monkey love language

i absolutely adore just how aggressively physical monkeys can be with affection. they just fully press their heads into each other, lots of tugging and pulling, almost throwing themselves at each other when they want attention. i bet it takes Wukong some adjustment so he doesn't use his full force when he gets grabbed by the need to just squeeze someone lmao, but just as much as the others need time to get used to a monkey perched on them every now and then. plus grooming is often a bargaining chip and a way to build relationships and a show of affection and trust. so, a bit of monkey love for each of the group! :D

aaaand Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing face reveal!! working on a fullbody lineup to show off their heights as well, so consider this a teaser ;3

Bajie is half wild boar, half babirusa. I love the four-tusk situation babirusa have going on, but his bristled mane is too iconic to handwave away. plus, pigs that go feral grow tusks and thicker fur, so i wanted to capture some of that with the half-and-half design.

as for Wujing, he's a complicated one to explain, but for his face i really wanted his beard to stand out as well as the six skulls necklace. i'm going for a "intermittent waters" concept with him, since he's originally connected to a desert before being made into a river demon, so i'm drawing on mudskippers for his ear fins and face spots.

Happy Sun Wukong Xingqiwu

PDFs of Foreign Language Journey to the West Translations

I’m happy to host a number of foreign language translations of the noted Chinese classic Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592 CE). This archive currently houses the following editions:

English

French

German

Hungarian

Italian

Romanian

Russian

Spanish

Thai

Vietnamese

As of this writing, I don’t yet have a modern Japanese translation. But you can read an original copy of the 1835 translation here.

I have also included translations of the unofficial sequel, A Supplement to the Journey to the West (Xiyoubu, 西遊補, 1640), in the following languages:

English

Hungarian

I will add more languages as they become available. Please let me know if you have access to other editions.

love the meme you did for best divorcees niuhou 😭 if its not too much against the aroace king agenda, would you do zhuhou for the opinion bingo too?

ARG so sorry it's taken me awhile to get to this ask anon, though in all fairness this was the second zhuhou ask that I got for the opinion bingo (honestly hoping that means interest in this ship is growing lol). As is though answer still stays the same. While aroace king SWK reigns supreme in my heart, I've come to think of zhuhou as actually a pretty great and dare I say very unique ship when allowed to go full sillay (i.e. canon-compliant) with how astonishingly violent & fucked up but getting better together and even eventually becoming protectors for those who need it Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie are <3

(with fully apologies for the yaoiful zhuhou based on @bonkalore art and lgbt elders zhuhou based on art from blizzard entertainment)

As the people asked

I now present Idiot! /Hj

More rambling under

Okay so I know like every demon all the disciples should be ugly af

But I cannot in good faith draw an ugly pig, pigs are ADORABLE!!! This annoying piece of shit however-

Okay so at first I tried for a realistic looking pig (as the bottom left will show ya) he was supposed to have jewel like eyes, but them I just looked up some cute pig drawings and I couldn't resist, he still gets more fur on him then the average pig because I think looking a bit more like a boar would make him look virtually more "scary".

Now his shirt and pants I borrowed from most versions of the character, but i REEEAAALLLY wanted to include the polka dot headkerchief.

His rake has actually 9 points like it's supposed to in the book. But not the snake handle because I read that part later.

That said I like the idea of his eyes squishing and morphing depending on the expression he is making, also yes his eyebrows were inspired by that bear plushie "I'm mad" gif.

His overall body is very round shapes over round shapes.

Also this guy deserves everything that happens to him.

If you guys have more questions my ask box is open

Journey to the West Chapter 32

In this chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest the pilgrimage is back together and ready to head west once again. So let's get into it shall we?

So the group has been traveling for quite a while when they run into yet another scary mountain. Tripitaka is scared of tigers or wolves attacking them and warns his disciples to be careful. Monkey however reassures him, that he'll be just fine since he has Monkey. So Monkey is able to persaude Tripitaka to keep going and soon enough they run into an elderly woodcutter. Place your bets people, is this old person A) A deity of some kind. B) A demon or monster that wants to eat them. C) A normal human. Let's find out shall we?

So the Woodcutter calls out to them and warns them that there are a bucnh of evil demon's here who eat travelers who travel from east to west. Which is a pretty specific diet plan. This causes Tripitaka to freak out, but Monkey decides to question the Woodcutter more thoroughly. Interestingly, Monkey refers to the Woodcutter as 'Big Brother' usually he seems to take pride in being older then most people and calls himself 'ancestor'. Anyways, Monkey explains about their mission and asks the Woodcutter to tell him about the monsters so he can get the proper authorities to arrest them. After all whether they be demons of heaven or of earth, or dragons, or ghosts or ogres, Sun Wukong is on a first name basis with all of their managers.

Anyways the Woodcutter explains that the demons here are specifically after the Tang Monk and wants to eat Tripitaka and his associates. Monkey thinks this is great! And even asks how they will eat them, after all, being eaten head first is much preferable to being eaten feet first! Monkey is even happier to find out that they'll just be steamed and eaten whole instead. The Woodcutter warns Monkey that he shouldn't be so sassy, because these demons have five powerful treasures.

Anyways after this conversation Monkey is feeling plenty confident to conquer this mountain and leaves the woodcutter to return to Tripitaka. Monkey assures Tripitaka that this mountain is nothing to worry about, and that the people here are just wimps. As they proceed though they notice that the woodcutter has suddenly vanished. Pigsy thinks it's a ghost, but Monkey just takes a look around, until he spots the Day Sentinel. So Monkey immediately chases the god down, and demands to know what's up with all the disguises instead of just saying something to his face. The god begs him not to take offense and warns him once again to be cautious, and utilize his intelligence and cleverness in order to protect Tripitaka.

Now that Monkey knows the warning is coming from a god instead of a normal human, he is a bit more wary now. He's worried that if he tells Tripitaka about the warning, it'll freak him out and make leading him forward more difficult, but if he doesn't warn him and he get's kidnapped, it'll be a pain in the neck to rescue him. So he decides he'll throw Pigsy at the demon's first to see how strong they really are. If Pigsy wins, good for Pigsy, if not, then Monkey can just rescue him later.

He'll have to use a bit of trickery for this however, since Pigsy would never volunteer to do anything, and Tripitaka coddles him. So Monkey returns back to the group with fake tears in his eyes, which makes Pigsy immediately want to pack their stuff and have everyone go their separate ways. After all, anything that could make the Great Sage cry has got to be really bad news. Tripitaka just tells him to calm down and that he'll talk to Wukong.

So Tripitaka asks Wukong why he's crying, and Monkey explains that the woodcutter was actually the Day Sentinel. He tells him that the Day Sentinel says that the monsters here are truly vicious and that there's no way they can pass through as things are now. After all, Monkey is powerful, but (ignoring his cloning ability) is just one guy, how could he possibly be expected to handle so many demon's by himself? Tripitaka however gives Monkey just the answer he was hoping for when he points out that Monkey isn't alone, they also have Sandy and Pigsy! And if it will get them through this mountain unharmed, then Monkey is free to use them however he see's fit.

Having gotten the response he was aiming for, Monkey immediately wipes away his tears and says that in order to proceed, Pigsy will have to do two things. Pigsy tries to refuse right out the gate, but Tripitaka persuades him to hear him out. So Monkey says the first thing is to look after Tripitaka, and the second is to patrol the mountain. Pigsy complains that he can't do both of those things at once, and Monkey explains that he doesn't have to, he only has to pick one to do.

So Pigsy asks what the two tasks entails and Monkey gladly explains. First, looking after Tripitaka means taking care of his every need, but if he slips up in caring for Tripitaka even slightly then Monkey will beat his ass. The second mission just involves seeing how many monsters there are, and what kind of cave and mountain this is. Pigsy decides to take the choice that has the less likely chance of him getting beaten up by Monkey and chooses to patrol the mountain.

As soon as Pigsy leaves Monkey bursts into laughter, which Tripitaka scolds him for. After all despite being his older brother, Monkey doesn't show Pigsy any sympathy or kindness, and the two are constantly envious of each other. And now that he's tricked Pigsy into patrolling the mountain, he's mocking him by laughing at him! Monkey however assures Tripitaka that's not why he's laughing. He tells Tripitaka that Pigsy has no intention of actually patrolling the mountain or fighting demons, and is probably instead just going to take a nap somewhere and lie to them later. He'll even prove it by following Pigsy. So Tripitaka let's Monkey follow after Pigsy after telling him not to play any tricks on him.

So Monkey transforms into a mole cricket in order to tail him. And sure enough as soon as Pigsy is presumably out of earshot he begins to verbally abuse the others and complains about being made to do patrol the mountain. Having gotten all of that out of his system, Pigsy then finds somewhere comfortable and settles in for a nap. Monkey of course heard every word however and decides to harass Pigsy a bit, so he transforms into a woodpecker and gives Pigsy a bite to the face.

The bite definitely serves the purpose of waking Pigsy up, and after harassing him a bit more as a bird, Pigsy finally gets moving again. Be he's not going to patrol the mountain, instead he finds some rocks and uses them to practice the lie he's going to tell the others when he gets back on. Monkey sticks around long enough to hear the cover story that Pigsy comes up with, before flying back ahead of him in order to tattle to Tripitaka.

So Monkey tells Tripitaka about what Pigsy is going to say. And sure enough once Pigsy arrives back to the group, Monkey prompts him to give the cover story he just told Tripitaka. So Monkey scolds him that this is an important area and that he should have patrolled properly. So he threatens to give Pigsy five good smacks with his staff as punishment. Terrified of this, Pigsy begs Tripitaka to intercede on his behalf... however Tripitaka also isn't to happy with Pigsy for lying. Luckily for Pigsy though, they can't afford to be down a man at the moment, so Tripitaka suggests Monkey save his punishment for later.

So Monkey says he won't beat him for now, but warns him he will if he botches this again. And with that Pigsy is once again sent out to patrol the mountain. So Pigsy heads out once again, incredibly paranoid that every little thing is actually Sun Wukong following him again, despite the fact that Monkey actually decided to hang back with the others this time.

Meanwhile we get introduced to our monsters of the week, the Great King Golden Horn and the Great King Silver Horn, and they are hungry for monk. For Tang Monk specifically, because Tripitaka is the golden cicada reincarnated, and eating him will make them immortal. So the Golden Demon has wanted posters made of Tripitaka and his disciples made, and sends out the Silver Demon and some minions with them in order to find the pilgrimage party.

Soon enough this gaggle of demons comes across Pigsy. When the demons confront him, Pigsy sticks his snout into his shirt and tries to just pass himself off as an ordinary traveler, but is soon found out. So the Demon attacks Pigsy, and although Pigsy is able to fend of the Silver Demon easily enough, he gets intimidated by sheer numbers when the Silver Demons also has his minions attack. So Pigsy tries to flee, but trips and falls and gets captured.

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague), The Great Sage Equal To Heaven and Pilgrim Sun. Immortality: 5 + 94,000 years. Weapon: The Compliant Golden Hooped Rod Abilities: 72 Transformations, Cloud-Somersault, Ability to transform his individual hairs, super strength, Ability to Summon Wind, Water restriction charm, and the ability to change into a huge war form, ability to duplicate his staff, ability to immobilize others, the ability to put others to sleep, and the Fiery eyes and Diamond Pupils, intimidating horses, churning large bodies of water, sleeplessness, seizing the wind, enhanced smell, discerning good and evil within a thousand miles, Spirit Summoning, lock picking, object transformation and distance reduction. Demon Kill Count: 5+ Unknown Number of Minions Human Kill Count: 1006 God's Defeated: 20 + Unknown number Defeats: 3 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Government Official, Treason, attempted murder, failure to control or report a dangerous fire, desecrating a corpse, breaking and entering, trespassing, violating Tree Law and looting corpses. Cry Count: 4 + 2 fake cries Mountains Trapped Under: 1

Current Tang Sanzang stats: Names/Titles: River Float, Xuanzang, Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka Abilities: Curing Blindness, making branches point a certain direction (allegedly), reciting sutras, pretty privilege, memorization and Heart Sutra. Cry Count: 16 Tight Fillet Spell Uses: 27 Paralyzed by fear: 5 Bandit Problems: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 3 Falling Off Horses: 6

Current Bai Long Ma Stats: Names/Titles: Bai Long Ma (White Dragon Horse), Prince of the Western Ocean, and third prince jade dragon of the dragon king Aorun Abilities: Transforming into a human, a water snake, and a horse, eating a horse in one bite, flight, Magic of Water Restriction, Singing, and Sword Dancing. Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Arson, and Grave Disobedience. Contributions to the plot: 2

Current Zhu Wuneng Stats: Names/Titles: The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Wuneng (Pig who is aware of ability), Zhu Ganglie, Pigsy, Idiot and Eight Rules. Weapon: Rake Abilities: 36 Transformations, parting water, fighting underwater, cloud soaring and size enhancement Demon Kill Count/Kill steals: 1 Kidnapped by Demons: 1 Human Kill Count: 1 Failed Flirtation/romances Attempts: 3 Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Sexual Harassment, Murder, Kidnapping and arson.

Current Sha Wujing Stats: Names/Titles: The Curtain-Raising General, Sha Wujing (Sand Aware of Purity), Sandy and Sha Monk Weapon: Monster Taming Staff Abilities: Fighting underwater and Cloud soaring. Kidnapped by Demons: 1 Human Kill Count: 1 Crime List: Breaking a Crystal Cup, murder, and desecration of a human corpse.

Bajie is pretty popular isn’t he idk why I’m surprised. Enough to get solo romance movies at least

Of course! Bajie is def the second most popular Xiyouji character right behind Wukong. He is considered to be a perfect romance objection being that he is funny, cute, flawed, and relatable! Whether you are someone that love comedic characters having more depth put on to them, or you are a sucker for tragic romances with hopeless romantics, or even lazy characters with a heart of gold then you are in luck that Zhu Bajie fulfills all your needs!

There is no doubt that Wukong is a fan favorite being a hero and a rebel, with amazing powers and always a clever trick up his sleeve he is legendary! But comedic relief characters are also adored, esp when you can just add a little ~angst~ which Bajie has plenty of being yeeted down to earth.

He is a flawed character being greedy, selfish, lazy, etc. but also who hasn't felt like they have been before? Sometimes people are selfish or lazy but that doesn't have to be all that they are nor are they a bad people for having bad traits. They can be compassionate, loyal, humorous, and strong as well. Bajie is a lot of things and I think that people enjoy seeing a flawed character that is usually a comedic relief really be given some depth esp since love tradigies are very popular as well.

Bajie being the height example of a man who can never have love but still be loveable!

Mind Monkey, Mirrored

Fandoms: Journey to the West, Monkey King Reborn (2021), Havoc in Heaven (1961)

Characters: Sun Wukong, Monkeys of Huaguoshan, Tripitaka, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing

Synopsis:

“Don’t you ever wonder what could have been?” the ghost whispers, almost conspiratorially. “Victory was within your grasp before the Buddha himself interfered, was it not? That’s how they tell the story. I’m sure the thought crossed your mind during your long imprisonment – what if he’d never been there? What if you’d won?”

A few months after his battle with Yuandi, Sun Wukong is forced to face a reflection of himself; a King of Demons who lost his war against the Heavens is confronted with everything he could have been.

Of note: This is my entry for the JttW discord server's writing and art competition, with the prompt "multiverse mash-up"!

Link:

Ohmygodihaventdrawnanythinginsolong

Anyway I watched Monkey King 2 (2016) the other day and got inspired

JTTW Chapter 32 Thoughts

Chapter 32 for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group! CW: Bugs under the cut!

Like a grandpa reassuring his worried kid. Tang Sanzang might technically be his Shifu, but he’s also still technically younger than him.

Love to see the woodcutter also get a fashion poem!

From the little note by Anthony C. Yu that Mars is revered as the God of Fire it is interesting to see that different religions can bring forth similar deities and associations.

I wonder if they couldn’t just have lied about where they are from or where they intend to go.

The Day Sentinel feels so like a player who was put on the role of an NPC after the reveal.

Thank you Sun Wukong for stating how fragile Tang Sanzang is. Or rather how whiny. Like in the very beginning it was understandable, everything was new and scary, but by now he should have gained at least some confidence in his disciples.

Half the journey you say? Looking at the chapter number, are you sure about that?

Yippie, bug! I’m not certain it is a mole cricket specifically though. Attempting to figure out the species from the Original Chinese once again with Google translate has yielded the term cricket as a translation, though the image search presents the family Cicadidae, so a type of cicada instead.

I’d say both kinds of bug may be possible, but specifically a mole cricket I’m sure it is not. Those may be native to Asia and they can fly, very well even, but they are nocturnal and hardly outside spending most of their life in tunnels underground. They do look pretty adorable though with their mole claws looking appendages and big ‘ol eyes.

And next a lovely birb! I’m quite partial to these little animal poems and transformation shenanigans.

Once more my translation comparison effort has yielded the general family of woodpecker, but no specific one, so let’s see what we have on details for this specimen and if we can’t wager an educated guess.

We have a red beak, black feet and approximately green feathers from the Original Chinese. Except no woodpecker has a red beak, so what is probably meant is red colouration on the head! It may also be a relatively small species of woodpecker as mentioned later in the text. My best guess is that it might be a Gecinulus rafflesii aka Olive-backed Woodpecker, who are native to Southeast Asia and can be found in mountain forests.

This small fine fella.

Though note it is specifically the males that have a red crest, females have a black crest. They’re still very pretty though.

But that guess is very flimsy at best, there is a huge variety of woodpeckers and just not enough detail in the text to really pinpoint something even remotely definitive.

Wow, not sure how to see this. On the one hand Tang Sanzang shows such trust and confidence that Zhu Bajie wouldn’t lie to him, but on the other hand that’s just because he believes him too dumb for that.

Awww, Gold Horn and Silver Horn remember and count the horse!

Whenever I read ‘little fiends’ I imagine a variety of DnD goblin-sized little guys.

Ah, Zhu Bajie can be quite clever! It really shines a light on how the nickname Idiot can be interpreted ‘cause he’s not stupid as such. He’s just weak-willed.

the demon trio

Tripitaka's three demon bodyguards! Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing (sandy), and Zhu Wuneng (pigsy).

Sandy is the tallest of the three standing at a whopping 6'7 (though he can change his height if he likes), Pigsy comes in second with his height clocking in at 5'9 and Wukong is the shortest of the group (not including Rue) measuring in at 5'4

their appearances are based off the actual literature with a few creative liberties taken (i really tried to stay to the og outfits but god i could not make them work for the life of me so they all got altered some)

*edit: I FORGOT TO ADD THE BEED THINGS AROUND SANDY'S NECK OMG T-T*

Chapter Recap: Chapter 20: At Yellow Wind Ridge the Tang Monk meets adversity; In mid-mountain, Eight Rules strives to be first

This chapter beings with Xuanzang, that “master of law,” reciting a gatha (Sanskrit for “song” or “verse”) he had composed after mastering the Heart Sutra, and through it he had “broken through the gate of his understanding.” And at this point the seasons have turned to summer. They have been camping outside for a few days since they left Gao Village until late one day the spot a hamlet. Tripitaka suggests that they ask for lodging there for the night, Zhu Bajie says they should also beg for food, as the pig yaoguai, unlike Sun Wukong, “can’t imbibe the wind and exhale the mist.” The Monkey King calls Zhu Wuneng a “family-hugging devil” on hearing this, and Tang Sanzang tells his second disciple that if his heart “still clings to the family, you are not the kind of person who wants to leave it. You may as well turn back!” This so shakes Zhu Bajie that he “fell on his knees and said, ‘Master, please do not listen to the words of Elder Brother. He loves to put blame on others: I haven’t made any complaint, but he said that I was complaining. I’m only an honest moron…What do you mean, I’m not willing to leave the family?” Tripitaka tells the pig yaoguai that if that’s the case he can get up.

Still muttering, Zhu Bajie had “no choice but to follow his companions with complete determination up to the door.” Tripitaka takes point on begging for shelter, and looking in the door of the hamlet sees “an old man reclining on a bamboo bed and softly reciting the name of Buddha.” Tang Sanzang gives the old man a greeting, tells him his situation, and requests shelter for the night. The old man expresses doubt that the Tang monk would be able to make it to the Western Heaven, embarrassing Tripitaka so much that he’s unable to reply. But Sun Wukong, “who had always been impulsive and mischievous,” strides forward and loudly chides the old man for “trying to intimidate us with discouraging words.” There’s the usual exchange about how hideous the Monkey King is with his “pointed chin, shriveled cheeks, a thunder-god mouth, and blood-red eyes,” with the monkey replying that he’s a person with the “passable” abilities of being able to “apprehend monsters, subdue demons, tame tigers, capture demons—in sum, I know a little about all the matters that a person needs to know to go up to Heaven or to descend into Earth.” The old man “roared with laughter” on hearing Sun Wukong’s speech, but he tells the pilgrims that they may rest in his hut. He agrees to this even after seeing Zhu Bajie, all while remarking that they are “One monk uglier than another!” Though the pig yaoguai notes that they “may be ugly, but we are all useful.”

As this groups is speaking, a group consisting of two young men, an old woman, and several young children arrive, all returning “after a day’s planting of young shoots of grain.” They’re all briefly scared off by the sight of Zhu Bajie, but are quickly calmed down by Tripitaka and the old man. Sun Wukong tells the pig yaoguai to “fix your ugliness, and while being chided by Tripitaka for his words the monkey then suggests that the junior disciple “Take that rakelike snout…put it in your bosom, and don’t take it out. And stick your rush-leaf-fan ears to the back of your head, and don’t shake them. That’s fixing it.” Zhu Bajie does so, and everyone is mollified.

The pilgrims are served tea and a vegetarian meal, and only then does Tang Sanzang ask what their patron’s surname is. He discovers the old man is Wang, who has two sons, three grandchildren, and is now sixty-one years old. Wang also tells the Tang monk that while the scriptures “are not hard to get…the journey there is filled with hazards and difficulties.” He then warns the pilgrimage that some “thirty miles west of us there is a mountain called the Yellow Wind Ridge of Eight Hundred Miles” which is infested with monsters. Yet both he and Sun Wukong agree that since “this little priest [the Monkey King] claims that he has many abilities…you may perhaps proceed after all.” Sun Wukong even boasts that with “old Monkey and his younger brother around, we’ll never be touched, no matter what kind of monster we meet.” They then have their meal—with Zhu Bajie eating “all the rice in that household, and then he said he was only half full,” before everyone goes to bed.

The pilgrims depart early the next morning, and after they had traveled for half a day “they did indeed come upon a tall mountain, exceedingly rugged.” As they’re carefully navigating their way through this mountain, a sudden violent whirlwind arises. It alarms Tripitaka, and despite Sun Wukong’s assurances the monk insists that there’s something frightening about it. Zhu Bajie also insists that they shelter until the wind has died down. The Monkey King tells them all to settle down and let him “seize the wind and smell it.” And since he has the power to do so, the monkey is able to tell that it’s not a good wind, “for it smells like a tiger or else like a monster.”

No sooner had he finished this sentence “when from over a hump of the mountain a fierce striped tiger with a whiplike tail and powerful limbs appeared.” Tripitaka immediately falls of his horse and “lay beside the road, half out of his wits.” Zhu Bajie runs to confront it, and the tiger stands up on its hind legs and strips off his own skin, revealing his true “hideous form.” He then announces himself as the “vanguard of the forces commanded by the Great King Yellow Wind,” and that he’s on patrol to “catch a few mortals to be used as hors d’oeuves for him.” Perhaps foolishly, Zhu Bajie tells the tiger yaoguai that they are “the disciples of Tripitaka…who by imperial decree is journeying to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures from the Buddha.” Yet the pig is able to put up a good fight, and chases the tiger vanguard away from Tang Sanzang. After settling his shifu back on the horse Sun Wukong likewise joins the battle against the tiger yaoguai, leaving Tripitaka “trembling all over” and reciting the Heart Sutra.

Now pursued by two ferocious yaoguai, the tiger vanguard, in a panic, eventually throws his tiger skin over a large rock “while his true form changed into a violent gust of wind heading back the way he had come.” Finding Tang Sanzang unprotected, the tiger yaoguai snatches him away and immediately takes him to the cave of the Yellow Wind Monster. The Tiger Vanguard presents the monk to this Cave Master “for your culinary pleasure.”

The Yellow Wind Monster, however, is startled rather than pleased with this news. For he had heard the rumor that the Tang monk was accompanied by “a disciple whose name is Pilgrim Sun and who possesses tremendous magical powers and prodigious intelligence.” He thus decides that Tripitaka won’t be devoured just yet, for while “There’s nothing wrong with eating him…I’m afraid his two disciples may come to our door and argue with us.” The Cave Master decides that the monk will be tied to a post in their rear garden for three or four days, and if no one shows up to claim him, then “we can do what we want with him, whether we wish him boiled, steamed, friend, or sautéed; we can take our time to enjoy him.” The Tiger Vanguard is pleased with this assessment, and other yaoguai firmly bind Tripitaka in ropes before taking him away. The monk can do nothing but cry and wish his disciples would find him.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, having realized how they were tricked, quickly discover that Tripitaka has been spirited away. The Monkey King bellows “like thunder” while Zhu Wuneng cries, but soon enough Sun Wukong states that they “have to be somewhere in this mountain” and that they should be able to find their missing shifu. And sure enough, after traveling and searching for a long time, they find a formidable cave. Sun Wukong instructs Zhu Bajie to hide their luggage and go graze the horse, while “old Monkey” goes to fight with the monster. He doesn’t have to tell the pig yaoguai twice. Rushing up to the cave, Sun Wukong sees a sign designating it as the “Yellow Wind Cave, Yellow Wind Peak,” and cries out at the kidnappers to return his shifu, “lest I overturn your den and level your dwelling!”

Every one of the little yaoguai of this cave are left panic-stricken, and rush to the Yellow Wind Monster to report that “a monk with a thunder-god mouth and hairy face” is “demanding the return of his master.” Now somewhat fearful, the Cave Master chides the Tiger Vanguard for bringing the Tang monk to their cave. The tiger yaoguai, however, tells his king not to worry, for he will lead fifty soldiers to battle the Monkey King and “bring in that so-called Pilgrim Sun as a condiment for your meal.” The Yellow Wind Monster lets the Tiger Vanguard know that if he succeeds he’ll make him his bond brother, but that he mustn’t blame his king if he gets hurt.

The Tiger Vanguard selects “fifty of the toughest little demons,” and taking up his two bronze scimitars leaps out of the cave to confront Sun Wukong. After exchanging insults, the Monkey King leaps at the Tiger Vanguard with “grinding teeth and fiery eyes all ablaze,” and the two engage in a ferocious battle. Yet the Tiger Vanguard is no match for Sun Wukong, and, because he “dared not go back to the cave” after making his boast, flees towards the mountain slope. The Monkey King relentlessly chases the tiger yaoguai until they reach the fold of the mountain, where Zhu Bajie is grazing the horse. Joining in the fight, the pig yaoguai brings his rake down hard on the side of the Tiger Vanguard’s head, a blow which “produced nine holes, from which fresh blood spurted out, and the brains of the monster’s whole head ran dry!” Zhu Bajie hits him once more for good measure on the spine, which pleases Sun Wukong greatly.

The pig and monkey yaoguai then catch up, with the Monkey King concluding that the death of the Tiger Vanguard is to Zhu Bajie’s merit. He then gives his junior disciple the option of remaining behind to guard the horse and luggage “and let me drag this dead monster back to the mouth of the cave to provoke battle again.” Zhu Bajie agrees, and also tells Sun Wukong to drive the head monster his way to “let old Hog intercept and kill him.” So holding his as-you-will cudgel in one hand and dragging the tiger’s corpse with the other, the Monkey King returns to the Yellow Wind Cave. And here is where the chapter ends.

Started watching the 1996 JTTW and it is so fun, my favorite part so far is when the not yet ex-cannibal who is not yet called Wujing is brought to his knees sobbing by Sanzang, meanwhile Wukong is like “time to go save master from that water demon!” But by the time Wukong and Wuneng got there the demon begged for Wukong to kill him. It’s so good.

I’ve been doing my best to find proper descriptions of the pilgrims’ appearances, but my search results are being frustratingly vague, and the novel itself has a habit of giving this information in small, dispersed increments (which I struggle to find)—not to mention one or two costume changes on Monkey’s end.

So, I must ask, do you have any reliable sources for the crew’s physical appearance?

(Sorry if you’ve been asked this before!)

Sun Wukong - https://journeytothewestresearch.com/2018/05/30/what-does-sun-wukong-look-like-an-artist-and-cosplayer-resource/

Zhu Bajie - https://journeytothewestresearch.com/2021/08/08/what-does-zhu-bajie-look-like-a-resource-for-artists-and-cosplayers/

Everyone's height and also Tripitaka's description - https://journeytothewestresearch.com/2023/04/17/how-tall-are-the-main-characters-from-journey-to-the-west/

Sha Wujing's face and early clothing - https://journeytothewestresearch.com/2018/03/24/the-origins-and-evolution-of-sha-wujing/

Youve talked a lot about why you admire jttw's redemption arcs for acknowledging how fucked up everyone was beforehand but i just wanna show some appreciation for how everyone still retains parts of themselves that could be considered flaws in other narratives. like when SWK becomes a buddha, he's not a pacifist, he's the *fighting* buddha. and zbj celebrates gluttony and indulgence yet when he attains enlightenment his role still celebrates that as an altar-cleanser :>

Oh you are so genuinely big-brained for this anon.

YEAH YEAH YEAH when it comes to everyone's favorite ex-assholes' attainment of enlightenment and what this could mean for any potential Xiyouji sequels, there is just so many interesting possibilities and implications you can work with when it comes to the pilgrims' post-journey lives! I know they only get their new positions at the very end of Journey to the West--and given the assumedly "great"final" ending that is achieving enlightenment this is probably why a lot of jttw-related media taking place in the future either re-writes jttw in some major ways and/or has it that the pilgrims failed in their mission and/or became basically the complete opposite of who they once were--but as you say there's something really compelling in the idea that they were successful AND retained their core characteristics BUT with all the maturity and desire to do genuine good that they developed over the course of the journey and solidified with enlightenment. I think that's at least why a few people playing around with jttw sequels have the pilgrims' be more like boddhisatvas than buddhas, as from what I understand this means that they DID attain enlightement but have put off entering paradise in order to more actively help others achieve the same. I feel like that makes a lot of sense for the pilgrims too, as they all experienced the wide gamut of pain and desires that can drive a person down the paths of samsara, which could end up providing a strong foundation for compassion for others. Plus there is something very cool with the idea that the same traits--even ones like a willingness to violence, gluttony, etc--can be beneficial or detrimental depending on how they manifest. That really drives home the idea of just how much there's no such thing as a "naturally" wicked individual, but that so much of one's moral character depends on what one actually DOES.

So (just to put it down) with the pilgrims you have:

Sun Wukong as the Victorious Figthing Buddha/Buddha Victorious in Strife, whose role is now that of a great exorcist and a protector of children. Interestingly too this title also suggests his prowess in defeating the emotions that drive negative actions as well as his victory over cyclic existence, something that we definitely see him achieve for himself!

Tang Sanzang is the Buddha of Candana (Sandalwood) Merit, a figure that others call upon to help absolve them of sin and a title that seems to be attached to the idea that the fragrance of sandalwood can help cool the passions of sentient beings and help them settle their minds (i.e. the very reason Xuanzang wanted to undertake the journey in the first place & something that Tripitaka is seen as having a lot of practice with given who his tudi are!)

Zhu Bajie becomes Janitor of the Altars, which is a role indicating that he actually did NOT in the end achieve enlightenment because he is still beholden to his base desires, but that he will now be able to put his appetite to work in a beneficial way. Interestingly enough, it seems to have been partly because of his lowest rank among the pilgrims at the end that Zhu Bajie has recently been adopted as a patron deity for sex workers in Taiwan, as many of them feel that other more "legitimate" deities would but look down on them.

Sha Wujing becomes the Golden-Bodied Ahrat. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find much information on what exactly this role suggests besides that ahrats are perfected people who have freed themselves from the bonds of desire and therefore will not be reborn, so if anyone has more information please let me know!

Bai Longma is made one of the dragons belonging to the Eight Classes of Supernatural Beings, who from what I understand are an interesting mix of entities, from demons to nagas, who all work as Buddhist protectors. For me at least it's kind of neat to think of the possibilities of everyone's favorite dragon horse, after he seems to have been so thoroughly rejected by his own family, found a bigger one both in the pilgrims and then with these other supernaturals.

LMKtober day 25, Family