2010]

crying in the club (at home) over black myth wukong (BMW) chapter 1 really grabbed us by the throat and said "Hey have you considered the extraordinarily tragic side of the allegories of JTTW? That the villains of it are not simply one-dimensional obstacles in the path of the main cast but fully realised narratives in their own right". and then didnt wait for an answer before slapping us with a masterpiece. I know the game's only just came out but I really hope there'll be more of a community discussing the mythos and culture in BMW. i need to inject the OST directly into my veins. this is every Asian kiddo who's grown up with JTTW's dream come true

[parasitic-anomaly]

YEA GO MK!!

[sleeplessdreamer14]

self indulgence is so nice

inspired in part by @asurius’ monkey! reader stuffs, just a little different

[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.

[tinyazalea101]

My first shot at making my own Wukong design!

Yes, I know the outfit is bad, I can’t design outfits to save my life-

[tychodorian]

So, turns out Shawn's mom has no idea she's still alive, or even still in Los Angeles. The drama is getting REAL.

Keep up on my webcomic by following on Tapas or Webtoons. Learn more about the work here:

[the-monkey-ruler]

There is so much Wukong x OC or Wukong x Reader I’m actually flabbergasted. Six Eared Macaque I understand but not the asexual, super Buddhist monkey.

I answered something like this nearly a year ago but I'm still going to have the same answer a few times.

Wukong is a very charming and compelling character so it's not insane to think how people can fall in love with the character romantic or not. Narratively wise there has to be some suspension of disbelief but that is why it is fiction itself, and romance is another genre used to explore character depth. Wukong is a well-written interesting characteristic and I am not surprised that people are drawn to him again whether platonically or romantically, both imply a level of affection they have for Sun Wukong. There has been other media that asks for that 'suspicion for belief' as well.

I've also spoken about how Wukong with a significant other isn't that strange either. For the past twenty years, Wukong has been the object of desire in dozens of xiyouji romance plays and moves ever since the hit film Chinse Odessey, which cemented that Sun Wukong isn't just a hero, but a human being that has his own wants and flaws, and capturing the hearts of millions cause they saw themselves in him and his struggles. I talked about how impactful this movie was in changing Wukong from a fighter to a human here and here. Nowadays with more modern films, the use of romance isn't the only trope to use to explore characters and have them relate with audiences when it comes to love and lost but in the 2000s there were dozens of Wukong romances trying to capture that magic again of Wukong experiencing love and losing it because not matter how strong he is, he is just like anyone else and have heartache.

And it doesn't have to be Wukong from the original book. While Wu Cheng'en was able to provide that Wukong himself is a complex, charming, intelligent, and fascinating individual, there are hundreds of movies and shows that also wish to explore such a transformative character. I still see how popular Hero is Back 2015 Sun Wukong was and still is as one of the most fan-favorite Wukongs. There are many different Wukongs in different media that can be fan-favorites and really stick with audiences but that doesn't necessarily mean these are meant to be Wukong from the book as movies/shows could add or subtract certain elements from the Book Wukong in these adaptations. It would be unfair to both the book and the artists to say they are the same as the novel was created 400 years ago with heavy themes and saturated in symbolism, while movies and shows are created by artists for a generation, each media a time capsule for their audience and a reflection of the directors that wish to still be unique in their designs. While I have no doubt that many people adore Wukong from the novels I can't say that anyone hasn't been influenced by other media in how they interpret Wukong as well.

That rambling aside, what I'm trying to say is that Wukong and romance are nothing new, and seeing people ship themselves with Wukong is also nothing new. Six Ears only has two chapters and only really shines when movies or shows give him screen time, which is highly skewed due to the SHEER amount of Xiyouji media with just Wukong there is making that statically Wukong of course is going to have more fans, both back then and now.

[passions-and-pupils]

Something about JTTW meets finding Nemo for preschoolers concerns and fascinates me