SF Journey to the West: Starzinger
A seventy-three episode science-fiction reimagining of Journey to the West, produced by Toei Animation from 1978 to 1979 with character designs by Leiji Matsumoto.
SF Saiyūki Starzinger is a television anime series produced by Toei Animation and broadcast by Fuji Television from April 2, 1978, to August 24, 1979. Spanning 73 episodes, the series was directed by Yugo Serikawa, written primarily by Tatsuo Tamura, and featured character and mechanical designs by Leiji Matsumoto. The accompanying manga was serialized in Television Magazine and illustrated by Yasuo Otagaki. This work transports Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West into a futuristic galaxy: in the year 2072, the energy of the galaxy has fallen into imbalance. Princess Aurora of the Moon (corresponding to Tang Sanzang) is chosen to travel to the Planet King to restore order. She is escorted by three cyborg "Mechanical Guards"—Kong-go (corresponding to Sun Wukong), Zolgo (corresponding to Zhu Bajie), and Bakki (corresponding to Sha Wujing)—as they battle "Aliens" corrupted by the energy imbalance across the universe. Originally planned for 64 episodes, the series was extended to 73 due to its popularity. The show aired in the United States under the title Force Five: Spaceketeers and was released on video in the United Kingdom as Sci-Bots. It stands as a representative attempt by 1970s Japanese animation to adapt a Chinese classical masterpiece into a space opera.