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Monkey also known as Monkey Magic! is the English language version of Japanese television series Saiyūki (西遊記, Saiyūki^?), based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. It was originally produced by Nippon Television (NTV) and International Television Films in association with NHK. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... For other uses, see Novel (disambiguation). ... The four heroes of the story, left to right: SÅ«n Wùkōng, Xuánzàng, ZhÅ« Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng. ... Wu Chengen (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: , ca. ... Nippon Television Tower (headquarters) in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Nippon Television Network Corporation ) (TYO: 9404 ) is a television network in Shiodome area of Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan owned by the Yomiuri Shimbun. ... NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo NHK (, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ...

Special effects for most of the series were performed by Teisho Arikawa.

The series ran for two seasons of 26 episodes each. The first season ran from October 1978 to April 1979. The second season ran from November 1979 to May 1980. Both seasons had footage shot on location in northwest China and Inner Mongolia. Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Inner Mongolia (Mongolian: ᠥᠪᠦᠷ ᠮᠣᠨᠺᠤᠯᠤᠨ ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠺᠡᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ ᠣᠷᠤᠨ r Mongghul-un bertegen Jasaqu Orun; Chinese: 内蒙古自治区; Hanyu Pinyin: N i Měnggǔ Z qū) is an Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The show is unusual in that it was performed by Japanese actors in China and then dubbed into English. The English language version was produced by the BBC and broadcast in Britain and Australia in November 1979. The script for the dubbed dialogue was written by David Weir. It ran for only 39 episodes, because at the discretion of the BBC select episodes were not dubbed for the original run. These remaining episodes were dubbed by Fabulous Films Ltd in early 2004 by the original actors following a successful release of the English dubbed series on VHS and DVD. The missing 13 episodes were shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 8 September 2004. In filmmaking, dubbing or looping is the process of recording or replacing voices for a motion picture. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... This article is about the British television station. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Besides Britain and Australia, Monkey has also aired in New Zealand and is available on DVD. Monkey has not been screened in the United States (for reasons which involve copyright), although Saiyūki was screened on a local Japanese-language TV station in California during the early 1980s. Not to be confused with copywriting. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Plot summary

Monkey, the title character, "born from an egg on a mountain top", was a brash king of a monkey tribe (indeed, the title song goes so far as to claim that he was the "punkiest monkey that ever popped"). He achieved a little "enlightenment" and proclaimed himself "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven". After demanding the "gift" of a magical staff from a powerful Dragon king, Monkey is approached by Heaven to join their host in the lowly position of "Keeper of the Peaches of Immortality". Monkey being greedy eats them all, becoming immortal and running amok. Having earned the ire of Heaven and being bested in a challenge by an omniscient, mighty, but benevolent, cloud-dwelling deified Buddha (specifically Avelokitesvara aka Guan Yin, Buddha of Compassion), Monkey is imprisoned under a mountain in order to learn humility. The Monkey King redirects here. ... The Rú Yì Bàng (如意棒) (Japanese nyoi-bō), also known as the As-You-Will Cudgel, is the magical weapon wielded by the Monkey King Sun Wukong in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ... The four Dragon Kings (龍王; pinyin: L ng W ng) are, in Chinese mythology, the divine rulers of the four seas (each sea corresponds to one of the cardinal directions). ... For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ... See also: List of deities Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ... AvalokiteÅ›vara or Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit, lit. ... For the Chen Dynasty empress whose Buddhist nun name was Guanyin, see Empress Shen Wuhua. ...

Eventually Monkey is released by the priest Tripitaka in AD 630, who has been tasked by the Boddhisatva Guanyin to undertake a pilgrimage to India to fetch holy scriptures. The pair soon recruits two former members of the heavenly host who were cast out as a result of Monkey's transgressions: Sandy, the water monster and ex-cannibal, expelled from heaven after his interference caused a precious jade cup to be broken, and Pigsy, a pig monster consumed with lust and gluttony, who was expelled from heaven after harassing star princess Vega for a kiss. A dragon, Yu Lung, eats Tripitaka's horse but upon discovering the horse was carrying Tripitaka, assumes the shape of a horse to carry him on his journey; later in the story he occasionally assumes human form to assist his new master. Monkey can also change form, for instance in 'The Great Journey Begins' Monkey transforms into a girl to trick Pigsy. Monkey's other magic included a cloud upon which he could fly, a fighting staff which could be any size and the ability to conjure fellow monkey warriors who grew from his chest hairs. A portrait of Xuanzang Xuanzang (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsüan-tsang; CantoneseIPA: jyn4tsɔŋ1; CantoneseJyutping: jyun4zong1) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler and translator that brought up the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. ... Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. ... For the Chen Dynasty empress whose Buddhist nun name was Guanyin, see Empress Shen Wuhua. ... Sha Wujing Sha Wujing (沙悟凈 WG: Sha Wu-ching) is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ... Zhu Bajie Zhu Bajie (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Pa-chieh), also named Zhu Wuneng (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Wu-neng), is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ...

The pilgrims face many perils and antagonists both human and supernatural. Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy are often called upon to battle demons, monsters and bandits, despite Tripitaka's constant call for peace. Many episodes also feature some moral lesson, usually based upon Buddhist and/or Taoist philosophies. Buddhism is a variety of teachings, sometimes described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer various ways that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. ... Taoism (pronounced or ; also spelled Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ...

Spoken word introduction

Each episode of the English language series begins with the following spoken word introduction, given in a dramatically breathless faux-oriental accent:

"In the worlds before Monkey, primal chaos reigned. Heavens sought order. But the phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown. The four worlds formed again and yet again, as endless aeons wheeled and passed. Time and the pure essences of Heaven, the moisture of the Earth, the powers of the Sun and the Moon all worked upon a certain rock, old as creation. And it became magically fertile. That first egg was named "Thought". Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha, said, "With our thoughts, we make the World". Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch. From it came a stone monkey. The nature of Monkey was irrepressible!" Tathāgata (Sanskrit; Pali The one thus-come or The one thus-gone; Chinese: 如來; Pinyin: Rú lái; Japanese: nyorai) This is traditionally interpreted as one who comes and goes in the same way (as the previous Buddhas). Tathāgata is the name which the historical Buddha Sakyamuni (Siddhattha Gotama...

Soundtrack

In 1980, the BBC released a Monkey single on a 7 inch RESL 81. It featured three tracks, an edited version of "Monkey Magic" on side 1, and "Gandhara" and "Thank You Baby" on Side 2. Note: "Gandhara" has one verse in Japanese and the other in English. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Persian; Gandara, Waihind) (Urdu: گندھارا) is the name of an ancient Indian Mahajanapada, currently in northern Pakistan (the North-West Frontier Province and parts of northern Punjab and Kashmir) and eastern Afghanistan. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The songs in the series were performed by the five-piece Japanese band Godiego. Formed in 1976, Godiego had also provided the theme to the TV series The Water Margin. An album containing many of the songs from the programme - Magic Monkey - was released in Japan (and has since also been available on CD). The BBC also released the full Godiego soundtrack on LP (REB 384) in 1980, which featured 11 tracks. Godiego ) is a popular group from Japan, consisting of Mickie Yoshino, Takami Asano, Steve Fox, Yukihide Takekawa, and Tommy Snyder. ... Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh (Traditional Chinese: 水滸傳; Simplified Chinese: 水浒传; pinyin: Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn), sometimes also translated as All Men Are Brothers, is one of the most famous works of classical Chinese literature. ... CD may stand for: Compact Disc Canadian Forces Decoration Cash Dispenser (at least used in Japan) CD LPMud Driver Centrum-Demokraterne (Centre Democrats of Denmark) Certificate of Deposit ÄŒeské Dráhy (Czech Railways) Chad (NATO country code) Chalmers Datorförening (computer club of the Chalmers University of Technology) a 1960s... An LP Long playing (LP), either 10 or 12-inch diameter, 33 rpm (actually 33. ...

A cover version of "Monkey Magic" by Orange Range was featured in the Nintendo DS video game, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2. Another cover was featured in Lucky Star. The Japanese-Canadian pop group Monkey Majik (which took their name from the song) released a new cover version in 2007. For a mountain range in Indonesia, see Jayawijaya Mountains. ... Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 , lit. ... Original run April 8, 2007 – September 16, 2007 Episodes 24 Game: Shin Lucky Star Moe Drill: Tabidachi Developer Kadokawa Shoten Publisher Kadokawa Shoten Genre Adventure, Puzzle, Educational Rating CERO: All ages Platform Nintendo DS Released May 24, 2007 Game: Lucky Star: Ryōō Gakuen ÅŒtōsai Developer Vridge Publisher Kadokawa Shoten...

Cult appeal

Monkey is considered a cult classic in countries where it has been shown, especially in Australia, where its immediate widespread popularity surpassed that of both Japan and the UK. Among the features that have contributed to its cult appeal are the theme song, the dubbed dialogue spoken in a variety of over-the-top "Oriental" accents, which often was not correctly synchronised to the actors speech, and the fact that the young priest Tripitaka was played by a woman. Cult television, like cult figures, cult film and cult radio, attracts a band of aficionados or appreciators, known as a cult following, devoted to a specific television series or fictional universe. ... The fictional character Xuanzang (玄奘, WG: Hsüan-tsang), a central character of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, is partly modelled after the historical Tang dynasty Buddhist monk of the same name, whose life was the books inspiration; the real Xuanzang made a perilous journey on foot...

Australian contemporary youth programs like alternative music show Recovery and radio station Triple J often made references to Monkey. Triple J interviewed the original voice actors on several occasions. Recovery was a music and youth interests television series broadcast by ABC TV. It was aired each Saturday morning from 9:00am to 12:00pm following Rage. ... Double J redirects here. ...

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation frequently repeated the 39 episodes dubbed by the BBC at 6pm on weeknights throughout the 1980s. Recovery aired an episode of Monkey weekly from 1997-2000. When Recovery was put on hiatus it was replaced with three hours of Monkey. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ...

In Love Hina, when the characters put on a Journey to the West play, Seta insists Naru play the Monkey King because he wanted a female to play the role to be like this series. Serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine Original run October 21, 1998 – October 31, 2001 Volumes 14 (28 volumes in Brazil and Mexico) TV anime Director Yoshiaki Iwasaki Studio XEBEC Licensor King Records Madman Entertainment Bandai Entertainment (original), Funimation (new) Network TV Tokyo Original run April 19, 2000 – September 27, 2000 Episodes... The four heroes of the story, left to right: SÅ«n Wùkōng, Xuánzàng, ZhÅ« Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng. ...

In one closing credits sequence of Lucky Star, Konata tries to karaoke to the "Monkey Magic", only for her wanting to bail out upon realizing that the song's lyrics are in English. Original run April 8, 2007 – September 16, 2007 Episodes 24 Game: Shin Lucky Star Moe Drill: Tabidachi Developer Kadokawa Shoten Publisher Kadokawa Shoten Genre Adventure, Puzzle, Educational Rating CERO: All ages Platform Nintendo DS Released May 24, 2007 Game: Lucky Star: Ryōō Gakuen ÅŒtōsai Developer Vridge Publisher Kadokawa Shoten...

In Read or Die OVA, one of the main villains that was a clone Genjo Sanzo carries a bar called the King Bar. The OVA based on the Read or Die manga series created by Hideyuki Kurata was created by Studio Deen in early 2001 and distributed outside Japan by Manga Entertainment in 2003. ...

With popularity of Monkey Magic high in Australia, various fan clubs formed. The largest club known of in Australia is the Monkey Magic Menagerie, formed in 1993. The club has even received a letter from the character who one of the people who played an extra in the first episode where Monkey ate peaches.

Characters

Monkey Magic fan clubs have been set up across the world with the largest fan club on record being in the town of Creswick in Australia. The fan base there includes relatives of the one of the extras of the town, Visjou Chitari. Masako Natsume (夏目雅子; Masako Natsume, December 17, 1957 - September 11, 1985) was a Japanese actress from Tokyo. ... Maria Warburg (1952) is a British actress. ... The fictional character Xuanzang (玄奘, WG: Hsüan-tsang), a central character of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, is partly modelled after the historical Tang dynasty Buddhist monk of the same name, whose life was the books inspiration; the real Xuanzang made a perilous journey on foot... Image:Sanzo. ... Masaaki Sakai (born August 6, 1946) is a popular performer in Japan. ... David Collings (born 4th January, 1940 in Brighton, East Sussex) is a British actor. ... The Monkey King redirects here. ... A modern image of the traditional Son Goku, the Monkey King. ... Toshiyuki Nishida (西田敏行; born 4 November 1947) is a Japanese actor. ... Peter Woodthorpe (September 25, 1931-August 12, 2004) was an English movie, television and voice actor who is best known for supplying the voice of Gollum in the 1978 Bakshi version of The Lord of the Rings and BBCs 1981 radio serial. ... Zhu Bajie Zhu Bajie (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Pa-chieh), also named Zhu Wuneng (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Wu-neng), is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ... Cho Hakkai (豬八戒 Cho Hakkai) is a fictional character in the manga and anime Saiyuki. ... Shirō Kishibe ), born 7th June, 1949, is a famous actor from Kyoto, Japan. ... Gareth Armstrong is a British actor. ... Sha Wujing Sha Wujing (沙悟凈 WG: Sha Wu-ching) is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. ...

Longevity

In 1996, the BBC interviewed the executive producers Harold Chan and his wife Adrienne Kirby about whether it is still playing. They said it can still be seen on CBC Television in Canada and on ABC TV in Australia every afternoon. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... CBC Television is a Canadian English language television network. ... The ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national, Australia. ...

Remakes

In 1994, Nippon TV produced another television series, based on the Journey to the West story, titled New Monkey, it ran for only one season. The series when released was considered a special effects achievement. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Nippon Television Network Corporation (abbreviation: NTV, Japanese: 日本テレビ放送網株式会社, Nihon Terebi Hōsōmō Kabushiki Gaisha) is a television and radio network at Shiodome in Tokyo, Japan owned by the Yomiuri Shimbun. ...

In 2006, Japan's Fuji Television produced (yet) another television series, based on the Journey to the West story, titled Saiyūki. The lead character of Son Goku (Monkey) was given to Shingo Katori, a member of the pop group SMAP. This latest remake has been so successful as to break viewing records with one in three Japanese viewers watching each episode of the series (according to the Times Online Newspaper). Companies from South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and the United Kingdom are trying to secure rights to broadcast this 11 episode first series. In lieu of a second season, Fuji TV and Toho are producing a feature film version, to be released in Japan on July 14, 2007. [1] Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fuji Television Network, Inc. ... A modern image of the traditional Son Goku, the Monkey King. ... Shingo Katori (香取 慎吾 Katori Shingo) is a member of SMAP, a very popular idol group from the agency Johnny & Associates. ... For the Internet protocol, see Simple Mail Access Protocol. ... The English-language version of Tohos famous logo, used from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

China CCTV made a faithful and costly TV serial adaptation of Journey to the West in 1986, which in the strict sense is not a remake. The Chinese version focused on authenticity through using traditional imagery and interpretation and adopting a much more serious tone overall. The show is still considered by most Chinese as the definitive interpretation of the novel, while the Japanese version is often derided as a second-rate adaptation. [2] Hong Kong TVB also made a more humorous version while still tried to stay faithful to the original novel. There were numerous campy action and humour sequences in this version, possible as a tribute to the Japanese version. The show was redubbed into English and broadcast to their English sister channel TVB Pearl. CCTV can stand for: China Central Television Closed-circuit television This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The four heroes of the story, left to right: SÅ«n Wùkōng, Xuánzàng, ZhÅ« Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... REDIRECT Television Broadcasts Limited ... The term camp—normally used as an adjective, even though earliest recorded uses employed it mainly as a verb—refers to the deliberate and sophisticated use of kitsch, mawkish or corny themes and styles in art, clothing or conversation. ...

The highly popular Japanese Anime & manga series Dragon Ball was based on the story of journey to the west and its creator used the original Japanese series as a form of inspiration when making it. Son Goku with the four-star Dragon Ball. ...

Episode list

Series 1

1. Monkey Goes Wild about Heaven
2. Monkey Turns Nursemaid
3. The Great Journey Begins
4. Monkey Swallows the Universe
5. The Power of Youth
6. Even Monsters Can be People
7. The Beginning of Wisdom
8. Pigsy Woos a Widow
9. What Monkey Calls the Dog-Woman
10. Pigsy's in the Well
11. The Difference Between Night & Day
12. Pearls Before Swine
13. The Minx and the Slug
14. Catfish, Saint and the Shape-Changer
15. Monkey Meets the Demon Digger
16. The Most Monstrous Monster
17. Truth and the Grey Gloves Devil
18. Land for the Locusts
19. The Vampire Master
20. Outrageous Coincidences
21. Pigsy, King and God
22. Village of the Undead
23. Two Little Blessings
24. The Fires of Jealousy
25. The Country of Nightmares
26. The End of the Way

Series 2

1. Pigsy's Ten Thousand Ladies
2. The Dogs of Death
3. You Win Some, You Lose Some (dubbed 2004)
4. Pigsy Learns A Lesson (dubbed 2004)
5. The Land With Two Suns (dubbed 2004)
6. The House of the Evil Spirit (dubbed 2004)
7. Am I Dreaming? (dubbed 2004)
8. The Tormented Emperor (dubbed 2004)
9. Between Heaven and Hell (dubbed 2004)
10. The Foolish Philosopher
11. Who Am I?
12. What is Wisdom?
13. The Fountain of Youth
14. Better The Demon You Know (dubbed 2004)
15. A Shadow So Huge
16. Keep on Dancing
17. Give and Take
18. Such a Nice Monster
19. The Fake Pilgrims (dubbed 2004)
20. Pretty as a Picture
21. Mothers
22. The Tenacious Tomboy (dubbed 2004)
23. Stoned (dubbed 2004)
24. Hungry Like The Wolf (dubbed 2004)
25. Monkey's Yearning (dubbed 2004)
26. At the Top of the Mountain

See also

• Journey to the West (TV series)
• Monkey is not to be confused with Hanuman The Monkey Warrior
• Sun Wukong

Created By Braedan Johnstone Journey to the West is a 1986 Chinese live action TV series made by CCTV adapting the majority of the literary classic Journey to the West. ... This article is about a divine entity in Hinduism. ... The Monkey King redirects here. ...

External links

• Monkey - Great Sage equal of Heaven - fansite
• Monkey at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
• GodChecker page on the god Monkey
• Fuji Television's English page of the 2006 remake
• Fuji Television's Japanese page of the 2006 remake
• Journey to the West - More background info on the legend