#The Return of the God of War of the Monkey King

[the-monkey-ruler]

The Real vs. Fake Monkey King (2020) 真假美猴王之大圣无双

Director: Luo Le Screenwriter: Yang Mo / Chen Banghe / Zhang Feixiang Starring : Du Yiheng / He Gang / Hu Linxi / Cheng Ye / Jin Qiaoqiao / Ng Mengda / Jiang Yuecheng / Gu Shangwei / Long Yangyang / Sun Cong / Bai Nari Su / Zhao Ji Genre: Action / Romance / Fantasy Production Country/Region: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2020-12-05 (Mainland China) Duration: 91 minutes Also known as: The Return of the God of War of the Monkey King / Great Sage / 真假美猴王之战神归来 / 大圣杀 Type: Retelling

Summary:

On the way to the west, the nine-ring staff in Tang Seng's hand absorbed countless demon souls and became the key to the survival of the demon clan. In the battle for the staff, Sun Wukong was accidentally seriously injured by Liu'er and left the team, losing his identity. In order to prove his innocence, he had to go to heaven and earth to pray to gods and Buddhas, but in the end he found himself caught in a conspiracy about the survival of the three realms, and killed the person he had exchanged his life for with his own hands... Where should he go?

Source: https://mov-20.chinesemov.com/2020/The-Real-vs-Fake-Monkey-King

Link: N/A

[scarletlich]

《苦昼短》 唐 · 李贺

飞光，飞光，劝尔一杯酒。

吾不识青天高黄地厚，唯见月寒日暖，来煎人寿。

食熊则肥，食��则瘦。

神君何在，太一安有？

天东有若木，下置衔烛龙。

吾将斩龙足，嚼龙肉，使之朝不得回，夜不得伏。

自然老者不死，少者不哭。

何为服黄金，吞白玉？

谁似任公子，云中骑碧驴。

刘彻茂陵多滞骨，嬴政梓棺费鲍鱼。

(punctuation added by me)

"Short Bitter Days" Tang Dynasty, Li He

Oh fleeting time, may you drink this cup of wine. I do not know how high the blue sky, nor how thick the yellow earth, I only see the cold of the moon and warmth of the sun (the days and seasons passing), wearing away our lifetimes.

Those who eat bear grow fat, those who eat frogs become thin.

Where are the gods, is there truly a heavenly emperor?

In the east of the sky there is a celestial arbor*, beneath it the zhulong**.

(*) borrowing this translation from hsr because hsr chinese also sometimes uses 若木 to refer to the 建木 as both terms refer to a massive mythical tree

(**) mythical dragon that controls the day night cycle

I shall cleave the dragon's feet, and eat the dragon's flesh, so it cannot fly during the day nor rest at night.

Thus the old will not die, and the young will not weep.

What use is there in eating yellow gold or swallowing white jade?

Who can be like Master Ren, riding through the clouds on a white/green* donkey? (*) there exists some debate on if this is supposed to be white or green in this line

Liu Che's* grave at Maoling is full of withered bones, Ying Zheng's** catalpa coffin wasted many abalone.

(*) Liu Che was the 7th emperor of the Han Dynasty, living from 156 to 87 BCE, and his gravesite is called Maoling. He was interested in seeking immortality.

(**) Ying Zheng was the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, and really the first emperor in Chinese history, responsible for uniting all the warring states and establishing the imperial system that would last for over two millennia after his life from 259 to 210 BCE. He died while touring the nation, suspected foul play by one of his sons trying to usurp the throne, and to keep his death hidden while they were returning to the capital his coffin (emperor's coffins were traditionally made of catalpa wood) was covered in abalone to hide the stench of his slowly rotting corpse.

Another poem I had previously read but didn't understand fully. Li He wrote this poem during the Yuanhe era (806-820 CE) of the Tang Dynasty's Xianzong Emperor Li Chun's rule. At the time Li Chun was extremely obsessed with obtaining immortality himself, to the point where he even famously appointed an alchemist as a provincial governor. Naturally whatever the emperor is interested in, the entire court is interested in in order to gain his favor. Knowing this historical background it's very clear what Li He was criticizing.

I also think this poem is a good concrete example of the Chinese attitude towards divinity. I believe @999-roses at one point showed a xhs post in which a Chinese user was asking why Westerners didn't have any stories about fighting their gods, whereas Chinese mythology is full of examples of characters fighting against the highest gods, most famously the three "rebels of heaven" Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), Nezha, and Yang Jian (Er Lang Shen). Many coastal regions had temples to the dragon kings who were believed to control the rain, however during long droughts people in some regions have a tradition of taking the dragon king's statue out of the temple and exposing it to the harsh sunlight, and even whipping it to give the offending gods a taste of the pain they inflict on the people by denying them rain. In this poem Li He is proclaiming he will slay and eat the dragon that controls the day night cycle (and by extension the normal passage of time) and bring immortality to all.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Just thinking of Peaches canon hyperfixation of plans and medicine and just... going into a rant whne he visits DBK's place the first time over some rare plant Redaon had cultivated and DBK jsut... standing in the background with a soft smile on his face as he sees his xiandi happy to talk about medicine and plants again and reminiscing on the times he'd talk his ear off when they were kids about the medical properties of various ingredients in the teas they'd make

Oh gosh this idea was cute I had to write out some dialogue for it;

referencing this post I made about catnip/cat plants with lmk characters;

DBK: "I wonder why Brother Azure acted so oddly when i sat next to him at dinner. He didn't drink that much." Wukong, sniffing: "Oh easy! You use Mao Bo He to keep away the flies right?" DBK: "Yes? It's one of few herbs that works for me." Wukong: "Mao Bo He causes mild intoxication and feelings of elation in cats! Lions are just big cats after all." DBK, surprised/amused: "So Brother Azure was drunk off my insect repellent?" Wukong, getting excited: "Yes! In a way! There's some other plants that cause a similar effect but it's different for every individual- oh... sorry." DBK: "For what?" Wukong, nervous: "I've been told I... get too excited when discussing herbs and treatments like that," DBK, smiling: "I have no issue in hearing you describe them. You clearly hold much joy for the subject." Wukong: "You don't think I'm annoying?" DBK: "Not at all. If I had, I would have said so. My ancestor was a herbalist himself after all. Now, tell me xiandi, what can I use to keep the flies away that won't make our proud Brother Azure turn into a kitten at the mere scent of me?" Wukong: (*tail wags happily as he charges up the infodump*)

Later in the Peach Soup au as Peaches is receiving training from DBK.

Peaches: "Oh! Thats a Zhi Zi!" DBK: "Hmm?" Peaches, pointing to a flower in the courtyard: "Gardeniae jasminoides. Sometimes its called a gardenia or a cape jasmine. It shows up in some of my books." DBK, knowing smile: "Really? Red Son collected some plants during his time learning under Guanyin. I had always assumed it to be a regular jasmine plant." Peaches: "That's ok! They look really alike and smell nearly the same! One way to tell them apart is to check the leaves. Smooth leaves mean Jasmine, Toothed leaves mean Gardenia!" DBK: (*fond chuckle!*) Peaches: "Oh sorry! Was I rambling? I apologise if I got a little carried away." DBK: "Not at all! Where did you come across such knowledge by the way?" Peaches, little bashful: "My uncle Sandy introduced me to different tea blends when I was younger, and from there I wanted to know more about plants and herbs and how they help people. I was actually hoping to become a doctor or a pharmacist before all of this... monkey business happened." DBK: "It's never too late to return to your passion. You always wanted to heal people, xiandi. Even back then." Peaches: (*shy smile as he realises what DBK means*)

It leads to a rare moment where Peaches discovers something positive he shares with "old him". Who knew Sun Wukong was a nerd back then too?

DBK is elated to see this side of his little brother live on - Wukong had put aside many dreams due to the War, and herbalism was sadly one of them. Wukong did continue to pursue medicinal knowledge after the fact, but his duty as a king and near-god had kept him anchored.

Peaches has lived 18 years with no such anchor. DBK is excited and cautious to see what path he chooses.

I love these guys so much

[semisolidmind]

Uh oh someone is beginning to have a lil crush on peaches 👀 _ at least that what I think is happening could be wrong _ ، hope for there sake the monkeys does know but if they did how would they react to the?

(you're not wrong :) and i had a thought about a scenario where this crush becomes noticeable)

perhaps there's a sparring session at flower fruit mountain for all the demon royals in wukong's little circle (excluding reader, for obvious reasons). a normal occurrence; the monkey king needs to be sure of his allies' strength. so, wukong challenges each of his demon generals (and occasionally their guests) to a friendly spar. macaque watches from the shadows, rolling his eyes at his brother's need to prove himself superior.

the current opponent is princess iron fan, and she's throwing deadly gales all over the sizable training area in an attempt to hit her foe. the wind brushes the spectators; reader watches from the sidelines, alongside azure and a few other demon sovereigns. seeing as the lion demon was the only reliably friendly face in the crowd, reader sits next to him while her husband shows off his strength in battle.

they converse quietly. reader enjoys how cordial azure is in comparison to most other demon lords. he talks with her, not at her. he's never mistaken her for a servant and loudly demanded anything of her. he's always friendly, with both her and the civilians of flower fruit mountain. reader has come to see his presence as one of the only highlights of wukong's many war council meetings. unbeknownst to reader...azure feels the same about her, though in a much less platonic way.

as the two continue to chat, the last gale goes off course when princess iron fan is thrown to the gound, defeated. it hits the onlookers like a solid wall and many of the demons, not prepared for the full force of the oncoming wind, are blown backwards. azure and reader are among them, and, in an attempt to save reader from being blown away, azure grabs her and pulls her to his chest.

the two are thrown through the air. they hit the ground some feet away, skidding to a stop beneath a cospe of trees. azure, on his back and slightly dazed, holds reader close, arms around her and her head pressed to his sternum by one huge paw. once the demon has overcome his momentary daze, he finds himself staring at the woman in his grasp. reader, still cowering from the wind, her hair tussled, eyes closed and teary from the dust, the sunlight dappled across her face...

...azure only barely manages to stop the rumbling purr fighting its way out of his chest. she's so small, so soft pressed up against him. he can feel his face warming under his fur at their proximity.

once reader has realized where she is (atop her dear friend, practically straddling him, oh gods she hopes for both their sakes that wukong and macaque aren't looking), she apologizes profusely, hastily removing herself from his person and (laughably, because he's twice her size) attempts to help him up. he holds onto her proffered hand a bit longer than necessary (it's so small, his hand entirely encompasses hers) as she asks if he's alright. still a bit stunned, he breathlessly laughs. he should be asking her that, he breathes. she smiles at him in return.

the moment ends when macaque rushes up to them, quickly pulling reader from azure's grip to check her for injuries and fuss over her. the six-eared demon leads his wife away towards the water curtain cave, holding her hand and continuing to press her about any supposed harm. while reader waves away his concerns, azure catches the stormy look the dark-furred monkey throws back in his direction.

the lion demon feels a chill down his spine when the monkey king's voice rings out across the field��somehow both friendly terrifying— and asks him to spar next.

[tobiasdrake]

Any thoughts on how Dragonball handles Death, narratively

To be honest, I find the status quo created by the Dragon Balls and their easy free resurrections to be interesting. The setting of Dragon Ball is a unique and creative place, and part of that is because the characters live in the knowledge of death's impermanence.

From the moment Goku first climbs Karin Tower and meets the God of Martial Arts, Dragon Ball has a strong spiritual side to it. This is not a grounded story of a guy living a life in a mundane but fantastical world. Son Goku, an adaptation of the Monkey King Sun Wukong, brushes elbows with gods and learns sacred arts of the heavens to carry him along on his journey.

As I've said before, there is no one correct way to write a plot. There are no universally good tropes to use or universally right interpretation to employ. Every story is a unique creature, and the elements that make up the story should be suited to what that story is trying to do.

I'm not saying that Dragon Ball's approach to character death is better or worse than other approaches; Rather, that it's unique, and that uniqueness makes it interesting and adds to its identity. The way Dragon Ball does things wouldn't work for other series, but it works for Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball is an individualistic story about the never-ending journey of self-improvement and personal development. It's about Goku coming into his own and growing up as a person and as a martial artist. The ultimate stakes of the story surround how Goku will grow and change and whether he will be able to prevail in this new predicament he's been placed into.

It's not about the world. It's about him and his emotional, physical, and spiritual journey.

With that in mind, Dragon Ball's relationship with death suits its story. Essentially, the stakes of any given Dragon Ball adventure are Winner-Take-All. If our heroes prevail, then all the damage is reversible. But if they fail, then all is lost.

This allows Dragon Ball to have its cake and eat it, with deaths that feel meaningful in the moment.

These deaths become motivating factors that drive the plot forward. But the tantalizing promise of revival is also a motivating factor that drives the plot forward.

While also building on the relationships between characters, which can then be followed up on when the character next returns from their grave.

The thing about Dragon Ball that sets it apart from other settings where death is often reversible is that Dragon Ball has a consistent mechanism for its reversal. One that the characters are fully aware of. This is precisely what makes its setting so distinctive, because it plays into the movement of the plot. Goku up there is going to meet God in order to bring resurrections back online.

The cast goes to Namek later on for the same reason. Piccolo's death means Kami dies means Shenron disappears from the Earth means no resurrections on the table for anyone Nappa and Vegeta killed; However, Krillin was paying the fuck attention during the battle and realizes that a slim hope exists for their friends.

The impetus for the entire Namek arc comes from the existence of resurrection as an option for the characters. Everything that happens on Namek is a quest to undo the damage Vegeta and Nappa inflicted.

This is the third time the possibility of resurrections has driven the plot. The second time was when Goku met God in Heaven. The first was when Goku went to war with Red Ribbon in the climax of their arc.

This is what I'm talking about when I say the stakes are Winner-Take-All. That characters can consistently return from death as long as conditions are right drives the plot forward at multiple points.

It also introduces new calculations into the decision-making of the cast themselves.

"Krillin, you've spent your 1-Up but I've still got mine so if one of us dies here then it should be me, not you." That's a choice Yamcha made, that would go on to pay dividends through this arc and the next.

"Can I come back to life if this goes bad Y/N?" is a real consideration that characters have to take into account when making their choices. Goku easily sacrifices himself to kill Raditz.

He's able to take us to visit the afterlife, meet Enma-Daio, and discover a great martial arts master in the heavens beyond life and death because of it.

All because he knows he's still got a revival on the docket, that he can trigger once he's ready to come home.

The Majin Buu arc takes the Winner-Take-All stakes to their absolute extreme with arguably the darkest moment in series history.

Majin Buu's been promised a great opponent to have a good fight with. In his new Super Buu state, he's impatient and wants his fight now. To buy time, Piccolo takes advantage of the fact that Shenron can revive the world to make Buu an offer: Finish exterminating humanity and then come back, and your opponent will be ready.

It's a bid for more time. It backfires in the most horrific way possible, when Super Buu uses this vantage in Heaven to fire Human Extinction Attack and kill all living humans at once.

What a fucking moment this is. Made possible by the reversible nature of all those billions of deaths - If, and only if, we can beat this guy. Winner takes all.

These are angles for the story that couldn't be explored without Shenron providing convenient resurrections. It's part and parcel of what the world of Dragon Ball even is, and a core component both in its storytelling and character decision-making.

Dragon Ball simply wouldn't be Dragon Ball without it.

[the-24-7-lawlu-library]

Hi! Just read this fic (https://archiveofourown.org/works/33748141) and the post that inspired it (https://ladycrimsonandblack.tumblr.com/post/658164849325604866/brawltogethernow-brawltogethernow-tama-gives), and was wondering if you knew any other fics where Luffy is a Fae or a Changeling or just not really human? Thanks!

Hello ! Sorry this took us a while, as it seems there are very few fics that fall under that category, but here's what we've got for you:

The closest that comes to mind is :

Wild Wind At Dressrosa by khepiari (M)

[Mod notes: I am personally recommending this one as it is set in a world of magical realism. Luffy is not explicitly a magical creature, but there is certainly a certain magic and mystery surrounding him, which gives this story a whole air of surrealness and fairy tales.]

Doflamingo has troubles- to govern Dressrosa, collect taxes for the King, a womanizing Secretary, a stupid Brother, an angry Wife and a Rebelling Son who is romancing the Biggest Troublemaker- a Wayfaring Godless Curio-Shopkeeper, who is storming the calm streets of Dressrosa. Law's heart is hell-bent to unite with the Wild Wind called Monkey D Luffy- a tale of food, books, friendship and love.

The Moonwitch And His Dumb Werewolf (also) by khepiari (T)

A.U., Fantasy. Happy Ending. Three Part. LawLu (Switch Couple) When his village gets burned down and family captured by the bounty hunters, a young werewolf pup, Luffy, finds himself in the protection of a witch boy named Law and his father Corazon. As the war ravages, the magical creatures must unite to fight their biggest enemies; humans.

Perfect Completion by quackquackcey (E)

Water sprite Luffy curiously happens upon a gathering of vampires and falls at first sight for a certain golden-eyed vampire…but will his feelings be returned?~

A Crown of Flowers by @hyperbolicreverie (M)

The Wild is a mirror, a magic realm of possibility parallel to the mundane one, and people like Luffy, changelings who've made a devil's bargain for power, walk the line between worlds daily. When Luffy makes a mad dash to rescue his brother from certain death, he sets off a chain of events that makes the very foundations of that realm shudder. Soon, he's got several other people along for the ride, and the situation quickly spirals out of control. There's something the people in power aren't saying, and it might be the key to all the strange events that keep happening around them. Luffy just wants adventure and fun and freedom. Law just wants to be left alone to live his life. Kid wants to never be beholden to someone else again. And Ace just wants some goddamn agency for once. But there are other entities in the Wild with agendas of their own, and they don't care about what others want at all.

How To Snare A Life by xairylle (E)

Accidentally ensnaring a parasitic sexual demon and being his host wasn't exactly how Law wanted to end his night or his life for that matter. LawLu/LuLaw.

A Fleeting Moment (When the Sun Can Kiss the Moon) by purplehairedwonder (T)

Once upon a time, the Sun fell in love with the Moon.

[We also recommend checking the #Sun God Luffy tag for godly Luffy material.

And finally, not Fae Luffy, but we'd like to recommend Fae Law]

To Give You My Name by cosmicatta (M)

Trafalgar Law, last of the faes, had committed a fatal mistake 15 years ago: he had given Doflamingo his full name. Now, even after having escaped, the looming threat of his ownership still follows Law everyhwere he goes. He can only try to survive as a runaway, hoping to, someday, find a way to cut the invisible string tying him to his former captor. Until he meets Luffy. He’s just a regular human. But maybe that’s all Law needs.

And, ofc, the one you recommended:

waters of the wild by ladycrimsonandblack (T)

Even to his nakama, Luffy sometimes appears just a little bit too odd. (Or: Five times a Straw Hat notices something strange about Luffy, and the one time someone knows what's going on.)

We're also happy to tell you that your ask prompted some of our writers to give Fae Luffy a shot, so expect some new fics under that tag soon enough.

-Mod Gigi

[royalsofhistory]

Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her Corfiot palace through the eyes of the Greek royals.

Greece was destined to offer the Empress Elisabeth the hospitality of its soil. She chose Greece as the country where she would hide herself and her sorrow. At Corfu she bought a site of ground from an old Corfiote Statesman called Braïla, and on it she built the Palace which she called "Achilleion", after her hero Achilles, whose statue was in the middle of the top garden terrace, and represented him at the hour of his death, drawing the arrow out of his heel. When in Corfu, it was understood, she was to be strictly incognito, and her wishes were always respected. One day, suddenly, when we least expected it, she arrived at Athens, having travelled by the ordinary steamer, and called at the Palace accompanied by a lady -in-waiting. She asked the porter whether she could see the King and Queen. On the porter's inquiring who she was, she replied she was "the Empress of Austria." Whereupon we were brought down to verify that statement . It seemed impossible╴but it was the Empress of Austria! Needless to say she obtained her interview, and after half an hour's conversation she took her departure, insisting that her visit should not be returned by my parents. As she was anxious to study Greek culture, she decided to learn modern Greek, and applied herself to the task with great energy and perseverance. She engaged a tutor for Greek conversation. Her first was Dr. Christomanos, an author and poet, who wrote a charming life of the Empress, which was translated into several languages. Her last was Count A. Mercati, who afterwards became Master of King Constantine's household. Accompanied by her tutor, the Empress used to go off on a five or six hours' walk, all over the island; and even for the picturesque ceremony of combing and brushing her hair the tutor had to be present, talking Greek to her all the time. She learnt to speak Greek quite faultlessly. In the arrangement of her house the Empress took great pride, setting up the statues of all her new "Gods"; Sophocles, Euripides, Plato and Aristotle. She also had a statue of Heine, the poet, erected in a shrine. When the Kaiser bought the Achilleion, he at once banished Heine, and raised Achilles from his recumbent position into a standing War Lord, with gilded helmet and shield, so that the first sight of Achilleion should be his glittering helmet. It is a pity that the Empress tried to improve the natural beauty of the spot. Her lack of taste, I may even ungraciously say her eccentricities, were almost an eyesore. There was a grotto of artificial rock and mirrors, destined as a home for monkeys, who luckily never came to inhabit it. Though the island abounded in oranges, she sent to Italy for her fruit. The view from the terrace over all the plain of Corfu, with its olive groves groups cypresses on one side and the sea and the mountains of Albania on the other one of the most exquisite I have ever seen.

The memoirs of His Royal Highness, Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, My fifty years, 1926.

I was a child when the Empress came to Athens and saw her only once or twice, but I remember her more vividly than many people I knew far better. I imagine it was the same with everyone who came in contact with her. Her brilliant, beautiful and restless personality left an indelible impression. She was so enchanted with Greece that she decided to build a villa in Corfu. The site she chose could not have been more beautiful, about twelve miles outside the town, set on a high hill overlooking the sea on one side and a chain of mountains on the other. But she was too impatient even to look at the plans and gave the architect carte blanche. So instead of the simple cottage she had intended he erected an orate and hideous palace lavishly adorned with frescoes, statues and bronzes of every description. This atrocity cost the Austrian Govemment twelve million crowns, I believe. The Empress's life was dominated by the fear of losing her beauty. As she grew older it became an obsession. Hours were spent every moring brushing the glotious brown hair that she wore gathered into two great plaits coiled around her head. This hair-brushing was a matter of solemn ritual. Any hairs that fell out during the process were carefully collected and presented to the Empress on a silver salver. If their number proved to be too many the entire day was blackened to her. Once a captain of a Russian gunboat reported that he had seen a yacht coming into the Piraus harbour with a woman seated on the deck whose mass of hair reached down to the ground while two attendants stood behind her brushing it. " That could only be the Empress of Austria." said my father, when he heard the story. Later in the day a carriage drove up to the Palace and a mysterious visitor was announced, a lady who refused to give her name. It was, as we expected, the Empress Elizabeth. She insisted on preserving a strict incognito while she was in Greece, although it seemed rather unnecessary, since everyone knew who she was. She detested nothing so much as being photographed, or even looked at for that matter, and always carried a large fan with her on her walks, so that she could unfurl it and hide her face from the passers-by. The Empress was a fine woman in many respects, far finer, I think, than most of her biogtaphers have represented her. Intelligent, intuitive, sensitive, she had all the qualities to make a great empress. But she was tragically lacking in a sense of proportion. Even in the small issues of everyday life she had no idea of modera-tion. She could not take anything up without making it a mania. While she was in Corfu she set herself to learn Greek, although she had gone there to rest. Now Greek is a complicated language and its study is hardly to be recommended as a restful pursuit. The Empress certainly did not regard it as such either for herself or any one else, for she wore out her two teachers, Count Mercati and Mr. Christomanos. Every day she walked ten or twelve miles with one or the other, talking Greek all the way and, even during the hair-brushing ceremony, one of them was always present reading to her. Her figure became another obsession with her. Although she was exaggeratedly slender when she came to Greece (she weighed, I believe, only seven stones) no Hollywood film star could have followed out a more Spartan regime. Her constant dieting made her irritable and depressed. Even when she lunched with my mother and father she would often eat nothing but a salad and some fruit, and she would start off immediately afterwards on one of her exhausting walks, skimming over the ground like a restless, beautiful wraith.

The memoirs of His Royal Highness, Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, 1938.

[jedineedlove]

LMK VS Legend

Peng:

The Golden Winged Peng

Korean- King of Bungma (Bungma= Dapeng)

LMK:

Powerful but a coward, we all know their story along with Azure and Tusk. All of them were former Celestials. The three ruled over Camel Ridge and became sworn brothers to Monkey King, Macaque, and Demon Bull King forming the brotherhood. After the "betrayal" of Monkey King they separated the brotherhood the trio stayed together and reunited with Wukong but only to battle and lose. Trapped in the scroll for hundreds of years. Were realized causing havoc to the cosmos. The rest is history For Now.

JTTW:

A demon born from the Primordial Phoenix, Given a high position in heaven which gave him his ego. He gave himself a humanoid form ate all the residence of the Lion Camel Kingdom ruled it for 500 years and then befriended the Azure Lion and Yellow-Toothed Elephant Demons.

Note: LMK and JTTW had Peng and Azure Switched In JTTW Peng was the leader and Azure the follower. Which of course is switched in the show.

His weapons are a ji and a Flask of Yin and Yang Essence which can suck in unsuspecting victims.

Flask of Yin and Yang Essence: After a while, the victim trapped inside the flask will be reduced to a bloody mash. (The flask was broken during the fight between him and Wukong)

In the book, it was the Buddha who subdued the Peng and returned him to Vulture Peak. He confessed to enjoying his demonic life and eating humans., but was left no choice but to abandon his evil ways and he was redeemed. He then became a protector of Buddhist law. He was later sent to destroy fake scripture without text by the Buddha. He is depicted perched above the Buddha's thrown as a guardian deity.

The Ming dynasty suggests Peng was a guardian of faith who watched over the world from an exalted position at the top of the Buddhas' throne.

Legend:

Dapeng Jinchi Mingwang/ Golden-Winged Great Peng His origins are derived from the Indian bird god Garuda.

Penig is one of the eight demi gods of Buddhism, he guards Mount Sumeru and Trāyastriṃśa. Pengi is depicted in the JTTW and General Yue Fei, mentioned in Chinese Buddhist literature.

The famous patriot General Yue Fei was believed to be the incarnation of Dapeng Jinchi Mingwang.

A demonic Peng born from The Primordial Phoenix the leader of flying beings. He also has a sister The Peacock Mahamayuri who once tried and failed to consume the Buddha. When he tried to kill her he was stopped and convinced to promote her to his godmother. Which makes the Golden Winged Peng the spiritual uncle of the Buddha. There is a tale of when Nü Tofu the bat spirit listened to the Buddha sermon on the Lotus Sutra at Leiyin temple. The bat spirit accidentally "broke wind" which stained the pure land. Peng snatched the spirit and killed her. For this Buddha exiled Peng to earth. He reincarnated as Yue Fei and the bat spirit reincarnated as Lady Wang. She married Qin Hui and Lady Wang killed Yue Fei in revenge.

For Backstory On These Two: Qui Hui and Lady Wang were the most hated couple in China for a thousand years. Qui Hui was a politician who gained his status by getting rid of political opponents, framing war heroes and was a sycophant to a foreign emperor. He and his wife both conspired to kill the Great War Hero of the Dynasty Yue Fei. He even becomes a puppet ruler. Qui Hui did not like Yue Fei because he was a great guy loved by all and became very popular even being more popular than the emperor. So Qui Hui had him returned and imprisoned. They torture Yue, but Yue Fei refuses to confess to something he did not do. They had him sentenced to death but in another story, Qui Hui's Wife Lady Wang poisoned Yue Fei. However, Yue Feis' story does not end at his death after a few decades Emperor Zhao Chen absolved Yue Fei and dedicated temples to him. Qui Hui and Lady Wang's betrayal and part in the war heroes' death were made public. In front of Yue Fei's temple, two iron statues of the couple were built for public shaming. People spit, abuse, and flop the statues and they get replaced when damaged they have been replaced 11 times since 1475.

Other Ledgends:

According to the martial arts master Laing Shouyu's book he was a great bird that was the guardian that could get rid of all evil in any area. Not even the MONKEY KING was a match. He was sent to China to defend China from invaders and was reborn as Yue Fei.

Yue Fei

The Shurangama Mantra: A mantra of Buddhist practice in China, Japan, and Korea, pertains to the Great golden-winged Peng bird, the Garuda it includes all species of birds. The Peng is the king among birds. He feasts on dragons, his being span measures an astounding 4,950 km, and when he flaps his wings the sea waters part to the deepest seabed.

Thoughts:

Peng's history and legends paint him as a far more powerful being than we have seen so far in the show if the writers do take anything from legends MK and the gang are in some serious trouble besides the ten kings. Also, it really is crazy that maybe even in the LMK universe Peng might have some serious power he was the last standing of the Sworn brothers in the final fight but that was mainly due to him running away. Peng does get redemption in the book with the LMK writers it's a 50/50 on the show. Also, love it when a character has a historical reincarnation to do some digging into.

[stealerofthe2ndbraincell]

ARCANE ACT 3

LIVEBLOG TIME ❤️❤️❤️

The final episode wow.

I am not ready for this in the slightest.

One thing before I get into this:

Regardless of how this show ends, it's still going to be one of my favourites of all time and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I think it's a true testament to how good Arcane is in so many areas that I fully believe a bad ending won't spoil it for me. Although, that may be naive, who knows.

Arcane Season 2, Episode 9: The Dirt Under Your Nails.

I am so nervous.

IMMEDIATELY a beautiful Jinx shot. Notably without the usual intro.

Oh I have such a bad feeling. Well we know what she meant by burning it all down then....

She's already cut her hair by this point.

EKKO!! THE KING RETURNS.

He's using his time travel!!

GIRL YOU'RE STRESSING ME OUT.

I'm not getting over the monkey toy. Never.

These little flashes forward are making me even more nervous.

I'm not knowledgeable in weapon design, but the difference between the Noxian weapon choice and Piltover's is immediately a detail I find quite interesting.

Why do I have a bad feeling Loris is going to die in this scene.

Holy shit Ambessa.

I do like that the big battles aren't really going the same route as s1's final act if that makes sense.

I completely forgot about shimmer wow.

DAMN IT I KNEW IT. LORIS :(((

Oh no STEB!

Of course the bomb wasn't going to work. it's not even a third into the episode...

I'm surprised Stb survived the gas.

MADDIE

(insert that Jürgen Leitner rant except specifically aimed at Maddie)

"I did appreciate your warmth" MADDIE THE FUCK

H a h.

That was Mel, right???

IT WAS MEL.

"(chaotic humming in the distance)" I KNEW IT was Jinx based solely on that subtitle.

I AM OBSESSED

This was exactly what I wanted, thank you.

Timebomb to the RESCUE OMG

YES RANDOM PIANO BOY WHOSE NAME I CAN'T THINK OF (I'm so sorry if he's a reoccurring character that I've completely blanked)

OH GOD VIKTOR IS OUT OF THE ORB

I'm genuinely at a loss as to how Ambessa would be taken down rn.

Speaking of new looks that I'm utterly in love with:

I am so worried for Steb

AND I WAS RIGHT TO BE THE CYBERMEN ARE BACK

SEVIKA NO

No

She's alright

Right????

RIGHT????

"You are no Medarda" obsessed. Her turning those words on her MOTHER was superb.

Okay hands down the funniest bit this entire season. This is the reason you don't have a villain monologue in the middle of a war! :D

NO RANDOM PIANO BOY!!!

Absolutely gobsmacked.

So much of this episode so far has left my jaw on the floor WOW.

Okay so I've run the limit on images being used, so I'm going to post this and then add to it in a reblog. I would usually plan to just cut them down , but I have so much I want to point out in this finale.

[journeytothewestresearch]

Japanese Monkey God

User @red-lights-burning asked if there was a connection between Sun Wukong and the monkey gods of Japan. They provided lovely info, which was split between two asks, but I decided to put everything together into a single post.

@red-lights-burning asked: Japan has their own monkey protector named Masaru AKA Sannō Gongen, who was created back in the early 9th century by Tendai Buddhist sect founder Saichō shortly after he returned from China. So it makes me think if Monkey King was already a thing in the 800’s and if he was one of the inspirations for Masaru. A description from onmarkproductions (a really great site for anyone curious about Japanese Buddhism and Shintō) MASARU 神猿 Literally “Kami Monkey.” Masaru is the sacred monkey and protector of the Hie Shrine (aka Hie Jinja 日吉神社, Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社). The term “Masura” is often translated as “excel,” reflecting the belief that this sacred monkey can overcome all obstacles and prevail against all evil. Masaru is thus considered a demon queller par excellence (魔が去る・何よりも勝る). In the Heian era, Masaru (also translated “Great Monkey”) was invoked in Kōshin rituals to stop the three worms from escaping the body. Masaru also appears in Japanese scrolls used in Koushin rites. Here’s a couple other descriptions SANNŌ GONGEN 山王 権現 SARUGAMI 猿神 Fertility, Childbirth & Marriage Monkeys are patrons of harmonious marriage and safe childbirth at some of the 3,800 Hie Jinja shrines in Japan. These shrines are often dedicated to Sannō Gongen 山王権現 (lit. = mountain king avatar), who is a monkey. Sannō is the central deity of Japan’s Tendai Shinto-Buddhist multiplex on Mt. Hiei (Shiga Prefecture, near Kyoto). The monkey is Sannou’s Shinto messenger (tsukai 使い) and Buddhist avatar (gongen 権現). The monkey messenger is also known as Sarugami (猿神; literally “monkey kami”). Sarugami is the Shinto deity to whom the three monkeys (hear, speak, see no evil) are reportedly faithful. The monkey shrine at Nakayama Shrine 中山神社 in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, is dedicated to a red monkey named Sarugami, who blesses couples with children. According to shrine legends, the local people at one time offered human sacrifices (using females) to this deity. The shrine is mentioned in the Konjaku Monogatari-shu (今昔物語集), a collection of over 1000 tales from India, China, and Japan written during the late Heian Period (794-1192 AD). Sarugami, like Sannou Gongen, is also worshipped as the deity of easy delivery and child rearing. At such shrines, statues of the monkey deity are often decked in red bibs -- a color closely associated with fertility, children, and protection against evil forces and diseases like smallpox.

My answer:

I've read only a little bit about Japanese monkey gods. I previously referenced Sarugami in my article about the possible shamanic origins of primate-based boxing in China. Part of footnote #14 reads:

In Japan, monkeys were also associated with horses and healing via the warding of evil. Apart from monkeys being kept in stables like their Chinese counterparts, their fur was applied to the harnesses and quivers of Samurai because the warriors believed it gave them more control over their mounts. Furthermore, monkey body parts have been consumed for centuries as curative medicines, and their hides have even been stuffed to make protective amulets (kukurizaru) to ward off illness. Likewise, a genre of painting depicts divine monkeys (saru gami), messengers of the mountain deity, performing Da Nuo-like dances to ensure a good rice harvest (Ohnuki-Tierney, 1987, pp. 43-50)

The aforementioned article suggests a connection between monkeys and the Shang-Zhou Da Nuo (大儺 / 難; Jp: Tsuina, 追儺) ritual, an ancient, war-like, shamanic animal dance designed to drive away demonic illness and influences. The pertinent section reads:

It’s possible that the “twelve animals” of the Da Nuo exorcism refer to some precursor of the Chinese zodiacal animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig). If true, monkey fur could have been among the animal products worn by the ritual army. After all, monkeys have long been associated with curing illness and expelling evil in East Asia. [14] A modern example of exorcists who don monkey fur are the shamans of the Qiang ethnic group of Sichuan. The Qiang worship monkeys as the source and savior of their sacred knowledge, as well as the progenitor of their people, the latter being a myth cycle common among ethnic groups of Tibet and southwestern China.

This is the only relevant info that comes to mind. But based on what I know, I would guess that Sun Wukong and the monkey gods of Japan draw upon the same cultural sources. I hope this helps.

Source:

Ohnuki-Tierney, E. (1987). The Monkey as Mirror: Symbolic Transformations in Japanese History and Ritual. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

[johnegbertlover413]

EVIL MARIO

.INTJ. Gemini Sun Pisces Moon. Yaoi War veteran. IBS warrior fighting for my life every day. Golden Sans victim. I saved the world. Reality shifter, astral projector, astral fighter, and soul seeker. He/him, I don't care for labels. On lamictal since 9/14/21. I'm a hardcore stoner, I live in Oregon so it's legal, okay? Okay. My name is Brogan, but please, call me Mario. Preferably, Evil Mario. In my past life (kin), I was an ageless (human age: legal adult under 25) devil taking a form similar to Mario from the Mushroom Kingdom. I was sealed for 5000 years by the Gods and made to reincarnate over and over. My identity as "Evil Mario" is still important to me in this life, and once I perish here, I will return to my former realm. I am the one true Evil Mario in all realities. That being said, I do have other kintypes, but they don't feel as important to me as... "myself". My other fictionkintypes are Kokichi Ouma & Sayaka Maizono (Danganronpa), C!Dream (Dream SMP), Scaramouche & Baal (Genshin Impact), Joe Tazuna (Your Turn to Die), Tohru Adachi (Persona 4), Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5), Arthur Fleck (Joker), Sans (Underswap), Gaster (Undertale), Tord (Eddsworld), Karkat Eridan Sufferer Kankri & Gamzee (Homestuck), Bakugo (My Hero Academia), SCP-1000 (SCP Foundation), Light Yagami (Death Note), Walter White (Breaking Bad), Chrom (Fire Emblem), Cloud Strife & Sephiroth (Final Fantasy), Hannibal (Hannibal), Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty), Eichi Tenshouin (Ensemble Stars), Mapleshade (Warriors), Steven (Steven Universe), Spamton (Deltarune), Porky (Mother), Freddy Benson (iCarly), Kirisaki Shidou (Milgram), 2D (Gorillaz), Big Ape & Esther (Starbound), Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100), Ian Hawke (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Michael Afton (Five Nights at Freddy's), Garcello (Friday Night Funkin'), and Rex (Victorious). "Doubles" are okay for all of these, there are infinite universes with infinite possibilities. My otherkintypes are a horse, a grizzly bear, a howler monkey, a king of darkness, and a harpy. I have deep and complex memories with every single one of these. My soul is on a road trip through realities with no destination. Don't follow me if you are homophobic, kin any form of Mario, or a BTS anti, I don't want you on my blog. Begone. Note: I am a Mario, but I'm not from the Mario universe. I simply take a similar form. Peach, Bowser, Luigi, and the likes don't really mean much to me, but they bring a bit of joy. All kintypes are part of me, even if they are not me in this life. Gas, water, and ice are all different, but they're all still water. That's what I'm like. The gas is Evil Mario. My current "self" (Brogan) is water. The ice are my other kintypes. I'm complex and different. Don't fuck with me. Oswald, Ajax, and Venti are the best friends ever. I miss you, Nicole. Fuck you Jenna, I can't believe I let myself get catfished with pictures of a streamer named Jerma985. I have a pet goldfish named Jungkook and one time he ate an entire chicken nugget.

Is this the life of ido who lives in Israel and attends the 7th grade ?

[sketching-shark]

do you think the rest of Huaguo (or at least the marshals and generals) have any opinions on their king's "love" life lol

I'm going to be honest anon (and I'm aware this makes me something of an outlier in the jttw-adjacent fandom dsfaewdq) but given how completely and sometimes aggressively uninterested in romance or sex jttw-canon Sun Wukong is I've come to imagine that the Mt. Huaguoshan troop would regard any of the people pining after him with either a "damn that sucks :(" or a "lmao get bent loser >:D" attitude depending on how much they like said piner (X_X). With all the shit that's gone down too I could also see them feeling pretty protective over the Monkey King. That's their communal grandpa, not your love interest!

Getting more into it though, while I unfortunately haven't gotten a chance to see it myself I have heard that the similarly canonically aroace 1996 SWK actually does have a pretty great scene between him and I think one of the spider women yaoguai about how he doesn't return her affections but he still hopes to be her friend, and that this works out well. I could easily see the Mt. Huaguoshan troop having witnessed a number of scenes like that themselves! SWK can be a refreshingly blunt character about what he wants and what he doesn't, and given the multitude of friends and allies that the Monkey King makes wherever he goes I could see him having gotten pretty good at being charismatic, reading people, and at times turning them down gently. That said, I do like the idea that he's usually completely blind to anything but the most explicit forms of flirtation or proclamations of romantic affection, which is something that can be very upset-making until or unless things are cleared up. His marshals and generals have likely gotten pretty good at subtly telling him when he's being flirted with so that he can respond accordingly haha.

All that said, I also do wonder the extent to which perhaps especially the marshals and generals Ma, Liu, Beng, and Ba have a lot of reason to worry about how some of the ultimately tragically messy semi-situationships SWK gets involved in with powerful gods and yaoguai will affect the overall stability of Mt. Huaguoshan. Like of course nothing blatant ever happens with Niu Mowang or Erlang Shen for example, but given how the former appears to have just fucked off after the war with heaven was over and didn't concern himself with what happened to the surviving members of the Monkey King's family while the latter was a major player in getting their king captured and mass murdering half of them AND burning their home to ash & then likewise not concerning himself with what happened afterwards, well you can see how that would stir a lot of bitter feelings towards them among the Mt. Huagoshan troop and maybe even some of the monkeys wondering if these guys would have been so vicious and/or uncaring if they didn't feel snubbed by SWK. They'd probably at least initially formulate a lot of hatred towards Zhu Bajie as well for his role in convincing Tang Sanzang to mistrust the Monkey King numerous times during the journey and occasionally getting him an extra round of headband torture time. And also for them having heard him insult SWK when he though he was out of earshot lol.

So overall I imagine that while the Mt. Huaguoshan troop usually sees their king's nonexistent love life as a point of least concern, when it comes to the intense friendships/rivalries/hatreds/situationships he keeps forming with these ultra-powerful figures it's along the lines of:

"My king you have terrible taste in men."

"I do what now?"

"Never mind."

[pompomqt]

Journey to the West Chapter 6

In this chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest the fight against heaven continues.

So in this chapter we get to meet the Bodhisattva Guanyin and her disciple Prince Moksa, whom she sends down to get a better understanding on how the battle against Sun Wukong is going. So he goes and battles Sun Wukong for a while before I eventually get to add a +1 to his 'God's Defeated stat.

Anyway, once Moksa returns to Guanyin and tells her what happened, she suggests to the Jade Emperor that they bring in the Jade Emperor's nephew 'The Immortal Master of Illustrious Sagacity Erlang', and his troops.

And Erlang must be much younger than I thought because when he goes to provoke Sun Wukong into battle, he gives him the Nezha treatment calling him 'little boy' and 'little warrior'.

Anyways after exchanging those pleasantries they battle for a while before Erlang uses a transformation to assume a giant war form, which Sun Wukong matches with his own transformation. However, these transformations terrified Sun Wukong's army into a rout, where they were then captured.

After that Sun Wukong loses all will to fight and focuses his energy on trying to escape, both him and Erlang using several transformations in the chase.

As Sun Wukong and Erlang battle, the Jade Emperor, Guanyin and Laozi discuss what is taking Erlang so long. Guanyin suggests throwing her vase at Monkey's head to end the stalemate and give Erlang the opportunity to capture him. Laozi worried that the vase might shatter if it hit's Monkey's rod, instead suggests they use his diamond snare. Which they do so.

Sun Wukong who was currently engaged in battle with Erlang and some of his troops, gets taken by surprise when he gets hit in the head with the diamond snare and gets knocked off his feet. Erlang's dog bite's his calf when Sun Wukong tries to flee again and is then pinned by the seven sages, and stab his breastbone to stop him from transforming for good measure.

And so this chapter ends with Sun Wukong captured and being taken to the execution block to be cut into small pieces.....

And with me unfortunately having to add a new category to his stats with Sun Wukong's first defeat....

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague) and The Great Sage Equal To Heaven. Immortality: 5 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, and the ability to put others to sleep. Demon Kill Count: 1+ Unknown Number of Minions God's Defeated: 18 Defeats: 1 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, and Impersonating a Government Official. Cry Count: 2

Previous - Masterpost - Next

[quitealotofsodapop]

Okay, headcannon for how Shadowpeaches met:

After Wukong git back from training with Subhodi he found that his monkeys had been kidnapped by the Demon King of Havoc, so naturally he goes and rescues them. Except.... there was an extra?

Macaque, who had run away from home after feeling smothered by Chang'e (who may or may not have been chanelling her grief over her husband into how she was raising her baby monkey bro) ran away from home to show her he could take care of himself!.... and was captured by a demon king. But he was FINE, he totally could have escaped on his own and didn't NEED to get rescued, thank you very much! But... he doesn't exactly have anywhere else to go so could he stay on the mountain please? Just for a bit, he'll totally leave soon after he gets his feet back under him.

Wukong, meanwhile, thinks this new guy is really pretty in need of his help, so lets him stay and offers to train with him (which has NOTHING to do with wanting to show off his new magic powers or spend time with the new guy, obviously).

And the rest is dubiously cannon history.

ooo this is a cool idea.

Chang'e I feel was a little over-protective of MIhou when he was a baby because he was one of her few companions on the Moon. Chang'e had dreamed of having children with Hou Yi, so she did her best to spoil her little moonstone. Ultimately she could only raise him as just one Celestial castaway, not as a troupe of monkey demons as he should be. So when Mihou came to her one day saying that he heard the sounds of "people that were like him!" on winds from Flower Fruit Mountain; she knew that MIhou would be happier learning from a troupe on Earth. Plus not a lot of babysitting or teaching opportunities up there on the Moon.

I doubt Mihou would have left without hugging his big sis goodbye, but he would have left without telling her. He runs up to her, gives her a quick hug, and by jumping on a magic wind (or magic wind bag "borrowed" from a god); he propels himself towards Earth to finally meet others of his kind. Chang'e cries obviously. But she knows it's for the best.

Sadly, although the monkeys on FFM did resemble Mihou superficially, they were cautious around him. And even a little scared of him. And none had ears like his.

Then as Mihou finds himself moping alone, a flash of orange fur crashes into him. The orange thing hoots excitedly and playfully nips Mihou's fur.

Think the scene where Bambi met Flower;

Shihou, pointing to the new monkey's ears: "Flower!" Mihou: "Me???"

Thats how Shihou and Mihou meet for the first time - for the first time.

Mihou managed to get to know the Elder Storyteller before he sadly passed. But he and Shihou didn't really get a chance to know each other better before the orange monkey left to study with the humans. Mihou had been sad obviously, as he felt like even on the island that he was Other than the rest of the monkeys. With Shihou he didn't feel that way so much.

With both the Elder dead, and the closest thing to a leader being an absent monkey cub - the cruel Demon King of Havoc muscled in and declared himself the King of Flower Fruit Mountain. The monkey troupe disagreed and what amounts to a miniature civil war breaks out across the archipelago.

MIhou is caught up in the drama of the Demon King's regime. His appearance making him a rare oddity that the King of Havoc decides to keep around as an ornament. As long as MIhou kept his head down, looked pretty, and told the King stories, he and the other captured monkeys would be safe from harm.

Suddenly one day; the walls of the Havoc's throne room burst open, revealing a slightly older orange-furred monkey cub. He seemed to levitate on thin air as he wielded an iron pole, demanding the return of his people.

The Demon King of Havoc scoffed and ordered the floating monkey to do his worst. Within seconds the Demon King of Havoc was no more.

As the returned monkey counted those missing from the troupe amongst the Demon King's staff, his eyes fell upon the striking moon-white fur and lotus-petal-shaped ears of the court jester.

Sun Wukong: "Flower?" Macaque, amazed that Shihou remembered him: "Me."

The connection is instant. Wukong stumbles over his words as he reintroduces Mihou (now nicknamed "Macaque") to the troupe, and to the Demons he'd befriended in proving himself as the King of Flower Fruit Mountain.

Macaque is confused. Shihou wanted him to stay?

"Of course!" the orange monkey smiled, as if it were obvious. "You are a member of this troupe no matter what! The others told me of how you'd protect and comfort them while you were all captured by the King of Havoc. I'd be honoured to have you stay."

And thats how Macaque found himself the new Storyteller of the troupe. And how a certain romance blossomed between two stone monkeys.

I hope you enjoyed this <3

[the-monkey-ruler]

Monkey King Returns (2020) 大圣重生之斗战逆天

Director: Zhan Bo / Zhang Yongsheng Starring: Dong Haoran / Zheng Zihao Genre: Fantasy Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2020-10-31 (Mainland China) Type: Reimanging

Summary:

Under the guidance of the Golden Hoop Staff, the Stone Monkey was reincarnated as Hua Xiaotian, attracting the covetousness of the giant spirit. The fairy Acuo was ordered to find Hua Xiaotian and persuade him to take on the mission of protecting the people. The giant spirits frequently cast poisonous schemes, repeatedly putting Xiaotian in danger. Acuo's desperate fight made Hua Xiaotian gradually understand the responsibility he must bear, and a generation of war gods was finally awakened.

Source: https://mov-20.chinesemov.com/2020/Monkey-King-Returns

Link: N/A

[wildfyrevalkyrie]

Chapter 3 for @journeythroughjourneytothewest's book club!

Chapter 3

Summary

Wukong trains his subjects in war to protect them from future attacks. He robs a kingdom's armory and threatens the Dragons of the Oceans for his staff and battle garb. He forms a brotherhood with six of the seventy-two other demon kings on Flower Fruit Mountain (although the rest pay tribute). The Ten Kings of the Underworld send for Wukong to pass on in his sleep; instead he fights his way into hell and strikes his and as many monkeys' names as he can find from the Register of Names, granting them all Immortality regarding Old Age (and potentially preventing them from ever reincarnating?). The Jade Emperor nearly sends an army to arrest Wukong upon hearing of his deeds, but Gold Star of Venus convinces him to instead offer him a position in heaven so as to tame him socially rather than by force.

Misc. Notes

Wukong originally trains his subjects in war as a game, then realizes "o shit, we may one day piss someone off, we should get real weapons" which 1) great foresight Wukong and 2) who taught him war? Was this part of the curriculum at Subodhi's?

Was not expecting two of Wukong's commanders to be female monkeys. Pretty much everyone so far has been male.

Bareback Gibbon the Expositor my beloved returns ♥

FFM has 73 demon caves (72 + Waterfall Curtain)

The other demons pay homage to Wukong b/c of his scary fuck-off army, which is part of exactly what he feared while teaching War™

Wukong has the ability to part water! Will we ever see him do this again?

This exchange:

Wukong: This weapon is too light! Aogung: Fam, it weighs almost 2 tons.

Aogung is quaking at Wukong's strength, and, ngl, same

It's an interesting detail that Wukong's staff specifically chose him and not the other way around

I can't decide if I'm surprised or not that Wukong didn't pay Aogung, despite stating that he would

Dumbass really went and pulled out the scary war form while playing with the staff smh

Wukong gets mistaken for a hairy thunder god during his rampage into hell

Shoutouts to the Gold Star of Venus for preventing unnecessary bloodshed. That's def going in my peer review for him next time he asks for a raise

Thoughts/Poll!

Wukong in this chapter immediately went and proved Subodhi right, committing thievery, threatening other immortals, unrepentantly breaking promises of payment, and putting his responsibilities on others so that he can relax and make friends. Is this sudden violent attitude because Subodhi told him that is what he was or would he have been like this even regardless upon attaining his powers?

I lean towards it coming from being informed by his teacher that he is evil, not because I want to absolve Wukong of any guilt (he still chose to commit those crimes), but because the Wukong before and at Subodhi's is different from the Wukong after Subodhi's, notably with how he regards promises and payment. Pre-Subodhi, Wukong gives a speech about trustworthiness and about the value of following through on one's word to his monkeys (p 105), and makes similar statements both to the woodcutter (p 112) and generally throughout Chapter 2. Post-Subodhi, however, there's the Dragon Incident, where Wukong first goes back on what he's there for (from a divine weapon to a weapon and battle garb) and then on his promise of paying Aogung for the weapon ("Go and look some more, and if you find something I'll like, I'll offer you a good price" (p 134)). His original attitude was demonstrated literally in the paragraph before Subodhi's declaration, which suggests that this wasn't something that occurred because of the power he'd gained mixing with his natural inclinations.

Since this is fundamentally a Nature vs Nurture debate, however (especially since Wukong is supposed to symbolize the mind), I'm gonna open it up to a poll!