#swk takes

[monkie-brainriot]

"every major baddie problem in the lmk universe is caused by SWK not dealing with his shit properly"

exept he dealt with all the shit and i'm tired of people ignoring it to paint him as an ignorant, uncaring bastard.

(very very minor s4 spoilers, so the cut)

Demon Bull King? Got his ass whooped and was sealed away for however long years it took for an entire ass megapolis to be built literally on top of him, causing absolutely no trouble to anyone whatsoever. Oh, and what sealed DBK? The staff. And if you'd care to know SWK outside of the LEGOverse, you'd realize how strong was SWK's resolve to seal DBK - keep him relatively safe, one might say - by using his trusty staff. The guy would literally die seven times over than let go of this thing.

Also people like, ignore the fact that canonically SWK stuck around the area (for the most part to stalk MK, but still), so he was literally there to deal with the DBK family if something went southwards? He didn't, because MK was able to hold the staff and the legend of the Monkie Kid then began.

(also zero antagonistic feelings towards DBK from SWK, like, whatsoever. i bet the dude actually wanted DBK to be free, cuz he felt bad abt it)

Macaque? In a morally gray manner, still very dealt with. SWK killed the dude. He was literally as dealt with as it can be. Or what, should SWK have predicted that after thousand upon thousand of years later a spirit (he dealt with too) would pull Mac out of Diyu? Yeah, I'd like to see that thought process.

SWK isn't omnipotent, he isn't even that far-thinking. Never was, actually. So holding that against him is like, very stupid. Especially because you don't do it to any other character in the show. 

Spider Queen? Wouldja look at that, also pretty much dealt with. We don't really know how exactly, but we know that she lost literally every ounce of power she had and had to resort to living in the sewers, prolly never to cause troubles ever again because, well, we never even heard of her until the special. SQ was pulled onto the scene by the Lady Bone Demon.

Which is, again, something SWK couldn't predict even if he tried.

And now into the fun part.

Lady Bone Demon? Was sealed away by Tripitaka and also didn't cause any trouble until DBK decided to use this freaky coffin he knew literally zero things about for his plans.

"But he should've killed LBD!!!"

He tried. Believe him he tried. This decision just wasn't his, and if you hold it against him and not Tripitaka, shame on you.

"He should have told the crew about LBD!"

He really couldn't have.

And people thinking that are blatantly ignoring SWK's character. Not that obnoxious fan favorite uncaring bastard one.

SWK deals with things on his own. That is just how he is, how he always was and he never learned to do it the other way around. If that's a fight, he'll do it, because he's damn strong. If it's to scout the mountain, he'll do it, because Bajie is a lazy ass motherfucker. If it's to find food for Trip, he'll do it, cuz he's fast and his eyes are awesome.

Same applies here.

LBD? Tried to kill her and Trip didn't let me -> Basically I didn't do the job right -> WTF I always do my job right, I am Sun Wukong hello???

It was, dare I say, a question to his pride, and SWK will forever be prideful. And when he acts on his pride, he does it with style and flare, in the most stupid way possible.

Hence all of the s2 off-screen investigation arc.

"Well, he should've told about the Samadhi rings!"

It would've endangered Mei, questioned his at this point in time very shaky authority and ability to handle shit, and prolly would've fucked Mei up a very whole lot.

You don't go and say to a person that they are a part of the most dangerous seal in the world and could die and destroy everything they love because you fucked up long time ago (again, very much jabbing at his mentality of 'Sun Wukong can do no bad job, and if he does he'll better fucking die trying to make it right').

Was his plan a shitty one? Obviously. Like, no question asked, it was a shit show of a plan. Very in character, though (SWK handles all the shit because he thinks he can).

And this little character arc of SWK not learning a damn thing results in him, oh golly you would not believe it, running off to do things on his own because he thinks he can handle it, because he's THE Sun Wukong who already handled this in the past.

Who woulda thought.

MINOR S4 SPOILERS START HERE

And the new addition to the baddie group, Azure Lion. Won't be addressing all 'SWK is a betraying bitch' because the show refuses to give us SWK's perspective and I hate it.

But you already know what I will say, because you know the truth. He was dealt with. Got his ass whooped and sealed away in the inky scroll. To be pulled back onto the scene by a third party that Wukong literally couldn't have known about.

See a pattern?

SWK deals with the shit, some unknown variable meddles in it, suddenly SWK is an incapable asshole who left the problems for the poor lmk crew to deal with.

MINOR S4 SPOILERS END HERE

Wukong did his job. Someone fucked him over by undoing his job. He tried to deal with it again the only way he knows how, but the solo play doesn't fly anymore, so he made it kinda worse.

He's not an unbearable, incapable asshole because of it.

And I'm tired of people not seeing this.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk, I am Sun Wukong Apologist till the day I die.

Have a nice day!

[rin-rin-comics]

alright um I’ve never done this before but I had an AU idea that macaque is basically like a siren kinda sorta…? Idk how to describe it but there’s basically this hidden place of FFM with a lake that macaque lives in. When Wukong and Mk find it Wukongs in love.

Feel free to ask about it! I’ll prob be doing panels in a similar format to kyri’s bio parent au

It’s not the best because I’ve never colored anything with it before so I’m not coloring the panels (colors will prob change)

[ninjasmudge]

req for @shadowgamerhalo! mei and mks tackle hugs are not only fun, they can also be used as a battle attack.

+ plus a little doodle bc the amount of actual hugs in the comic is lacking

[monkie-brainriot]

(me and @ninja-knox-ur-sox-off screamed about this in our family server and I'm going to scream about it here)

Time works differently in the Heavenly Realm: A day is said to be equivalent to a mortal year. Sun Wukong's been there and back several times throughout his life and while to him he spent only a few hours causing mischief or talking to the gods he must have been gone for months at a time.

This takes into account, for example, of when he was burnt in the furnace for forty-nine celestial days and returned home only to find that he'd been gone for forty-nine mortal years.

During Revenge of the Spider Queen the gang goes up to the Celestial Realm to obtain the peaches, pills and the furnace Sun Wukong and DBK were being electrocuted and had their magic drained by LBD.. meaning they were stuck like that for hours, his magic and energy being drained for hours at a time before the gang comes back and he breaks free.

During his "vacation" throughout Season 2, he's in the Heavenly Realm, threatening the celestials and trying to find a way to obtain the map. When he calls Xiaotian during the dumpling episode, he's seen up in Heaven and then Xiaotian calls him again during Minor Scale. Sun Wukong has been gone for around a few months by the time Xiaotian calls him — to Wukong he's been gone for a few minutes. He probably thinks Xiaotian mastered shrinking his staff in a matter of a few minutes when it probably took him a few weeks, maybe a month, and he goes back to trying to obtain the map. He's so caught up in trying to hurry to get the map that he doesn't realize time is passing by much faster than he thinks. Those few minutes of talking to the Celestial Guards are the same length of two weeks and Xiaotian's own worries about where Wukong is grows, because he's been gone for so long.

At Season 3 Episode 1: Sun Wukong's fighting Nezha and trying to obtain the map. He doesn't hesitate to go through the barrier despite it hurting him because he doesn't have time. He thinks he's been gone for only a few hours, he wants to hurry back and get to Xiaotian but it isn't until he sees LBD's magic and the sky turning dark that he realizes for how long he's been gone. Sun Wukong wanted to obtain the map quickly so they could have enough time to gather the Samadhi Fire and use it against LBD but he faced with the realization that time has been against him from the moment he set foot on the Celestial Realm. A couple of hours of getting the map, fighting guards and then Nezha account to almost an entire year of being gone and absent.

No one else realizes this.

He's rushing everyone, he's not explaining because they don't have time for it. He doesn't tell the others why they need the weapon, they don't trust him for it but they don't have time.

"I'll be back soon!" and he doesn't even realize the sun's set a dozen times since he said that.

[munkiey]

[imminent-danger-came]

But you are, my love, the astronaut Flying in the face of science I will gladly stay an afterthought Just bring back some nice reminders Yes! You are, my love, the astronaut Crashing in the name of science Just my luck, they sent your upper half It's a very nice reminder

—Astronaut by Amanda Palmer

[steamedlotusroot]

swk and macaque being mk’s father figures is such a cute headcanon but i like seeing shadowpeach as mk’s dysfunctional uncles instead. uncles who are HORRIBLE influences and cannot get their shit together but still love you a lot and would die for you!!!

[monkie-brainriot]

#OH NOW MY BRAIN'S TRYING TO ANALYZE THE WHOLE 'WORST QUALITIES OF SWK' THING

#cause hey unless it's therapy don't people tend to ignore their bad qualities unless they become a real problem to them or the people

#around them?

Been wondering about Macaque in the burnt marshmallow au. Like did he see Wukong pre-super glamour? Or would he roll up, ready for a brawl, only to find this charred-ass gremlin? Nothing throws your battle game off quite as hard as the whiplash of learning the 'invulnerable' Monkey King isn't so invulnerable.

WELL FUNNY STORY ACTUALLYGBKAMWOE I haven't really thought about Macaque and Wukong's dynamic outside of interacting with friends AU's n stuff so I'm not sure what'd be like in this AU or how Macaque would react bKMASODFA

I have been wanting to give a shot at like, making a design for Macaque but honestly he just isn't as big of a character in my head as of right now aside from analyzing and making fun of him gbfdskfmowe

Anyway, regardless of dynamic, if he saw beforehand, I don't think he would really remember or care about swk's appearance

and if he saw it out of nowhere on a day he rolled up to fistfight the Monkey King, I'd say... surprised? Ur right about his battle game being thrown just a little, but after the initial whiplash he'd probably just go on as usual with the addition of making fun of his new appearance and stuff "Aww, did you get a haircut?"

If it was like, after a bit of redemption or whatever, he'd probably slow down a bit, extending the surprised period cause he ain't in a rush to fistfight, but like, again, right into insults and making fun of him for it because bruh that's a whole new arsenal to get under his skin and annoy him, especially if he was hiding it, and you bet Macaque's gonna tackle the heck out of that--GW;ELKFMAEW

I think the harshness of the insults would depend on where they were at in their redemption arc too. ranging from the haircut thing to full out "how's ur student feel about his oh so perfect mentor looking more like a monster than the actual demons?" and stuff like that.

anyway tho, since haven't figured out when this takes place in canon or what the backstory and dynamic is, its hard to say ghdjfjkl;asdfasjdf

One of these days I'll give Macaque's character more attention, but apparently today is still not that day bGKAWMEOF

Bonus: 

 the "charred-gremlin" bit of ur ask gave me an idea so you get a probably non-canon doodle

[byfulcrums]

I wanted to talk about this because it's been on my mind since I finished season 4

The way peaches represent Sun Wukong and Macaque's relationship. When they're happy in Flower Fruit Mountain, just the two of them — no brotherhood, no Jade Emperor (along with the entirety of Heaven), no journey to the West —, Sun Wukong gives Macaque a peach.

It doesn't look like much. SWK eats peaches all the time and his mountain is filled with them (seriously, is that all he eats? He really, really really loves peaches, man. How does he not get tired of them? I'd get grossed out after the first few months), of course he'd give one to his best friend! His most loyal subject!

In this scene, they're comfortable with each other. SWK talks about how what he wants is to live a lazy life with him and his monkeys, just chilling and eating peaches and basking in the sun? I can't remember exactly what he said but the point is, that he wants things to stay like that forever. Just the two of them (along with a thousand monkeys), living happily in a mountain with SWK being strong enough to protect all of them

SWK gives Macaque a peach. Macaque accepts it; the peach is fine. They're good.

The next time we see one of them give the other a peach is during another flashback, the one where SWK and Macaque are talking while Sun Wukong is sealed under the mountain (the position he was in looked so uncomfortable? He wasn't laying on his belly with the mountain on his back, he looked like he was trying to run away before he got caught with the mountain on his back), and they are definitely not good then

Macaque offers Sun Wukong a peach (read; Macaque offers Sun Wukong a peach, when Wukong was the one to offer one to Macaque before. The sun gives the moon its light, but the moon can't offer anything to it in return) and Sun Wukong acts passive aggressive with him, leaving it clear that no, Mac, he doesn't want that fucking peach (well, maybe he does, but we'll get to that later)

They're both in the right here, but they're also both in the wrong. Macaque is right for being angry at Sun Wukong. If he hadn't followed Azure's plan (he [Azure] was so fucking grooming that monkey, what the fuck. Not sexual btw), the brotherhood would've been fine, and Sun Wukong wouldn't be trapped under the mountain. However, Sun Wukong is also allowed to be angry at Macaque; from his POV, Macaque ran away from the fight when he realized they were losing. Macaque pretty much abandoned him first. I'd be angry too, honestly

Macaque is wrong for telling Sun Wukong that he's the one that got himself in that mess when really, that was partly Azure's fault. Weren't it for him Sun Wukong apparently wouldn't have cared about Heaven, since unlike what happens in JTTW (haven't read it yet, pls tell me if I'm wrong!), all he wanted was to live a comfortable life and train his troops (Azure was the one who saw him first; he found this... child? And thought that yeah, he can use this. He put him in a pedestal and showered him in compliments he didn't deserve nor want. He manipulated him to get what he wanted; not a king, but a weapon)

Sun Wukong is in the wrong for treating Macaque like shit here too, since he literally warned him and again, he wasn't at fault. Neither of them were!

Back to the point — in this scene, when Sun Wukong rejects the peach, Macaque crushes it with his hand. Later, after Macaque leaves, Sun Wukong expresses how he actually really wanted that peach. Or, in other words, Macaque tries to offer Sun Wukong his support, his friendship, and when Sun Wukong rejects it, he gives up and destroys any way of getting back together; later, it is revealed that Sun Wukong didn't genuinely want to be left alone, and that he did still wish to be friends, in a way

This, we can say is the point where their relationship was broken. The peach is left on the floor, abandoned, and Sun Wukong with it. As far as we know, Macaque didn't come back after, and even if he did it's pretty obvious that wouldn't have gone very well

(Also, just to add, and you can skip this part if you want! When Macaque is looking at the memory, he looks kinda confused? Like he doesn't remember it happening that way. Maybe that's one of the LBD messed with when she brought him back, if she even was touching them. I'm not sure if that's canon, I forgot. Please tell me if you know?)

The next and last time one of them offers the other a peach it's, again, Sun Wukong to Macaque (it's almost like that's the way it's meant to be. Huh. Sun and moon indeed haha!)

They're in a beach again! Yay! Sun Wukong's (and possibly Macaque's later, if he gets a proper redemption arc) friends and family (MK and the gang, and also the DBK fam) are there too. Sun Wukong is watching them in the sun (lol) when Macaque goes and joins him. He doesn't even go there to annoy him and as far as we know he didn't even get an invite, so he really just went to the event to chill with SWK. During this whole scene, we can see that Macaque isn't interested in starting a fight (fucking finally, man), even if Sun Wukong does act kinda aggressive at first. Which, y'know. Fair

They're in a beach again. Presumably not the same one, but still a beach. They're back to the beginning, but not really, because they're both different people. They've changed, and their relationship(s) with them

This time, it's not an actual peach being offered. It's a peach popsicle. I don't know how to spell that. Sun Wukong offers it to Macaque, and Macaque looks surprised but eventually accepts it. He appears to be happy with this

This I believe represents how they're both willing to begin a new relationship (platonic, romantic or something else, see it as you want). A new relationship; a changed one

Sun Wukong doesn't give Macaque an actual peach, he gives him a peach popsicle. He's offering his friendship, an offering Macaque accepts, but it's not the same it was before, and it never will be. They know they'll never be the way they were in the past, and they accept it. Sun Wukong offers Macaque his friendship, telling him that it won't be the same, but that if they want to heal then they've got to accept that — and Macaque takes it. It's not the same, there are mistakes that can never be fixed and actions that can't be undone, but they're willing to start anew

It'll be different, but it could be even better if they try (if they fucking COMMUNICATE for once)

And the popsicle will eventually melt. They'll eventually fight again; they'll fall apart, and maybe get so angry at each other they'll refuse to talk to each other for a while (y'know how stubborn they can be), but (usually depending on where you live) popsicles can be surprisingly cheap!

If the popsicle melts, if they struggle, they'll just buy another one, they'll just keep trying

Now all we need is a scene where Sun Wukong (or Macaque, to show them as equals if not in power then in... y'know, their relationship? I'm not sure what the word would be) gives Macaque an actual peach to show how they're them again. Not the same, never the same, but still them

[royaltea000]

When your master gets trapped after you warned him multiple times it was a trap

[eyeballs-in-my-head]

How do you think MK would react to finding out the truth about how Macaque died?

Knowing that he's wielding the exact same weapon? Do you think he'd feel how actually cold it is in his hands from then on? It's always cool, but after knowing, would he feel a different kind of frigid than before?

Or in quiet moments when he's alone he'd sit thinking and his eyes would unconsciously search for any history of that battle? Gold cannot rust, so it'd be easy to spot.

Also, since we're at this topic. Imagine if Wukong initially hasn't cleaned the staff for...well, gods know how long, because he thought "that's the only thing left of him". And, well, he didn't want to get rid of..."him"

On today's episode of: I'm Sad So I Need To Make Everyone Else Sad Too So We Can Suffer Together <3

[monkie-brainriot]

#its worse becus in the second case it's not even just Wukong's Mess. azure greatly encouraged him #The BROTHERHOOD greatly encouraged him. wukong is somebody that values his friendships and their opinions a LOT. The whole Brotherhood decided to join in. They did it TOGETHER. No one was forced to go. They CHOSE to. It's like they all decide to start the business and when thing go sour swk was the one who paid for all of it. They're all free but him, and then they accused him of betrayal for something they're all agreed to do TOGETHER. Swk might suggest the idea but They all joined in and planned it.

#Not saying Wukong was a saint. Dude literally choose to fight the JE for Power. It def has price he had to pay for.

#Still He didn't Force anyone to go with him and he believed they chose this together and THEY DID.

#He was punished and no one could free him except the Brotherhood could have tried to find him instead of Accusing him of betrayal

It's NOT HIS Mess !! Don't Blame it ALL on him like the Brotherhood !! They put him on a pedestal and treat him badly when he couldn't meet their expectation Bailed on him. Left him when he fail. I Wonder if this is the start of his Trust Issues He DIDN'T FORCE anyone to join that fight. They planned it TOGETHER. Wukong may chase Power. But he didn't Force anyone to go with him. Macaque is someone Who CHOOSED to follow (Not fault him on this, I fault him about saying that Wukong "Dragging" him because wukong suggested, not forced him to). He made the choice to join the fight even though he had reservations. The final decision was Macaque's. I'm not saying he was wrong when he wanted to join to be with Wukong. But he was Wrong when he blamed Wukong for Dragging him and was Wrong when he said the Whole things is Only Wukong's Mess. (Wukong was still def in Wrong in the fight tho. His circumtances explain his behaviors but doesn't excuse it. He chose to fight, he got the consequences.)

Back to Macaque: Emotions might be leading him to use strong language like “dragged in” or blame it All in Wukong. Or maybe because he was only focus on Wukong and didn't think much about the brotherhood - like he always did. But blaming it All in Wukong aren't gonna do good for their relationship. This'll play a part in their fall out

Sun Wukong: "I know I can never make it up to you. Honestly, I- I never thought I'd live as long as I have let alone be someone's mentor—turns out I'm not very good at it. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm sorry MK. For all of it." MK: "It's okay—I can always get another bowl of noodles."

Sun Wukong: "Wha! No! Not the noodles! Ugh! I mean, I'm sorry for being a bad mentor and making you clean up after my mess!"

(3x14 Destiny Fulfilled)

-

Macaque: "No that's YOU! You're the one always running off! Looking for more power, more sources of immortality—you're the one who wouldn't quit while were were ahead! Not the great sage, he's got to drag EVERYONE else into his mess!"

(4x11 A Lifetime of Mistakes)

-

Wukong's Messes.

[fluffypotatey]

the way this scene has a chokehold on me :)

[swagginmun]

What made you like Erlang so much?

HHHHOOOONEESTLY.... if im being HONNENST...

The appeal to me is doing a SWK vs Mac dynamic again, but now Swk's adversary actually COULD beat him.

no bullshitting, no powerscalling; Erlang could hold his own against SWK and the thought of those two being at odds w/ one another again feels me with so much glee...

[sketching-shark]

🔥 on Sun Wukong

Well @cryzyimp at the risk of sounding like a grimdark edgelord, they should let him be more evil.*

*AS IN & AS PER MY PREVIOUS RANTS, one of the things that really launched the Monkey King into being one of my favorite characters of all time is that while an important part of his whole thing is being a violent little shit, for me the thing that really stands out is that he's a self-aware and brutally honest violent little shit.

He casually talks about having killed more people that he can remember, wields his power to steal whatever he wants for himself and for his monkey family, and we KNOW he ruled as something akin to a warlord for ~20 years. And even after everything that goes down in the Havoc in Heaven and his entrapment under the Five Elements Mountain, he isn't sorry about any of it at all! But it's exactly this which is one of the elements that makes JTTW so interesting! As we go through the book every other figure in authority, from the Tang Emperor to other yaoguai walords, make it pretty clear that they're operating on a very similar wavelength to the Monkey King himself, i.e. they're willing to kill countless people if it helps them establish their rule and/or protect their loved ones. Hell, I'd argue that their free admissions of all kinds of atrocities is to the point where it compels a reader to ask if the Monkey King received the punishment he did less because of the ethics involved and more because he had the power to keep escalating his challenges until he faced someone he couldn't match!

So in this context, for me, the most interesting potential of SWK's arc isn't about having to learn that what he did was bad because he was just that naive; it's all about how he knew exactly what he did and the journey is about showing why he should recontextualize his actions, see how the violence he inflicted on others eventually came back to bite him and his loved ones in their collective ass, and thus learn why he should have compassion for others outside of his very select circle.

So yea big pet peeve that JTTW itself highlights him being impulsive and thus opened up the door for the endless "stupid idiot monkey a-hole" interpretations of the Monkey King, when at least for me it's far more interesting to go with the embedded interpretation that SWK was evil in the sense that he freely wielded violence in full understanding of the consequences for others and did it anyway, sincerely believing that his power could keep any blowback from hitting him or his loved ones until the Buddha himself proved the monkey wrong.

[monkie-brainriot]

THIS FUCKING EXPRESSIONNNNN