Emily M’s Reviews > The Journey to the West, Volume 3 > Status Update

“When Pilgrim heard this, he was filled with anger. ‘These brazen fiends are so audacious! I am protecting the Tang Monk so he may attain the right fruit. How could they plan to devour my man?’”

So, there’s not quite enough to justify shipping Monkey and Tripitaka. But occasionally you can see how the writer of ‘Inuyasha’ looked at this and went: “But what if romance?”

Oh, I really liked this adventure with the spider women and their other arthropod associates!
There's some great 'ick' moments, between them frying up brains to look like bean curd, the way they make silk cords come out of their belly buttons, the swarms of insects that are their adopted sons...
And then the big boss Monkey can't handle gets beaten by a nun with an embroidery needle who's really a hen.

This red-purple kingdom adventure feels particularly random and chaotic.

We've got Monkey playing doctor to the king, then it turns out his illness was caused by anxiety about his queen who's been kidnapped by a demon, and then a bunch of convenient thing happen, but then Monkey can't help having a look at the magic bells, and then panicking and dropping them when they ring and all the fiends come out...

Monkey: Sure, I can cure the king!
Tripitaka: WTF are you doing?! You don’t have a medical degree - are you trying to get us all executed?
Monkey: “I know a few herbal prescriptions which can cure even grave illnesses…But even if I kill him, all I’ll be guilty of is merely manslaughter because of medical incompetence…Relax! Take a seat and see if I’m any good at taking the pulse.”
Tripitaka: 🤦

Monkey: Hey gonggong. Why are you being so generous with the vegetarian goodies?
Old man: Well, we’ve got a monster…
Monkey (bowing): “Thanks for giving me business!”
Pigsy: “Look how he causes trouble! When someone asks him to catch fiends, that person is dearer to him than his maternal grandpa!”
Monkey: Look, I’m bored. No one has tried to eat you guys in like a week!

Monkey: "May I ask from what region did that fiend originate? What sort of treasure is that wrap of his?" (The cloth that keeps scooping up and imprisoning all his allies)
Matireya: "He happens to be a yellow-browed youth in charge of striking the sonorous stone...That wrap is my fertility bag, its common name being 'The bag of human seed'"

Ewww....

Tripitaka: “Oh, Wukong! (Breaking into poetry) I loathe myself for not giving you heed/Thus landing us all in such dire need!…”
Monkey: Aww. “Though that master refused to believe my words…he nonetheless does think of old Monkey when he is in such straits!” (Immediately slips out of ropes and proceeds to rescue everyone)

LOL, did Tripitaka get kidnapped by tree spirits who just want to have a tea and poetry party?

That’s a cute change from demons wanting to eat him, though I’m sure Monkey et al are freaking out.

Tripitaka: (puts on work clothes to sweep pagoda)
Monkey: The one that got all messed up by a mysterious rain of blood? In the middle of the night? “You may run into something unexpected. How about letting old Monkey be your companion?”
Tripitaka: You know what? Fair.

One of the rare moments I remember I'm reading a religious allegory:

Pigsy: "Let's go back, find another way, and scat!"
Local Spirit: "When you mention finding another way, you are bound to fall into heterodoxy, and you are no longer someone concerned with the proper method of cultivation. As the ancient said, where can one walk but on the main road?"