The 1978 Japanese version of Journey to the West was a TV series produced in Japan and adapted from the Chinese classic Journey to the West. The series was first aired on October 1, 1978, with a total of 52 episodes. It was reported that the series was well received in Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries, and became a "cult" and "childhood memory" for many Western teenagers in the 1980s. The production of the play was assisted by the Central Broadcasting Bureau of the People's Republic of China, and the background filming was specially done in China. However, due to many differences with the original work, the play was banned in China, and later China filmed its own version of Journey to the West. Therefore, the 1978 Japanese version of Journey to the West had a great impact on the world, especially in the Western countries.
The 1993 Japanese version of Journey to the West was a Japanese comedy drama produced by the Japanese television network (NTV), directed by Seiji Wizumi and written by Shiba Yingsaburo. It was starred by Miyazawa Rie, Motoki Masahiro, Kawahara Saki, Shimada Hisaku, and Yachikusaka. The drama was a remake of a popular drama series of the same name that aired from 1978 to 1980. It was adapted from one of China's four famous novels, Journey to the West. It mainly tells the story of Xuanzang (played by Miyazawa Rie), who used Buddhist scriptures to drive away the monsters that confused the people, and then gained the trust of Guanyin (played by Eight Thousand Grass) and was given the name Sanzang. Under the guidance of Guanyin, he subdued the violent and aggressive Sun Wukong (played by Motoki Masahiro), and Guanyin put the Golden Hoop Incantation on Sun Wukong. After that, Xuanzang accepted Zhu Bajie (Sato Kawahara) and Sha Wujing (Hisashi Shimada). The four of them met a demon and turned into mortals. Sun Wukong identified the demon and killed it. However, he was criticized by Xuanzang and others. Sun Wukong left angrily. After Sun Wukong left, the demon revealed its true form. Xuanzang understood that he had misunderstood Sun Wukong, but he did not find him. Instead, he took Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing to India. After Sun Wukong left, he became the king of the mountain and hung out with demons. Guanyin created illusions to enlighten him and other stories. The drama was a 140-minute single-episode drama and received a viewership rating of 26.9% after it was broadcast. Watching Journey to the West: Sun Wukong Beats the White Bone Demon Three Times is not enough. Everyone is welcome to click to read the novel!
There were many Japanese versions of Journey to the West that used actresses to play the role of Tang Sanzang, forming a tradition of a female version of Tang Sanzang. The Japanese version of Journey to the West, which was broadcast on October 1st, 1978, had the actress Natsume Masako as the Tang Monk. In addition to the female Tang Monk, there were also bold settings such as the male actor playing the role of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The style was shocking and the production was rough, but it was very popular in Japan. When it was broadcast, it created more than 20% of the audience ratings. It was also introduced and broadcasted in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, and many other places. As a result, Rie Miyazawa also played the role of Tang Sanzang in the 93 edition of Journey to the West. In some versions, there were even more ridiculous settings. For example, after Sun Wukong was injured, Tang Sanzang used a kiss to heal him. Some versions even set up a love scene for the two of them. In 1981, China Central Television introduced the 1978 Japanese version of Journey to the West, but because there were too many changes (such as the female Tang Monk, the female Buddha, the male Guanyin, etc.), it was only shown for three episodes before it was removed. Watching Journey to the West: Sun Wukong Beats the White Bone Demon Three Times is not enough. Everyone is welcome to click to read the novel!
The 1993 Japanese version of Journey to the West was a Japanese comedy drama produced by the Japanese television network (NTV), directed by Seiji Wizumi and written by Shiba Yingsaburo. It was starred by Miyazawa Rie, Motoki Masahiro, Kawahara Saki, Shimada Hisaku, and Yachikusaka. The drama was a remake of a popular drama series of the same name that was broadcast from 1978 to 1980. It was adapted from one of the four famous China novels, Journey to the West. It mainly told the story of Sun Wukong, Xuanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, who went to the Western Heaven to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Along the way, they subdued demons and devils and experienced hardships. It was a 140-minute single-episode series filmed by Japanese TV to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its broadcast. After it was broadcast, it received a viewership rating of 26.9%. In the plot, Xuanzang used Buddhist scriptures to drive away the demons that confused the people on the street and gained the trust of Guanyin and was given the name Sanzang. Then, under the guidance of Guanyin, he subdued Sun Wukong. Guanyin put the Golden Hoop Curse on Sun Wukong, and then Xuanzang took in Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. On the way, Sun Wukong killed the demon and was misunderstood by Xuanzang. Xuanzang left angrily. After the demon appeared, Xuanzang realized that he had misunderstood Sun Wukong but did not find him. Instead, he took Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing to India. Sun Wukong mingled with the demon. Guanyin set up illusions and other plots to enlighten him. Watching Journey to the West: Sun Wukong Beats the White Bone Demon Three Times is not enough. Everyone is welcome to click to read the novel!
There were many Journey to the West TV series in Japan. In 1978, the first Journey to the West was filmed in Japan. The actress Natsume Masako played the role of Tang Sanzang. In the play, the Tathagata Buddha and the demon Silver-horned King were also played by women. Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Monk Sha had strange appearances. The plot of the play was seriously inconsistent with the original work, and the characters were difficult to accept. It was banned in China after only three episodes. However, it was very effective in Japan, and it even caused a "Journey to the West" craze. After that, he filmed four more movies in succession and followed the setting of the woman playing the role of Tang Sanzang. In 1993, Japanese television stations remade the popular series of the same name to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its broadcast. It was a 140-minute single-episode drama, starred by Miyazawa Rie, Motoki Masahiro, Kawara Saki, etc. From January 9 to March 20, 2006, Journey to the West, which was directed by Kamasaku Sawada and Takeshi Narita and starred by Shingo Katori and Eri Fukatsu, was also adapted from one of the four famous ancient China works, Journey to the West. In 2024, there was also a Thai drama called " Journey to the West in Japan ", which was starred by Daou Pittaya, Offroad Kantapon, etc. It was a Thai drama, which might be confusing in terms of name. Watching Journey to the West: Sun Wukong Beats the White Bone Demon Three Times is not enough. Everyone is welcome to click to read the novel!
From November 11, 1979 to May 4, 1980, Japanese TV broadcasted a total of 26 episodes of Journey to the West. The directors were Jun Fukuda, Min Aoki, and Shino Ota, and the main actors included Masaki Sakai and Masako Natsume. In the play, Tang Sanzang was played by the actress Natsume Masako, and Sun Wukong was played by Sakai Masaaki. The visual special effects were contracted by Round Valley Production Company and Toho Image Co., Ltd., and Nakano Akiyoshi and Takano Hiroichi participated in the special effects production. Watching Journey to the West: Sun Wukong Beats the White Bone Demon Three Times is not enough. Everyone is welcome to click to read the novel!
Journey to the West was a classic with rich content. There were many ways to interpret it. ** 1. The perspective of society and officialdom ** 1. ** Reflects the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty ** - The Heavenly Court was seen as a reflection of the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty. The Jade Emperor was similar to the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He was superstitious about Taoism and devoted himself to cultivation, just like the Jiajing Emperor, who devoted himself to longevity and did not care about government affairs. - The Taoist ancestor, the Grand Supreme Elder, and the others were hinting at the civil officials of the imperial court. They had great power and appeared to be worried about the country and the people, but in reality, they harmed the public and benefited their own interests. The Jade Emperor could do nothing about it, so he used the Buddhist forces to contain it. - The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and his faction were too close to Buddhism. Buddhism was humble in front of the Jade Emperor, but in fact, they secretly cultivated their power. On the surface, they obeyed, but on the inside, they opposed. On the way to the scriptures, the two factions sent people to do official business. They supported the project in name, but in reality, they competed for benefits. Along the way, there were two factions of demons and ghosts. They were transferred away after finishing their work, and the local tyrants without backgrounds were eliminated. - The book revealed the ugliness and internal struggles of the Heavenly Court, as well as Buddhism's apparent compliance with the Heavenly Court and its self-interest. It also hinted at the hardships on the way to the scriptures, reflecting the author Wu Chengen's dissatisfaction with the feudal system and his understanding of the darkness of society. ** 2. Symbol angle ** 1. ** From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese culture ** - Sun Wukong represented the mind that grew with enlightenment. The "Crescent Moon and Three Stars Cave" that he was apprenticed to symbolized the place where the mind grew. The combination of the "Crescent Moon and Three Stars" was the word "heart". His master was Bodhi, and "Bodhi" had the meaning of enlightenment. He also symbolized a kind of teacher who transcended the limitations of religion. Sun Wukong's Dharma name, Wukong, corresponded to his mind, which represented the growth of enlightenment. - Zhu Bajie was in charge of the kidneys. Because the kidneys could not be "Wukong" like the heart, his Dharma name was "Wuneng". - Sha Wujing was related to the spleen. The heart was fire, and the kidney was water. Water and fire were transported and transformed by the spleen (earth). The heart, kidney, and spleen corresponded to Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing respectively, symbolizing the unity of the primordial spirit, essence, and vitality to form Sanzang. - From this point of view, Journey to the West could be understood as a person's mental journey of enlightenment."A trip is a thought." This thought was the distance from ignorance to enlightenment. The 81 difficulties were all mental demons. The Holy Mountain was in the heart. Everyone had a Holy Mountain Pagoda and had to cultivate their hearts under the Holy Mountain Pagoda. 2. ** From the perspective of a character prototype ** - Sun Wukong abhorred evil and dared to offend both the Heavenly Court and Buddhist forces. He had a stubborn temper and there were many possible explanations for his original form. ** 3. Perspective of literary creation ** 1. ** Relationship with other works ** - Among the Four Great Masterpieces, Journey to the West was the most adapted work. It originated from stories such as "The Great Tang Sanzang's Poetry on the Pilgrimage to the West","The Commentary on Journey to the West", and "The Zaju of Journey to the West". The first protagonist of the Journey to the West was changed from Tang Sanzang to Sun Wukong. - At the beginning, the author constructed a magnificent "Journey to the West Universe", setting the time of the universe (such as the number of heaven and earth, the division of one yuan into twelve meetings, etc.) and space (the structure of the four continents, the four seas, the underworld, the celestial heavens, etc.). 2. ** Literature Evaluation ** - Lu Xun believed that "Journey to the West" was a book written by a Confucian scholar, but it was actually a game, not a language. Therefore, the book only occasionally talked about the five elements of life and death, especially did not learn Buddhism. Therefore, there were absurd and nonsensical scriptures in the last chapter. It was because of the mixed teachings that it had been popular for a long time. Therefore, his works were also the same as Sakyamuni and Laojun. The true nature and the primordial spirit were mixed, so that the disciples of the three religions could be attached to it." - Hu Shi mentioned,"Therefore, although he narrates things that change suddenly, but also every word that is used to explain the situation, so that the gods and devils have human feelings, the essence of charm is also familiar with the world, and the meaning of cynicism is contained." The two masters both thought that Journey to the West had the characteristics of "game" and "cynicism." However, Journey to the West could also be said to be a profound book. It was not just a simple game. ** 4. Thematic perspective ** 1. ** Positive energy and harmony ** - Journey to the West could also be regarded as a masterpiece full of positive energy. It was a description of the image of China's "fighting gentleman", a secret manual to free himself from worries, and a classic work of harmony between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. 2. ** Dark side revealed ** - The world of Journey to the West was filled with dark phenomena. For example, demons ate people (General Yin, Techushi, etc.), people ate people (the monk king failed), and immortals ate people (Kui Wood Wolf). Buddhism was greedy for money and killed people (Guanyin Zen Monastery coveted the kasaya, and the Great Thunderclap Monastery demanded personnel), Daoism caused chaos in the country (Wuji Kingdom's national master murdered the king, and Bhikhu Kingdom's national master harmed the children), the underworld was bent on favoritism (Judge Cui privately changed the Life and Death Book), and the Heavenly Court was plunged into misery (Fengxian County had no rain for three years, and two people starved to death). <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
The author of Journey to the West was Wu Chengen, a Chinese novelist from the Ming Dynasty. Journey to the West was a famous ancient Chinese novel. It told the story of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Monk Sand, and Tang Sanzang, who went to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures after going through 81 difficulties. This novel has many wonderful plots and unique creativity, and is considered a classic in the history of Chinese literature. Although the author of Journey to the West has passed away, his works are still widely read and studied. It is one of the important legacies of Chinese culture and literature.
Journey to the West was a classical Chinese novel that told the story of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Tang Sanzang (also known as the "Journey to the West"), who went to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. The following is the story of Journey to the West: Sun Wukong and the others came to Tang of the East and were received by Emperor Taizong. They told their stories to Emperor Taizong, who appointed them civil servants and gave them swords and scriptures. 2. Sun Wukong and the others met the monster White Bone Demon outside Chang 'an City. Sun Wukong used his supernatural power to turn the White Bone Demon into a human form, exposing its true identity. 3. The White Bone Demon asked Sun Wukong and the others to help her retrieve the scriptures or she would destroy them. Sun Wukong and the others were forced to go to India to learn scriptures. They fought with all kinds of monsters along the way. On the way to the scriptures, Sun Wukong and the others met the immortals Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. Together, they helped Sun Wukong and the others to achieve many victories. Finally, Sun Wukong and the others arrived in India to retrieve the sutra. However, on their way back to the Tang of the East, they encountered various challenges and difficulties, including Flaming Mountain, Water Curtain Cave, Wuzhuang Taoist Temple and so on. In the end, Sun Wukong and the others successfully returned to the Tang Empire of the East and received the emperor's commendation. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing also received their due punishment. They also became legendary figures in Chinese history.
"Journey to the West" was a famous work of ancient Chinese literature. It told the story of Xuanzang, a monk of the Tang Dynasty, and his three disciples, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Monk Sand, who went to India to obtain the true scriptures after going through 81 difficulties. The main plot of the story was as follows: Part One: Xuanzang and his disciples embark on the road of learning scriptures Xuanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Friar Sand embarked on their journey to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. They passed by Chang 'an, Luoyang, and other places before arriving at the Great Snow Mountain. Here, they encountered the monster Sun Wukong and engaged in a fierce battle with them. Xuanzang taught Sun Wukong some Buddhist knowledge to help them cultivate. Part Two: Encountering the Obstruction of Evil Forces On their way to India, they encountered the obstruction of evil forces. The first was the Demon King Boxun. He stopped Xuanzang and his disciples from going on their journey to learn the scriptures and launched a fierce battle with them. Next, Bull Demon King, Zhu Wuneng, and Sha Wujing also tried to stop the journey of learning the scriptures and started a fierce battle with Xuanzang and his disciples. Part Three: Experiencing 9981 Difficulties During their journey to India, they experienced 81 difficulties, including defeating many monsters, evil forces, diseases, and so on. The most famous of them was the Taoist priest of Wuzhuang Taoist Temple. He tried to turn three of his disciples into pigs and monkeys, but was persuaded by Xuanzang and his disciples. Part Four: Finally Obtaining the True Scripture In the end, Xuanzang and his disciples finally reached India after going through 81 difficulties. After they obtained the scriptures and returned to China, they were praised by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and became legendary figures in Chinese history.