Ordinary weapons could equip the little monkeys, but they were no match for Wu Kong's immense powers.

In search of his dream weapon, the Monkey King looked to his next door neighbor - Dragon King of the East Sea.

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

Happy Chinese New Year to our listeners across the world! We hope you have a healthy and brilliant year of the rabbit!

Here, we discuss how we translated character names, why it is important to deliver the implied meanings from the simpliest words and a little note on contradictions.

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

After a silly joke went downhill, Wu Kong was sent on a bittersweet trip home, back to where he was born.

But home was no longer what it was.

What happened?

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

There are many things Patriarch Pu Ti could teach Wu Kong, from philosophy to sex to meditation, but none could lead him to immortality.

What will Wu Kong do?

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

Here, we discuss a number of basic issues regarding the production, ranging from the novel’s authorship to which references we used.

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

For the first time, the Monkey King left his birthplace in search for eternal life.  The human world was terribly disappointing, but after spending almost a decade wandering, he finally found the place.

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

Who is the Monkey King and where did he come from?  

We take you to the very beginning of "Journey to the West" and be witness to his origin story!

Note: The Sanskrit names of the four mythical continents have further meanings within, which are reflected in their Chinese translations but for simplicity, are not included in our English translation. 

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ where you can purchase the official transcript of this episode or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.

Join us on this wonderful journey today!

The Fifth Monkey presents: Journey to the West - an Audio Drama Series

Bringing China's most influential fantasy adventure to your ears, with an original translation right from its source text.

The Fifth Monkey is a multinational team dedicated to this project. ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter⁠⁠ for the latest news. For full English subtitles, please visit ⁠⁠our Youtube Channel⁠⁠. Support us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠our homepage⁠⁠ to find us on other platforms.