My beef with the LEGO Monkie Kid writing (and fandom...) PART 1:
TLDR: While deviation from source material is not inherently bad, Monkie Kid neglects certain crucial bonds or attributes from Journey to the West to appeal to fanservice and censorship.
spoilers up until Season 5 for anyone who hasn't seen it (if you're new to the show)
I have A LOT TO SAY about Monkie Kid I kinda doubt this is gonna get much attention but I like discussions a lot and would love to hear other people's takes!! THIS IS GONNA BE DIVIDED INTO PARTS!!!! (since I can never shut up about this show.... also everyone has poor attention spans and can't stand to read more than a paragraph or page worth of text)
"Oh but sundae it's a kids show!" I know! but there are plenty of shows "for kids" that have incredible writing. Not saying Monkie Kid doesn't have good writing! It does! but there are certain inconsistencies I'm bothered by (especially in respect to it's source material, plot holes, and fan service.... lots of fanservice)
Feel free to reblog and add onto this if you've read this far! I appreciate it!
STARTING OFF WITH THE SOURCE MATERIAL VS THE SHOW:
There is nothing wrong with deviation from source material! Many shows often take inspiration from their source material even in "epilogue" equivalent shows or spin offs! The issue with Monkie Kid though is that I'm disappointed it doesn't delve into Wukong's relationships OUTSIDE of Macaque enough and even leaned towards more fanservice in regards to Macaque and Wukong's past friendship. Not only that, but the source material contains heavy Buddhist attributes, which I hardly see mentioned or incorporated into Monkie Kid!
We even had potential for a glimpse of Wukong and his relationships with Tang Sanzang, Zhu Baije, Sha Wujing, and even Ao Lie! (Season 4 Special)
While I'm not a Shadowpeach fan, throughout the seasons it's gotten obvious that the show wants viewers to pay attention more towards Wukong and Macaque, when Macaque is a very minor character in the original JTTW! While Macaque becoming a primary antagonist and later anti-hero is not an issue, the lack of equal attention and care for Wukong's other relationships is! This is also a MAJOR fanservice issue since a majority of viewers appeal to the ship.
We have had VERY subtle hints of Wukong implied to miss his former companions, but nothing more! Where's the on-screen grief? Even Azure Lion's admiration and grief for Wukong was portrayed–from his perspective–which is understandable! But we never see Wukong's journey towards Enlightenment! A real scene pack with several shots dedicated to his companions! Not just the small origami friends seen in Season 5 or the SHOTS. SHOTS of Wukong and his companions in comparison to SCENES of Macaque and Wukong.
We had the chance to see this, but it was immediately killed off thanks to fanservice. Shadowpeach got more attention to it over Wukong's own MAJOR JOURNEY THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE. Since Season 4 was a goodbye love letter from Flying Bark (the previous animation studio) to the fans, I see why the writers might have given fans what they wanted to see. But it irks me that the Season 4 Special and even Season 5 (bless WildBrain animator's SOULS) would lean so badly towards fanservice and bend the knee to it.
I'll go into fanservice and SOME of this godforsaken fandom and how disrespectful it is towards RELIGIOUS DEITIES in another post/part 2 or 3.
Not to mention the lack of mention of Buddha. I understand Monkie Kid is likely censored and restricted from diving into the religious aspects of the Journey, but it disappoints me that even certain religious aspects journey itself is brushed aside.
TO BE CLEAR: I've seen far more educated and informed people discuss this before, and while I'm not Buddhist nor have I finished reading all of Journey to the West or am educated enough to respectfully critique the show for this exclusion, I want to include this incase someone who IS familiar with Chinese Mythology can add onto this (if they see this and want to)
For a show that doesn't mind depicting other religious deities mentioned (Nezha and Sun Wukong are primary examples of this) it hurts me that we don't actually have Buddha in Monkie Kid AT ALL or even a PROPER MENTION (not just the joke MK made in season 1 when he ALMOST said the Buddha's name!).
TLDR: While deviation from source material is not inherently bad, Monkie Kid neglects certain crucial bonds or attributes from Journey to the West to appeal to fanservice and censorship.
okay thanks for reading feel free to add onto this or debate me
