Saiyûki

I was about 7 years old when Monkey was first aired in this country (Australia). Now days I don't remember too much about the experience, other than that my dad made me my very own Monkey staff, made from a 6 foot length of orange electrical pipe, and complete with rubber protected ends to prevent me from hurting myself (and anyone else). That pretend staff got a stack of use over the next 12 months, and with it thousands of imaginary demons were destroyed. Now I'm in my early 30s and I have begun collecting the series on DVD, and I have to say that the reason for the show's huge popularity should be no mystery. The special effects are not much greater than those used by my dad with the electrical pipe, and the stories are repetitive and simple, but what makes the show special is the 4 central characters. Masaaki Sakai (Monkey), Toshiyuki Nishida (Pigsy), Shiro Kishibe (Sandy) and Masako Natsume (Tripitaka) are all very likable and charismatic people, and it is largely thanks to them that the show got everyone's attention. Monkey was of course the most important and popular character, with his huge friendly grin and lovably arrogant personality demanding the lion's share of the attention in every episode. Pigsy too was a very likable character, despite his piggish tendencies, and his fabulous portrayal of a pig in human form combined wonderfully with Masaaki's character. Next was Sandy, another friendly and lovable goof who was the more steady of the three, but who still managed to get himself into serious jams in nearly every episode. And lastly was Tripitaka, easily the most puzzling of the 4. Both beautiful and determined, Tripitaka was the perfect leader for such a bunch of ignorant misfits, but why on earth did they choose a woman to play the part? It has puzzled me ever since I first watched the show, but I never felt disturbed by it. Instead, I always imagined Tripitaka to be what she really was: a girl! Whenever I heard Monkey refer to her as 'that boy' or 'master', I simply ignored it. But why they did it in the first place did indeed perplex me. I was also puzzled as to whether the show was Japanese or Chinese, though I now know it to be the former. Just how important these particular actors are to my enjoyment of the show became clear recently when I watched the first episode of series 2, which appears out here on the end of Vol 9 of the DVDs. The dragon they had to defeat was ridiculous, as was the battle itself, but I could bare that if it meant being able to see the gang together again. The new addition of the horse in human form seemed odd but was acceptable, as was the higher level of emotion that Tripitaka seemed to be showing. But what I absolutely could not accept was the new Pigsy. It's terrible to say, and he's probably a great guy, but he completely lacked all of the character that Toshiyuki had.

Every time Pigsy came on screen I couldn't watch it, and it made up my mind that I would not be buying any volumes past No 9. Other people may disagree, but for me it appears that the show is ruined once just one of the four is replaced. Thank goodness I still have 26 43 minute episodes from the first series to enjoy whenever I wish.

I watched this show as a child and revisited it recently when I purchased the boxset. Unlike shows such as the A-team and Knightrider which by today's standards are lame, Monkey is absolutely timeless. Based on the novel "Journey to the west" its plot lines are interesting and allow you to see each character develop along the journey. Combine this with excellent fight scenes and good humour, this show is a hit! The biggest thing for me about the show was its morality and one liners of wisdom from the narrator - pure gold. You don't have to be a buddhist to appreciate the humanistic side of this saga and more than one scene can leave you with a tear in your eye. Finally the soundtrack is ridiculously good. I simple love that song "Ghandarra" and obviously the intro. The only thing I didn't like about the show was that there was only two seasons made. "Even in Heaven, they say desire ends in tears."

Monkey Magic is just the best childrens(?) series in the world. I remember watching it on Children's Tv when I was 5 or 6 years old - despite the time gap, I could still vividly remember the music, Monkey's kung-fu fights and his magic staff. As soon as the videos came out, I was determined to buy a copy..... and I was not disappointed! The fact is, Monkey is an oaf who wants it all (he's still likeable just because of his effrontery - challenging Buddha, what chutzpah!), but as he sets on his mission with Tripitaka you can see that he does have plenty of good qualities. Pigsy is amusing because of his lustful nature, Sandy is a bit earnest and Tripitaka is just untouchable. The soundtrack is funky man! The dated nature of the fx just add to the appeal of Monkey and the fights are still wicked. You do learn a bit about Buddhism as well. Buy the videos and have a good night in with your friends.

This show was the best! I used to love the craziness of it.

I remember the pilot episode( i have it on video somewhere) where monkey went to heaven to "kick off" with the Jade emperor was a hoot!

especially when monkey meets the dragon kings daughter to claim his weapon (the magic wishing staff).

Dragon kings daughter calls monkey a "passionate Primate" and tells monkey to make his stick "grow Big!".

An absolute classic. A must see!.

What are you reading this for?

Get out there and grab a copy now!

You wont be disappointed!.

Like so many other reviewers on here, my memories of this show are universally warm. In fact, so fond are said cherished memories, that I recently purchased the DVD box set in order to revisit that happy and carefree period of childhood, whereby I used to sit utterly mesmerised, as I watched the ongoing quest of Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy, Tripitaka and later Yu Lung a horse/dragon/man (you'll really need to watch it to understand), when the much loved show initially aired on BBC 2 on Friday evenings, as I recall.

Well, I'm pleased to say that even after all these years and now viewing this with adult i.e. more cynical(!) eyes, the show has lost none of its inimitable charm.

Simply wonderful entertainment, from the magical characters and their comical interactions with one another to the perhaps not so special effects (which actually serve to heighten the fun) and of course, not forgetting the hugely memorable opening title sequence from the first season, the passing of time has not in any way, shape or form diminished any of Monkey's spellbinding charm.

As Monkey himself would probably say, 'Oi! You there! Go out and grab yourself some nostalgic fun.'