Monkey Magic
A thirteen-episode CG animation produced in 1998 by B-Factory and Group TAC, adapted from Journey to the West.
Monkey Magic is a 13-episode television anime planned by B-Factory and produced by Group TAC. Directed by Tameo Kohanawa and featuring character designs by illustrator Susumu Matsushita, it aired in Japan on networks such as TV Tokyo between 1998 and 2000. Utilizing the then-innovative 3D CG visuals, the series takes the narrative framework of Journey to the West and reimagines the master and disciples' pilgrimage to the West through a science-fiction lens. In this futuristic world, Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing appear as teenagers, equipped with a mechanized Ruyi Jingu Bang and flying devices. Combined with elements of otherworldly adventure, the show is a bright, fast-paced adventure series aimed at children and families. This work should not be confused with the 1978 live-action tokusatsu series Journey to the West (also known internationally as Monkey Magic) produced by Nippon TV—the latter starred Masaaki Sakai and remains the definitive "Monkey King" for audiences in the United Kingdom and Australia. The present work is an experimental CG interpretation of the Journey to the West theme by the Japanese animation industry in the late nineties, and it was also broadcast on British and American television channels with English dubbing.