Journey to the West (1978 NTV Version)
A 52-episode live-action adaptation of Journey to the West produced by NTV and Kokusai Eigasha from 1978 to 1980, starring Masaaki Sakai.
Journey to the West (西遊記／Saiyūki) is a live-action tokusatsu television series co-produced by Nippon Television (NTV) and Kokusai Eigasha, broadcast on NTV from October 1, 1978, to May 4, 1980. The series consists of two seasons totaling 52 episodes (26 episodes per season). Masaaki Sakai stars as Sun Wukong, Masako Natsume plays the role of Tripitaka in a cross-gender performance, and Shiro Kishibe plays Sha Wujing. The role of Zhu Bajie was played by Toshiyuki Nishida in the first season and by Saburo Saitō in the second. Based on Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West, the plot centers on the pilgrimage of the master and his three disciples to the West to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures. Each episode tells a standalone story of wit and courage against demons, blending martial arts, tokusatsu effects, humor, and social satire with lessons on Buddhist philosophy and human nature. The soundtrack was composed by the band Godiego, and the theme song "Monkey Magic" became an enduring classic. Starting in 1979, the BBC translated the series into English for broadcast in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand (initially only 39 episodes were translated, with the remaining 13 translated in 2004). The show sparked a "Monkey King fever" across many countries in Europe, America, and Asia, becoming the most influential live-action adaptation of Journey to the West in post-war Japan and the English-speaking world.