Key findings

• Journey to the West
  is a timeless story that continues to inspire adaptations in various media.
• Anime like
  Goku no Daibōken
  And
  Shinzo
  give the classic story their own unique touch.
• Dragon Ball,
  inspired by
  Journey to the West
  developed into a popular franchise with a mix of humor and mythology.

Journey to the West is a medieval Chinese novel from the 16th century, but set in the 7th century, featuring characters and places from history and ancient Chinese legends. It was written by Wu Cheng’en and is one of the most popular books in the world. It has countless modern adaptations in the form of films, books, comics and Anime seriesThe video game Black Myth: Wukongwhich is currently generating great resonance in the entertainment world, is another example of the enduring popularity of this story.

Many anime use some of the elements from Journey to the West as part of its setting, plot, or heroes. There are a wide variety of genres and types of anime based on this novel, with some merely referencing it while others are intended as full adaptations.

7 Goku no Daibōken

Comedy, fantasy and demons

• Led by: Gisaburô Sugii
• Produced by: Eichi Kawabata
• Studio: Mushi Productions
• Release date: January 7, 1967

Goku no Daibōken is notable for several reasons, starting with its historical place as one of the first Japanese animated series to make it overseas, although localizations were limited to Europe rather than North America. The anime follows the same basic plot as the novel and involves Goku as one of the guardians tasked with guiding the monk Xuanzang to India.

The show is also titled Adventures of the Monkey King And Goku’s great adventuredepending on the localization. Although it never made it to the US back then, the show is currently available to anyone interested in classic and vintage anime.

6 Sci-Fi Western Saga Starzinger

A creative futuristic adaptation

• Led by: Yugo Serikawa
• Written by: Tatsuo Tamura, Mitsuru Majima, Sukehiro Tomita
• Studio: Toei Animation
• Release date: 2 April 1978

Instead of a historical adaptation of the novel, a popular method of interpretation is Journey to the West is through a futuristic or fantasy lens. Known as Spaceketeers In the US, this series featured the same character dynamics and quest for a sacred MacGuffin, but was set in the distant future.

Instead of a monk, the main character is a princess, and her three guardians are based on those from the novel. The most powerful of the three and the protagonist of the story is Jan Kugo, who is heavily based on the Monkey King.

5 Monkey Typhoon

A mixed media project that combines fantasy, action and comedy

• Led by: Mamoru Hamatsu
• Written by: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Rika Nakase, Shin Kibayashi
• Studio: Studio Egg
• Release date: October 1, 2002

Based on the original manga by Jōji Arimori, the saga of Monkey Typhoon also consists of 52 animated episodes and can also be found under the original Japanese name, Assobot Robot Goku. The series is set in a futuristic environment with robots, which is why the original title is more descriptive than the English translation.

Instead of searching for Buddhist scriptures, the main character Goku, a first generation “Assobot” with certain powers and ape-like features, is tasked with finding the 49 Keys of the Apocalypse. Since he is a trickster, his true goal is the treasure hidden in the same place as the keys.

4 Simsala the Great

A vintage adaptation of Early Toei

• Led by: Taiji Yabushita and Daisaku Shirakawa
• Written by: Uekusa
• Studio: Toei Doga
• Release date: 14 August 1960

One of the first full-length animated films to come to the United States from Japan. Simsala the Great is an interpretation of the novel that makes Goku the hero and leaves out the details about the Buddhist relics. Instead, it follows Goku’s rise to become King of the Monkey Tribe and how he becomes arrogant and even tyrannical, only to learn some important lessons and change his ways.

Goku is never really a villain, but a troublemaker and playful thief, as he is portrayed in most Chinese myths and in the novel Journey to the WestThe Monkey King uses his cleverness and ingenuity to defeat demons, escape his bondage, and return to his subjects.

3 Shinzo

Humanity is the relic that needs to be saved

• Led by: Tetsuo Imazawa
• Written by: Mayor Sekijima
• Studio: Toei Animation
• Release date: February 5, 2000

For anime fans who like sophisticated stories with compelling lore and complex settings, Shinzo is an ideal choice. In Japanese, the show is known as Mushrambo, but the English version of the show is named after a mysterious sanctuary hidden somewhere on Earth, a place that is the key to restoring the planet’s original inhabitants, humans.

It’s a clever trick to replace the ancient Buddhist texts with humans, but that’s not the only similarity. The character Mushra, one of the three characters who protect and guide the main character, is not a monkey, but retains the features of a staff as a weapon and the characteristic gold headband.

2 Saiyuki Costume

A unique dystopian interpretation

• Led by: Hayato Date
• Written by: Katsuyuki Sumisawa
• Studio: Pierrot
• Release date: 4 April 2000

“Go Into The West” is the name of the very first episode of this anime series, so it’s clear that they are not exactly subtle about it, Journey to the West as source material. The action takes place in the fantasy paradise of Shangri-La, which has been disrupted by a wave of negative energy, rising evil spirits and vicious monsters. A priest named Sanzo is commissioned by the Celestial Heaven to travel to India and find out what happened and how to set it right.

Sanzo is apparently meant to be the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang, and of course, as usual, he has three companions by his side, one of whom is Son Goku. The show was so popular that it spawned a feature-length film and a remake. Saiyuki reloaded.

1 Dragon Ball

Humor and mythology developed into a franchise

The full name of the Monkey King in Journey to the West is Sun Wukong. In Japanese, the pronunciation is Son Goku, and so we have the name of our iconic protagonist in Dragon BallGoku also has a tail, uses a staff, and flies on a cloud, all powers that Sun Wukong also has.

The plot of Journey to the West is about a Buddhist monk who is tasked with finding ancient religious texts in India and bringing their knowledge to China. The first season of Dragon Ball is about Goku and his friends on a quest to find the magical Dragon Balls. Not many fans know the first season of this popular series, which is a science fiction and fantasy comedy, unlike the action anime it evolved into in the second season.