There's Red. Was wondering if you'd crop up, given how like 90% of the comments are about you guys. (I enjoyed today's BotW Diatribe by the way. Never noticed the Zelda's Lullaby around the Crest of Hyrule before.)
I read a translated collection of Journey to the West (which was actually from China) and the translation included a very clever way of keeping it true to the origin. You see, when Monkey starts his quest to learn magic and become immortal, his master asks what his surname is and Monkey (who doesn't have one) thinks he's being insulted - the joke is that the Chinese words for 'surname' and 'temper' are almost identical and he thinks the master is suggesting he lost his temper. But this translation did it like this: "What's your surname?" "I'm not surly!" Very clever translating there!
My favourite adaptation is OverlySarcasticProductions version, mostly because of the illustrations and jokes, and being told by someone who knows their mythology.
Hear me out: Lego Monkie Kid. I know it's made by Lego and "for kids", but it actually stays quite faithful to the source material. It takes place after the journey and focuses on a new generation of the original cast, while referencing things that have happened in the book (Bull Demon King, the White Bone Spirit, the Gold and Silver Horned Demons,etc). The animation is also amazing 🤩 There's even an episode in the third season that follows the book's formula (Tripitaka gets kidnapped and has to be saved by Monkey king and others). Istg this show is so good-
It also had Sean Schemmel (you know, fucking GOKU) as the Monkey King and Billy fucking Kametz has Macaque which instantly made him everyone's favourite character.
Not to mention, while it stays faithful to the original story, it also adds a little twist in it too. A prime example (that I know of) is Macaque. Yes, he is the Six-Eared Macaque from the story, but he is also part of the Brotherhood. In the original story, the Six-Eared Macaque and the Macaque in the Brotherhood are two different characters but in the show it was confirmed that they're the same one. Plus, he also has a lot more history with Sun Wukong than the original. I get that being faithful to the material is great, but it's even better to add a little twist to make it interesting that it catches the audience's attention and make them wanna see the original! That's what happened for me, and now I wanna know more about JTTW.
As a Chinese person, I'd like to say that the 1986 version of *Journey to the West* is indeed widely recognized as the adaptation that stays closest to the original novel. However, there are still some differences compared to the original text. The original *Journey to the West* was written during the Ming Dynasty, which was five or six hundred years ago. At that time, the style of novel writing we have today didn’t exist. Some believe that *Journey to the West* is the author’s compilation of various stories about Tang Sanzang’s journey to the West that had been passed down over the centuries. So, could it be considered a form of collective creation? Therefore, although this novel is a classic, it has some illogical aspects when viewed from a modern perspective. For example, the issue of Sun Wukong’s combat strength: he was extremely powerful at the beginning, fighting against the most famous deities in Chinese mythology, but later on, he often struggled against demons who didn’t seem as formidable. Additionally, many people in the comment section have mentioned Wukong’s alleged act of eating humans. Frankly speaking, this seems more like a logical inconsistency on the author’s part. Early in the book, the author did mention once that Wukong ate humans, but later it was stated that he had never eaten humans and lived on fruits. Given how much this monkey is described as loving peaches and other fruits, I’m more inclined to believe the latter. Therefore, I believe the 1986 version adapted the original novel very well, staying true to the original while maintaining logical consistency. However, the inconsistency in Wukong’s combat strength is still criticized. Nowadays, many Chinese video bloggers like to use conspiracy theories to explain this, suggesting that the journey was a pre-arranged performance, and that Wukong needed to adjust his strength accordingly. But I think this was done to make the story more engaging-after all, only a well-matched struggle makes for a more dramatic and thrilling narrative, doesn’t it? Many novels from centuries ago have their flaws, but for us Chinese, *Journey to the West* still holds deep meaning and significance.
I mean, in all seriousness, the original Dragonball made a _lot_ of references to Journey to the West. The first season's plot even lined up with the book, with Bulma (Tripitaka) searching for the Dragon Balls (Buddhist scriptures), and meeting Son Goku (Sun Wukong), Oolong (Pigsy), and Yamcha (Sandy) on the way. Sure, things got out of hand _real_ fast after that, but it did begin as a fanciful adaptation.
Dragon ball literally took inspiration from journey to the west, but with Toriyama's own twist. Funny enough Sun WuKong's (the Monkey King) name in japanese is translated to Son Goku. Toriyama the creator of Dragon Ball loved the Journey to the west series.
the fact is, Journey to the West in East Asia has a cultural impact that can be compared only to Elvis or Michael Jackson in music, the number of works inspired by it is infinite. Counting only mangas that are inspired by it we have: Boku no Son Goku, Dragon Ball, Goku: Midnight Eye, Monkey Magic, Saiyuki, Shinzo, even Starzinger is basically Journey to the West in space... We even have a ecchi adaptation in Queen's Blade Grimoire, and a porn one called Secret Journey, with gender-swap, where Goku is punished for having an harem of boys and trying to jump Buddha himself...
Here in Vietnam, the 1986 adaptation is very famous and it's regarded as the best version, .It's so well-known it has reached leagendary status and is still broascasted every summer, even to this day. In fact, I remember catching it on television three or four times. Also fun fact: Stephen Chow played Sun Wukong in a 1995 version called A Chinese Odyssey.
I found the (abridged) Waley translation pretty readable... but overall, yeah, I'd say it's right there with Rot3K as being one of the more impenetrable of the "four great classics."
@@Netherfly On that I'd disagree. I'd say Journey is the least impenetrable of the four. Long as it is it moves at a pretty decent pace and after the Monkey prologue it's episodic and the main characters don't change so you only occasionally have to keep up with the continuity. Compare the casts of dozens of interlinked characters and twisting storylines in Three Kingdoms, Red Chamber and Water Margin and I had a lot easier time with Journey.
The 1986 Journey to the West very by China is actually the OG series many people recognize as the OG adaptation of the novel, and of course loved and watch multiple times from start to end over and over, especially in Asia. Fun fact, the actor 六小龄童 （stage name I think, real name is Zhang Jinlai) for Sun Wukong is still alive, and he was a trained Beijing opera actor (they trained from young to act and behave like Sun Wukong if I am not wrong as they also have to do many acrobatic stunts on stage) for Sun Wukong, that would explains his life like mimic of the monkey behaviour of Sun Wukong, that is why he is never surpassed by any other actor.
It's not out yet, but the game "Black Myth: Wukong" looks fascinating. It seems like it's going to be a sequel set after the book, a Wicked-style alternate take, or some combination.
No one seems to talk about this one so I will ! :) There's a two-part movie from 1995 called "A Chinese Odyssey" (First part : Pandora's Box, Second part : Cinderella) which is a parody of Journey to the West. It's batshit crazy, full of symbolism and it's absolutely FANTASTIC. It has been a big part of my childhood and I can't recommend it enough. The main actor is Stephen Chow btw, his involvement with that myth has been going on for a while ! Also, there's a beautiful 1964 chinese animated movie concentrating on Su Wukong's life before the whole "being buried in a mountain" thing. In English, it's called either Havoc in Heaven, or Uproar in Heaven.
Yes thank you for mentioning that. No clue how he didn't mention it when it's a culturally iconic movie series still relevant in modern Chinese society.
It's a cult classic, every Chinese New Year Chinese TV station replays the movie. It's also my top ten favourite movies. The meaning behind the movie is subjective (even today Chinese youtubers are trying to explain its symbolism).
@@Peachu_n_Goma_Home that is so cool ! My cousins showed it to me when I was young and left us the dvd, I think I would never have seen it otherwise (I’m french) I’m glad I did, it’s one of my all time favourites I really thought it would be in this video
A Chinese Odyssey was ranked in a critic's list of the 100 greatest Chinese language movies of all time. It deserves all that praise. Also, I don't care what anyone says, Stephen Chow's Journey to the West Conquering the Demons is a masterpiece. Shu Qi is awesome in that movie.
As a huge Overly Saracstic Productions fan I must say it is amazing to see you reference them! I knew you had good taste! Watching this I was just thinking about them then immediately say that so well done!
Imagine if Lord of the Rings were written by Shakespeare, stared superheroes as the supporting cast, and included within their adventures nearly ever fairytale. Honestly such a great analogy tbh
Tripitaka being a woman is actually REALLY popular to do. Several games, stories, shows, etc, make them a woman. Very few even just have them played by a woman, like is normally done with, say, Peter Pan, and instead just straight say they're a chick now. Always worked for me. Story's a bit of a sausage fest, anyway..... That was NOT a joke about Pigsy, but fuck it, it works there, too.
@@CJCroen1393 In Warriors Orochi 3 they are decidedly NOT a couple. And Bulma and Goku were never a thing, but I can certainly see it in New Legends, maybe. Which I did NOT hate.
I'm just waiting for the Overly Sarcastic Productions fanbase to leap on this. Also there's supposed to be a film with Sun Wukong played by Jackie Chan though I can't tell you if it's based on JTTW at all
You might be thinking of The Forbidden Kingdom, which does have Jackie Chan in it, but Monkey was played by Jet Li. Jackie Chan did apparently play Monkey in Kung Fu Panda.
When you read this, I believe you are also preparing to play Black Myth-wukong, where I need to add a little bit of knowledge for all players: If you want to learn about Journey to the West, watching the 1986 CCTV version (i.e., the TV show featured at 9:28 in the video) is the most direct way. (Of course reading the original work is fine too) Secondly, A Chinese Odyssey (only part one and part two, forget about part three) is also a wonderful adaptation of Journey to the West, and has an important influence on the adaptation of later works of Journey to the West, the movie starring Stephen Chow, the plot of which is different from the Journey to the West, but the way of narrative and some of the plots The movie starred Stephen Chow, and although its plot was different from Journey to the West, the narrative and some plots influenced many people's views on Journey to the West. If you're going to play Black Myth-Wukong, it's important to watch these two important works, as you'll find plenty of homage to them in the game.
Personally, my favorite Journey to the West adaptation is the post-apocalyptic video game Enslaved: Odyssey To The West. The main characters maintain their names from the source material (Monkey, Tripitaka aka " Trip," and Pig), the soundtrack is incredible, the combat is loosely inspired by pole-fighting-based martial arts, and the cast is incredible for its time (particularly Andy freakin' Serkis as Monkey). 😁
Absolutely agree that Enslaved is a totally fantastic game. I also really enjoyed Saiyuki: Journey West on PSX. It was a tactics-based RPG that was just a lot of fun, and is what introduced me to Journey to the West and taught me that Dragon Ball was based on Journey to the West. It was also fairly faithful to the source material, if I remember correctly, at least insofar as a PSX game can be..
The 1986 show is THE Journey to the West to me, and to everyone in my country. It is *obscenely* popular and a part of every kid's childhood, and it always reruns on TV pretty much every year.
Same. The actor for Wukong himself is pretty much the quintessential version of Monkey. I believe his dad was an iconic stage performer and he eventually took up that mantle and when they do stage performances or anything regarding JttW, and he shows up, it's instant applause and cheering by everyone in the audience. Most modern adaptations draw inspiration from the '86 Wukong in the voice, mannerisms, and sometimes look.
Honestly, Dragon Ball is the adaptation, and DBZ is just a continuation of it. I love how you referred to the terrible movie adaptation instead though. Also, Saiyuki is an awesome anime, a lot of fun to watch.
saiyuki is kinda terrible imo... and i watched all of them except for the last one that came out in 2017. I could forgive the older saiyuki shows for how limited their animation was, but that 2017 one has no good excuse for looking like a 90s anime. And all of it is a little boring.
The manga for Saiyuki was fantastic. I didn't finish it since I had to borrow the books from friends in high school, but I adored the manga. I watched some of the anime and I think a movie if I recall correctly. This was all over a decade ago that I was introduced to Saiyuki so all I really remember is how much I loved it.
@DC Diver I feel like that was the point though. Sure, Dragon Ball started as an adaptation. But quickly became it’s own thing. Dom acknowledged that bad adaptation by its own bad adaptation.
"How important this book is to Chinese literature cannot be overstated. I struggle to think of something in British or American literature that's a fair comparison. You'd have to take the longevity of Shakespeare, the influence on fantasy of Tolkien, the universailty of fairy tales, and the nerdiness of comic books and smash them all together." It's the bible. You're talking about the bible.
@Skye Are you kidding me? I'm hardly an expert, but once you start looking for them, Christ figures are absolutely everywhere. References to Christianity and Christian iconography/theology absolutely infest literature (and art), especially the older stuff. Satan likes to show up too in different forms. Off the top of my head, The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings are both Christian allegories. I'm not even Christian, but I know a number of bible stories specifically because of cultural osmosis.
@Skye P.S. - The Bible is the best selling book of the year, every year. It is also the best-selling book of all time. The Guinness book of world records estimates that about 5 billion have been sold.
@Skye Re-reading your comment, it sounds like you agree, but think that the way the bible manifests in culture doesn't count. I'm not sure you have to have extremely specific stories repeated to recognise the bible's influence in culture and I'm not sure that's what Dominic necessarily means when he says the Journey to the West is influential. It could be that Christian influence is different for you if we live in different countries or if you read lots of books in other languages though.
Journey to the West was--and still is!--my favorite old myth growing up! I'm glad you're covering it! Super glad you mentioned the 1970s version as it was one of the first I came across myself. The theme song is in my head to this day.
I love it when Dom shows an adaptation I've never heard of. BTW, since Micheal and David announced they're currently working on season 2, are we going to get a LIA of Good Omens soon?
yes i read it on the dom the patreon to do list. It doesn't say when, but I think pretty soon. on the list are only Captain Underpants above good omens.
I grew up with the 1986 version cause my family always watches it in the Vietnamese dub. Also, hopefully the Dom does more Asian books of lost in adaptations. I do want to see his take on the Untamed vs. Mo Dao Zu Shi.
My favourite adaptation of Journey to the West will always be OSP. I hope one day they finish it. Yay to this episode! Adaptations of this tale are always so varied. Damon Albarn's version is pretty random but beautiful.
A channel can see their audience overlap with other channels. It's part of the statistics, like country, language, gender, age group and so on. I assume Dom was so subtle with his reference because he knows we all watch OSP.
@@courtneyhoward2370 I'll definitely be doing the same thing now! I just watched for the first time all OSP's Journey to the West videos after Dom referenced them at the beginning - and then came back to this video to finish it 😊
my fav show based on journey to the west is lego monkie kid. It might be lego, but it's surprisingly amazingly animated and all the characters are really cool.
(Here because of black myth…) The dedication and effort!! I personally think the 1986version is the best. Yet I would like to say: I read the original Chinese novel when I was 17. Students were taught the entire book more on a grammatical, linguistic, and philosophical level rather on the plot level because it involves a plethora of Chinese poets and religious concepts written in old Chinese which cannot be easily translated. It is a shame that cultural barrier rises the threshold of understanding its profundity for adaptations and translations lose the beauty of words and syntax. Still I believe the core spirit of the book is universal. Happy to know that culture from homeland is spread. Thank you Dom
Id' also add the legend of King Arthur to the list of similar influences in Western culture. It's also an old myth, retold in different ways over time, with elements that sound both grounded in fact and fantastical. As for anime adaptations, I have a soft spot for Starzinger, which appeared in the US as the Wednesday offering "Spaceketeers" in Force Five.
King Arthur in a lot of ways is the amalgamation that Dom spoke of. Heavily influencing a lot of things about western culture. Complete with Fantasy, intrigue, super heroes of a classical sort, etc... with a lot of quite varied adaptations to it.
I think a difference is that Arthurian mythology is very confusing, with original sources and versions being unknown. The exact telling of characters like Morgana/morgan le fe and Lancelot are very different depending on the version. And since there’ve been so many rewrites it’s very difficult to tell which is the true original. Like I’ve heard Morgan(a) was originally a fairy who wasn’t even related to Arthur, but obviously in many versions she’s his sister and an evil witch. Dom said the author is debated for JTTW but at least there’s some sort of pin on it, and the og story is pretty consistent
Dude. I can't even BEGIN to tell you how excited I was that you mentioned Saiyuki!! No one has ever heard of it, and it was one of my favorites during my teenage years
Wait... noone's heard of it? I was tripping over posters for it when I first got sucked into Anime back in college! (I. Never actually got around to watching it because so many anime, so little time and also oh god the yellow text fansubs on the tape we had were just. So bad. So very bad. But I feel like it was just in the air so much that I know it anyway.)
I think its pretty popular at least in Japan, seeing how its still receiving anime adaptations to this day, theres been one a few years ago and I saw a trailer for another for 2022
What is likely the best adaptation was OverlySarcasticProductions version. It kept both the spirit and actual actions of the plot while still putting in their own spin! Really glad you gave it a link!
Love how journey to the west had a boost in popularity due to black myth wukong witch is an amazing game if you have a ps5 or a pc that can run it I recommend
Wow I never expected to see a video with Journey to the West. My favourite adaptation is the one I watched as a child and still absolutely love as an adult - the 1996 TVB series with Dicky Cheung.
My favorite adaptation has to be Wan Laimin's 1964 feature animation Havoc in Heaven. It's more focused on monkey's origin, the horse-keeping peach-nicking part of the story, and the fully hand-drawn animation is simply sublime. One of the best 2D animation in the history for sure.
I love the most stories that are inspired by Journey to the west. Monkey King is a great character and it is a story that is still so entertaining and true in it's messages. The writer did a good job making something for generations to read and interpret.
Bless you for fanpersoning over A Korean Odyssey, one of my first Kdrama watches, I could not agree more of how fun it is, also grew up with Monkey "magic" and can still recite the intro. "The truth about magic is that it is unreal. Only the enlightened man sees clearly, then life itself is unreal, a dream, an illusion created by our own minds".
I had a few issues with elements of A Korean Odyssey but definitely agree that the interactions between the monkey and bull demon were golden. It was my favorite part of the show, hands down!
Oh man I loved Saiyuki back in the day, and I still have a lot of nostalgia for it. Anime and manga certainly love the "classic piece of literature but all the characters are hot guys/girls" genre.
When you're going on about how hard it is to express how difficult it is to equate the importance of Journey to the West to anything in English/American culture reminds me of something a Lithuanian friend told me once "American is too young to have culture" which was a joke ofc but ever since then it's made me appreciate how small the scope of time that composes the history of the country I live in is compared to like literally everywhere else. Idk it's something Americans have a hard time appreciating: that our country is a tiny baby and so are we
@@mffmoniz2948 This is the case with the North American countries as well, but even the pre-nation history doesn't go back more than a couple hundred years. Anything prior to that (not counting native cultures) is transplanted and distant from the cultural and environmental context.
True, coming from Europe (Lithuania too😬) the difference is that every corner has a long history even before the country was a country - usually belonging to different kingdoms.
This has always seemed like a really ignorant viewpoint to me, because the English speaking world DOES have a particular bit of literature that has molded our culture and media in a similar way: the overall Arthurian canon (and to a lesser extent the surviving bits of the Epic of Beowulf). And those are only the primary examples if you discount the "real" one: the works of Homer, primarily the Iliad and Odyssey.
Dom, thank you for the effort and respect you've given this story for this video. It's hard to state how much this series and some of its adaptations mean to me as a diaspora Chinese. :) The "1986" live action and the Chinese cartoon especially formative for me as a kid, the Monkey King is still one of my favourite shithead protagonists ever.
My introduction to Journey to the West was Overly Sarcastic's version. I even got the first volume because of it (it's been a few years and I still need to get the other three - those volumes are pricey). My favorite part of what I've read was the Tang Emperor's road trip through hell. I am so disappointed that that's an easy section to cut.
As a child of the 70s and 80s it cannot be overstated enough the impact and popularity of Monkey! (the BBC dubbed Japanese show). So many minor injuries sustained by me and my mates acting out that show. Not to mention having some rather confusing feelings towards a certain bald Buddhist monk. 🤣
The Stephen Chow adaptation is so fun! Stephen Chow actually played the Monkey King back in the 90s in A Chinese Odyssey, and now he's directed his own take on the legend.
I absolutely love this movie! I have not read the book, though; but I kind of like this insane super hero based on a myth total weirdness of a movie. It's so insane!
I know it's silly, but seeing you cover the 86' series made me so happy! My family brought over the DVDs when they immigrated over to the US, and they were my favorite thing to watch when I was young. That laughter still haunts my ears though!
This was a really fun episode! I love the OSP Journey to the West episodes, and greatly enjoyed how you gave each adaptation its own review. I hope you do more like this!
The expression of sheer delight and glee on my face when you brought up Korean Odyssey (aka Hwayugi) can not be overstated. I loved that show and the clever little nods to the original book so much; even Son Oh-gong's haircut in the present-day scenes is a very subtle nod to the makeup used for past versions of Sun Wukong on film (note the heart shape made by his hairline/bangs). As someone who isn't Korean but grew up frequently exposed to Korean culture thanks to family friends, I absolutely LOVED the whole story; if you've seen it and want something similar, "Mystic Pop-Up Bar" (aka Ssan Gap Pocha) is really good and I highly recommend it as well.
I think the reason this story is so good for reinterpretation is that its characters are genuinely very well written and the story takes a backseat to the mini adventures they go on, putting more focus on those characters overcoming obstacles and villains At least from what I can tell, as someone who has never read the book.
A Chinese Odyssey 1 & 2 are fun movies that basically is a one off story in the Journey to the West but it is an absolute blast to watch. Stephen Chow is one of the best Monkey King portrayals I have seen, which makes sense as to why he'd direct Journey to the West in his future being so familiar with the character.
Great to hear about some of the other adaptions to this story. I've watched the OSP version so many times, and I love the Lego series inspired by it, Monkie Kid.
The cartoon at 4:40 is wonderful! Im not sure if it has an english translation so im guessing thats why it wasn't talked about but i remember seeing it on television so much.
Unfortunately I could only find the first 19 episodes in the original dub with english subtitles. I've only seen one episode of the english sub, but they removed the parts where monkey kills the bandits.
Just wanted to drop this in here too since it’s mainly how I found out about all this monkey business is Monkie Kid, which weirdly is made by LEGO and has absolutely no right being as good and as well animated as it is. If any of you are animation junkies definitely check is out it’s amazing
Been waiting a while for this one! Never Thought you’d cover it, but I’m glad you are! Quite possibly the most famous story to come from China, if not all of Eastern Asia perhaps. Always great to see it talked about, kinda a favorite of mine really.
My favorite adaptation of Journey to the West is Stephen Chow's earlier attempt at the story, Chinese Odyssey 1 and 2. I think... maybe... that it's meant to be a "new" bottle chapter in the Journey to the West that involves time travel, spider demons and an unrequited love story where immortals die easily and then don't. The Monkey King wasn't the Monkey King until he was. Then he was two guys but not really. Except where he was.
With Guanyin and other bodditssattva's, they appear to the people they're trying to help in the most appropriate form. Guanyin is depicted across Chinese, Indian, and other Buddhist countries' art form in different genders and forms. Bodditssattvas have been one of my favorite characters to study working at a major art museum for years.
Not sure I would enjoy it as much NOW, but when I was a kid, the 1986 Chinese series was a big hit in Czechoslovakia and I *loved* it. Still partial to it, though probably mostly for nostalgia reasons. I also have a regrettable soft spot for A Chinese Tall Story. Would like to watch Zhang Jizhong's adaptation one day, since I quite liked what he did with some of Jin Yong's novels.
Journey to the West fed my love for fantasy, but the book was kind of hard to get through for a middle school student, I had the same difficulty with the LOTR series.
so fun fact: The world of JTTW is much more brutal bloody and gory in the book than the '86 tv show version we asian kids all familiar of. Kinda like doom, but without the doomslayer. The part where the whole gang of sun wukong reach the kingdom where all the citizens had been eaten by the demons is where the brutality and gore reach its peak. It kinda blew my last shard of childhood away
You straight out got me to laugh with the DragonBall inclusion. I figured that it'll get skipped over as it usually does (I'm guessing with how DBZ eclipsed DragonBall for the most part, and how only the first arc was based on the Journey to the West, and it quickly became its own thing). Additionally...I am curious as to what a "thick American accent" sounds like...
I imagine it sounds like... an American accent xP Just like how, say, someone with a "thick Scottish accent" probably sounds completely unremarkable to themselves and other people from Scotland
@@elsie8757 Yea, but there are so many different types of American accents. Like, is the guy going for some mid-western, or a Yupper Accent (though, that's essentially Canadian), a Southern or a Texan, or Bostonian, or California-Surfer dude. Just got me curious. I tried to look up clips over it, but I just got a few trailers where the guy said a few lines, so it was hard to tell. The whole show looked like grade-a Shit. Both of which caused me to get distracted and do something else after about 10 mins.
Journey to the West has been one of my favorite myths for a long time. The first adaptation I saw was probably Monkey King: Hero Is Back which was pretty weird. The Lego series inspired by it is one of my favorites
Yup, me too. I mean that I liked it. I've seen plenty of Monkey Kings and I kinda like them all. There are two with Jet Li as the Monkey King, so much fun.
I kept waiting for you to mention an adaptation I remember from I think Sci-Fi before it became SyFy that starred the guy who played Greg in Dharma and Greg as an American Tripitaka, but it didn't come up so I wondered if I imagined it since I figured it would be big enough for Western audiences to get a mention. I looked it up and it was called The Monkey King, was a three-episode miniseries for Sci-Fi Channel in 2001, and wasn't even an In Name Only adaptation as it's about a white novelist who lived in China who randomly runs into Guanyin in human form where the American White Guy plays tourist in the Chinese Underworld where his skills as a student of Confucius help him track down the original manuscript of Journey to the West with the help of Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy to prevent it from being retroactively destroyed for all time. I feel dumber for having typed out that summary and can see why it didn't make the cut as Dragonball is a more of a straight adaptation.
Honestly, I kept waiting for him to mention The Forbidden Kingdom. Another loosely based on adaptation, but has a great kung fu fight between Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
That would be "The Lost Empire" AKA "The Monkey King". I'll give it credit for including a lot of stuff from the story and Chinese myths...but gotta that that credit away for using a White Messiah to replace Tripitaka while putting JTTW on a golden pedestal (they even compare it to holy books)
Sha Wujing, Sandy, having sand powers may have come from the fact that the river he was a demon in was known as the Flowing-sand river. Further both his actual name and localized name reference this fact as well.
I was at a Mythology panel once run by someone who had been studying Mythologies for like 15+ years. I remember her saying that a lot of the time, especially in older interpretations, Tripitaka was cast as a woman to help reflect his purity.
I like the Hong Kong TV series from the late 90s. They made multiple sequel series because of how long the journey was and how long they too to resolve each chapter. It is funny and decent enough make up and special effects for the time. Even the demons they encounter has character arcs and sometime even sympathetic.
The 1996 Version of the story with Dicky Cheung as Sun Wukong? Its honestly my favorite one! The comedy is so much fun to watch and...Every Demon have a story...the tragic story with the spider sister and the rebirth...so tragic.
Journey to the West 1986 is the creme de la creme of adaptation. It's the one I remembered most and love the most and none other adaptation even come close to it. P.S. Yes, it Is just a you thing. Journey to the West 1986 is literally the peak. Also, made even more obvious when so many people still love it.
I actually find the special effects in the 1986 version quite good considering it was 1986 and China at that time doesn't exactly have a massive film industry nor the top of the line technology available.
My first introduction to the story was through that 80s Chinese series with the negative budget. I always wondered why the special effects were so bad. Makes sense now.
Agreed. I recently watched the 80's series on TH-cam, and while I liked the performances of the cast (ESPECIALLY the guy who plays Wukong) and the effort that was put into making the costumes and the sets (seriously, they look like something straight out of a storybook), the effects were.. Not the best. One noteworthy example is in one of the earlier episodes (I think the dubbed version of the series cuts the episodes in half, so I don't know if it's the actual episode number or not), where Tripitaka is attacked by a tiger and is saved by Liu Boqin. Not only does the stock footage not match with the quality of the scene, but when the tiger gets shot with an arrow, it looks like something out of a crappy photoshop animation. I know that they couldn't actually shoot a Tiger with an arrow, but even by the standards of the time it's horribly edited. I think it would have looked much better if they just had a guy dress up in a Tiger costume instead. It's just so baffling to me since Monkey Magic (I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it, by the way), which was made in the 70's, had better quality than something that was made more than a decade later. Though, on the other hand, I guess I'll cut the 80's series a LITTLE slack since they probably didn't have the same budget. Thankfully, when they made the 2nd season in the early 2000's, the quality and effects looked MUCH better (I thought that the fight choreography got better, too). Also, just out of curiosity, does anyone know the reason why Tripitaka was played by 3 different actors?
Chows movie is really good, regardless of its accuracy to the source material. It’s his second best movie (after kung fu hustle) and is 100% worth watching
Honestly, I LOVE the Stephen Chow one specifically for remembering that Sandy, Piggsy and Sun Wukong are preternatural monstrosities prior to accepting their trip with Tripitaka. Not only do I love that version of Tripitaka for being ACTIVE and endearingly candid, but I adore those 3 bastards for being demonically messed-up ! I mean Sun-Wukong does kill without giving a single fuck, is over-haxxed and has spent 5 centuries under a mountain ... I get why he was in the murderous mood Carnage would be jealous of. Also, I dig the "Forbidden Kingdom". Jet Li's Wukong is waaaay nicer than book Wukong, more a facetious trickster really, and Colin Chou's Jade Warlord is the closest we'll get to an accurate take on the Mandarin.
Wow, I really admire your dedication to reading different versions of 西遊記 (Journey to the West) and the research that likely went into making this video. One of the most important things to understand when attempting to read this book as a non-Chinese person is that the book is full of references and idioms that most Chinese readers would understand immediately, and which are very difficult to translate and adapt for non-Chinese readers.
I didn't actually know about Journey to the West at all until it got referenced in one story arc in the time-traveling second season of the anime Dinosaur King, where the characters end up in Ancient China whilst looking for one of the season's MacGuffins, meet Sanzo Hoshi (another alternate name for Tripitaka), and accidentally inspire Journey to the West while trying to protect him from the season's villains who need him to unlock the door to said MacGuffin. One of the villains is even mistaken for a demon, Lady Tessen, and her evil dinosaur of the week for the Bull King. However, the biggest references come from the first season's villains, now tagalong allies, trying to extort the location of the garden of immortality peaches from random villagers by impersonating the cast of Journey, only to realize no one actually knows about them. So yeah, that's my story.
This actually makes me want to go and read a translation of the original. :) So thanks! (Also, for the record, my first exposure to this story was Saiyuki, which is kind of hilarious in retrospect.)
So happy that you're expanding into Asian media! The version I grew up with was an animated serial in Mandarin. While you're on the Asian media train, it would be great if you could do LoA for some newer webnovels and corresponding C-drama adaptations like the The Untamed!
Saiyuki was my first intro to Journey to the West and what got me interested in finding out more about the original story. I literally gasped when it came up since i wasnt expecting it, considering that its more of an homage than adaptation but it made me very happy!
Nice mug 👀 -R
There's Red. Was wondering if you'd crop up, given how like 90% of the comments are about you guys. (I enjoyed today's BotW Diatribe by the way. Never noticed the Zelda's Lullaby around the Crest of Hyrule before.)
Hi, Red! Love your Paradise Lost video. I showed it to some friends and they thought it was wild.
Can't wait for the podcast episode!
Any idea when the next one of your journey to the west videos will come
Heeeeyy.... that is a nice mug😁
I read a translated collection of Journey to the West (which was actually from China) and the translation included a very clever way of keeping it true to the origin. You see, when Monkey starts his quest to learn magic and become immortal, his master asks what his surname is and Monkey (who doesn't have one) thinks he's being insulted - the joke is that the Chinese words for 'surname' and 'temper' are almost identical and he thinks the master is suggesting he lost his temper. But this translation did it like this:
"What's your surname?"
"I'm not surly!"
Very clever translating there!
Can you tell us which specific translation this is? It's very clever; I love it when translators do things like this.
which translation is it? i think that reading a translation coming directly from china would be great.
I have massive respect for this kind of thoughtful level of localisation
@@calitaliarepublic6753 only when it's in English. in Chinese it's probably brilliant.
@@calitaliarepublic6753 How would you have translated that pun?
My favourite adaptation is OverlySarcasticProductions version, mostly because of the illustrations and jokes, and being told by someone who knows their mythology.
Same
Most definitely
Yup! It’s very fun
There is no other adaptation worth your time. Now if Red would just release the next part..
@@jeremyg7261 well, I have it on good authority that it's coming out sooner than you'd think
Hear me out: Lego Monkie Kid.
I know it's made by Lego and "for kids", but it actually stays quite faithful to the source material.
It takes place after the journey and focuses on a new generation of the original cast, while referencing things that have happened in the book (Bull Demon King, the White Bone Spirit, the Gold and Silver Horned Demons,etc). The animation is also amazing 🤩
There's even an episode in the third season that follows the book's formula (Tripitaka gets kidnapped and has to be saved by Monkey king and others).
Istg this show is so good-
It also had Sean Schemmel (you know, fucking GOKU) as the Monkey King and Billy fucking Kametz has Macaque which instantly made him everyone's favourite character.
I really like that one
respect for you bestie!!
Oh and its has some of the damn best sets in quite a while
Not to mention, while it stays faithful to the original story, it also adds a little twist in it too. A prime example (that I know of) is Macaque. Yes, he is the Six-Eared Macaque from the story, but he is also part of the Brotherhood.
In the original story, the Six-Eared Macaque and the Macaque in the Brotherhood are two different characters but in the show it was confirmed that they're the same one. Plus, he also has a lot more history with Sun Wukong than the original.
I get that being faithful to the material is great, but it's even better to add a little twist to make it interesting that it catches the audience's attention and make them wanna see the original! That's what happened for me, and now I wanna know more about JTTW.
As a Chinese person, I'd like to say that the 1986 version of *Journey to the West* is indeed widely recognized as the adaptation that stays closest to the original novel. However, there are still some differences compared to the original text. The original *Journey to the West* was written during the Ming Dynasty, which was five or six hundred years ago. At that time, the style of novel writing we have today didn’t exist. Some believe that *Journey to the West* is the author’s compilation of various stories about Tang Sanzang’s journey to the West that had been passed down over the centuries. So, could it be considered a form of collective creation?
Therefore, although this novel is a classic, it has some illogical aspects when viewed from a modern perspective. For example, the issue of Sun Wukong’s combat strength: he was extremely powerful at the beginning, fighting against the most famous deities in Chinese mythology, but later on, he often struggled against demons who didn’t seem as formidable.
Additionally, many people in the comment section have mentioned Wukong’s alleged act of eating humans. Frankly speaking, this seems more like a logical inconsistency on the author’s part. Early in the book, the author did mention once that Wukong ate humans, but later it was stated that he had never eaten humans and lived on fruits. Given how much this monkey is described as loving peaches and other fruits, I’m more inclined to believe the latter.
Therefore, I believe the 1986 version adapted the original novel very well, staying true to the original while maintaining logical consistency. However, the inconsistency in Wukong’s combat strength is still criticized. Nowadays, many Chinese video bloggers like to use conspiracy theories to explain this, suggesting that the journey was a pre-arranged performance, and that Wukong needed to adjust his strength accordingly. But I think this was done to make the story more engaging-after all, only a well-matched struggle makes for a more dramatic and thrilling narrative, doesn’t it?
Many novels from centuries ago have their flaws, but for us Chinese, *Journey to the West* still holds deep meaning and significance.
Nope..wukong lost much of his power after being trapped for 500 years
They need to nerf wukong lol because if they didn't, he would've just one shot everyone.
I mean, in all seriousness, the original Dragonball made a _lot_ of references to Journey to the West. The first season's plot even lined up with the book, with Bulma (Tripitaka) searching for the Dragon Balls (Buddhist scriptures), and meeting Son Goku (Sun Wukong), Oolong (Pigsy), and Yamcha (Sandy) on the way. Sure, things got out of hand _real_ fast after that, but it did begin as a fanciful adaptation.
Dragon ball literally took inspiration from journey to the west, but with Toriyama's own twist. Funny enough Sun WuKong's (the Monkey King) name in japanese is translated to Son Goku. Toriyama the creator of Dragon Ball loved the Journey to the west series.
It basically is an adaption that eventually goes it’s own way
the fact is, Journey to the West in East Asia has a cultural impact that can be compared only to Elvis or Michael Jackson in music, the number of works inspired by it is infinite. Counting only mangas that are inspired by it we have: Boku no Son Goku, Dragon Ball, Goku: Midnight Eye, Monkey Magic, Saiyuki, Shinzo, even Starzinger is basically Journey to the West in space... We even have a ecchi adaptation in Queen's Blade Grimoire, and a porn one called Secret Journey, with gender-swap, where Goku is punished for having an harem of boys and trying to jump Buddha himself...
Absolutely love og dragonball dbz is amazing but in its own way I view dbz and dragonball as different things because I like them for different ways
This video kinda explores some of those parallels btwn J to the W and Dragon Ball. th-cam.com/video/0cVToC4v8TI/w-d-xo.html
Here in Vietnam, the 1986 adaptation is very famous and it's regarded as the best version, .It's so well-known it has reached leagendary status and is still broascasted every summer, even to this day. In fact, I remember catching it on television three or four times.
Also fun fact: Stephen Chow played Sun Wukong in a 1995 version called A Chinese Odyssey.
for us Canto-speaking kids, the 1996/1998 one is most memorable
86版西游记确实神中神
@@kori228it is also the most popular version here in Indonesia, and the localized version of the opening song is so sick.
Hear hear. The 86 version is pretty much the childhood of every east and southeast asian kid, even today
I'm from northern region of china and I totally agree with you . same same
Wow, reading Journey to the West, even in mildly abridged form, is a _project_ - once I tried and gave up partway through. Congrats on achieving it!
I read the Anthony Yu translations. Took me two years. I kept having to stop between volumes to find the next one but still.
I never even got through the wukong part
I found the (abridged) Waley translation pretty readable... but overall, yeah, I'd say it's right there with Rot3K as being one of the more impenetrable of the "four great classics."
@@Netherfly On that I'd disagree. I'd say Journey is the least impenetrable of the four. Long as it is it moves at a pretty decent pace and after the Monkey prologue it's episodic and the main characters don't change so you only occasionally have to keep up with the continuity. Compare the casts of dozens of interlinked characters and twisting storylines in Three Kingdoms, Red Chamber and Water Margin and I had a lot easier time with Journey.
Sarcastic Productions is still going through the series.
The 1986 Journey to the West very by China is actually the OG series many people recognize as the OG adaptation of the novel, and of course loved and watch multiple times from start to end over and over, especially in Asia. Fun fact, the actor 六小龄童 （stage name I think, real name is Zhang Jinlai) for Sun Wukong is still alive, and he was a trained Beijing opera actor (they trained from young to act and behave like Sun Wukong if I am not wrong as they also have to do many acrobatic stunts on stage) for Sun Wukong, that would explains his life like mimic of the monkey behaviour of Sun Wukong, that is why he is never surpassed by any other actor.
It's not out yet, but the game "Black Myth: Wukong" looks fascinating. It seems like it's going to be a sequel set after the book, a Wicked-style alternate take, or some combination.
When is it coming out?
@@NeroLeMorte 2023 afaik
I NEEEEEEEEEED IT!!!
@@Ottmar555 summer 2024
I think its dead.
No one seems to talk about this one so I will ! :)
There's a two-part movie from 1995 called "A Chinese Odyssey" (First part : Pandora's Box, Second part : Cinderella) which is a parody of Journey to the West.
It's batshit crazy, full of symbolism and it's absolutely FANTASTIC. It has been a big part of my childhood and I can't recommend it enough.
The main actor is Stephen Chow btw, his involvement with that myth has been going on for a while !
Also, there's a beautiful 1964 chinese animated movie concentrating on Su Wukong's life before the whole "being buried in a mountain" thing. In English, it's called either Havoc in Heaven, or Uproar in Heaven.
Yes thank you for mentioning that. No clue how he didn't mention it when it's a culturally iconic movie series still relevant in modern Chinese society.
It's a cult classic, every Chinese New Year Chinese TV station replays the movie. It's also my top ten favourite movies. The meaning behind the movie is subjective (even today Chinese youtubers are trying to explain its symbolism).
@@Peachu_n_Goma_Home that is so cool !
My cousins showed it to me when I was young and left us the dvd, I think I would never have seen it otherwise (I’m french)
I’m glad I did, it’s one of my all time favourites
I really thought it would be in this video
A Chinese Odyssey was ranked in a critic's list of the 100 greatest Chinese language movies of all time. It deserves all that praise. Also, I don't care what anyone says, Stephen Chow's Journey to the West Conquering the Demons is a masterpiece. Shu Qi is awesome in that movie.
@@andrewpragasam I’m so happy I’m learning things about this movie, since I don’t know anybody around me that knows about it
Seeing a bishonen with a gun then saying it's the pacifist character of the story was the funniest thing I've seen and heard all day
Even funnier when you watch it... The character that was originally a pacifist is hands down the most murderous
@@elle8786 Yes he totally is and it's pointed out quite often in the show....and that's part of the reason it's so awesome ^_^
also a chainsmoking alcoholic with a biker attitude
@@hiatusinc and a gambling habit.
Vash ... VASH THE STAMPEDE???
As a huge Overly Saracstic Productions fan I must say it is amazing to see you reference them! I knew you had good taste! Watching this I was just thinking about them then immediately say that so well done!
you know he was on their podcast, right?
It feels like anyone who brings up JTTW inevitably brings them up
Like I watched a video about the Lego monkey king show and they were referenced
Imagine if Lord of the Rings were written by Shakespeare, stared superheroes as the supporting cast, and included within their adventures nearly ever fairytale.
Honestly such a great analogy tbh
What about king Arthur?
@@younghan3573 Let's not go to Camelot. 'Tis a silly place.
LOTR is cute
Did you call your own analogy great?
Coulda said Dragon Ball. Which is based on the tale of Monkey.
After the release of Black Myth: Wukong, TH-cam really wants me to watch this vid
Tripitaka being a woman is actually REALLY popular to do. Several games, stories, shows, etc, make them a woman. Very few even just have them played by a woman, like is normally done with, say, Peter Pan, and instead just straight say they're a chick now. Always worked for me. Story's a bit of a sausage fest, anyway.....
That was NOT a joke about Pigsy, but fuck it, it works there, too.
@@CJCroen1393 goku and bulma are not a couple, i think many adaptations do that to make the monk a damsel in distress
@@CJCroen1393 In Warriors Orochi 3 they are decidedly NOT a couple. And Bulma and Goku were never a thing, but I can certainly see it in New Legends, maybe. Which I did NOT hate.
@@CJCroen1393 Not to mention Monkey and Trip and the game Enslaved: Odessey To The West doesn't have them as a romantic couple.
@@devforfun5618 Hm, possibly, but Trip in Enslaved and her counterpart in Warriors Orochi 3 are not damsels in distress.
Huh...I did not knew that. Kind of a weird thing to see to be honest.
I'm just waiting for the Overly Sarcastic Productions fanbase to leap on this. Also there's supposed to be a film with Sun Wukong played by Jackie Chan though I can't tell you if it's based on JTTW at all
*jumps in* Here we are
Present
You rang? Also I think the movie you mentioned is called The Forbidden Kingdom, but I also couldn't tell you if it was an adaptation or not.
*waves*
You might be thinking of The Forbidden Kingdom, which does have Jackie Chan in it, but Monkey was played by Jet Li. Jackie Chan did apparently play Monkey in Kung Fu Panda.
Was looking for Black Myth comments, was not disappointed
When you read this, I believe you are also preparing to play Black Myth-wukong, where I need to add a little bit of knowledge for all players:
If you want to learn about Journey to the West, watching the 1986 CCTV version (i.e., the TV show featured at 9:28 in the video) is the most direct way. (Of course reading the original work is fine too)
Secondly, A Chinese Odyssey (only part one and part two, forget about part three) is also a wonderful adaptation of Journey to the West, and has an important influence on the adaptation of later works of Journey to the West, the movie starring Stephen Chow, the plot of which is different from the Journey to the West, but the way of narrative and some of the plots The movie starred Stephen Chow, and although its plot was different from Journey to the West, the narrative and some plots influenced many people's views on Journey to the West.
If you're going to play Black Myth-Wukong, it's important to watch these two important works, as you'll find plenty of homage to them in the game.
Personally, my favorite Journey to the West adaptation is the post-apocalyptic video game Enslaved: Odyssey To The West. The main characters maintain their names from the source material (Monkey, Tripitaka aka " Trip," and Pig), the soundtrack is incredible, the combat is loosely inspired by pole-fighting-based martial arts, and the cast is incredible for its time (particularly Andy freakin' Serkis as Monkey). 😁
Absolutely agree that Enslaved is a totally fantastic game. I also really enjoyed Saiyuki: Journey West on PSX. It was a tactics-based RPG that was just a lot of fun, and is what introduced me to Journey to the West and taught me that Dragon Ball was based on Journey to the West. It was also fairly faithful to the source material, if I remember correctly, at least insofar as a PSX game can be..
Haven't played it but it seems like an RPG would be the best way to actually adapt the whole thing.
I’ve played a bit of it but I need to play through the whole thing. Wouldn’t mind if it got a remaster
The 1986 show is THE Journey to the West to me, and to everyone in my country. It is *obscenely* popular and a part of every kid's childhood, and it always reruns on TV pretty much every year.
Same. The actor for Wukong himself is pretty much the quintessential version of Monkey. I believe his dad was an iconic stage performer and he eventually took up that mantle and when they do stage performances or anything regarding JttW, and he shows up, it's instant applause and cheering by everyone in the audience. Most modern adaptations draw inspiration from the '86 Wukong in the voice, mannerisms, and sometimes look.
Honestly, Dragon Ball is the adaptation, and DBZ is just a continuation of it. I love how you referred to the terrible movie adaptation instead though.
Also, Saiyuki is an awesome anime, a lot of fun to watch.
saiyuki is kinda terrible imo... and i watched all of them except for the last one that came out in 2017. I could forgive the older saiyuki shows for how limited their animation was, but that 2017 one has no good excuse for looking like a 90s anime. And all of it is a little boring.
@@ComboSmooth Insert "just read the manga" comment here (because yes, it is originally a manga). :P
The manga for Saiyuki was fantastic. I didn't finish it since I had to borrow the books from friends in high school, but I adored the manga. I watched some of the anime and I think a movie if I recall correctly. This was all over a decade ago that I was introduced to Saiyuki so all I really remember is how much I loved it.
Saiyuki is great! Gaiden broke my heart into millions of pieces and I'm still trying to find some pieces
@DC Diver I feel like that was the point though. Sure, Dragon Ball started as an adaptation. But quickly became it’s own thing. Dom acknowledged that bad adaptation by its own bad adaptation.
"How important this book is to Chinese literature cannot be overstated. I struggle to think of something in British or American literature that's a fair comparison. You'd have to take the longevity of Shakespeare, the influence on fantasy of Tolkien, the universailty of fairy tales, and the nerdiness of comic books and smash them all together."
It's the bible. You're talking about the bible.
You've got an odd view of the Bible, my dude
Ok now I want to see an anime adaptation of the bible :D
@Skye Are you kidding me? I'm hardly an expert, but once you start looking for them, Christ figures are absolutely everywhere. References to Christianity and Christian iconography/theology absolutely infest literature (and art), especially the older stuff. Satan likes to show up too in different forms. Off the top of my head, The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings are both Christian allegories. I'm not even Christian, but I know a number of bible stories specifically because of cultural osmosis.
@Skye P.S. - The Bible is the best selling book of the year, every year. It is also the best-selling book of all time. The Guinness book of world records estimates that about 5 billion have been sold.
@Skye Re-reading your comment, it sounds like you agree, but think that the way the bible manifests in culture doesn't count. I'm not sure you have to have extremely specific stories repeated to recognise the bible's influence in culture and I'm not sure that's what Dominic necessarily means when he says the Journey to the West is influential. It could be that Christian influence is different for you if we live in different countries or if you read lots of books in other languages though.
Journey to the West was--and still is!--my favorite old myth growing up! I'm glad you're covering it! Super glad you mentioned the 1970s version as it was one of the first I came across myself. The theme song is in my head to this day.
I really appreciate that you tackle non-Western fiction and the immense care you take to examine all the adaptations.
Well im still pissed he hasnt covered any german book yet, Faust is perfect for him to cover
I love it when Dom shows an adaptation I've never heard of. BTW, since Micheal and David announced they're currently working on season 2, are we going to get a LIA of Good Omens soon?
yes i read it on the dom the patreon to do list.
It doesn't say when, but I think pretty soon.
on the list are only Captain Underpants above good omens.
@@lady-sam-113 thanks for the update I've been wondering about that also
I can't believe he left out the most iconic adaptation of them all. I can think of 203881 reasons why he should have included it.
Talk about secret sauce 😂
I grew up with the 1986 version cause my family always watches it in the Vietnamese dub. Also, hopefully the Dom does more Asian books of lost in adaptations. I do want to see his take on the Untamed vs. Mo Dao Zu Shi.
That would be awesome.
Oh, there's an animated version of that too! It would be great! I need to read it again...
My favourite adaptation of Journey to the West will always be OSP. I hope one day they finish it.
Yay to this episode! Adaptations of this tale are always so varied. Damon Albarn's version is pretty random but beautiful.
It's great
Really glad to see the OSP love in the comments. I look forward to each entry to their Journey to the West series.
A channel can see their audience overlap with other channels. It's part of the statistics, like country, language, gender, age group and so on. I assume Dom was so subtle with his reference because he knows we all watch OSP.
I always go and rewatch everything up to the new episode cause it's so long between uploads
@@courtneyhoward2370 I'll definitely be doing the same thing now! I just watched for the first time all OSP's Journey to the West videos after Dom referenced them at the beginning - and then came back to this video to finish it 😊
my fav show based on journey to the west is lego monkie kid. It might be lego, but it's surprisingly amazingly animated and all the characters are really cool.
(Here because of black myth…) The dedication and effort!! I personally think the 1986version is the best. Yet I would like to say: I read the original Chinese novel when I was 17. Students were taught the entire book more on a grammatical, linguistic, and philosophical level rather on the plot level because it involves a plethora of Chinese poets and religious concepts written in old Chinese which cannot be easily translated. It is a shame that cultural barrier rises the threshold of understanding its profundity for adaptations and translations lose the beauty of words and syntax. Still I believe the core spirit of the book is universal. Happy to know that culture from homeland is spread. Thank you Dom
Id' also add the legend of King Arthur to the list of similar influences in Western culture. It's also an old myth, retold in different ways over time, with elements that sound both grounded in fact and fantastical.
As for anime adaptations, I have a soft spot for Starzinger, which appeared in the US as the Wednesday offering "Spaceketeers" in Force Five.
King Arthur in a lot of ways is the amalgamation that Dom spoke of. Heavily influencing a lot of things about western culture. Complete with Fantasy, intrigue, super heroes of a classical sort, etc... with a lot of quite varied adaptations to it.
Same with Charlemagne.
I love Starzinger too! 😂🙌
I think a difference is that Arthurian mythology is very confusing, with original sources and versions being unknown. The exact telling of characters like Morgana/morgan le fe and Lancelot are very different depending on the version. And since there’ve been so many rewrites it’s very difficult to tell which is the true original. Like I’ve heard Morgan(a) was originally a fairy who wasn’t even related to Arthur, but obviously in many versions she’s his sister and an evil witch. Dom said the author is debated for JTTW but at least there’s some sort of pin on it, and the og story is pretty consistent
Dude. I can't even BEGIN to tell you how excited I was that you mentioned Saiyuki!! No one has ever heard of it, and it was one of my favorites during my teenage years
Saiyuki fans unite!!
Wait... noone's heard of it? I was tripping over posters for it when I first got sucked into Anime back in college! (I. Never actually got around to watching it because so many anime, so little time and also oh god the yellow text fansubs on the tape we had were just. So bad. So very bad. But I feel like it was just in the air so much that I know it anyway.)
@@FranNyan Skip Saiyuki, start with Saiyuki Reload. The English dub is actually good.
This is one of my favorites. Period.
I think its pretty popular at least in Japan, seeing how its still receiving anime adaptations to this day, theres been one a few years ago and I saw a trailer for another for 2022
Black Myth Wukong bring me here
What is likely the best adaptation was OverlySarcasticProductions version. It kept both the spirit and actual actions of the plot while still putting in their own spin! Really glad you gave it a link!
Reading through thousands of pages for a 30 minute episode. That's dedication and that's why we love you Dom
Dom sending his viewers to other youtubers for a summary: 😏
The linked version being OSP: 🤩
Him consistently calling the disciples Sandy and Pigsy: 😊
I mean, it is probably for the best so that he wouldn't screw up their actual Chinese names.
The name “Sandy” and “Pigsy” were not created by OSP y’know
As soon as he said 'Pigsy and Sandy' I knew he'd watched OSP
Love how journey to the west had a boost in popularity due to black myth wukong witch is an amazing game if you have a ps5 or a pc that can run it I recommend
Wow I never expected to see a video with Journey to the West. My favourite adaptation is the one I watched as a child and still absolutely love as an adult - the 1996 TVB series with Dicky Cheung.
Oh my god YESSS
it’s beautiful that most of us know about Journey to the West because Red of OSP decided to draw Journey to the West Z Kai.
Honestly, I want more!
Who?
@@MsMeiriona Overly Sarcastic Productions, the one Dom linked towards the beginning.
My favorite adaptation has to be Wan Laimin's 1964 feature animation Havoc in Heaven. It's more focused on monkey's origin, the horse-keeping peach-nicking part of the story, and the fully hand-drawn animation is simply sublime. One of the best 2D animation in the history for sure.
I love the most stories that are inspired by Journey to the west. Monkey King is a great character and it is a story that is still so entertaining and true in it's messages. The writer did a good job making something for generations to read and interpret.
this being put on my recommended at this time is quite ironic yet perfect timing
Bless you for fanpersoning over A Korean Odyssey, one of my first Kdrama watches, I could not agree more of how fun it is, also grew up with Monkey "magic" and can still recite the intro. "The truth about magic is that it is unreal. Only the enlightened man sees clearly, then life itself is unreal, a dream, an illusion created by our own minds".
I had a few issues with elements of A Korean Odyssey but definitely agree that the interactions between the monkey and bull demon were golden. It was my favorite part of the show, hands down!
Oh man I loved Saiyuki back in the day, and I still have a lot of nostalgia for it. Anime and manga certainly love the "classic piece of literature but all the characters are hot guys/girls" genre.
Man, the time you must have put into this one. Also glad you included Saiyuki, it's not very accurate, but it is so fun.
This episode was an utter delight. Thanks for watching all those adaptations!
When you're going on about how hard it is to express how difficult it is to equate the importance of Journey to the West to anything in English/American culture reminds me of something a Lithuanian friend told me once "American is too young to have culture" which was a joke ofc but ever since then it's made me appreciate how small the scope of time that composes the history of the country I live in is compared to like literally everywhere else. Idk it's something Americans have a hard time appreciating: that our country is a tiny baby and so are we
Most countries have stories that were already around even before the country became a country.
Big baby. It's huge. But baby.
@@mffmoniz2948
This is the case with the North American countries as well, but even the pre-nation history doesn't go back more than a couple hundred years. Anything prior to that (not counting native cultures) is transplanted and distant from the cultural and environmental context.
True, coming from Europe (Lithuania too😬) the difference is that every corner has a long history even before the country was a country - usually belonging to different kingdoms.
This has always seemed like a really ignorant viewpoint to me, because the English speaking world DOES have a particular bit of literature that has molded our culture and media in a similar way: the overall Arthurian canon (and to a lesser extent the surviving bits of the Epic of Beowulf). And those are only the primary examples if you discount the "real" one: the works of Homer, primarily the Iliad and Odyssey.
Dom, thank you for the effort and respect you've given this story for this video. It's hard to state how much this series and some of its adaptations mean to me as a diaspora Chinese. :) The "1986" live action and the Chinese cartoon especially formative for me as a kid, the Monkey King is still one of my favourite shithead protagonists ever.
Who else got recommended this after the release of Black Myth Wukong?
ARISE!
- fans of Black Myth: Wukong
My introduction to Journey to the West was Overly Sarcastic's version.
I even got the first volume because of it (it's been a few years and I still need to get the other three - those volumes are pricey).
My favorite part of what I've read was the Tang Emperor's road trip through hell. I am so disappointed that that's an easy section to cut.
As a child of the 70s and 80s it cannot be overstated enough the impact and popularity of Monkey! (the BBC dubbed Japanese show). So many minor injuries sustained by me and my mates acting out that show. Not to mention having some rather confusing feelings towards a certain bald Buddhist monk. 🤣
The Stephen Chow adaptation is so fun!
Stephen Chow actually played the Monkey King back in the 90s in A Chinese Odyssey, and now he's directed his own take on the legend.
I absolutely love this movie! I have not read the book, though; but I kind of like this insane super hero based on a myth total weirdness of a movie. It's so insane!
Journey to the west 1986 was my CHILDHOOD! god I love that show so much, the charm it has is so good!
I know it's silly, but seeing you cover the 86' series made me so happy! My family brought over the DVDs when they immigrated over to the US, and they were my favorite thing to watch when I was young. That laughter still haunts my ears though!
This was a really fun episode! I love the OSP Journey to the West episodes, and greatly enjoyed how you gave each adaptation its own review. I hope you do more like this!
The expression of sheer delight and glee on my face when you brought up Korean Odyssey (aka Hwayugi) can not be overstated. I loved that show and the clever little nods to the original book so much; even Son Oh-gong's haircut in the present-day scenes is a very subtle nod to the makeup used for past versions of Sun Wukong on film (note the heart shape made by his hairline/bangs). As someone who isn't Korean but grew up frequently exposed to Korean culture thanks to family friends, I absolutely LOVED the whole story; if you've seen it and want something similar, "Mystic Pop-Up Bar" (aka Ssan Gap Pocha) is really good and I highly recommend it as well.
I think the reason this story is so good for reinterpretation is that its characters are genuinely very well written and the story takes a backseat to the mini adventures they go on, putting more focus on those characters overcoming obstacles and villains At least from what I can tell, as someone who has never read the book.
A Chinese Odyssey 1 & 2 are fun movies that basically is a one off story in the Journey to the West but it is an absolute blast to watch. Stephen Chow is one of the best Monkey King portrayals I have seen, which makes sense as to why he'd direct Journey to the West in his future being so familiar with the character.
Only version I like. Music is also timeless
I liked this format for these kind of books.
I feel like this would be a great way to do Frankenstein when you choose to go there.
Great to hear about some of the other adaptions to this story. I've watched the OSP version so many times, and I love the Lego series inspired by it, Monkie Kid.
The cartoon at 4:40 is wonderful! Im not sure if it has an english translation so im guessing thats why it wasn't talked about but i remember seeing it on television so much.
I was trying to find comments about it but could only find 2.
I am in the middle of translating it in English actually!
I am in the middle of translating it in English actually!
Unfortunately I could only find the first 19 episodes in the original dub with english subtitles. I've only seen one episode of the english sub, but they removed the parts where monkey kills the bandits.
Just wanted to drop this in here too since it’s mainly how I found out about all this monkey business is Monkie Kid, which weirdly is made by LEGO and has absolutely no right being as good and as well animated as it is. If any of you are animation junkies definitely check is out it’s amazing
Been waiting a while for this one! Never Thought you’d cover it, but I’m glad you are! Quite possibly the most famous story to come from China, if not all of Eastern Asia perhaps. Always great to see it talked about, kinda a favorite of mine really.
from all that it inspired it's probably one of the most influential stories.
My favorite adaptation of Journey to the West is Stephen Chow's earlier attempt at the story, Chinese Odyssey 1 and 2. I think... maybe... that it's meant to be a "new" bottle chapter in the Journey to the West that involves time travel, spider demons and an unrequited love story where immortals die easily and then don't.
The Monkey King wasn't the Monkey King until he was. Then he was two guys but not really. Except where he was.
With Guanyin and other bodditssattva's, they appear to the people they're trying to help in the most appropriate form. Guanyin is depicted across Chinese, Indian, and other Buddhist countries' art form in different genders and forms. Bodditssattvas have been one of my favorite characters to study working at a major art museum for years.
1:30 "There's much better ones available on YT" and the sneaky OSP plug in the corner. Respect.
Not sure I would enjoy it as much NOW, but when I was a kid, the 1986 Chinese series was a big hit in Czechoslovakia and I *loved* it. Still partial to it, though probably mostly for nostalgia reasons.
I also have a regrettable soft spot for A Chinese Tall Story.
Would like to watch Zhang Jizhong's adaptation one day, since I quite liked what he did with some of Jin Yong's novels.
Journey to the West fed my love for fantasy, but the book was kind of hard to get through for a middle school student, I had the same difficulty with the LOTR series.
LOTR is a beach book compared to JTTW.
@Char - Oh I hear ya! Not easy, or quick, but keeps sucking you back in 😎
so fun fact: The world of JTTW is much more brutal bloody and gory in the book than the '86 tv show version we asian kids all familiar of. Kinda like doom, but without the doomslayer. The part where the whole gang of sun wukong reach the kingdom where all the citizens had been eaten by the demons is where the brutality and gore reach its peak. It kinda blew my last shard of childhood away
Who is here after Black Myth Wukong?
You straight out got me to laugh with the DragonBall inclusion. I figured that it'll get skipped over as it usually does (I'm guessing with how DBZ eclipsed DragonBall for the most part, and how only the first arc was based on the Journey to the West, and it quickly became its own thing).
Additionally...I am curious as to what a "thick American accent" sounds like...
I imagine it sounds like... an American accent xP
Just like how, say, someone with a "thick Scottish accent" probably sounds completely unremarkable to themselves and other people from Scotland
@@elsie8757 Yea, but there are so many different types of American accents. Like, is the guy going for some mid-western, or a Yupper Accent (though, that's essentially Canadian), a Southern or a Texan, or Bostonian, or California-Surfer dude. Just got me curious.
I tried to look up clips over it, but I just got a few trailers where the guy said a few lines, so it was hard to tell. The whole show looked like grade-a Shit. Both of which caused me to get distracted and do something else after about 10 mins.
Yee. Haw
@@thunderwolfaz
As far as I know, my accent (as a Canadian) sounds the same as most accents I've heard from most American media.
it sounds like a ye haw
Journey to the West has been one of my favorite myths for a long time. The first adaptation I saw was probably Monkey King: Hero Is Back which was pretty weird. The Lego series inspired by it is one of my favorites
I really loved that one!
Yup, me too. I mean that I liked it. I've seen plenty of Monkey Kings and I kinda like them all. There are two with Jet Li as the Monkey King, so much fun.
I kept waiting for you to mention an adaptation I remember from I think Sci-Fi before it became SyFy that starred the guy who played Greg in Dharma and Greg as an American Tripitaka, but it didn't come up so I wondered if I imagined it since I figured it would be big enough for Western audiences to get a mention. I looked it up and it was called The Monkey King, was a three-episode miniseries for Sci-Fi Channel in 2001, and wasn't even an In Name Only adaptation as it's about a white novelist who lived in China who randomly runs into Guanyin in human form where the American White Guy plays tourist in the Chinese Underworld where his skills as a student of Confucius help him track down the original manuscript of Journey to the West with the help of Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy to prevent it from being retroactively destroyed for all time. I feel dumber for having typed out that summary and can see why it didn't make the cut as Dragonball is a more of a straight adaptation.
Omfg I completely forgot this existed 🤣😭
@@zestymoo Gonna be honest, I wish I had too.
Honestly, I kept waiting for him to mention The Forbidden Kingdom. Another loosely based on adaptation, but has a great kung fu fight between Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
That would be "The Lost Empire" AKA "The Monkey King". I'll give it credit for including a lot of stuff from the story and Chinese myths...but gotta that that credit away for using a White Messiah to replace Tripitaka while putting JTTW on a golden pedestal (they even compare it to holy books)
Props to you for watching all the movies
Sha Wujing, Sandy, having sand powers may have come from the fact that the river he was a demon in was known as the Flowing-sand river. Further both his actual name and localized name reference this fact as well.
I was at a Mythology panel once run by someone who had been studying Mythologies for like 15+ years. I remember her saying that a lot of the time, especially in older interpretations, Tripitaka was cast as a woman to help reflect his purity.
I like the Hong Kong TV series from the late 90s. They made multiple sequel series because of how long the journey was and how long they too to resolve each chapter. It is funny and decent enough make up and special effects for the time. Even the demons they encounter has character arcs and sometime even sympathetic.
Seconded! It's great
The 1996 Version of the story with Dicky Cheung as Sun Wukong? Its honestly my favorite one! The comedy is so much fun to watch and...Every Demon have a story...the tragic story with the spider sister and the rebirth...so tragic.
Absolutely Fantastic! See my comments under artistiqa's comments
Journey to the West 1986 is the creme de la creme of adaptation. It's the one I remembered most and love the most and none other adaptation even come close to it.
P.S. Yes, it Is just a you thing. Journey to the West 1986 is literally the peak. Also, made even more obvious when so many people still love it.
I actually find the special effects in the 1986 version quite good considering it was 1986 and China at that time doesn't exactly have a massive film industry nor the top of the line technology available.
How many of you came back here, or watched this video for the first time, because of the 'Black Myth - Wukong' hype?
Tbh I just watch black myth wukong gameplay and then TH-cam recommend this to me
😂
AAAHHH NOBODY EVER TALKS ABOUT THIS STORY!!!! (In english lol) Thank you for this 😭
My first introduction to the story was through that 80s Chinese series with the negative budget. I always wondered why the special effects were so bad. Makes sense now.
Agreed. I recently watched the 80's series on TH-cam, and while I liked the performances of the cast (ESPECIALLY the guy who plays Wukong) and the effort that was put into making the costumes and the sets (seriously, they look like something straight out of a storybook), the effects were.. Not the best.
One noteworthy example is in one of the earlier episodes (I think the dubbed version of the series cuts the episodes in half, so I don't know if it's the actual episode number or not), where Tripitaka is attacked by a tiger and is saved by Liu Boqin. Not only does the stock footage not match with the quality of the scene, but when the tiger gets shot with an arrow, it looks like something out of a crappy photoshop animation. I know that they couldn't actually shoot a Tiger with an arrow, but even by the standards of the time it's horribly edited. I think it would have looked much better if they just had a guy dress up in a Tiger costume instead.
It's just so baffling to me since Monkey Magic (I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it, by the way), which was made in the 70's, had better quality than something that was made more than a decade later. Though, on the other hand, I guess I'll cut the 80's series a LITTLE slack since they probably didn't have the same budget.
Thankfully, when they made the 2nd season in the early 2000's, the quality and effects looked MUCH better (I thought that the fight choreography got better, too).
Also, just out of curiosity, does anyone know the reason why Tripitaka was played by 3 different actors?
it was really interesting seeing how different movies/tv shows adapted the source material
Chows movie is really good, regardless of its accuracy to the source material. It’s his second best movie (after kung fu hustle) and is 100% worth watching
Honestly, I LOVE the Stephen Chow one specifically for remembering that Sandy, Piggsy and Sun Wukong are preternatural monstrosities prior to accepting their trip with Tripitaka. Not only do I love that version of Tripitaka for being ACTIVE and endearingly candid, but I adore those 3 bastards for being demonically messed-up ! I mean Sun-Wukong does kill without giving a single fuck, is over-haxxed and has spent 5 centuries under a mountain ... I get why he was in the murderous mood Carnage would be jealous of.
Also, I dig the "Forbidden Kingdom". Jet Li's Wukong is waaaay nicer than book Wukong, more a facetious trickster really, and Colin Chou's Jade Warlord is the closest we'll get to an accurate take on the Mandarin.
Dom dunking on the DBZ fans is amazing.
Dragon Ball, that was cold & smooth. Nice job, Dom.
Wow, I really admire your dedication to reading different versions of 西遊記 (Journey to the West) and the research that likely went into making this video. One of the most important things to understand when attempting to read this book as a non-Chinese person is that the book is full of references and idioms that most Chinese readers would understand immediately, and which are very difficult to translate and adapt for non-Chinese readers.
I didn't actually know about Journey to the West at all until it got referenced in one story arc in the time-traveling second season of the anime Dinosaur King, where the characters end up in Ancient China whilst looking for one of the season's MacGuffins, meet Sanzo Hoshi (another alternate name for Tripitaka), and accidentally inspire Journey to the West while trying to protect him from the season's villains who need him to unlock the door to said MacGuffin. One of the villains is even mistaken for a demon, Lady Tessen, and her evil dinosaur of the week for the Bull King. However, the biggest references come from the first season's villains, now tagalong allies, trying to extort the location of the garden of immortality peaches from random villagers by impersonating the cast of Journey, only to realize no one actually knows about them. So yeah, that's my story.
This actually makes me want to go and read a translation of the original. :) So thanks! (Also, for the record, my first exposure to this story was Saiyuki, which is kind of hilarious in retrospect.)
Can’t wait for the Black Myth game, heavy inspiration from this
anyone here because of black myth wu kong?
I'm so glad you brought up Hwayugi (Korean Odyssey). I loved that drama. It was a great return project for Seung gi after his military service.
>Saiyuki mentioned
HOLY SHIT!!??!!! I love that series, it made me so darn emotional and I really like Sanzou even if he's very, uh, unmonk-like lol
So happy that you're expanding into Asian media! The version I grew up with was an animated serial in Mandarin. While you're on the Asian media train, it would be great if you could do LoA for some newer webnovels and corresponding C-drama adaptations like the The Untamed!
Well my favourite Adaptation of Journey to the West is a little indie franchise you probably haven't hear about:
It's called Dragonball
Saiyuki was my first intro to Journey to the West and what got me interested in finding out more about the original story. I literally gasped when it came up since i wasnt expecting it, considering that its more of an homage than adaptation but it made me very happy!