The face Wukongsito makes, after absolutely demolishing The Jade Emperor's Palace, lmaooo. Such a silly little guy; gotta be my favourite war criminal 🥰🥰🥰

My intention was to draw 1961 Sun Wukong. But I decided to make an alt. version with the LMK color palette too, for fun! :3c

Sun Wukong sponsored T mock-up based off the Sonic-branded T

[ID: A drawing of a product photo for gender-affirming hormone replacement testosterone gel, but branded with Shanghai Animation's 1961 Havoc in Heaven. On the left is a pump bottle of gel with a blue label. The label features a white graphic of Sun Wukong's face, reading "Testogel 睾酮胶 / 大闹天宫 16.2 mg/g Gel." On the right is a box with a full body of Sun Wukong doing his trademark hand-in-hand salute. End ID]

Havoc in Heaven (1961)

Late to the party but here's sun wukong showing off his new fit to the huaguoshan monkeys in chapter 3 @journeythroughjourneytothewest

This swk design is based more so on a combination of the 1999 animated series and 1961 havoc in heaven movie rather than the book description just because I love those adaptations a lot :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hi where do I start learning about sun wukong

sun wukong is the most popular protagonist of the ming dynasty novel journey to the west, which is a very good book (i’m a big fan of the 2012 revised translation by anthony c. yu), but it is a normal amount of very long for one of the chinese classics, so until then you can check out some of the many film adaptations, most of which are mostly or entirely about sun wukong. some of my personal favorites are princess iron fan (1941), havoc in heaven (1961), a chinese odyssey (1995), journey to the west: conquering the demons (2013), the monkey king 2 (2016), and nezha reborn (2021), although most of these assume the audience is already familiar with the character and story, so you’ll get more if you read the wikipedia pages i linked first. the book the epic crush of genie lo was embarrassingly formative to my early teenage years and also is based on the monkey king story, and i also believe there’s a lego tv show, lego monkie kid, but i haven’t watched it so i can’t speak to its quality. i hope you enjoy what you check out!

You said that the execution of S4 failed, so how should it have been or what were the steps that should be followed? Genuine interest. Might help anyone who is writing about Jttw.

Basically: Extraordinary twist requires extraordinarily good explanations, and the big honcho of the Celestial Realm getting killed by a Bodhisattva's cat is one such twists. Yet it isn't explained properly other than JE's vague statement that "his time is up".

(Is this an attempt at alluding to the concept of "Peril" (劫), something even immortals and celestials must endure in order to continue existing, and the Buddhist idea that beings of the Path of Heaven are still not free from the cycle of life and death, however near-infinite their lifespan is?)

(If so, then SAY IT.)

But my biggest issue is the huge Show-not-Tell problem regarding the corruption of the Celestial Realm.

Like, due to the influence of 1961 Havoc in Heaven and the "SWK as peasant rebel" reading that became the dominant narrative during the Maoist era, the Celestial Realm ("feudal" regime), as well as the Buddha and the Buddhist pantheon (religion), get demonized a lot in Chinese JTTW media.

Through that lens, Havoc in Heaven is the story of a grassroot hero fighting against a huge, ancient, corrupt institution, and either winning or losing, and even when he loses, it's the crushing of a revolutionary martyr by the old reactionaries: tragic, but the nobleness and righetousness of his goal is never in doubt.

(I dislike the "class warfare" reading too. A lot, in fact. But that's a story for another day.)

Which is what LMK S4 seems to be going for…and where it flounders.

Like, a Chinese viewer has that context, because most of our popular JTTW adapations dial up the Celestial Realm's prejudice against SWK and its corruption to some extent, as a justification for Havoc in Heaven.

A western viewer who hasn't watched the '61 film, or the '86 TV show, or the '99 cartoon, doesn't have that context, and LMK's oddly empty Celestial Realm that seemed to be populated entirely by Nezha, JE and nameless NPC soldiers doesn't help in the slighest.

(As a JTTW novel liker, my personal opinion is that book!Celestial Realm, even though it is not cartoonishly evil, still sucks ass, and the JE is a typical, mediocre dynastic ruler who's good at upholding the status quo, but extremely petty and vicious to subjects who have personally offended him, like Sha Wujing or the governor of Fengxian Prefecture.)

(They did show more leniency to SWK pre-Havoc in the book than in most modern adaptations, however, despite their fuck-ups.)

And that's how you get fans claiming "SWK never wants the Havoc in Heaven!"

After all, we haven't seen the Celestial Realm being assholes, or, y'know, subjecting a prefecture to an eternal-in-all-but-name drought until people sold their children for three bushels of grains and were driven to cannibalism, because the governor spilled JE's offerings and fed them to the dogs (novel canon, btw), and Nezha seems like a nice guy! How bad could the regime be, really?

Like, you can absolutely show a rebellion falling apart, becoming corrupted from the inside, causing just as much damage to the commoners as the regime they are fighting, and rebels who are far from heroic.

Or how popular rebellions like these were against the corrupt officials and laws, but seldom the emperor himself, and even those that did aim at deposing an emperor were about putting their guy of choice on the dragon chair, instead of dealing away with the dynastic system itself.

Yet the grievances behind those rebellions were also 100% real. The corruption, the abuse of power, the massive human sufferings that led to armed uprisings thoroughout Chinese history, many of which failed while others became the last straw that toppled a dynasty.

And that part, I feel, is neither shown well nor explored properly.

"there is nothing that Sun Wukong, Handsome Monkey King of Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, would not do for a scared kid under his protection"

This...has never really occurred to me I am just ded now.

This was SO good you are an amazingly talented writer

I think Wukong's love and care for his loved ones (and especially those he considers "his children" - he calls all his 47,000 monkey subjects that and considers himself their grandfather) is such an integral part of his character. :') There's nothing he wouldn't do for them. People often make his early misdeeds seem like purely selfish acts, but at least in the beginning, it was all for them. He wanted to find immortality so they could all keep living in blissful joy forever - he didn't want any of his loved ones to die. Things started going downhill once he got his invitation from heaven, but before that, his main motivating factor was his desire to protect his children.

Reborn embodies this very strongly, too - after all, he only knows Fruity for three days. Over the course of that short time, he goes from being mildly annoyed by him to caring about him so deeply that he's fully prepared to die to protect him. He also cries when he watches Tripitaka get consumed, even though this is still very early on in the Journey.

Sun Wukong always cares so very, very deeply. To me, that's the core pillar of his character. It wouldn't be Wukong if he wasn't fully prepared to take on impossible odds for the sake of his loved ones. He's the ultimate grandpa - he instantly adopts every kid in his vicinity and is fully prepared to love and protect them to the ends of the earth, haha. Most versions of him tend to be very open and transparent about their affections, too - Reborn is a bit of a special case because he's so jaded and hurt, but generally, Wukong isn't shy about letting people know that he cares.

If you want to see some really cute moments between Wukong and his little ones, you should watch the 1961 Havoc in Heaven - the other movie I used for this crossover! The way he interacts with his subjects in that one is incredibly adorable. And the animation style is lovely, especially for its time.

Anyway, I'm so glad that you enjoyed the fic! A whole month of work went into that one, so the lack of feedback I got on it was pretty discouraging at the time. But it makes me happy that people who do give it a chance end up liking it so much! <3 Thank you!

SUN WUKONG VS ERLANG SHEN!!

(I love shapeshifter fights sm heheh)

Btw this heavily inspired by Havoc in Heaven 1961 :]

315. Mind Monkey, Mirrored (Journey to the West, Monkey King Reborn, Havoc in Heaven)

Title: Mind Monkey, Mirrored

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51215665

Platform: ao3

Creator: TimeturnerJay 

Work Type: crossover fanfiction

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

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: -

Word count: 14,497

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, angst

Number of comments: 3

Completion Status: complete

Short summary/description:

“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.

Hey, so, about Pyg's Byg Makeover: I was going to do a skirt poll, but I've sort of already made a choice on my own. His skirt was always supposed to be Wukong's older one, plus inspired by Havoc in Heaven (1961).

However, Wukong's older skirt HAS a design in LMK and it is inspired by Havoc in Heaven (1961)'s skirt. So should I just... go with that one?

I’m watching the 1961 havoc in heaven and the monkeys are so silly

Monkey #5: Sun Wukong from Havoc in Heaven (1961) Wukong Counter: #1 (adaption)

Havoc in Heaven's Monkey King is one of the most iconic depictions of the character, being referenced by and inspiring many other media! It is a retelling of the first few chapters of Journey to the West in animated movie form.

what other stuff has become popular new fixtures in jttw adaptions?

Oh goodness that is going to be hard to pin down but from what I have seen the most popular Xiyouji adaptations have been at least

1960 Alakazam the Great - only saying this one because it is one of the first cartoon of Sun Wukong that was exposed to the West and while not hugely influential there made such an impact in Japan, leading to this version inspiring cartoon shows and even a remark movie years later. I hope that this verse keeps getting talked about and maybe a tv series about him can come around.

1961 Havoc in Heaven - this version will not die and will never die, this is the OG Wukong for so many people then and now, the defining master among Wukong's. Out of all the media, this is the most marketed and the most well-known. While not having new movies or tv shows this one is seen in commercials, shorts, toys, and designs. This Wukong's influence on things from children's clothing to even watches for thousands of dollars is mind staggering. If I would think anyone could last another 400 years with their impact of influence, it would be this Wukong, he is almost 100 since his first debut and he is still going strong. I have no doubt he will still be there in the next 40 years to celebrate his 100th birthday.

1978 Monkey (Saiyūki) - the popularity of this one wasn't in China but rather in Japan and even the dub in Europe. This is what really brought a generation of Western audiences into Xiyouji media. Went on to inspire more Japanese Saiyuki media as this was that standard with a female cast of Sanzang and a more outrageous Wukong. This one has most recently influenced the Netflix tv series Legends of the Monkey King.

1986 Dragon Ball - I feel I am kinda cheating by including Dragon Ball because it's only really the first dragon ball series that followed a similar 'journey' plot structure but it did get the franchise going and led to its future success in Dragon Ball Z. While current Dragon Ball has undoubtedly becomes its own thing with only it's main character having the same name as Sun Wukong it cannot be doubted the mass influence this media has on current culture and while no longer quite Xiyouji media, it was still started with it and should be noted.

1986 Journey to the West - this one set the standard for Wukong's live-action actors. Like sure there was plenty of life-action Wukong movies before this, so many in movies and even other tv specials but this is the most defining cast and most loyal plot following series that defined what people think when they think of Wukong, Saznag, Bajie, Wujing, and even Bailong. This was the series that didn't give Bailong a name but they were the ones that gave him the unforgettable plot of having a finance, something that has spun into SERVAL movies and even a tv series. The Wukong actor set how other Wukong actors were to play the character for years to come. So many movies use these designs in their own movies as it was so recognizable and notable. While other live-action series have come out that have tried to capture that same magic I have not seen anything nearly as nearly all-encompassing to audiences as 1986

1995 A Chinese Odyssey: Pandora's Box and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella - this piece in particular was revolutionary, I cannot express that enough. While it wasn't huge in Hong Kong on its debut it was near worshiped by mainland audiences about 5 years later, just through being watched through pirated VHS that grew its popularity on the early 2000s internet. It was so popular that it was given theater releases again, and even college classes over these media with how effective it was in changing Wukong's image in modern culture. He went from being an upright, stoppable hero to a man with heartache, identity issues, and being forced to being a product of the system, many things early 2000s youth related to on another level. You couldn't go anywhere not knowing "It was only when I lost her, that I felt regretful. It's the most painful ordeal in this world. If I'm given another chance I will say three words to her "I love you" If there's a need to put a time limit to this love, I hope it's ten thousand years." People who never watched the movie knew this quote. Went on to inspire the Bio of Wukong webnoval which was turned into Immortal Demon Slayer. Even argued it inspired Conquering the Demon and Demon Strikes Back.

1996 Journey to the West- one of the most controversial but beloved series with how it changes plot lines but the increased character development and character-driven narratives within the story. Dicky Cheung brought a talent that was unmatched and honesty their risks with changes in plot lines paid off greatly with how much care they put into their characters. This version was not afraid to take risks when it came to changes and performed greatly by giving the characters such deep meaningful moments and amazing humor, drama, and action. This has influenced when it comes to being a lot of people's first Xiyouji love action experience and that fun-loving hero in Wukong can be seen in other Wukong designs.

1999 Legends of the Monkey King - another generation-defining Wukong media, I find it so hard to find people that don't know him or watched him as this was and arguably still is the best animated Wukong retelling to date. The characters were lively and the actions was fierce but it gave each episode such life. At the moment there hasn't been another animated retelling that has had the same influence that this one has. At least no other tv series that I am aware of.

1999 Lotus Lantern - While not really Xiyouji retelling, this version completely rewrote Lotus Lantern media and its connection to Sun Wukong. This was the first time we see Wukong giving solo attention as a shifu to Chenxiang and before this version, you would see Chenxiang having some other teacher in live action movies or even mention of his brother and his accidental killing of a noble son. But after this movie that version has been GREATLY overshadowed with Sun Wukong being Chenxiang, leading to about three more movies and at least three tv series. with the same concept. The idea of Erlang Shen's greatest rival teaching his nephew to defeat him was so captive to audiences that it has had a stronghold of the version since.

2009 Monkey King - This one's media influence was large but more so in how it was in both merchandising and promotional material. This piece of media leads to a particular focus on Wukong in his younger years, leading to more media in the future following a concept similar. However, the largest connection this series has had is with it's spin-off series for children's education called Little Monkey King.

2015 Monkey King: Hero Is Back - another defining Sun Wukong in the animated department, not seen since 1999 with how well received and beloved this Wukong is. This was a lot of people's first movie Wukong and brought in another wave of Xiyouji fans into the series and adored. This series led to a game being created and even promises of a sequel and prequel in the works. There is a large agreement this Wukong was to inspire the Monkey King Reborn movie that came out a few years later.

And at the moment I believe that I'm going to have to stop there as these are series that I have seen prevails and while there have been great movies and shows since Imma have to wait to see which really make an impact on further media. But until then I would think that these are some of the most defining media to date that have affected other media as well!

'And then of course he never even succeeded on the journey' Sorry if this is out of line but I read your replies on that one post -which I originally agreed with- and I have to ask. Where in the show did it say that Sun Wukong never finished his journey? Because I don't remember the show or the translators or the show writers or any of the side content ever confirming that (and if he didn't finish it wouldn't he still have his circlet on?). I really don't understand how you assumed this.

Spoilers for Journey to the West & Monkie Kid below

Not out of line at all anon! You can call that me jumping the gun and making an educated guess & also making a distinction between the journey being (maybe) completed and the journey being a success. I'm assuming that the pilgrims never completed the journey because Monkie Kid is in this strange spot where it's conceit is that it's both a sequel to Journey to the West but also diverging pretty wildly from the og classic, and a lot of these changes have resulted in Sun Wukong being left completely alone & with both yaoguai and heaven hating him. And while at this point Xiyouji is only a very rough sketch for what narrative the lego show is following, the pilgrim's reward for having completed the journey in the og classic was achieving enlightenment (except for Zhu Baiie asdfafd) and getting high positions in heaven. In Monkie Kid, however, since most of the main cast seem to be confirmed as reincarnations of JTTW's pilgrims, the implication is thus that they never reached enlightenment, i.e. never completed the journey, but rather died in a more "mundane" fashion and thus were sent to go through the wheel of reincarnation and earthly suffering once again.

Of course, with Monkie Kid (at least as we see through the perspective of the Azure Lion) seeming to take JTTW's satirical portrayal of heaven as a realm of extreme bureaucracy to its greatest extent where heaven just flat-out doesn't care about suffering on Earth & the deities are only interested in fulfilling their own desires (something that 1961's Havoc in Heaven also did), it could be that the journey here was just a farce from day 1.

Either way, it seems like what happened to land the monkey king in his lonely and miserable spot was either A) Something really bad happened and the pilgrims except for Sun Wukong all died (perhaps violently is Sha Dali's flashback is to be taken into consideration) before completing the journey or B) They did complete the journey, but they didn't get much out of it besides the headband being removed, & then Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Bai Longma all went their separate ways before dying. Or maybe they completed it and the headband was removed but then heaven tried to kill them all anyway. Lots of unanswered questions, but lego Sun Wukong seems to genuinely believe that all the other pilgrims are not just dead but completely gone, and he obviously doesn't have a high rank in heaven, so I'm putting that all in the pile of "the journey, even if it was completed, was not a success."