How would you personally write the Kingdom of Women arc?? Not even talking about the mpreg stuff, I'm mostly just talking about how you would "worldbuild" in a way, the kingdom itself! Since women fill every single social caste, surely they would be marrying each other or being single mothers (either one is very progressive for the time). And while I do find the whole "women toss themselves at Tripitaka" thing funny, it does get a bit old after a while?? If you know what I mean. I just think a chapter about the pilgrims saving this kingdom from a man who's holding these women's reproductive rights hostage could stand to be a bit *less* comedic. Like, maybe these women have heard stories or had experiences from other men who have passed through that have made them (rightfully) cautious, or maybe they're just more curious than outright attracted to them. But I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I also find the whole “women hurl themselves at Tripitaka” thing funny, but my personal monster-loving beef with it is that there's no way the women would STOP at Tripitaka. Because I personally think Tripitaka's actual appeal to a bunch of women who have spent generations happily man-free would be the sheer novelty.
And if you’re hungry for novelty, well. The disciples have that in spades. 🤣
Okay, but joking aside, it is annoying that a whole kingdom of women are reduced to sexpots/ yet another trial for Tripitaka to virtuously overcome. Still, for a book as steeped in misogyny as JttW, this whole thing could have gone so much worse. I actually find it reassuring, for instance, that the True Immortal of Miracles is so easily lumped in with all the other corrupt/ inept authority figures that the pilgrims have to face down. It's a major theme in JttW that people in power kinda suck. I like that the guy who has power over the abortion water is considered to suck on par with, say, the king of Bhiksu ordering the deaths of 1,111 children so that he might continue boinking his demonic concubine, or the goldfish demon pretending to be a river god and demanding sacrifices, or the Buddha's disciples asking for bribes. Just one more entitled jerk abusing his power and position.
...Oh look here comes Sun Wukong with an 8-ton iron staff!!!
(Love love love that Wukong broke his weapon in half and then bundled up the pieces and snapped them in half again, just casually driving home how utterly weak and impotent this guy's always been. Also phallic metaphors heheh. Seriously, the way this book uses satire is top notch, and since satire is imo the single greatest weapon we have against the powerful and corrupt, I am delighted to see it wielded against this particular asshole.)
So... I guess to (finally) answer your question, if I were writing this arc, I'd actually keep things pretty similar overall—like you said, it’s actually an incredibly progressive kingdom! I’d just seed in a few more grounding details, like maybe how their army is different from others, or how there are difficulties with sisters looking incredibly similar, since they are all technically genetic clones of their mother.
I like your point that there's probably a lot of caution around men in this kingdom--probably I would play up their land as a refuge for mistreated women, which would a) fuel the general mistrust of men, b) make the queen's determination to marry Tripitaka more unusual and politically fraught, leading to some interesting explorations of her character, c) give rise to a few situations in which people react to Tripitaka by going "GAH, how horrifying!" which I think would be good for him, and d) have a fascinating effect on gender relations in all the kingdoms bordering Women Country.
Also I'd use the entire kingdom to hit Zhu Bajie repeatedly over the head.
