With the popularity of Journey to the West soaring, fans of Black Myth: Wukong may enjoy these anime adaptations of the classic novel that inspired it
Journey to the West is a medieval Chinese novel that dates from the 16th Century but is set in the 7th Century, and features characters and places drawn from history and ancient Chinese legend. Written by Wu Cheng’en, it’s one of the most popular books in the world and has inspired countless modern adaptations in the form of movies, books, comics, and anime. The video game Black Myth: Wukong, which is currently making a big impact in the entertainment world, is yet another example of this story’s continuing popularity.
Plenty of anime use some of the elements from Journey to the West as part of their setting, storyline, or heroes. There’s a wide range of genres and types of anime based on this novel, with some only making references to it while others are intended to be full adaptations. 7 Gokū no Daibōken
Directed By: Gisaburô Sugii
Produced By: Eichi Kawabata
Studio: Mushi Productions
Release Date: January 7, 1967
Gokū no Daibōken is notable for several reasons, starting with its historic place as one of the earliest Japanese animated shows to make it overseas, although the localizations were confined to Europe as opposed to North America. The anime follows the same basic storyline as the novel and includes Goku as one of the guardians intended to guide the monk Xuanzang to India.
The show is also entitled Adventures of the Monkey King and Goku’s Great Adventures, depending on the localization. Although it never made it Stateside back in the day, the show is currently available for those interested in classic and vintage anime. 6 Sci-Fi West Saga Starzinger
Directed By: Yugo Serikawa
Written By: Tatsuo Tamura, Mitsuru Majima, Sukehiro Tomita
Studio: Toei Animation
Release Date: April 2, 1978
Instead of a historical adaptation of the novel, a popular method of interpreting Journey To the West is through a futuristic or fantasy lens. Known as Spaceketeers in the United States, this series included the same character dynamics and search for a sacred MacGuffin, but takes place in a far-distant future time.
