Thank you all for the supportive comment! I appreciate the many comments correcting the details of the TVB segment, but I phrased the story that way on purpose. This adaptation is so different from the novel, it doesn't feel right to spoil the surprise. Thank you for keeping it spoiler free, so others may enjoy the show to its fullest!
The character is a copy of Hanuman, that means the literature has influence of Ramayan, and probably others like Mahabharat, Panchtantra, Kathasaritsagar, and classical literature like kalidas works
Can't express how much I appreciate this video❤. Have you read Transforming Monkey, by Hongmei Sun? It's a perfect match with your video, to understand the "need for changes", and how a novel can navigates through médias and eras. Thanks for the wonderful video
@@diegoantoniorosariopalomin2206 which reminds that there's an anime out this season called "Another Journey to the West". I'm not actually sure how much it adapts "Journey to the West" because it's so bad that I dropped it, but yeah, like there will be new adaptations coming VERY OFTEN
The reason why Stephen Chow's "A Chinese Odyssey" works as an adaptation is because the ending of the films still wraps up and understands Monkey's journey to become a Buddha. The fact that it is a romance story, doesn't actually matter, it does help to resonate with the audience, but it really could've been about any earthly desire. You could change it to a story about Joker's greed and in the end, he realizes that the time he should've spent with his family was more important, before becoming Monkey King. Because Monkey's journey is and always has been about reaching Buddhahood, and to attain that you must give up your earthly desires. But the movie also tells you that giving up those desires is not a bad thing, it may hurt, but it is a necessary process. That's why it feels sincere. Many newer adaptations of Journey to the West don't actually understand this. They focus on all the cool things that Monkey can do, the spectacle. And forget that Monkey King is supposed to be on a journey of enlightenment.
Hot damn, you're on to something here. A lot of the newer adaptations really are about just showing off some CGI in ways that get old fast, but yeah, the inability to find the "essence" of the story and characters and portray that, that's what's missing, and what prevents it from being a story about Wukong instead of a story about a guy in a money suit. Doubly so if they insist on giving Wukong a transformation super mode and it's...a gorilla.
Well said man. Truly Stephen Chow's version really had a sense of melancholy to it. Many HK fans speculates it was a gone love letter from Chow to Zhu Yan who plays the princess in the film. And i do get it like how it feels. Chow is heading towards success and Zhu Yan is really a once in a decade beauty who has this very mesmerizing look to her. Even today i find her absolutely beautiful and in his shoes i probably would recite what he says. If there is another chance to love you, I would love you for 10000 years. Truly makes me cry he has to see an alternate reality of himself be with the woman he regrets not loving
@@froshtea I would agree to that if Stephen Chow hadn't gone on record to say that Karen Mok was the only woman he dated and filmed with whom he would've brought home to his mother. And Karen is also in this film as one of the two sisters that Joker falls in love with in the first half of the films, Pak Jing-Jing. She's also probably the only ex of Stephen Chow who is still on amicable grounds with.
I'm a firm believer of "Sometimes the journey is more important than the goal." What you do and where you pass to reach your destination doesn't matter, as much the experiences you go through, some of which can help you reach that goal better than any pre-planned route.
Dicky Cheung's 1996 version is what I grew up with and is undoubtedly the most popular JTTW adaptation in SEA. Well, among Cantonese speaking communities at least. Plus there's really a lot of charm and heart to it, certified classic imo
Idk about "in SEA". In Vietnam the 1986 version is the most popular and still gets reran on multiple channels every year to this day. Makes sense a TVB production would be more popular among Cantonese speaking community though.
As a Cantonese myself, I grew up watching both 86s in Mandarin and 96s in Cantonese. The 96s version is loved due to Cantonese speaking, but I would still say the mainland 86s was much better and more classic than the HK TVB 96 version, which, even though it was also good and loved, but in the end still feel like a typical TVB family-comedy drama just like other TVB dramas they made...
I remember watching the 1986 adaptation on TV in Singapore and the way Liu Xiao Ling Tong plays Sun Wukong, with all his little actions and poses, remain iconic for me till this day.
There is also the 2011 journey to the west show (the most complete of all JTTW tv adaptations ASAP!) that aired in New Zealand and was dubbed into Maori of all languages!
The 1986 series even got a Tibetan dub which me and a lot of other Tibetan millennials fondly remember watching VHSs of back in our childhoods. Good times.
I think at this point, OSP's recap counts as another adaptation. I'm looking forward to this year's episode. Also, looking at the 1940 animated fight with Bull Demon King makes me think JTTW could really work as Cuphead-like boss battle game
*I can totally second the AvenueX shoutout* her series of videos are excellent. Dense at times, but excellent. Just feels like sitting with a friend who's telling you all about some stuff :D
1986 is the absolute gold standard. i wish someone would take on the task of updating the special effects and a bit of the editing now with modern technology
The 1996 adaptation was my childhood. It aired at the evening and I remember the next day I would discuss the new episode with my friends at school. Good old days...
Dicky Cheung was perfect as Wu kong in this adaptation. I like how he remain a very intimidating and serious figure yet can be as silly and condescending when situation calls for it. The sequel which I actually also enjoyed starred Benny Chan sadly isn't as good as Wu kong as Dicky.
Exactly. The hate for the 1996 version by mainlanders is ridiculous lol. This was the best adaptation imo, even if it didn't follow "exactly" according to the storyline, though I wish it did. I did enjoy the romantic takes, including that of its sequel, the 2002 version. Brought back so many dreamy memories of my childhood, especially with the music... It made me fall obsessively in love with the Journey to the West series after that.. Ah.. I could relive my childhood again..
the 1996 adaptations is the one I'm really familiar with. As an Indonesian kid growing up in the 90's, I can still remember that sensation of waiting for the new episode in the afternoon. FYI, the Indonesian dub got a very memorable hip hop song for the opening.
TVB adaptation was definitely my favourite and I believe it's the same for many in SEA, it was the childhood of many of us in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Maaan those 1996 series are the best, not just for me but for all my generation. Its aired at 4 pm and i always watch together with my friend and family.
As a kid who grew up in the 90s the 1996 TVB series will forever be the canon Journey to the West for me. I remember my parents renting bootlegged VHS tapes and watching it together during the evenings when we first moved to the States. It was my first introduction to Journey to the West as a kid.
My mom got the VHS versions of the 96 one as well, the memories.. lol. It made me fall in love with JTTW because of D Cheung's acting. I loved the 2002 sequel as well - I actually saw that one before the 96. The romance and dreamy music made me connect so much with my Hong Kong roots.. though I don't speak Cantonese nor ever been to HK.. 😔
"Born from an egg on a mountain top, the funkiest monkey who ever popped!" Yeah, I was one of those kids in Australia who discovered Monkey, then moved to Canada and NOBODY knew wtf I was talking about. I've spent the last 40 years slowly watching Sun Wukong make his way even more West, culturally speaking. Monkey Kid LEGO, American Born Chinese, and now Black Myth Wukong - its like a second Renaissance for Buddha's favourite problem child.
The timing of this video! I have just started re-watching the 1996 TVB version out of nostalgia. The start was slow, but appreciated the time they took to explore Wukong and Zhu Bajie's early years.
Thanks for giving love to the 96 TVB series! it's a big part of my childhood here from Indonesia and i'm glad to share the same nostalgia to anyone who grew up watching Dicky Cheung's Wukong!
The 1978 Japanese version dubbed in English was broadcast at 6 pm just before Doctor Who starring Tom Baker at 6:30 pm when I was growing up in Australia, and both were mandatory viewing! I didn’t see another Japanese show with such energy until Iron Chef decades later.
The tvb 1996 is probably the most famous in my country, and it's sometimes still aired nowadays as a rerun. The newer tv series also aired, but it's not as popular as the 96. One thing I often hear is that the wukong from 96 is the most handsome one. So people prefer it.
1996 version is definitely the GOAT! A lot of people's childhood being made because of them Pigsty is just so funny and bulliable in that version. And Wukong is just so handsome xD
My sister have never read the book. She grew up watching the 1996 version. To her, it will always be the source material. Anything similar to the 1996 version will be a "faithful adaptation".
tbh I dont even think a faithful adaptation is impossible, since the book can tell a lot more story than a film. However, to make the film share the same messages or value with the book is possible. and it's more important than making a film follow the exact same story from the book.
I'm an Aussie, and the British redub of the 70s Japanese show was one of the first live-action shows I loved as a kid. Years later I read and loved the Arthur Waley translation of the book.
I liked how the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, which is based on a graphic novel series inspired by Journey to the West, did an episode which was an homage to that particular show, right down to the opening credits and funky music.
Monkey was super popular in Australia because they ran it in the 'after school' special on ABC. So you were already there for cartoons, and stories and then Monkey. It did get me to read the book though... so. Small wins. ❤
Loved Stephen Chows other movies so was on a binge 10 years ago and saw that movie, I still have screenshots in my old phone from watching that movie. I loved that movie but nowadays I won't ever watch anything old so I was afraid if I watch it again, I won't remember it as a great movie anymore. But being older, I know I'll understand and remember 90% of the rest of the movie. It's also the reason why the story Monkey King is so intriguing to me. Black Myth Wukong too (which came out this year) is my game of the year.
@DeanS946 Doesn't hold up. The style, animation, graphics, acting, anything movie game or older tv shows feel like it's made by modern day college students.
I'm highly amused that OSP got referenced. TBH, Red's summaries are good and she's trying to do as much of the book as she can. I second AvenueX as another good source; from what I've seen of her explanations of the source chapters to the game's, I get a lot of nuanced details.
Did she read the book though? She makes claims that sounds contradictory to the book. Like she claims that Wukong is not actually the main character of JTTW, instead it's Sanzang (absolutely bogus conclusion for anyone reading the book). The book literally starts with Wukong's birth and he makes an appearance way more often than Sanzang who's mostly just a damsel in distress.
I actually enjoy the 2011 version, although that one went almost the complete opposite of the 96 version The 96 version, as mentioned in the video, made a lot of the stories into comedy. The 2011 version made everything serious and dramatic, which can be interesting in certain contexts. I do hate the fact that the 2011 version used a green screen for so many things that do not need them. Sanzang riding a horse talking to Wukong could’ve been filmed on a dirt road, but they green screen it and it looked awful every time
I've always harboured a love for the 1978 version ("Monkey Magic" or just "Monkey" if you will). Everything about it is fantastic: the monster designs, the humour, the fantastic musical score and the over the top fight scenes. It was my favourite childhood show.
Also the reason it got popular in english-language television, is because- New Zealand (and Australia too IIRC), the show aired right after school ended.
I watched that Stephen chow version less than a month ago and I adored it. Definitely worth a watch. I didn’t like the first half an hour or so, but the following 2 and a half hours just got better and better.
@10:20 The face of the actor playing the monkey! I know from kungfu the monkey is seen as a clever but nervous character that makes a lot of surplus movements; he does this so well with his face, but without losing the expression that he needs to convey, I can't stop repeating it!! This entire video is a joy. Have had Uproar in Heaven in my favourites since 2009. Also the SquareSpace joke about the Buddha made me laugh. Thank you, AC!
Chinese Odyssey is great movie, but Stephen Chow is only an actor in it and it is a Jeff Lau movie who wrote and directed it and he is a producer of Wong Kar Wai movies. Its basically parody of Wong Kar wai movies but set into Journey of the west, but the elements and also dialogue used in a much better way. There many references to many Wong Kar Wai movies from Ashes of time and Chungking Express.
This is a question ive had in my hrad since before Black Myth Wukong from watching Dragonball when i was a kid and youve finally scratched that itch in my head!
Australians who were kids in the 80s and 90s have a lot of fond memories of the Japanese TV series. For us, it was one of our first exposures to the world beyond our shores.
1996 TVB version is definitely the peak. It hits the right balance of faithfulness and modernization. And the writing is surprisingly tight and engaging. It knows when to be funny and when to be serious. Too bad they never got a proper sequel as they change the lead in the second season, which does changed a lot.
The 1996's Journey To The West was aired, dubbed in my country, Indonesia. It was one of my favorite tv show back then. Also I will never forget the rap opening song. ua-cam.com/video/spMmzq7j44A/v-deo.html
In the original stories, Sherlock Holmes was never directly stated to wear a deerstalker cap. But it was in the illustrations of the original newspaper printings and the illustrator was working off of Doyle's descriptions. He was never wearing it all the time though.
From what I've read Journey to the West was published in the same year as The Taming of the Shrew's first performance in 1592, which was Shakespeare's first play. If true then Journey to the West is as old as Shakespeare.
Actually, the novel consisted of a collection of legends, myths, and folklore from ancient times before that. The variations of the versions of the Journey to the West already existed long before the novel...
@ Good to know, though can't you say that about Shakespeare's works as well? He writes about the historical Julius Caesar much like Wu Cheng'en writes about Xuanzang.
@@rayfwu, They're not the same. Both are based on real historical events and people, but JTTW is also based others "fiction works" passed down from generations before (opera stories, tales...)
@@StephenYoung1379 So it's like, what, an adaptation of older stories? Makes me think of how Dragon Ball started out as one for JTTW before becoming its own thing.
Just a small, inconsequential nitpick: the TVB 1996 adaptation's Kingdom of Women arc did have an abortion well, but it was sabotaged and emptied. The group was "cured" of their pregnancy with divine pills, but was further "pranked" with babies stolen from mortals by the cousin of Red Boy, who wanted vengeance for "sentencing him" to Buddhism Love your work!
Just wanted to say I really love your channel man, it's given me tons and tons of cultural insight I'd normally be lacking. My dad growing up (in Scotland) was obsessed with Monkey, I'll have fun telling him did you know it was actually Japanese? Lol. Excited for part 2!
I'd say what makes an adaptation successful is often that it's true to the spirit of the source material. Landing it's core themes and the general "vibe". You can change a surprising amount if the main pillars of story and character still /feel/ right. I've seen a lot of adaptions that worked, despite changing tons of things, and ones that failed while changing comparatively few things... but they changed they changed something that was "load-bearing". There are things you can change, add or remove and still stick the landing, but there's also stuff where changing it just makes it stop reading as an adaption at all. By way of example - for Judge Dredd fans a major sticking point in the first movie was Dredd removing his helmet on duty. This seems pretty minor to somebody not familiar with the comics and /why/ it's important. The point of the famous Dredd quote "I am the law" isn't that his word is law, or that he's the face of the law, but that he doesn't see any distinction between himself and the law. He will enforce precisely what the laws require him to with precisely the amount of discretion the law allows. He will not exceed his authority or shirk his duty. Regulations require he wear the helmet on duty, he wears the helmet on duty, period. To take off the helmet on-duty violates the central tenant of the main character's entire belief system, which is key to the main themes of the comics as a whole. Remove the helmet very clearly says that either the creators did not understand what they were doing, did not care, or both. Failed adaptions tend to feel like some alien made a thing with no understanding of what any of the parts actually did or why. Good adaptions understand what's doing the work and why people like the thing. (Caveat: some things are just fantastically hard to nail because they appeal to different people for wildly different reasons....)
Considering there are several adaptations of Monkey with more or less the same attitude despite varying levels of child friendliness of the adaptations,I'd say you got a point
4:58 I remember watching this as a kid, and for the life of me, I could not find it as an adult. Every time I searched for Journey to the West in stop motion film, the search got nothing for me. Thanks for bringing this in!
Every year there’s a new LEGO set that’s a location or scene from the book. I have the 8 Trigrams Furnace that he busts out of, the monkey village and his monkey friends. I love them so much.
You are good in your analysis! love what you had to say and would love to hear more from you! Chow was able to change the whole game with his movie and while I think it lead to a lot more Sun Wukong movies I do wonder what the next phase of Wukong media we shall see in newer generations.
Great video! Big fan of your work, always find something new when I watch them. :) I feel like you and @SeriousTrivia would probably have an interesting conversation about Journey to the West...recently finished watching his playthrough and commentary of Black Myth - Wukong => was really interesting hearing his perspective and nostalgia as a Chinese immigrant to North American who grew up with the TV series (animated?) as a child.
It's cool that the fact many DBZ fans have known for some time that Goku is based on Wukong is getting wider attention. I'd love to see a video exploring the similarities of this in depth, Toriyama often citing Journey to the West and Jackie Chan movies as an influence
@@lainiwakura1776 I'd actually make the argument that Bulma was the originally the Tripitaka expy, especially when you look at how often Japanese adaptations tend to turn their versions of him into a woman.
I love the older, dated adaptations of Journey to the West. I was so glad when I found that the full episodes of 1986 series is available on UA-cam. I grew up with the 1996 version, especially because it was incredibly popular in my region, so much that it got reruns many times, and back then, my constant complaint was just that they kept saying how Wukong was ugly, but Dicky Cheung is a good looking man, and the makeup didn't conceal that (probably by design) lol. It was so much fun, but very memorable and they did a pretty good job with serious parts of the story. The Women Kingdom story lives in my head rent-free.
My favourite arcs of the 96 was the Bone Spirit Arc and the Red Boy Arc personally. One thing I noticed the 96 Dicky Cheung adaptation does really well compared to any other adaptation though is putting a lot more attention towards development of the brotherhood between Wukong and Bull King as well as the subsequent conflict that happens between them because of the Journey West.
@@yellowsoy2475 I agree with the Red Boy arc, honestly I love any part involving Bull King family, it was just a roller coaster with them. The Bone Spirit arc was amazing, too. I personally also find the arc about Erlang's mother very memorable.
Dude, every since the game came out, I have been: reading the Penguin Classic's Monkey King: Journey to the West, and watching the 1980's Journey to the West series. I am hoping to watch the Lego Monkey King series soon. This story is really good.
We had the second half of Havoc in Heaven recorded on VHS! I loved it and only as an adult, realized it was almost twoce as long. My parents had just seen this Chinese animated film and started recording, I'm very glad they did 😊
I think there's something to be said for adaptations that change the details of a story but keep the... spirit of it. The 2019 adaptation of HP Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" (titled "Color Out of Space") was very different from the short story, but the idea of the story; a color that causes decay and corruption, is still there.
Never seen the 1986 version, since the only adaptation aired in my childhood was the 1996 version and it's really a masterpiece for me. Looking back, when I saw it as a child was "Hehe go monkey go! Prove it to your teacher that you're right!". Now that I rewatched it again as an adult, I don't know how many times I wept at the screen. The emotional moments that I didn't notice as a child really hit me like a truck as I've grown older. So many life lessons, but my personal favorite moment was the story of god Erlang praying for his mother to release her from hell that inspired all beings to also pray with him. Such filial piety, I'm really ashamed that I feel like I wasn't doing enough for my late mother when she was still around. RIP Mom. Love you. 🙏
12:12 interestingly enough this is the only movie i watched about journey to the west as an adult (i remember watching multiple movies/shows in my childhood though). It was pretty fun to watch actually!
Okay, after watching the Whole Video, I'm glad I'm not only one who came to the conclusion that 1966's Iron-Fan Princess (which I've recently watched) VERY likely influenced Nippon TV's Saiyūki! I mean, you look at Yueh Hua's Sun Wukong & then look at Sakai Masaaki's Son Gokū, and it's a dead ringer! Same with Tang Sanzang, when comparing his look from the 1966 Film vs the 1986 Xiyouji Series! Shaw Brothers' Iron-Fan Princess also clearly influenced 1985's Donghua Film, Jin Hou Jiang Yao (lit. "Gold Monkey Subdues Yao")! If you watched both films (like I have recently), you know EXCATLY what I mean...
I'm an avid believer that a story has to change somewhat to go from a written medium to a visual one, but I never understand directors who think they can write it better or "fix it." You can show fight scenes with clarity, you can flesh out thin plot or reasoning, show a somber quiet moment and so much more on film. I don't understand the need to just change the story entirely, that will lead to mismatched expectations from viewers and lower reviews, even if the movie is fine otherwise. Blade wasn't super close to the comics character, but the Wesley Snipes version was so popular the comic morphed to emulate that version more now.
Stephen chow adaptation is ahead of it's time, when it's released people don't like it because at that time people don't really understand about alternate reality, beside afaik that the only adaptation that boldly said sun wu kong just a dog, a guard dog that is
The 60s cartoon is a foundational experience even for me, a (non-Chinese) Malaysian growing up in the 90s. I remember tuning in every Lunar New Year to rewatch Monkey's exploits. As kids, we viewed Monkey as a hero rebel and even role-played as him and his band of companions almost as much as we pretended to be Power Rangers. Good times.
@@AccentedCinema The fact that Dragon Ball, the father of modern shonen, was inspired by Journey to The West not only makes this funnier, but also disappointing since Wukong is a fraud, and he inspired Goku!
Which is, interesting enough, another example of adaptation chasm that AC kept mentioning The novel has him lose a lot. Pretty much every demon has a trick up their sleeve that incapacitate him. They can’t kill him, but he can’t do anything either. These are basically camp fire stories that seldom let him win by just brute strength In a lot of adaptations, these losses are toned down, or played as just a temporary annoyance that he can overcome, given enough prep time and knowledge of the tricks. The OPness of Wukong came from adaptation continuously making him look more and more invincible
Joyous! As someone from the UK, I think my first introduction to the Journey to the West was something involving the visual artists who work with the rock band Gorrilaz, maybe it was something to do with the Beijing Olympics? I can't quite remember. But then there was a stage adaptation at the West Yorkshire (now Leeds) Playhouse and it was great! It used a lot of circus skills and it really stayed with me.
The original and TVB Dickey Cheung version has such a huge culture impact in Vietnam/Vietnamese people it's difficult to encapsulate with words alone. The TVB version, no matter how outdated it seems now, always has a special place in my heart.
Thank you all for the supportive comment! I appreciate the many comments correcting the details of the TVB segment, but I phrased the story that way on purpose. This adaptation is so different from the novel, it doesn't feel right to spoil the surprise. Thank you for keeping it spoiler free, so others may enjoy the show to its fullest!
The character is a copy of Hanuman, that means the literature has influence of Ramayan, and probably others like Mahabharat, Panchtantra, Kathasaritsagar, and classical literature like kalidas works
U should read our Kalidas, Kabirdas, Galib works, and panchtantra, kathasaritsagar
Read Ponniyin Selvan tamil novel
I've recomended more than 100 movies in ur pinned comment of the east west video
Can't express how much I appreciate this video❤. Have you read Transforming Monkey, by Hongmei Sun? It's a perfect match with your video, to understand the "need for changes", and how a novel can navigates through médias and eras. Thanks for the wonderful video
I'm sure you can make an entire channel of nothing but reviews of Journey to the West adaptations and keep it going for over a decade.
or indefinitely, since by the end of the decade, enough new adaptions for another would have been made
A journey that is never ending
and i love it every time, idk what is about this story, but it doens't get boring at all
@@diegoantoniorosariopalomin2206 which reminds that there's an anime out this season called "Another Journey to the West".
I'm not actually sure how much it adapts "Journey to the West" because it's so bad that I dropped it, but yeah, like there will be new adaptations coming VERY OFTEN
Isn't that basically what that one "Wookong" channel do?
The reason why Stephen Chow's "A Chinese Odyssey" works as an adaptation is because the ending of the films still wraps up and understands Monkey's journey to become a Buddha. The fact that it is a romance story, doesn't actually matter, it does help to resonate with the audience, but it really could've been about any earthly desire. You could change it to a story about Joker's greed and in the end, he realizes that the time he should've spent with his family was more important, before becoming Monkey King. Because Monkey's journey is and always has been about reaching Buddhahood, and to attain that you must give up your earthly desires. But the movie also tells you that giving up those desires is not a bad thing, it may hurt, but it is a necessary process. That's why it feels sincere.
Many newer adaptations of Journey to the West don't actually understand this. They focus on all the cool things that Monkey can do, the spectacle. And forget that Monkey King is supposed to be on a journey of enlightenment.
Hot damn, you're on to something here.
A lot of the newer adaptations really are about just showing off some CGI in ways that get old fast, but yeah, the inability to find the "essence" of the story and characters and portray that, that's what's missing, and what prevents it from being a story about Wukong instead of a story about a guy in a money suit.
Doubly so if they insist on giving Wukong a transformation super mode and it's...a gorilla.
Well said man. Truly Stephen Chow's version really had a sense of melancholy to it. Many HK fans speculates it was a gone love letter from Chow to Zhu Yan who plays the princess in the film. And i do get it like how it feels. Chow is heading towards success and Zhu Yan is really a once in a decade beauty who has this very mesmerizing look to her. Even today i find her absolutely beautiful and in his shoes i probably would recite what he says. If there is another chance to love you, I would love you for 10000 years. Truly makes me cry he has to see an alternate reality of himself be with the woman he regrets not loving
@@froshtea
I would agree to that if Stephen Chow hadn't gone on record to say that Karen Mok was the only woman he dated and filmed with whom he would've brought home to his mother. And Karen is also in this film as one of the two sisters that Joker falls in love with in the first half of the films, Pak Jing-Jing. She's also probably the only ex of Stephen Chow who is still on amicable grounds with.
I'm a firm believer of "Sometimes the journey is more important than the goal." What you do and where you pass to reach your destination doesn't matter, as much the experiences you go through, some of which can help you reach that goal better than any pre-planned route.
I never understood why Stephen Chows movie were listed in adaptation as a "cheered one". Now I understand, thanks for Accented Cinema
Man... The 1996 TVB ver. Is my childhood, it's nice knowing it still has the spirit of the original book
they just uploaded the whole season to youtube
Dicky Cheung's 1996 version is what I grew up with and is undoubtedly the most popular JTTW adaptation in SEA.
Well, among Cantonese speaking communities at least.
Plus there's really a lot of charm and heart to it, certified classic imo
Idk about "in SEA". In Vietnam the 1986 version is the most popular and still gets reran on multiple channels every year to this day.
Makes sense a TVB production would be more popular among Cantonese speaking community though.
As a Cantonese myself, I grew up watching both 86s in Mandarin and 96s in Cantonese. The 96s version is loved due to Cantonese speaking, but I would still say the mainland 86s was much better and more classic than the HK TVB 96 version, which, even though it was also good and loved, but in the end still feel like a typical TVB family-comedy drama just like other TVB dramas they made...
This 96 TVB is also popular in Indonesia (dubbed Kera Sakti in Indonesia).
And the opening song for Indonesian version is lit af 🔥🔥
It is most popular in SEA because most SEA citizens are Indonesians
@@TommyAngelo1337in Bhutan as well the 1986 is the more popular version
I remember watching the 1986 adaptation on TV in Singapore and the way Liu Xiao Ling Tong plays Sun Wukong, with all his little actions and poses, remain iconic for me till this day.
Yup. It’s perhaps the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes of JTTW adaptations.
There is also the 2011 journey to the west show (the most complete of all JTTW tv adaptations ASAP!) that aired in New Zealand and was dubbed into Maori of all languages!
I grew up watching Dicky Cheung’s first time as Sun WuKong. It was so fun back then.
The 1986 series even got a Tibetan dub which me and a lot of other Tibetan millennials fondly remember watching VHSs of back in our childhoods. Good times.
I suppose the book got “minority” language translations too?
@@davidw.2791 Most likely are probably some Tibetan written translations for the original text. Haven't seen/heard about them though...
Like the majority of Vietnamese people, I grew up with the 1986 show, and it is still THE undisputed JttW adaptation for us till this day.
I think at this point, OSP's recap counts as another adaptation. I'm looking forward to this year's episode.
Also, looking at the 1940 animated fight with Bull Demon King makes me think JTTW could really work as Cuphead-like boss battle game
So they release one episode per year??
@nightmayor6114 if you check the OSP Journey to the West playlist, there are 11 videos with the first one uploaded 9 years ago, so more or less
*I can totally second the AvenueX shoutout* her series of videos are excellent. Dense at times, but excellent. Just feels like sitting with a friend who's telling you all about some stuff :D
My film teacher's aunt dubbed Tripitaka for the english tv release! He got really excited when he heard us play the theme in class.
1986 is the absolute gold standard. i wish someone would take on the task of updating the special effects and a bit of the editing now with modern technology
The 1996 adaptation was my childhood. It aired at the evening and I remember the next day I would discuss the new episode with my friends at school. Good old days...
Dicky Cheung was perfect as Wu kong in this adaptation. I like how he remain a very intimidating and serious figure yet can be as silly and condescending when situation calls for it. The sequel which I actually also enjoyed starred Benny Chan sadly isn't as good as Wu kong as Dicky.
Exactly. The hate for the 1996 version by mainlanders is ridiculous lol. This was the best adaptation imo, even if it didn't follow "exactly" according to the storyline, though I wish it did. I did enjoy the romantic takes, including that of its sequel, the 2002 version. Brought back so many dreamy memories of my childhood, especially with the music... It made me fall obsessively in love with the Journey to the West series after that.. Ah.. I could relive my childhood again..
In indonesia we got the tvb 1996 version, the local tv made their exclusive indonesian opening that literally became hood classic until now
bruh even now that rap still lives rent free in my head. sometimes i wake up in the morning and it decides to just hang around in my head all day.
The Dickey cheung adaptation is my favorite. He is by far my favorite Son WuKong. The theme song is also very catchy.
the 1996 adaptations is the one I'm really familiar with. As an Indonesian kid growing up in the 90's, I can still remember that sensation of waiting for the new episode in the afternoon. FYI, the Indonesian dub got a very memorable hip hop song for the opening.
Kera Sakti!
Tak pernah berhenti bertindak sesuka hati
TVB adaptation was definitely my favourite and I believe it's the same for many in SEA, it was the childhood of many of us in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Maaan those 1996 series are the best, not just for me but for all my generation. Its aired at 4 pm and i always watch together with my friend and family.
That 1986 one was the one I watched in Cuba as a kid. I think it was that show that turned me into a lifelong martial arts fan.
As a kid who grew up in the 90s the 1996 TVB series will forever be the canon Journey to the West for me. I remember my parents renting bootlegged VHS tapes and watching it together during the evenings when we first moved to the States. It was my first introduction to Journey to the West as a kid.
My mom got the VHS versions of the 96 one as well, the memories.. lol. It made me fall in love with JTTW because of D Cheung's acting. I loved the 2002 sequel as well - I actually saw that one before the 96. The romance and dreamy music made me connect so much with my Hong Kong roots.. though I don't speak Cantonese nor ever been to HK.. 😔
I grew up with the 1996 TVB series
It was amazing... so many memories
"Born from an egg on a mountain top, the funkiest monkey who ever popped!"
Yeah, I was one of those kids in Australia who discovered Monkey, then moved to Canada and NOBODY knew wtf I was talking about. I've spent the last 40 years slowly watching Sun Wukong make his way even more West, culturally speaking. Monkey Kid LEGO, American Born Chinese, and now Black Myth Wukong - its like a second Renaissance for Buddha's favourite problem child.
As a canadian, Canada is a cultural black hole. Even dubbed by the BBC, it never got a release in canada. Not even on public stations.
Ah the theme song, Godiego was a brilliant band
Yup, the 1996 Hong Kong's journey to the west was my first one. I keep rewatching it once in a while.
Stephen Chow's Chinese odyssey movies will always be my fav. adaptation of the story.
The 70s Japanese series was almost mandatory viewing for us 80s Aussie kids. The fight scenes were epic
That's cuz you didn't grow up with actual 80s-90s Hong Kong kung fu choreography. The 70s Japanese action scenes are utter shite to us.
To be fair, Monkey is a Japanese tokusatsu Dorama based on the novel. The Hong Kong ones still have more physical energy than it can handle.
The timing of this video! I have just started re-watching the 1996 TVB version out of nostalgia. The start was slow, but appreciated the time they took to explore Wukong and Zhu Bajie's early years.
I grew up with Dicky Cheung and Stephen Chow's adaptations. I loved them.
TVB's Sun Wukong played by Dicky Cheong will forever be my GOAT
Thanks for giving love to the 96 TVB series! it's a big part of my childhood here from Indonesia and i'm glad to share the same nostalgia to anyone who grew up watching Dicky Cheung's Wukong!
The 1978 Japanese version dubbed in English was broadcast at 6 pm just before Doctor Who starring Tom Baker at 6:30 pm when I was growing up in Australia, and both were mandatory viewing! I didn’t see another Japanese show with such energy until Iron Chef decades later.
The tvb 1996 is probably the most famous in my country, and it's sometimes still aired nowadays as a rerun.
The newer tv series also aired, but it's not as popular as the 96.
One thing I often hear is that the wukong from 96 is the most handsome one. So people prefer it.
1996 version is definitely the GOAT! A lot of people's childhood being made because of them
Pigsty is just so funny and bulliable in that version. And Wukong is just so handsome xD
The 1980s CCTV show was suuuuuch a core memory for me. I loved watching burned copies dubbed over in vietnamese with my grandma.
My sister have never read the book. She grew up watching the 1996 version. To her, it will always be the source material. Anything similar to the 1996 version will be a "faithful adaptation".
tbh I dont even think a faithful adaptation is impossible, since the book can tell a lot more story than a film.
However, to make the film share the same messages or value with the book is possible. and it's more important than making a film follow the exact same story from the book.
I'm an Aussie, and the British redub of the 70s Japanese show was one of the first live-action shows I loved as a kid. Years later I read and loved the Arthur Waley translation of the book.
I liked how the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, which is based on a graphic novel series inspired by Journey to the West, did an episode which was an homage to that particular show, right down to the opening credits and funky music.
@Axaul oh no way! That's awesome
Monkey was super popular in Australia because they ran it in the 'after school' special on ABC. So you were already there for cartoons, and stories and then Monkey. It did get me to read the book though... so. Small wins. ❤
The ABC remake didn't get mentioned in this video though. I thought that he was going to talk about all adaptations with comparison. But, No.
Loved Stephen Chows other movies so was on a binge 10 years ago and saw that movie, I still have screenshots in my old phone from watching that movie. I loved that movie but nowadays I won't ever watch anything old so I was afraid if I watch it again, I won't remember it as a great movie anymore. But being older, I know I'll understand and remember 90% of the rest of the movie. It's also the reason why the story Monkey King is so intriguing to me. Black Myth Wukong too (which came out this year) is my game of the year.
You won't watch anything old? Why?
@DeanS946 Doesn't hold up. The style, animation, graphics, acting, anything movie game or older tv shows feel like it's made by modern day college students.
I'm highly amused that OSP got referenced. TBH, Red's summaries are good and she's trying to do as much of the book as she can. I second AvenueX as another good source; from what I've seen of her explanations of the source chapters to the game's, I get a lot of nuanced details.
Did she read the book though? She makes claims that sounds contradictory to the book. Like she claims that Wukong is not actually the main character of JTTW, instead it's Sanzang (absolutely bogus conclusion for anyone reading the book). The book literally starts with Wukong's birth and he makes an appearance way more often than Sanzang who's mostly just a damsel in distress.
TVB version was a phenomenon in SEA.
I have been waiting for this video for YEARS. Thank you sir
So happy to see you finally talk about A Chinese Odyssey!!
Can't believe you forgot the most faithful adaptation of all-猪八戒吃西瓜
Ah, my childhood! The 90s cartoon takes me right back, my mum had all the DVDs and I would watch them endlessly.
Anything after the 1996 adaptation is basically... sh*t.
Stephen Chow's Tang Shang singing "Only You" still lives rent free inside my head.
I actually enjoy the 2011 version, although that one went almost the complete opposite of the 96 version
The 96 version, as mentioned in the video, made a lot of the stories into comedy. The 2011 version made everything serious and dramatic, which can be interesting in certain contexts.
I do hate the fact that the 2011 version used a green screen for so many things that do not need them. Sanzang riding a horse talking to Wukong could’ve been filmed on a dirt road, but they green screen it and it looked awful every time
The 96 sequel with D Cheung is good too. Definitely more romance, but I loved the comedy and amazing music in that one.
@@woodhawk109 the 2011 journey to the west show is also dubbed into Maori in New Zealand, for a channel dedicated to Maori language dubs and more.
For me, the Chow’s version is the most enjoyable. Accurate? It was emotionally accurate about a silly monkey.
Only you~~~~
@@kampay-san 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍 only youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…….
That was a cringy scene but funny 👍
I've always harboured a love for the 1978 version ("Monkey Magic" or just "Monkey" if you will). Everything about it is fantastic: the monster designs, the humour, the fantastic musical score and the over the top fight scenes. It was my favourite childhood show.
Also the reason it got popular in english-language television, is because- New Zealand (and Australia too IIRC), the show aired right after school ended.
I watched that Stephen chow version less than a month ago and I adored it. Definitely worth a watch. I didn’t like the first half an hour or so, but the following 2 and a half hours just got better and better.
It was awesome seeing it in higher def on Netflix. One of my favorites of all time
@10:20 The face of the actor playing the monkey! I know from kungfu the monkey is seen as a clever but nervous character that makes a lot of surplus movements; he does this so well with his face, but without losing the expression that he needs to convey, I can't stop repeating it!!
This entire video is a joy. Have had Uproar in Heaven in my favourites since 2009. Also the SquareSpace joke about the Buddha made me laugh. Thank you, AC!
And now I dread for the follow up of this two-parter video essay
Chinese Odyssey is great movie, but Stephen Chow is only an actor in it and it is a Jeff Lau movie who wrote and directed it and he is a producer of Wong Kar Wai movies. Its basically parody of Wong Kar wai movies but set into Journey of the west, but the elements and also dialogue used in a much better way. There many references to many Wong Kar Wai movies from Ashes of time and Chungking Express.
This is a question ive had in my hrad since before Black Myth Wukong from watching Dragonball when i was a kid and youve finally scratched that itch in my head!
In every adaptation you lose something and gain something. Great video, Yang man! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This vid deserves an award! 🏆
This is one of the few channels where I like the video before it even starts.
Australians who were kids in the 80s and 90s have a lot of fond memories of the Japanese TV series. For us, it was one of our first exposures to the world beyond our shores.
1996 TVB version is definitely the peak. It hits the right balance of faithfulness and modernization. And the writing is surprisingly tight and engaging. It knows when to be funny and when to be serious. Too bad they never got a proper sequel as they change the lead in the second season, which does changed a lot.
At first I was like, didn’t you do this already? Then I realized I was remembering Dominic Noble’s review.😂
The 1996's Journey To The West was aired, dubbed in my country, Indonesia. It was one of my favorite tv show back then. Also I will never forget the rap opening song.
ua-cam.com/video/spMmzq7j44A/v-deo.html
Kera sakti 🎶
@@aryann1001 Tak pernah berhenti bertindak sesuka hati!
1996 adaptation in Indonesia, the opening song was sung as a Rap song
which iconic for its time
Currently watching Another Journey to the West(Donghua). Completed Black Myth Wukong a month ago. Great year I think to be A Journey to the West fan.
Journey to the West 1996 was my childhood
In the original stories, Sherlock Holmes was never directly stated to wear a deerstalker cap. But it was in the illustrations of the original newspaper printings and the illustrator was working off of Doyle's descriptions. He was never wearing it all the time though.
From what I've read Journey to the West was published in the same year as The Taming of the Shrew's first performance in 1592, which was Shakespeare's first play.
If true then Journey to the West is as old as Shakespeare.
Actually, the novel consisted of a collection of legends, myths, and folklore from ancient times before that. The variations of the versions of the Journey to the West already existed long before the novel...
@ Good to know, though can't you say that about Shakespeare's works as well? He writes about the historical Julius Caesar much like Wu Cheng'en writes about Xuanzang.
@@rayfwu, They're not the same. Both are based on real historical events and people, but JTTW is also based others "fiction works" passed down from generations before (opera stories, tales...)
@@StephenYoung1379 So it's like, what, an adaptation of older stories? Makes me think of how Dragon Ball started out as one for JTTW before becoming its own thing.
Just a small, inconsequential nitpick: the TVB 1996 adaptation's Kingdom of Women arc did have an abortion well, but it was sabotaged and emptied. The group was "cured" of their pregnancy with divine pills, but was further "pranked" with babies stolen from mortals by the cousin of Red Boy, who wanted vengeance for "sentencing him" to Buddhism
Love your work!
13:35 this version is the one made Sun Wukong famous in Indonesia. Part of many millennials childhood
Yes! I looked up the opening because I want to be sure which year/version it was, and man I missed that song.
Me a British kid in the 70s loved the Japanese tv version! The monkey character actor was just charming and funny.
For many people in South East Asia, the 96 series is the definitive journey to the west show
Just wanted to say I really love your channel man, it's given me tons and tons of cultural insight I'd normally be lacking.
My dad growing up (in Scotland) was obsessed with Monkey, I'll have fun telling him did you know it was actually Japanese? Lol.
Excited for part 2!
I'd say what makes an adaptation successful is often that it's true to the spirit of the source material. Landing it's core themes and the general "vibe". You can change a surprising amount if the main pillars of story and character still /feel/ right. I've seen a lot of adaptions that worked, despite changing tons of things, and ones that failed while changing comparatively few things... but they changed they changed something that was "load-bearing". There are things you can change, add or remove and still stick the landing, but there's also stuff where changing it just makes it stop reading as an adaption at all.
By way of example - for Judge Dredd fans a major sticking point in the first movie was Dredd removing his helmet on duty. This seems pretty minor to somebody not familiar with the comics and /why/ it's important.
The point of the famous Dredd quote "I am the law" isn't that his word is law, or that he's the face of the law, but that he doesn't see any distinction between himself and the law. He will enforce precisely what the laws require him to with precisely the amount of discretion the law allows. He will not exceed his authority or shirk his duty. Regulations require he wear the helmet on duty, he wears the helmet on duty, period. To take off the helmet on-duty violates the central tenant of the main character's entire belief system, which is key to the main themes of the comics as a whole. Remove the helmet very clearly says that either the creators did not understand what they were doing, did not care, or both.
Failed adaptions tend to feel like some alien made a thing with no understanding of what any of the parts actually did or why. Good adaptions understand what's doing the work and why people like the thing. (Caveat: some things are just fantastically hard to nail because they appeal to different people for wildly different reasons....)
Considering there are several adaptations of Monkey with more or less the same attitude despite varying levels of child friendliness of the adaptations,I'd say you got a point
4:58 I remember watching this as a kid, and for the life of me, I could not find it as an adult. Every time I searched for Journey to the West in stop motion film, the search got nothing for me. Thanks for bringing this in!
Man I tapped on this notification so fast
Such a Beautiful Story to remember for every Age of World Generation
i grew up with the 1996 Cantonese adaptation with Dicky Cheung as Wu Kong.
it was a good TV series imho. good balance between comedy and story.
This was wonderful as always! Looking forward to part 2! Thank you!
Every year there’s a new LEGO set that’s a location or scene from the book. I have the 8 Trigrams Furnace that he busts out of, the monkey village and his monkey friends. I love them so much.
You are good in your analysis! love what you had to say and would love to hear more from you! Chow was able to change the whole game with his movie and while I think it lead to a lot more Sun Wukong movies I do wonder what the next phase of Wukong media we shall see in newer generations.
Great video! Big fan of your work, always find something new when I watch them. :) I feel like you and @SeriousTrivia would probably have an interesting conversation about Journey to the West...recently finished watching his playthrough and commentary of Black Myth - Wukong => was really interesting hearing his perspective and nostalgia as a Chinese immigrant to North American who grew up with the TV series (animated?) as a child.
It's cool that the fact many DBZ fans have known for some time that Goku is based on Wukong is getting wider attention. I'd love to see a video exploring the similarities of this in depth, Toriyama often citing Journey to the West and Jackie Chan movies as an influence
Dude, Dragon Ball is a retelling of Journey to the West, who do you think Oolong and Krillen are supposed to be?
@@lainiwakura1776 I'd actually make the argument that Bulma was the originally the Tripitaka expy, especially when you look at how often Japanese adaptations tend to turn their versions of him into a woman.
I love the older, dated adaptations of Journey to the West. I was so glad when I found that the full episodes of 1986 series is available on UA-cam. I grew up with the 1996 version, especially because it was incredibly popular in my region, so much that it got reruns many times, and back then, my constant complaint was just that they kept saying how Wukong was ugly, but Dicky Cheung is a good looking man, and the makeup didn't conceal that (probably by design) lol. It was so much fun, but very memorable and they did a pretty good job with serious parts of the story. The Women Kingdom story lives in my head rent-free.
My favourite arcs of the 96 was the Bone Spirit Arc and the Red Boy Arc personally. One thing I noticed the 96 Dicky Cheung adaptation does really well compared to any other adaptation though is putting a lot more attention towards development of the brotherhood between Wukong and Bull King as well as the subsequent conflict that happens between them because of the Journey West.
@@yellowsoy2475 I agree with the Red Boy arc, honestly I love any part involving Bull King family, it was just a roller coaster with them. The Bone Spirit arc was amazing, too. I personally also find the arc about Erlang's mother very memorable.
Dude, every since the game came out, I have been: reading the Penguin Classic's Monkey King: Journey to the West, and watching the 1980's Journey to the West series. I am hoping to watch the Lego Monkey King series soon. This story is really good.
We had the second half of Havoc in Heaven recorded on VHS! I loved it and only as an adult, realized it was almost twoce as long. My parents had just seen this Chinese animated film and started recording, I'm very glad they did 😊
My grandfather even has some episodes of the 1986 adaption in VHS dubbed in the Tibetan language.
I love all the recent live action and animated Journey to the West adaptations.
Pour one out for no official streaming or physical release for LEGO Monkie Kid.
I think there's something to be said for adaptations that change the details of a story but keep the... spirit of it. The 2019 adaptation of HP Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" (titled "Color Out of Space") was very different from the short story, but the idea of the story; a color that causes decay and corruption, is still there.
Never seen the 1986 version, since the only adaptation aired in my childhood was the 1996 version and it's really a masterpiece for me.
Looking back, when I saw it as a child was "Hehe go monkey go! Prove it to your teacher that you're right!".
Now that I rewatched it again as an adult, I don't know how many times I wept at the screen. The emotional moments that I didn't notice as a child really hit me like a truck as I've grown older. So many life lessons, but my personal favorite moment was the story of god Erlang praying for his mother to release her from hell that inspired all beings to also pray with him. Such filial piety, I'm really ashamed that I feel like I wasn't doing enough for my late mother when she was still around. RIP Mom. Love you. 🙏
It's free on youtube❤
my Fav Genre JOURNEY TO DA WEST , Yo! Samakenga!
thank you Dicky Cheung
12:12 interestingly enough this is the only movie i watched about journey to the west as an adult (i remember watching multiple movies/shows in my childhood though). It was pretty fun to watch actually!
With a teaser like that I can't wait for part 2 :D
Okay, after watching the Whole Video, I'm glad I'm not only one who came to the conclusion that 1966's Iron-Fan Princess (which I've recently watched) VERY likely influenced Nippon TV's Saiyūki! I mean, you look at Yueh Hua's Sun Wukong & then look at Sakai Masaaki's Son Gokū, and it's a dead ringer! Same with Tang Sanzang, when comparing his look from the 1966 Film vs the 1986 Xiyouji Series! Shaw Brothers' Iron-Fan Princess also clearly influenced 1985's Donghua Film, Jin Hou Jiang Yao (lit. "Gold Monkey Subdues Yao")! If you watched both films (like I have recently), you know EXCATLY what I mean...
I'm an avid believer that a story has to change somewhat to go from a written medium to a visual one, but I never understand directors who think they can write it better or "fix it." You can show fight scenes with clarity, you can flesh out thin plot or reasoning, show a somber quiet moment and so much more on film. I don't understand the need to just change the story entirely, that will lead to mismatched expectations from viewers and lower reviews, even if the movie is fine otherwise. Blade wasn't super close to the comics character, but the Wesley Snipes version was so popular the comic morphed to emulate that version more now.
I agree. Some aspects within books don’t necessarily work well in shows and vice versa. Depending on the audience aim of course.
Stephen chow adaptation is ahead of it's time, when it's released people don't like it because at that time people don't really understand about alternate reality, beside afaik that the only adaptation that boldly said sun wu kong just a dog, a guard dog that is
The 60s cartoon is a foundational experience even for me, a (non-Chinese) Malaysian growing up in the 90s. I remember tuning in every Lunar New Year to rewatch Monkey's exploits. As kids, we viewed Monkey as a hero rebel and even role-played as him and his band of companions almost as much as we pretended to be Power Rangers. Good times.
Fun fact: Sun Wukong is not the overpowered hero you think. He almost always lost to the demons he fought and almost asked the gods for help. Sorry.
"Power levels are bullsh*t." - TFS Vegeta
@@AccentedCinema Oh, you’ve watched DBZA.
@@AccentedCinema The fact that Dragon Ball, the father of modern shonen, was inspired by Journey to The West not only makes this funnier, but also disappointing since Wukong is a fraud, and he inspired Goku!
A crying little bitch too I heard. Lol!
Which is, interesting enough, another example of adaptation chasm that AC kept mentioning
The novel has him lose a lot. Pretty much every demon has a trick up their sleeve that incapacitate him. They can’t kill him, but he can’t do anything either. These are basically camp fire stories that seldom let him win by just brute strength
In a lot of adaptations, these losses are toned down, or played as just a temporary annoyance that he can overcome, given enough prep time and knowledge of the tricks. The OPness of Wukong came from adaptation continuously making him look more and more invincible
Joyous! As someone from the UK, I think my first introduction to the Journey to the West was something involving the visual artists who work with the rock band Gorrilaz, maybe it was something to do with the Beijing Olympics? I can't quite remember. But then there was a stage adaptation at the West Yorkshire (now Leeds) Playhouse and it was great! It used a lot of circus skills and it really stayed with me.
1996 is the most memorable one for me
A video about JTTW adaptations? I'm into this ✨
The original and TVB Dickey Cheung version has such a huge culture impact in Vietnam/Vietnamese people it's difficult to encapsulate with words alone. The TVB version, no matter how outdated it seems now, always has a special place in my heart.
All I know is that the adaptations of this thing will eventually give us an epic Jet Li vs Jackie Chan fight scene