Monkey Magic (Non-TF)

[Jhiaxus]

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2009/250/1/2/Monkey_Magic_Colour_by_Boltax.jpg

http://boltax.deviantart.com/art/Monkey-Magic-Colour-136188831

I've been watching some Monkey Magic episodes and I got inspired to draw the main characters. I love Monkey Magic so much.

--Jhiaxus
(By the way... I'm on Twitter now: http://twitter.com/Jhiaxus)

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Cool style.

Monkey Magic is da awesomest!

Not the lame one with the SMAP guys in it though. That was a bit cack....

[GoktimusPrime]

Half my namesake! :D (Monkey is known as Gokuu in Japan ;))

[kurdt_the_goat]

I don't know if any of you guys have played it, but Ouendan 2 for NDS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moero!_Nekketsu_Rhythm_Damashii_Osu!_Tatakae!_Ouen dan_2) has a bonus stage with the Monkey Magic theme song. It's really great to play and i was so excited when i unlocked it! I have only vague memories of the show; it has been so long since i last saw it.

[yukitora]

Half my namesake! :D (Monkey is known as Gokuu in Japan ;))

i don't recall monkey starting with a 'g'. doesn't it start with an 's'? i'm more in tune with the language up in the Akita-ken region. not tokyo stuff.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

i don't recall monkey starting with a 'g'. doesn't it start with an 's'? i'm more in tune with the language up in the Akita-ken region. not tokyo stuff.

Money sname in Japanese is Sonn Goku. Usually shortened to Goku depending on which story you are watching. My fave though was Sa Gojo AKA Sandy. He was a Kappa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(Japanese_folklore))

[Jhiaxus]

To be fair, though... a lot of the appeal of Monkey Magic is its westernisation.

The dub has this mad energy to it that takes an okay show and makes it an AMAZING show.

Visually the show IS fun, with Pigsy, Sandy and Monkey being a hell of a lot of fun. The FX are crummy (they always were), but the fight scenes are GREAT (except in the second season... where there's way less fighting and the fight sequences are much worse coreographed).

But it's that dub that really makes it magic.
--Jhiaxus.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Very true, very true there. The dub does put the icing on the cake, especially the way they have the quasi asian accents on the characters.

I got the complete box set and when I was watching it was suprised how much fighting there was in it. Makes me wonder how this was considered a kids show back in the 80s:D Not that its that bad, just suprised me.


I don't know if any of you guys have played it, but Ouendan 2 for NDS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moero!_Nekketsu_Rhythm_Damashii_Osu!_Tatakae!_Ouen dan_2) has a bonus stage with the Monkey Magic theme song. It's really great to play and i was so excited when i unlocked it! I have only vague memories of the show; it has been so long since i last saw it.
Was it the Gandara theme over the credits or the opening? I was checking a Jap paper that was quite old a while ago and they had the words to Gandara in there with a little articel about the song and what Gandara was. Maybe the music had a bit of a revival.

[GoktimusPrime]

They have that song at Karaoke boxes here in Sydney! 今度シドニーに来て一緒にカラオケに行ってガンダーラ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjRxtn6WzIQ)を歌いましょう！（^O^)


i don't recall monkey starting with a 'g'. doesn't it start with an 's'? i'm more in tune with the language up in the Akita-ken region. not tokyo stuff.
The Japanese word for monkey is 猿 (saru) but as Tetsuwan Convoy eluded to the name for the Monkey King from the story of 西遊記 (Journey to the West) is 孫悟空 (Son Gokuu).

I used to feel mighty confused with Tripitaka as a kid... he was clearly established as a _male_ monk but I thought he was HAWT! Of course, I've since learnt that Tripitaka was played Masako Natsume (http://www.monkeyheaven.com/masako.html) (a woman! :))

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

The 80s had so many awesome kids shows and Monkey was right up there IMO...the dub definitely added a whole new level of fun. I've never to this day heard the word 'poofter' used on any other kids show.:eek:

Sorry Paulie but it is pretty funny...:D

Oh and DAMN YOU GOKI FOR THAT LINK! Never realised she was that hot under that robe, as if I didn't feel conflicted enough watching Monkey before...:rolleyes: For anyone who reads the link and wants to hear the Oh! Cookie Face song here's the youtube link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtT9TpR9_Cs).:D

[GoktimusPrime]

:D Here's some more clips to mess with your mind:

A recent video of Sakai Masaaki (Monkey) singing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNOA-yZpWkE)
Beer ad featuring Nishida Toshiyuki (Pigsy) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnvhhzjbE4E)

:)

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Oh and DAMN YOU GOKI FOR THAT LINK! Never realised she was that hot under that robe, as if I didn't feel conflicted enough watching Monkey before...:rolleyes: For anyone who reads the link and wants to hear the Oh! Cookie Face song here's the youtube link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtT9TpR9_Cs).:D

Yeh, shame she passed away from breast cancer I think.

The guy who played Pigsy seems to be going through a bit of an acting comeback. He was in a movie that was popular when I was there a couple months ago and also popped up on many many banal japanese talk/game/variety/travel/food shows.

[bruticus]

I've since learnt that Tripitaka was played Masako Natsume (http://www.monkeyheaven.com/masako.html) (a woman! :))

thanks for the link. i've always wandered why they got an actress to play that role and not an actor.

so this sure explains a lot:


"...Apparently, the real Tripitaka who went to India to collect the Buddhist scriptures was said to have been a very good looking monk (don't laugh!) and that his looks were akin to the beauty of a woman (hence female Masako Natsume plays him). After "Monkey" was aired, everyone got the impression that Tripikata has to be played by a (pretty) girl. So Tripitaka is played by one in all the remakes of "Monkey"!..."
That part where you guys are talking about Son Gokuu confirms my suscpicion when i was young that the dragonball cartoon series was based (rip off?) on monkey magic.

hey jhiaxus, is that drawing coloured using photoshop or actual pantone markers?

[Jhiaxus]

Coloured it using photoshop. NEver been a marker fan. Seldom colour anything by hand at all nowadays.



I used to feel mighty confused with Tripitaka as a kid... he was clearly established as a _male_ monk but I thought he was HAWT! Of course, I've since learnt that Tripitaka was played Masako Natsume (http://www.monkeyheaven.com/masako.html) (a woman! :))

As I understood it the role is traditionally played by a woman.

Actually... the gender confusion stuff doesn't stop with Tripitaka being played by a woman in the show. She was dubbed by a woman... and the show itself is FILLED with crazy gender confusion stuff.

Buddha manifests in his female form -- some other traditionally male or female characters also manifest in their opposite genders. Monkey is constantly crossdressing (Well, cross-transforming since he magics himself into other genders) and there are a tonne of plot lines which have major gender confusion sections.

It's kinda disturbing when you watch it back.

Basically Monkey Magic is about:
1) insane Budhism.
2) gender confusion
3) hitting people with sticks.
--Jhiaxus.

[Kyle]

This thread is giving me an urge to go pick up the DVD boxset...

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeh, shame she passed away from breast cancer I think.
I think it was leukemia. I think this is the reason why the series was never finished. Bad enough that they changed the actor for Pigsy (never liked the 2nd actor).


The guy who played Pigsy seems to be going through a bit of an acting comeback. He was in a movie that was popular when I was there a couple months ago and also popped up on many many banal japanese talk/game/variety/travel/food shows.
Not so much a comeback - Nishida Toshiyuki's always been quite popular in Japan. Ditto Sakai Masaaki who also hosts his own show.


i've always wandered why they got an actress to play that role and not an actor.

As I understood it the role is traditionally played by a woman.
I don't know about the tradition, but it's not uncommon for women to be casted as young boys. After all Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman. :)

[kurdt_the_goat]

Was it the Gandara theme over the credits or the opening? I was checking a Jap paper that was quite old a while ago and they had the words to Gandara in there with a little articel about the song and what Gandara was. Maybe the music had a bit of a revival.

Not sure to be honest, but here it is on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Bf36ubDPc)

[1orion2many]

This thread is giving me an urge to go pick up the DVD boxset...

:eek:It's beyond urge for me as I loved this show, Off to JB I guess if they carry it. This Saturday Kyle:D

[GoktimusPrime]

kurdt: that's a remix of the opening theme which is called "Monkey Magic", not "Gandhara." Gandhara is the ending theme and I've already posted a link to that in a previous post. :) Both were sung by Godaigo. I love the Karaoke clip for Gandhara as it shows the members of Godaigo actually travelling through India.

Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5G43c_GRug) is the original opening theme.
Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMWy4hqAg) is the English dub version. Same song but different opening narrative/edit.

[yukitora]

I used to feel mighty confused with Tripitaka as a kid... he was clearly established as a _male_ monk but I thought he was HAWT! Of course, I've since learnt that Tripitaka was played Masako Natsume (http://www.monkeyheaven.com/masako.html) (a woman! :))

And you only learnt this now? i thought everyone knew this?
The chick had cancer in real life. note the bald head.

[GoktimusPrime]

I've known for yonks but not when I was a kid. The bald head wasn't due to chemo - she wore a cap.

Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDKH8R8I6_w) is a live performance by Godaigo performing the English version of Gandhara.

P.S.: Here's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB-7GCqwXHU&) a live performance of the Japanese version of Gandhara with images of Natsume Masako (as Tripitaka and herself) playing in the background.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I've known for yonks but not when I was a kid. The bald head wasn't due to chemo - she wore a cap.


Yeh, those caps are fairly noticable in the show.