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Le roi singe #1-4
The Monkey King: The Complete Odyssey
The complete story of the legendary Monkey King fable of ancient Chinese lore. Artist Chaiko brings his unique visual style and humor to this fantasy adventure about a monkey who acquires supernatural abilities and intelligence and chooses to use them for mischief and glory before finding himself at the ire of the Heavens. Imprisoned by the Buddha himself, the rapscallion vows to prove his worth by escaping and retrieving the sacred sutras on a mighty quest. A comic adventure story, humorous satire of bureaucracy, source of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory all brought to life in a dynamic animated style that will entertain readers young and old.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
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214 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 11, 2023
the most legendary scoundrel hero in history
The claim of the introduction to this recent comic book adaptation of the classic Chinese legend might sound like hyperbole, especially to someone like me who reads it for the first time, but Chaiko Tsai managed to convince me by the time I finished the Journey into the West that the praise is well deserved. [I think I also saw the Stephen Chow movie adaptation , but that was a major disappointment]
I don’t know how faithful this comic is to the original material – I just chose it as a lighter version to see if I will be interested in the original novel – but the picaresque adventures, the subversive and energetic main character and the spiritual journey that mirrors the fights with demons and bandits have won me over and convinced me this story deserves to be counted as one of the four major classic literary works in China.
Chaiko’s artwork took some getting used to, mainly as I tried to reconcile the very dynamic kung-fu action scenes, the beautiful scenery and the expressivity of the faces with a certain infantile style that made me think the artbook is aimed at children. Yet the story and the dialogue are definitely adult, even very modern sounding and made much more palatable by the humorous incidents caused by the monkey king. Some of the cultural and religious content is still a bit hazy for me, but as a primer for a future read of the original, Chaiko has done an excellent and entertaining job.
Sun Wukong, better known as the Monkey King, is like a wrench thrown into the gears that make the Heavenly Court run smoothly, all this while he plays merry havoc with the mortal and the demon kingdoms, too. The nimble and quick-witted Wukong is definitely the main attraction of the story for me.
Before we even start the journey to the home of the bodhisattva in search of some holy sutras, India being referred in the title as the land to the West of China, we must learn the origins of Sun Wukong and of the troubles he caused to the Celestial Emperor and his cohorts, like achieving immortality after stealing some magical peaches from the gardens of the emperor. Only the intervention of the Amitahba Buddha [?], one of several incarnations of the holy man in the book, manages to put a stop to Sun Wukong's pranks and fighting, imprisoning him under a mountain for eternity.
Speaking of Buddha incarnations, several of them are feminine, something I was pleasantly surprised to discover about the buddhist pantheon, and one of them has a need for a good fighter in search of redemption as a companion and bodyguard of Tang Sanzang, a young and devout monk who is sent to recover said holy sutras from hundred of thousand li away in the west.
The first part of the journey sees Sun Wukong earning his keep by fighting several demons, bandits and ghosts, but also earning rebuke from his master for his violence, his lies and his stealing, all character traits condemned in Buddhism.
The traveling party also gets larger as a trio of colourful characters join forces with Sun Wukong as guardians of the young monk: a white dragon horse, a fighting pig and a sand dervish/reformed demon.
With these additions the possibilities for mischief and for complications along the way multiply exponentially, and there’s hardly a dull moment in the more than 300 pages of the comic.
My only complaint is the slight letdown of the finale: the title promises the complete odyssey, yet the ending felt rushed, with the party still far from its destination.
I guess I have to do more research as to which English translation of the original novel is best for me after Chaiko: the four volume ones seem too much effort, and the abridged ones make me wary of losing some important context.
The claim of the introduction to this recent comic book adaptation of the classic Chinese legend might sound like hyperbole, especially to someone like me who reads it for the first time, but Chaiko Tsai managed to convince me by the time I finished the Journey into the West that the praise is well deserved. [I think I also saw the Stephen Chow movie adaptation , but that was a major disappointment]
I don’t know how faithful this comic is to the original material – I just chose it as a lighter version to see if I will be interested in the original novel – but the picaresque adventures, the subversive and energetic main character and the spiritual journey that mirrors the fights with demons and bandits have won me over and convinced me this story deserves to be counted as one of the four major classic literary works in China.
Chaiko’s artwork took some getting used to, mainly as I tried to reconcile the very dynamic kung-fu action scenes, the beautiful scenery and the expressivity of the faces with a certain infantile style that made me think the artbook is aimed at children. Yet the story and the dialogue are definitely adult, even very modern sounding and made much more palatable by the humorous incidents caused by the monkey king. Some of the cultural and religious content is still a bit hazy for me, but as a primer for a future read of the original, Chaiko has done an excellent and entertaining job.
Sun Wukong, better known as the Monkey King, is like a wrench thrown into the gears that make the Heavenly Court run smoothly, all this while he plays merry havoc with the mortal and the demon kingdoms, too. The nimble and quick-witted Wukong is definitely the main attraction of the story for me.
Before we even start the journey to the home of the bodhisattva in search of some holy sutras, India being referred in the title as the land to the West of China, we must learn the origins of Sun Wukong and of the troubles he caused to the Celestial Emperor and his cohorts, like achieving immortality after stealing some magical peaches from the gardens of the emperor. Only the intervention of the Amitahba Buddha [?], one of several incarnations of the holy man in the book, manages to put a stop to Sun Wukong's pranks and fighting, imprisoning him under a mountain for eternity.
Speaking of Buddha incarnations, several of them are feminine, something I was pleasantly surprised to discover about the buddhist pantheon, and one of them has a need for a good fighter in search of redemption as a companion and bodyguard of Tang Sanzang, a young and devout monk who is sent to recover said holy sutras from hundred of thousand li away in the west.
The first part of the journey sees Sun Wukong earning his keep by fighting several demons, bandits and ghosts, but also earning rebuke from his master for his violence, his lies and his stealing, all character traits condemned in Buddhism.
The traveling party also gets larger as a trio of colourful characters join forces with Sun Wukong as guardians of the young monk: a white dragon horse, a fighting pig and a sand dervish/reformed demon.
With these additions the possibilities for mischief and for complications along the way multiply exponentially, and there’s hardly a dull moment in the more than 300 pages of the comic.
My only complaint is the slight letdown of the finale: the title promises the complete odyssey, yet the ending felt rushed, with the party still far from its destination.
I guess I have to do more research as to which English translation of the original novel is best for me after Chaiko: the four volume ones seem too much effort, and the abridged ones make me wary of losing some important context.
March 18, 2024
2.5? Rounding up because I know for the right person this book would be great.
Why am I not the right person? I don't know. I should like this. I love myth. I love religion. But there were a lot of little things that didn't quite work for me. For example, if one is not already familiar with Buddhism, I could see a lot of the story beats and vocab being confusing. The pacing was ok but near the end it felt very rushed. I wanted to like the art work and at times I did but for the most part it was just... ok. The color palette was meh. The font was insanely tiny.
Why am I not the right person? I don't know. I should like this. I love myth. I love religion. But there were a lot of little things that didn't quite work for me. For example, if one is not already familiar with Buddhism, I could see a lot of the story beats and vocab being confusing. The pacing was ok but near the end it felt very rushed. I wanted to like the art work and at times I did but for the most part it was just... ok. The color palette was meh. The font was insanely tiny.
October 31, 2023
"The Monkey King” by Chaiko is a uniquely artistic rendition of the ancient Chinese myth, Journey To The West. The art is very expressive and looks amazing with the watercolors. The story was also great, although formulaic towards the end. It felt like the first chapter to a much bigger story, but it ended abruptly; I hope another book is in the making! I loved the character designs- they were intricately detailed and each unique. My only complaint is that the text was so small that it was hard to read. Also, each page is very dense so it is a long read at 300 pages. Overall, a great book. 9/10.
--Teen volunteer, 7th grade
--Teen volunteer, 7th grade
July 13, 2025
The story is well-known, so no comments about that, but I liked how the author condensed it for his adaptation. The drawings are beautiful and expressive. I was in love with his mischievous and clever Wukong, his devil-may-care attitude and the smart glint in his eyes!
June 27, 2023
Great art--the monkey is so expressive! Blends a very classic Chinese style with modern graphic art
The stories Chaiko chose are ones I've mostly seen in other collections, but there were several new ones.
This book is going on my classics shelf!
The stories Chaiko chose are ones I've mostly seen in other collections, but there were several new ones.
This book is going on my classics shelf!
September 10, 2023
A great option for those who like comics and would like to read an abridged version of "Journey to the West".
"The Monkey King" tells the tale of Sun Wukong, his achievements and mischiefs. With great art accompanying his story, this was a very enjoyable read.
"The Monkey King" tells the tale of Sun Wukong, his achievements and mischiefs. With great art accompanying his story, this was a very enjoyable read.
September 4, 2023
Very detailed style of the traditional story.
Beautiful and funny.
And for those who watched the Japanese TV version of this, try not to read it in their voices.
🐒
Beautiful and funny.
And for those who watched the Japanese TV version of this, try not to read it in their voices.
🐒
November 9, 2024
3.5\5⭐
chaiko's art is fantastic and i love the more conservative/traditional designs on the character's. its a pretty standard and direct adaptation of the key stories of journey to the west, with little reinterpretation. at the same time, its not complete and only covers the key or most well known stories, without reaching the or even a conclusion.
i understand this is a limitation of being a kickstarter comic from an indie publisher (which i will wholeheartedly endorse n support) but it does make it fall a bit flat for me as someone who's already deeply familiar with journey to the west. i know realistically doing a complete adaptation would take ages and a lot of money that even a mainstream publisher might be unwilling to commit to but the overall pacing, even if abridged could've been improved.
maybe adding in a story here or there and actually concluding the journey would be good. additionally, each sort of 'vignette' should've been properly separated instead of going from one monster to another with little connection between them. i also think the dialogue was a bit janky and disjointed at points, unsure if this has to do with translation issues from the source material but definitely could've used some smoothening.
ultimately though lots of potential and would love to see more / a bigger crack at it
chaiko's art is fantastic and i love the more conservative/traditional designs on the character's. its a pretty standard and direct adaptation of the key stories of journey to the west, with little reinterpretation. at the same time, its not complete and only covers the key or most well known stories, without reaching the or even a conclusion.
i understand this is a limitation of being a kickstarter comic from an indie publisher (which i will wholeheartedly endorse n support) but it does make it fall a bit flat for me as someone who's already deeply familiar with journey to the west. i know realistically doing a complete adaptation would take ages and a lot of money that even a mainstream publisher might be unwilling to commit to but the overall pacing, even if abridged could've been improved.
maybe adding in a story here or there and actually concluding the journey would be good. additionally, each sort of 'vignette' should've been properly separated instead of going from one monster to another with little connection between them. i also think the dialogue was a bit janky and disjointed at points, unsure if this has to do with translation issues from the source material but definitely could've used some smoothening.
ultimately though lots of potential and would love to see more / a bigger crack at it
March 31, 2025
Actual rating 4.5.
Well, I adored this book, but the main reason I didn't give it a higher rating was that it was literally hard to read. I mean, the font style and size were difficult to read, but if you have 20/20 vision, you should have no problems. I loved the art and would not change a thing about that, but it was difficult to read and follow along with the narrative, dialog, and amazing visuals.
With that said, it's the story of Sun Wukong. What's not to like?
I did enjoy having a visual representation of the original adventure from "Journey to the West." I don't know if I could read a story about Wukong without images. I first discovered his stories in movies from the 1970s ( though I was born in the '80s- I know I'm still old) and have always watched anything I could referencing him since. Then, I realized that there were comics and manga about him.
I'm glad I finally finished this delightfully entertaining graphic novel. If my life wasn't so crazy, I would have finished it months ago. Despite the wait, I enjoyed it immensely. The non-ending is also perfect- it is true to Wukong's legends.
Highly recommended to fans of Sun Wukong, Buddhist culture and inspired tales, those with a sense of humor and affinity for adventure, and those who appreciate beautiful illustrations.
Well, I adored this book, but the main reason I didn't give it a higher rating was that it was literally hard to read. I mean, the font style and size were difficult to read, but if you have 20/20 vision, you should have no problems. I loved the art and would not change a thing about that, but it was difficult to read and follow along with the narrative, dialog, and amazing visuals.
With that said, it's the story of Sun Wukong. What's not to like?
I did enjoy having a visual representation of the original adventure from "Journey to the West." I don't know if I could read a story about Wukong without images. I first discovered his stories in movies from the 1970s ( though I was born in the '80s- I know I'm still old) and have always watched anything I could referencing him since. Then, I realized that there were comics and manga about him.
I'm glad I finally finished this delightfully entertaining graphic novel. If my life wasn't so crazy, I would have finished it months ago. Despite the wait, I enjoyed it immensely. The non-ending is also perfect- it is true to Wukong's legends.
Highly recommended to fans of Sun Wukong, Buddhist culture and inspired tales, those with a sense of humor and affinity for adventure, and those who appreciate beautiful illustrations.
May 16, 2025
I've been wanting to read the Journey to the West, but it's hard to understand which edition strikes a good balance between accuracy and readability in an English translation. Then I happened across this comic edition.
The monkey king is born from lighting striking a large rock, and is ambitious from the start. Soon he rules as king over the island of fruit and flowers, but the death of the previous monkey leader shakes him - he leaves with the vow to return with the secrets of immortality.
The comic omnibus contains four parts: it begins with Money's rise to power and entrapment; continues with the monk Tang Sanzang freeing him and taking him (and later Pigsy) as disciple on his journey to the west to obtain sacred scrolls; in the third the water sprite joins to complete the party, and Monkey is both disgraced and redeemed; the last part is about trouble with fire demons and finishes rather open ended.
I can't compare with the text version, but this edition already helped me understand the monkey king in pop culture far better than before. The art is beautiful, with the main characters quirky, recognisable, and with a full range of emotions. The only nitpick on the art I have is that all the women have the same face. The story starts strong, but could potentially have been wrapped up more definitively.
The monkey king is born from lighting striking a large rock, and is ambitious from the start. Soon he rules as king over the island of fruit and flowers, but the death of the previous monkey leader shakes him - he leaves with the vow to return with the secrets of immortality.
The comic omnibus contains four parts: it begins with Money's rise to power and entrapment; continues with the monk Tang Sanzang freeing him and taking him (and later Pigsy) as disciple on his journey to the west to obtain sacred scrolls; in the third the water sprite joins to complete the party, and Monkey is both disgraced and redeemed; the last part is about trouble with fire demons and finishes rather open ended.
I can't compare with the text version, but this edition already helped me understand the monkey king in pop culture far better than before. The art is beautiful, with the main characters quirky, recognisable, and with a full range of emotions. The only nitpick on the art I have is that all the women have the same face. The story starts strong, but could potentially have been wrapped up more definitively.
August 29, 2024
A wonderful introduction to Sun Wukong, the beloved "scoundrel hero" of 16th Century China.
The collected adventures of this mischievous hero as he becomes an Immortal legend in his search of excitement and enlightenment. Presented as a full-color graphic novel that succeeds in glorious splendor, this new translation rocks the mischievous monkey's escaoades,
Recommended classroom applications:
Compare this version with the deluxe (prose) edition by Wu Cheng'en (Penguin Classics, c2022).
Read the story of The Monkey King (any format), then read and compare the truthfulness of the Monkey King in Gene Luen Yang's Michael L Printz Award winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese (First Second/Roaring Brook Press, c2006).
Highly Recommended for grades 9-adult.
The collected adventures of this mischievous hero as he becomes an Immortal legend in his search of excitement and enlightenment. Presented as a full-color graphic novel that succeeds in glorious splendor, this new translation rocks the mischievous monkey's escaoades,
Recommended classroom applications:
Compare this version with the deluxe (prose) edition by Wu Cheng'en (Penguin Classics, c2022).
Read the story of The Monkey King (any format), then read and compare the truthfulness of the Monkey King in Gene Luen Yang's Michael L Printz Award winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese (First Second/Roaring Brook Press, c2006).
Highly Recommended for grades 9-adult.
November 25, 2024
I don't think I could praise this book enough. It was amazing. I loved the art. The characters were so expressive, and the style fit the story so well. The Monkey King's expressions were the best. I had tried to read an English translation of the original story a long time ago, and I could barely get through a quarter of it before I had to stop. It was interesting, but I don't know if it was the translation or the story in general, but I couldn't finish it. So I'm glad that this book exists. Graphic novels of classics are some of my favorite books, and this one is at the top of my list. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in classics from any country.
My only complaint is that the story felt unfinished. I actually had to look up what happened to the characters in the end.
My only complaint is that the story felt unfinished. I actually had to look up what happened to the characters in the end.
February 22, 2025
A beautifully illustrated version of Journey to the West. The character designs are very well imagined. A couple of criticisms - point size of the text is much too small making it challenging to read for older eyes and the book doesn’t end with the completion of the journey to the west. It just wraps up with a “his adventures continues” type of sunset scene. If one wishes to experience the full journey then the latest translated adaptation “Monkey King” from 2022 is a “good read.”
March 19, 2024
Graphic Novel depicting the "Journey to the West" classic Chinese book. The story is close to the original book (infinitely more than recent movies on the topic!) and the drawings are made with a lot of care. It captures very well the monkey's arrogant personality and also how he evolves over the story, gradually becoming less impulsive while staying as trickster as ever.
January 19, 2025
Fascinating tale of the monkey king originally a story published during the Ming Dynasty, this was a giant epic adventure with a lot of action scenes and cool demon and deity characters whom the Monkey King needs to bout against in order to protect his buddy, it was very hard to follow but visually rewarding.
July 17, 2023
Siempre es un deleite encontrarse esta historia en cualquier formato cuando se trata con respeto y se hace con cariño. El arte de esta novela gráfica es sencilla y hermoso, ideal para contar las aventuras de un personaje personalmente tan querido para mi. Épico, divertido y muy emocionante.
February 3, 2024
Finally read it after backing on Kickstarter - what a great way to finally read the Journey to the West and learn more about the infamous Monkey King! The art is what drew me in as a backer and remains absolutely beautiful.
December 21, 2024
Beautiful artwork and colorful story. The funnest part was learning that my 10-year-old son had watched some videos on his own about the story and we were able to connect on what was happening in the book.
July 1, 2023
i read this so i can have an idea of what to expect when I read the actual novel. the ending in the novel made me think that they left some stuff out???
April 20, 2024
absolutely loved this graphic novel!! I am a big fan of jttw and learning more about it so this was a treat! love the art style
November 13, 2024
Loved it, great introduction into journey to the west and Chinese Buddhist mythology
December 23, 2024
Good, clean artwork, and includes a fair representation of the themes and incidents from the novel; the one downside for me was I sometimes had difficulty with the font style and size.
Read
March 5, 2025Stunning revisioning of an ancient Buddhist tale. Amazing art that just sings!
Read
April 21, 2025beautiful art, tiny text made this difficult to slog through but I enjoyed the general story mostly
July 7, 2025
പഴയക്കാല ഓർമ തന്ന പുസ്തകം.
October 2, 2025
Okay the art was pretty but the font that was chosen made my head hurt it was like italics that were folding in on each other idk what that was.
February 14, 2025
2.5
The stories were a bit disjointed and somehow repetitive and boring. What a shame.
The stories were a bit disjointed and somehow repetitive and boring. What a shame.
January 17, 2024
Belle alliance entre la peinture traditionnelle chinoise et le dessin d'animation pour le style graphique. Ce classique du XVIe siècle est très bien adapté en BD et très clair grâce aux notes de bas de page.
April 5, 2025
-1 star for the ending, I wish there was at least one more volume, it was great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews