Journey of the Monkey King

Caoimhe & M.J.
  • 4.9 (10)
  • BOOKS
  • SERIES

Journey to the West is one of the most influential books ever written and has inspired countless stories, including Monkie Kid, Dragon Ball and BBC’s Monkey, but has been obscure in the West. Caoimhe hosts a lighthearted chapter by chapter discussion of the novel with her friend, comedian M.J. Stokes. New episodes come out every second Wednesday.

  1. #1—Laser Monkey & Chinese Unicorn Giraffe

    EPISODE 1

    #1—Laser Monkey & Chinese Unicorn Giraffe

    Caoimhe & M.J. discuss the first chapter of Journey to the West and get side tracked by laser eyes and what exactly the word “unicorn” is a translation of. Links: “Qilin” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilin “Ming treasure voyages” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_treasure_voyages “Buddhist cosmology” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buddhist_cosmology&oldid=955126741#Earthly_realms Episode artwork is a 1666 painting of a Qilin by Kanō Tannyū, as photographed by Sailko: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periodo_edo,_kano_tan'yu,_uccelli_volanti_e_animali_che_corrono,_1666,_02.JPG Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    35 min
  2. #2—The Secrets of Immortality & Self-replicating Monkeys

    EPISODE 2

    #2—The Secrets of Immortality & Self-replicating Monkeys

    Journey to the West chapter two, featuring immortality, unwholesome meats and the Epic of Gilgamesh being gay. Spoilers for The Good Place between 3:18 and 04:45 when we discuss some existential issues. Links: “Epic of Gilgamesh” from In Our Time by BBC Radio 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b080wbrq “Chinese units of measurement” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chinese_units_of_measurement&oldid=952184981#Length “Wu Cheng’en” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Cheng'en “Flann O’Brian” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flann_O'Brien Episode artwork from A Modern Journey to the West by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: https://yoshitoshi.net/series/journeywest.html Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    51 min
  3. #3—Afterlife Paperwork & Sun Wu Karen

    EPISODE 3

    #3—Afterlife Paperwork & Sun Wu Karen

    Sun Wukong demands to see the manager. Of Hell. Content warning for intimidation and threats of violence throughout the episode and for brief mentions of alcohol and drinking between about 23:00 to 23:40. Links: “Yu the Great” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_the_Great “Great Flood (China)” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Flood_(China) “How the Milky Way Got Its Name and What It’s Called in Other Languages” on Today I Found Out: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/08/how-the-milky-way-got-its-name-and-what-its-called-in-other-languages/ Episode artwork from A Modern Journey to the West by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: https://yoshitoshi.net/series/journeywest.html Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    43 min
  4. #4—Earlobe Elongation & Embroidered Balls

    EPISODE 4

    #4—Earlobe Elongation & Embroidered Balls

    In which Sun Wukong demands a promotion from God. As usual expect fights and violence throughout the episode and the episode also has some digressions that briefly touch on phrenology between 20:15 and 22:47 and a joke about BDSM sex practises at 26:08 and 28:00. I forgot about it while recording the episode but embroidered balls specifically as a courtship ritual will show up again in a future chapter. Links: “Giant Buddha, Giant Ears” on National Geographic: https://web.archive.org/web/20160521132912/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/buddha-ears/ “Silk balls preserve love tradition from past” on China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201712/22/WS5a3c5e7ca31008cf16da2cd5.html Episode artwork from A Modern Journey to the West by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: https://yoshitoshi.net/series/journeywest.html Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    36 min
  5. #5—How to Deal with a Narcissist in Your Organisation

    EPISODE 5

    #5—How to Deal with a Narcissist in Your Organisation

    Caoimhe & M.J. discuss the finer points of how to work with narcissists as the Monkey King continues to cause trouble in Heaven. This episode features repeated mentions of alcohol and a character getting drink between about 16:30 and 22:00. Links: “Kumis” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumis “Barefoot Immortal” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_Immortal Episode artwork is Peach Blossom Study by Shen Zhou: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:沈周-桃花書屋圖.jpg Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    31 min
  6. #6—Avian Slut Shaming & Deification of Hydraulic Engineers

    EPISODE 6

    #6—Avian Slut Shaming & Deification of Hydraulic Engineers

    A battle of the gods, a shapeshifting duel and avian slut shaming. Links: “Erlang Shen” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlang_Shen “Bustard” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bustard Episode artwork from Gujin Tushu Jicheng via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Animal Kingdom - pic026 - 鴇圖.png Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    22 min
  7. #7—Numious Brassières

    EPISODE 7

    #7—Numious Brassières

    This episodes highlights the long and ongoing tradition of Caoimhe not being able to pronounce anything correctly. The episode starts off with capital punishment including attempts to burn someone to death. That lasts up until about 06:00. Urination features at 14:35 and 15:05. Discussions of caffeine withdrawal and sensory overload lead to jokes about cannibalism between 7:30 and 9:35. We had trouble staying on topic during this recording. If you think the tangent we go on about Irish at the end is rambling you should hear everything I edited out. This was recorded a couple of weeks ago. Coming back to it to edit and upload it, especially in light of current events, we touch on the idea of colonialism in Ireland and this topic is often used to dismiss both historical and current suffering of minorities in the United States, in Ireland, and elsewhere. The Irish slave myth is just that: a myth. Black lives matter and the suffering of black people shouldn’t be ignored. I’m sorry for not having this statement in the actual episode itself. I’ll add one to the start of the next episode. Links: “Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hum Learn the Irish language on Duolingo if you want I guess? https://www.duolingo.com/course/ga/en/Learn-Irish Episode artwork is a painting of Buddha from Wikimedia Commons with very little detail as to the source, but which the title claims is 15th C Ming Dynasty: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A VERY RARE PAINTING OF A BUDDHA. CHINA, MING DYNASTY, 15TH CENTURY. Sotheby's.jpg Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    27 min
  8. #8—Diss Tracks

    EPISODE 8

    #8—Diss Tracks

    Sun Wukong is not happy about some poetry about him. This episode features discussion of punishment throughout, including corporal and capital punishment. It also explicitly mentions torture at about 12:00 and features mention of sexual assault, primarily at about 23:35. Links: Episode artwork is a 16th century painting of Guanyin by Qiu Zhu: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:白衣大士像.jpg Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe’s website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

    38 min
See All (93)

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Journey to the West is one of the most influential books ever written and has inspired countless stories, including Monkie Kid, Dragon Ball and BBC’s Monkey, but has been obscure in the West. Caoimhe hosts a lighthearted chapter by chapter discussion of the novel with her friend, comedian M.J. Stokes. New episodes come out every second Wednesday.

Information