Journey To The West is one of the most influential stories of all time. First published during the Ming Dynasty, Wu Cheng'en's epic is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.
The story has influenced thousands of different works in all forms of media. References and retellings of the story continue to appear, with the currently-airing The God Of High School suggesting that it too will intertwine with the epic tale. However, if you want more adaptations of the Monkey King's journey, here are five of the best reimaginings of Journey To The West.
Dragon Ball
Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball needs no introduction. Since it started in 1984, the series has been a smash hit, spawning a massive franchise that is famous all over the world. In interviews, Toriyama has said that when he made Dragon Ball, he wanted to create something with the basic theme of Journey to the West but with "a little kung fu" added in.
Because of this, the series is full of references to the classic work. For instance, the lead character of the manga, Son Goku, is named after the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong, the protagonist of Journey to the West. Much like his namesake, Son Goku uses a magical size-changing staff and a flying cloud during his adventures. And, both Goku and Sun Wukong spend their time looking for magical artifacts that are said to bestow a great prize on the person who collects all of them.
One of the most direct references to Journey to the West is the Ox-King. The Ox-King is the name of a demon found in the original work and both he and his Dragon Ball counterpart are first encountered in a castle that sits atop a flaming mountain. In the World of Akira Toriyama artbooks, Toriyama has drawn many images of Dragon Ball's core cast as their corresponding Journey To The West character, showing just how close the two stories are.
Enslaved: Odessey to the West
British development studio, Ninja Theory, released Enslaved: Odyssey To The West on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. It's an action-adventure game that takes the story of Journey to the West and sets it in the future. After a global war, most of humanity is wiped out and the world becomes overrun by murderous robots.
The player takes control of Monkey (played by Andy Serkis) who wakes up in a prison cell on a slave ship. During an escape attempt, Monkey causes the ship to crash. Once he recovers from the crash, Monkey finds that Trip, another prisoner, has placed a slave headband on him, forcing him to comply with her demand to escort her back to her home village, a journey that is very reminiscent of the one that Sun Wukong takes in the original story.
Other characters from the original tale also make an appearance during the game, including Pigsy, who, in this version of the tale, helps lead Trip and Monkey to a giant robot called “Leviathan." Pigsy also got a DLC pack, called "Pigsy’s Perfect Ten." This mission pack is set before the start of the game and focuses on Pigsy trying to build a robot friend.
Both the game and its DLC received very good reviews from gaming publications, most of whom commended the game's beautiful environments and high-quality voice acting. However, the game didn't sell as many copies as hoped and Namco Bandai decided to cancel the planned sequel before it entered development.
Saiyuki
Kazuya Minekura's Saiyuki was first serialized in the magazine GFantasy between 1997 to 2002. It has spawned a massive franchise that includes sequels, anime adaptations and even stage musicals. The series is set in a world where demons, magic and modern technology all co-exist and intermingle.
When peaceful demons suddenly turn violent, the Sanbutsushin commands Genjyo Sanz to travel to India to prevent a mysterious group of people from resurrecting the Ox-Demon-King, Gyumaoh. On this journey, Sanz is accompanied by Son Goku, Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai. However, these companions are not what they seem. In fact, they are all demons who are only kept under control by the magical trinkets they wear. The series is known for its action as well as its bishōnen-influenced male character designs. This, mixed with its unusual setting means that the series has a unique visual style that sets it apart from other adaptations of Journey to the West.
Unruly Heroes
Created in 2019 by Magic Design Studios, Unruly Heroes was released on the PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. The game allows players to play as Sanzang, Wukong, Kihong and Sandmon. Each character has different abilities and players must swap between these characters to solve complex platforming challenges. The game was praised for its fluid character animations and highly detailed backgrounds, as well as for its excellent co-op play.
However, while the game is heavily influenced by Journey to the West it also heavily changes the narrative, turning the story into a light-hearted comedy that only has superficial relations to the original source material.
The Forbidden Kingdom
Released in 2008, The Forbidden Kingdom is the first time action legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li have co-starred together. It features an all-star cast and was directed by Rob Minkoff. The film tells the story of Jason Tripitikas, a teen from South Boston. While browsing in an old store, Tripitikas finds a golden staff. During a robbery, the store's owner tells Tripitaka to return the staff to its rightful owner. Agreeing with the man's request, Tripitaka flees but ends up falling off a roof.
When Tripitaka wakes up, he finds that he has been transported to mythical China and now has to save the world from an evil warlord who has turned the Monkey King to stone. The film was commended for its impressive fight choreography and intense and innovative fight scenes, though many reviewers criticized the film's pacing.
From accurate retellings of the original legends to series that use the myth as a jumping-off point to all-new narratives, Journey to the West continues to be a fountain of inspiration. There is no doubt that the Monkey King and his companions will be going on many more journeys and inspiring countless new writers for decades to come.