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Movies => Bad Movies => Topic started by: Squishy on March 08, 2001, 07:16:50 AM



Title: Searching for "Saiyuuki"
Post by: Squishy on March 08, 2001, 07:16:50 AM
Okay, here's a challenge:

I'm looking for any info on a particular animated movie based on the Chinese tale "Saiyuuki," or "Xiyouj" in Chinese. The story has been done over and over again in various anime ("Monkey Magic," "Alakazam The Great!," and even "DragonBall" are based on it) and even live-action ("Monkey" in the UK, assorted Hong Kong flicks). The story details the journey of a hot-tempered demon-battling monkey king, in ancient times when they ruled humanlike kingdoms, who accompanies a young prince on a quest to find/become Buddha.

The particular one I'm looking for (and may be looking for the rest of my life) is very unusual-looking: characters move very slowly and gracefully, even in airborne flight or in battle, designed with grimaces that would make the Grinch flinch. Backgrounds are incredibly dark shades of blue, again very unusual for an animated film.

The really tough part: I saw about fifteen minutes of it on Japanese TV years ago. It appears to have been made in China or Hong Kong, MAYBE Japan, but played on TV in Chinese (the story is so familiar to Japanese culture, translation may not have been considered necessary).  Hell, for all I know, it may have been made in Russia (I've seen animation from there that uses slow-and-graceful movement as well).

If any of this rings a bell, or if someone's seen something like this on a website, please let me know. Haunts my friggin' dreams, it does, and internet searches keep bringing up "DragonBall" pages. Thanks in advance.


Title: Re: Searching for "Saiyuuki"
Post by: Abby on March 08, 2001, 05:35:32 PM
It has funky white dragon?

I'm pretty sure an anime-nut friend of mine forced me to watch this without subtitles many years back. He had some books and/or manga related to it also. One of manga comics was about a red-haired elf girl named Rayrin? She looked like Ember from Elfquest.

Um, this is all I found:

Can you read Japanese?

Here's a Monkey Site  Maybe They'll Know?


Title: Re: Searching for "Saiyuuki"
Post by: Squishy on March 09, 2001, 04:41:01 AM
The "Monkey SIte"--covering the British TV show (!!)--had a lead in the "Media/Related Films" page, mentioning a 70s Shanghai Animation production released in the UK as "Havoc In Heaven." That may be it. Unfortunately, it's never been released to tape as far as the site's operator knows, and that's the extent of his knowledge about it. No stills or anything...nothing on the IMDb.

I don't know about the dragon, but here's a description of the bit I did see:

The monkey king is booted off the quest by the young prince he is protecting, because his violent nature has led him to kill an enemy. Only at that point does he realize how devoted he has become to the prince, and he slowly and sadly floats away. He either conquers or saves another race of monkeys, and returns to his life of ease as their king, but concludes that he was happier as a good servant than as a bad king. He chases off the other monkeys and soars away, apparently to rejoin the prince.

Thanks for your help, Abby! If you are still in contact with your friend, please inquire! I will kill to lay my hands on a copy of this film. Well, kill a six-pack, but still...


Title: Re: Searching for "Saiyuuki"
Post by: Squishy on March 11, 2001, 06:54:20 AM
I knew network telly was showing a made-for-TV movie called "The Lost Empire" this weekend, but only tonight (Saturday night, that is) did I realize it just happens to be a bastardized version of "Saiyuuki," the first made-in-America version of the story. Well, it has a "monkey king" in it; beyond that, it seems less connected to "Saiyuuki" than "Dragonball Z."