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nekohime19 · 9 hours ago

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Wukong study in LMK # Season 1

So here we are after the analysis of the pilot (which you can find under the tag Wukong study or at the end of this study). As I already established about Wukong, he is NOT the perfect enlightened being we expected him to be, especially after his portrayal in the pilot. We are even encouraged as an audience to let go of this assumption. In fact, we can even say that Wukong works as an antithesis of the usual portrayal of wise masters in media, he defies our expectations of what a master truly is by being shown as lazy and gluttonous, two non-flattering traits that we usually don’t associate with masters.

In season 1, Wukong appears mainly in the background. The series takes its time to introduce the main characters and, as such, even if he is a recurrent character Wukong doesn’t get as much screen time as the others. In fact, he is more like a guide that will help MK along but rarely if ever takes part in the many conflicts that MK encounters.

S1 ep 1

Wukong appears very briefly in this episode. He only interacts with MK and appears after the boy is thrown out of the weather tower. Narratively, we can assume that he has been keeping track of MK, even perhaps following him, but decided to come to him only when the boy was alone. I do believe it is because he wasn’t comfortable with showing himself in front of the others.

Like in the pilot, Wukong is shown reclining on his cloud, adopting some kind of lazy, laid-back attitude. He immediately rejects MK when this one asks him to help, insisting that he’s retiring, and thus it isn’t his role anymore. This interaction is here to re-establish MK as the hero, and at the same time re-establish Wukong's role as the guide. No. Wukong will not take part in the conflict. It isn’t his place anymore

I find it somewhat funny that Wukong uses a cane to scratch his back, canes being usually associated with old age and thus this serves as another emphasis on his old age and retirement. Moreover, when he talks about his younger days “You think I took shortcuts ? No! it took me centuries of training and fighting and just beating up demons…just so many demons..” There is a lagging in his voice, a visible tiredness that further emphasizes this idea of retirement. Also he talks like a grandpa, like “IN MY DAYS…” type of thing.

But Wukong is mainly here to introduce an important aspect to MK, that the boy kinda missed, and that is TRAINING. At the beginning of the episode, we can see MK being somewhat arrogant about his new-found invincibility without having any control whatsoever on his powers. Here, Wukong will imitate MK in a somewhat cheeky way by screaming “and weren’t you INVINCIBLE..” like MK did in the beginning of the episode. This tells us that Wukong was indeed following MK around, long enough to be aware of the boy’s current problem : his arrogance towards his invincibility.

So Wukong is making fun of MK to highlight this problem. He’s messing with him by scaring him a little which is NOT expected of an usual wise master. An usual wise master, in this situation, will guide their student with an anthology, or wise words; Wukong here does highlight the problem but he does so in a very childish/funny way. He does his job, and the results are the same, but the ways are very different. Wukong is still being shown in a comedic light.

We can also notice that Wukong isn’t that confident about his job as a master. When he gives his advice to MK, his back is turned on MK, he clears his throat and drops of sweat are on his temples. It’s newfound territory for him. He has never teached before this, so he’s as new to this as MK is.

Once Wukong seals MK’s powers, he drops the kid at the top of the tower in eagle form and flies off the frame discreetly, it’s a way for him to disappear because it is not his stage anymore, it’s MK’s.

In short, this episode re-establish Wukong's character as MK’s guide. He will not take part in the conflicts. At the same time it hints at us that Wukong isn’t THAT confident about his own role, and furthermore highlights Wukong differences with the usual figure of the wise master, he does his job but he doesn’t do it in the usual ways.

S1 ep 2

Wukong doesn’t appear in this episode but it is interesting to notice that the motions helping MK discover what can poof the clones is the exact same one used by Wukong in episode 1 to seal MK’s powers. So MK is already starting to imitate Wukong.

Also, it is funny to notice how present Wukong is throughout merch in general in this episode and later episodes, even when he doesn’t appears we get his image everytime through posters/ clocks / charms / shows, he is VERY present in MK’s life, the image of him at least.

S1 ep 5

Wukong doesn’t truly appear in this episode, it’s an illusion of him conjured by the calabash. At first, Wukong appears descending on his cloud, very much like episode 1 to ask about MK’s struggles. MK doesn’t suspect anything wrong until Wukong basically tells him : “My powers are just so great, it’s probably too much for your brain to handle. You’re gonna see some weird stuff, you just have to accept it.”

What is very interesting about this episode is that we can see how MK perceives the others by how he finds them weird, or Out of character. Pigsy is not mad about him being late, Mei is having romantic feelings for him, and that freaks MK out because it is unusual for them. Here, what freaks MK out about the fake Wukong is that he’s essentially telling him to deal with the situation and doesn’t offer any solutions whatsoever. It does show that Wukong, while his methods are unusual, does always help MK out when he appears, so much that the fact he is NOT helping there is what makes MK realize he’s wrong and “out of character”.

S1 ep 7

So Wukong appears at the beginning and the end of the episode, it’s actually his second real appearance of the season. And we finally see some training !

During the training, MK is shown as struggling while Wukong is not even breaking a sweat. He’s even taunting his student by reading a book mid-fight. And while it can come off as arrogant; and make us wonder if he’s not taking the training seriously we can also notice that during the whole fight, Wukong keeps his hands in his back, obviously because this is training and he doesn’t want to use his full power against MK, who is a rookie. So Wukong IS thinking about MK and what is beneficial for him but his attitude leads us to believe otherwise.

Once the fight is over, Wukong drops his attitude and praises MK for his performance.

Wukong : “way, WAY better. You’re totally getting the hang of this, bud.”

So MK lost the fight, but Wukong is still praising him, precisely because this is training and he can see that MK is improving. So while most of the time he is shown as lazy and somewhat uncaring of what is going around him, little interactions like those actually tells us otherwise, Wukong is very observant. He sees MK evolution, that does mean he keeps a close eye on his student. Moreover, Wukong points out MK's lack of focus, which will be relevant for the rest of the episode. Because while MK denies it, he does indeed lack focus. That shows us that Wukong knows his student, he knows his shortcomings.

In terms of personality, this episode also does a great job of showing Wukong as a somewhat cheeky and kinda arrogant person. There are also a lot of jokes made between the two which really creates a light-hearted atmosphere. Usually, master/student relationships are very serious, there is a kind of submission/respect coming from the student, especially in Chinese media, but here MK is not truly showing this kind of attitude, in fact he’s not afraid to call out Wukong on his past mistakes. The use of comedy to alleviate the seriousness of the usual master/student relationship really highlights Wukong and MK's unusual, almost brotherly, way of working.

Wukong is also upset when MK doesn’t take his advice seriously, we can see that with the very (sassy) way his eyebrow twitches. I think it’s very funny because it does show that Wukong is not as laid-back as he pretends to be, he’s still upset when his student doesn’t take his advice/lesson, that means he does care about it.

At the end of the episode, MK delivers the wrong noodles to Wukong. I love how MK overthink everything and think that this is some kind of lesson that Wukong organized, while it’s clearly not but Wukong decides to go with the flow anyway. It’s a great parallel to others master/student relationship, where the master gives some kind of unusual task to do and at first the student doesn’t realizes its utility but then after doing it they realize that it was a great lesson all along, here it’s not, Wukong didn’t plan this at all, but he goes along anyway.

S1 ep 9

Oh here we go for the Macaque episode. So while the other two appearances of Wukong re-established him as MK’s guide, as an unusual master and were consistent with their comedic tones (MK and Wukong being shown as light-hearted/bickering…), this episode shows us a more serious side of Wukong. Truly, Macaque’s episode is the one that adds depth to Wukong as a character.

The episode immediately starts with a confrontation between MK and Wukong. Eventually, I think it was bound to happen, especially with Wukong's unusual way of teaching. MK doesn't understand why he has to destroy the mural and Wukong doesn't really explain himself either.

There is a physical distance between them that is further emphasized by the fact Wukong is reclining on his cloud, they're not on the same level, they don't meet each other in the middle.

MK : You know when I found out I was being trained by the monkey king, great sage equal to heaven, I had no idea… that'll be stuck there hammering walls here all day!

Wukong is not what you expect of a master and even less what you expect of the great sage. Here we can clearly see how MK's expectations are crushed. In a way, he doesn't see the image he idolized in Wukong, he doesn't understand the purpose of this training, and thus is frustrated. I think that's bursting of emotions coming from MK was due. Since the pilot episode, where we are clearly shown we have to let go of our expectations of Wukong, MK confrontation between his idolized version of Wukong and the real one was bound to happen.

When Wukong assumes a more epic front, more in tune with what MK except of his master and his own training, we can clearly see MK having stars in his eyes, longing for this kind of training.

But Wukong denies this. He has good reasons to but he doesn't explain them, instead he bush MK off with “I'm never going to teach you something you don't need to know.” It is perhaps the first time we see Wukong being this serious. It doesn't last though (perhaps because Wukong doesn't like being severe, in a sense his laid-back attitude could be his own way of controlling the situation and himself).

There is a distance between master and student, MK is on the ground while Wukong towers above him, representing the power differences of their relationship but also their impossibility of understanding the other at the moment.

The wedge created here is exactly what Macaque will use later-on to widen the distance between them. MK longs for an epic teacher, he's impatient, he wants to be strong, and fast. And he'll find the idolized version he expected of Wukong in Macaque.

Macaque will use MK's frustration to widen the wedge between him and Wukong. In fact, he will even suggers to MK that Wukong is slowing him down, that his lessons are irrelevant. There is a parallel montage between the two monkeys and their lessons where we can see Macaque working alongside MK, while Wukong is reclining on his cloud, putting distance between him and his mentee. Moreover, during this montage, Wukong flaws (laziness and gluttony) are emphasized, convincing MK even more that Wukong is somewhat unfit to be his teacher.

As we can see in those parallel shots, Wukong is shown as lazy, reclining on his cloud and waving a chip around, while Macaque adopts a more serious/epic pose, leaning over a sandbag. In the first shot MK is angry/frustrated, while in the second he seems more resigned, as if accepting what Macaque is telling him.

The next scene is a parallel of Wukong's first scene. This time MK manages to replicate perfectly the move Wukong showed in the first scene, the move he especially told MK that he couldn't learn yet.

What I love in both those shots is that, while they are very similar, MK's smash is violet to show Macaque's influence, but it's also all cracked, further highlighting that MK isn't ready for this move and it's taking a toll on his body.

Wukong first is still shown in a comedic light, with the joke “Have you been running around with other mentors!?”, but soon enough he adopts a more serious poise when he sees that MK isn't receptive to their usual light-hearted dynamic, and as such something is clearly wrong. Perhaps, we can assume that Wukong tends to use jokes to communicate with his mentee, considering until this episode their dynamic was mainly seen in a comedic light. But once Wukong notices MK's symbol, on his jacket, being tainted by Macaque's magic, his face darkens, because he knows something is up here.

In Wukong's next appearance, he will intervene in the fight between MK and Macaque. This is very important, because it was established in episode 1 that it isn't Wukong's role to fight anymore, yet here he decides to step in. Perhaps because he knows that Macaque isn't MK's enemy, it's his enemy. Macaque is about him, and thus Wukong steps in. The dialogue between the two monkeys further highlights this :

Wukong : Are you ever going to be sick of living in my shadow? It's time to get back what you stole.

Macaque : You are such a gem, it's going to be so satisfying killing you with your own powers.

Wukong especially nips at Macaque's insecurity, showing that he knows him quite well, but he also indirectly says that Macaque is his enemy. Macaque is in his shadow. It’s his problem to deal with. The fight between the two monkeys are full of parallels, when one uses a power, the other uses the exact same, portraying them as two sides of the same coin. On three occasions during the fight we can see how much Wukong truly cares about MK, one when Macaque turns into MK, disturbing Wukong who cannot punch the image of his mentee. The other is when Macaque is going to attack MK, and Wukong shouts his name while kicking away the clones holding him back. And the last one when Wukong protects MK from the explosion’s recoils by hugging him.

In the end, Wukong's lesson is what enables MK to beat Macaque, re-establishing him as MK's mentor. What I found very interesting is at the end, after Macaque's defeat, both MK and Wukong are sitting on a cliff side. The colors are yellow/golden to highlight the resolution of their troubles, but Wukong also initiates contact with his student, something he never truly did in his previous appearances. In fact, we can even argue that Wukong was putting some distance with MK by never lingering too long around him and always reclining on his cloud, being thus on another level.

This is actually the first time we see Wukong genuinely approach his student in this way, showing that in the end Macaque's meddling brought them even closer.

The episode ends with MK doing chores and believing it's some sort of secret training lesson, it is clearly NOT, Wukong is looking away with drops of sweat on his face, a tell-tale sign he's lying. We can assume Wukong is messing with MK as light revenge for what happened with Macaque. Moreover, it's also quite funny to see this scene considering Wukong first lesson, destroying the mural, could fit in the “The master gives a totally unrelated task that will later-on be discovered as necessary in the student's learning” cliché, but it didn't work then because MK didn't understand the purpose of it. But now MK is leaning towards this same cliché as a joke.

It's funny to think that when Wukong leans in towards wise masters clichés it doesn't work out for him.

And this the end of Wukong's appearances in season 1. Yes. Wukong only truly appears in three episodes, and out of the three it's only in Macaque's episode that he's shown in a more serious/epic light. I think there is a great dichotomy between Wukong's presence in the show and his true appearances. Wukong is very present in MK's life through merch, but also thought MK himself who imitates Wukong's moves multiple times throughout the season. But in truth Wukong isn't that much shown. It can make us feel as if Wukong is absent, perhaps even that he doesn't care enough to show himself (his laid-back attitude can reinforce this feeling). But as we saw, it's not true at all, Wukong pays a lot of attention to MK.

In this season, Wukong is a side-character, he assumes the role of guide and doesn't really step out of this role he puts on himself. As the seasons progresses, we will see Wukong gradually stopping to recline on his cloud and stopping to distance himself from his student.

So here was Wukong study in the first season. Idk, maybe what I'm saying is very obvious and I'm just rambling but here it is nonetheless. As always, it's fine if you disagree with what I'm saying 👍.

I'll see you in the next study

Pilot

#lmk #lego monkie kid #Lmk analysis #Sun wukong #Wukong lmk #Wukong study #Legomonkiekid #Wukong

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sato-s-only-wife5107 · 2 months ago

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LMK!Wukong: The Game.

Word Count: 1078.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Clingy Wukong acting like a baby.

Authors Notes: Based on that one (TikTok?)video with the lady and her adorable clingy kitty. It felt very LMK!Wukong coded, so I couldn't help myself. Hope you enjoy! And don't be shy, feel free to request whatever you want!

<---Previous | Masterlist | Next--->

The vibe of Flower Fruit Mountain was rather peaceful in the past few hours. The little monkeys didn't come to bother you or anything today, which made you a bit suspicious. Wukong wasn't any different though, still the same old monkey, clinging to you like a child with its favourite toy. Not that you minded your boyfriend’s embrace, but being able to scratch your nose would have been nice.

You were on the internet when you saw the inspiration to do something… fun. You glanced at your Monkey King and smiled a bit as he repeatedly nuzzled into your stomach. You moved to sit up on the bed and stretched, which made him briefly let you go so he could do the same. When he was about to bury himself back into you, that's when you struck and stopped him.

“What?” Wukong looked at you in confusion with a small frown when you didn't allow him to cuddle you. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Stay,” you warned, which made him twitch in excitement at the challenge. The way his tail moved and how his eyes zeroed in on you made him look like a wild animal ready to pounce and not let go till your body stopped moving… Well, in this case till you stop resisting.

“No,” he said yet again like the stubborn little monkey he was.

“Stay,” you repeated, which made the Monkey King pout like a baby. “Don't look at me like that.”

“Mine,” he whined as he opened his arms in an attempt for you to collapse into him.

Not today.

“No,” you warned again.

“Not mine?” he teared, you had to give him credit, his guilt trip game was fire.

“Yes yours, but no touchy,” you assured him and tried not to laugh.

“Why?” he whined, but listened to you nonetheless, which surprised you greatly. He showed more self-control today than you gave him credit for.

“No,” you stood firm, wanting nothing more than to see where his limit for the day was.

“Mine…” He pouted at you, his lip quivered, and he looked like he was about to cry. It hurt your heart and soul… But you knew him too well to fall for that.

“We're gonna play a game, okay?”

“No, mine,” his quivering pout turned stubborn, his arms still open till you lowered them by his wrist with your index fingers.

“We're playing a game,” you said more forcefully, not giving him the choice.

“Mmm,” he whined, but it's a potential game with you, and he’s Wukong, so he let you continue.

“It's called keep hands to self, okay?”

“No!” he snapped immediately.

“Volume!” you snapped back.

“Don't care!” he snapped back.

He’s such a child for such an old monkey. You mused to yourself.

He wanted you in his arms! He didn't want to play a stupid game that required him to have you right there but not be able to touch you. He was offended you'd even suggest something like that.

“Too much of a coward?” you smirked and raised a challenging brow that made him flinch. “Maybe you're too weak to be able to do such a simple task?”

“No…” he grumbled and folded his arms as he looked away.

He's so predictable… I admit I wanna kiss him right now though… you thought to yourself and decided to reward the Monkey King a bit when you were done torturing him.

“C'mon~ surely my big strong Monkey King, Great Sage Equal to Heaven won't be bested by a tiny little game,” you worked his ego, and as it always did, it worked.

“Fine, I'll play your stupid game…” he caved, but his fingers intertwined with yours.

“That-that means your hands too,” you were trying so hard not to laugh as you pulled your hand away from his.

“What?” He narrowed his eyes again.

“Yeah, that includes your hands too,” you told him and removed your hand from his. “Keep hands to self, remember?”

“I don't like this game!” he protested and reached to grab your face, but you were faster and grabbed his wrists.

“My face as well, no touching my face,” you spoke and moved his hands to his lap.

It really hurt you to deny him, the adorable pouting baby opened his arms in an attempt to get you to give in first, but you stood strong.

“No hugging,” you mused.

“Ugh,” he glared at you but kept still with his hands on his lap. You could tell it was taking everything in the Monkey King not to just jump you and be over with. The proof was in the way his tail twitched and swayed in annoyance… and the fact that his entire body was shaking like a chihuahua.

“Good job!” the second the words left your mouth, that's exactly what he did… jump you.

“Finally!” he said as he squeezed you in his arms, but not so tightly that you'd be uncomfortable and want another reason to leave his arms again.

“W-wait, we’re not done yet!” you laughed and tried to get through to him, but it was clear to see that you had lost.

“We are done,” he said firmly and buried his face into your stomach.

“I'll tell you when- I'll tell you-” You still tried to peel him off of you, but he was stuck to you like Flex tape. “I'll tell you when the game is over,”

“It is over,” he pulled back a bit to speak but buried his face into your stomach again.

“No, no, no,” you laugh, “let's just try it,”

“No, mine!” he held on firmly.

“But-”

“Mine!” he yelled as he squeezed you more.

“Gods dammit,” you swore with a laugh as you gave in and stroked your fingers through his bed head. “Okay, okay, you win.”

“Mine~” he smirked up at you and moved up to bury his face into your neck.

“All yours, silly monkey,” you chuckled at his display.

Honestly, you couldn't resist him, just as much as he couldn't resist you. You snuggled into his furry chest and took in the scent of your conditioner he kept stealing. You felt at peace at that moment, and it didn't take long for the tired hero to KO. Not only that, but you still couldn't escape, even with him asleep. Not that you minded, you revelled in your Monkey King seeking your comfort and love. That was the bare minimum he deserved.

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