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Hello, and welcome to my new series: Tech reads JTTW (because most of my work rn is semi professional and therefore elsewhere, and the interesting fandom stuff I am doing is in collaboration (ie. Ninjago fan continuity with full rewrite that I’m slowly doing with a friend)…long story short, you’re getting classical novel blogging because for some reason I keep reading them (I once chose to read Moby Dick, this is only to be expected)

Background/why: the friend that I’m doing a Ninjago fan continuity with convinced me to watch Lego Monkey Kid. I subsequently devoured it while working on final projects. Another friend of ours grew up with JTTW and is encouraging our Chinese mythology research shenanigans. Finals are now done, I don’t have any classes over the summer, and now I have a fresh edition of JTTW in four volumes. It is now monkey time.

Version: W.J.F. Jenner English translation published by Foreign Languages Press (if anyone else wants to join me on my madness)

Edit: though I’m reading a physical copy (meaning that it might not be exact), here’s the PDF for this translation (apparently they’re a website just for JTTW research):

https://journeytothewestresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wu-Chengen-Journey-to-the-West-4-Volume-Boxed-Set-2003.pdf

#Tech reads JTTW

In my defense, I read the chapter last week, but got sucked into family friend plans and my current (almost done!) weaving project. (If anyone can’t tell, I read the chapter first, marking things of interest, then go back and do these later. Usually it’s on the same day)

Tech reads JTTW, chapter 25 notes:

-Anyway, I think this is the first time Wukong even vaguely lies, and even then it’s more so omission of information. He’s also smiling (“I’ve had a smile on my face all my life”). I love bad lier Wukong

-Sanzang tells them that men of religion tell the truth, and Wukong spills immediately. “I didn’t start it, master” <—snitch Wukong

-The boys apparently still think insulting a very impulsive mind monkey is a good idea. Wukong proceeds to leave a dummy clone of himself and knocks down the manfruit tree.

-Wukong: “Great, great, great, that’ll make them all cool down” literally how? 🤨🙃

-Gold vision makes more sense when the other’s eyes are described as being “of mortal flesh”. It’s like the furnace refined his eyes. I still think he should have at least dry ass eyes

-Pure Wind (one of the boys): “These monks will take anything we say. We’ve sworn at them as if we were swearing at chickens, but the haven’t admitted anything. I don’t think they can have stolen any after all. The tree is so tall and the foliage so dense that we may have miscounted”

Two comments on this (sorry for the long quote, easier than explaining it)

Why are they swearing at chickens? What did the chickens do to deserve that?

Wukong you impulsive fucker, you would have gotten away with it if you just stood there and held your tounge. Unfortunately Wukong isn’t good at either of those things.

-So the boys let them eat, then trap them in the hall because yeah, they are technically criminals (the boys also say that they recounted the fruits on the tree when they come back. Wukong knows that they’re lying, but assumes that they might know a spell for resurrecting the tree. Monkey wants to assume the best of people I love him)

-“double-sprung bronze lock” damn.

-Wukong kinda deserves the scolding. What he DOSEN’T deserve is the threat of the migraine circlet.

-Wukong can magic open a lock. “Watch this trick” he’s literally so cute. Adorable little murder monkey

-Yes Zhu, a locksmith could have done that. BUT YOU DON’T HAVE ONE so shut up!

-Wukong essentially drugs the boys with these special bugs to make them sleep longer and deeper so that the party can escape

-Time for the Great Immortal and his other students to come back from their field trip

-Literally wakes the boys by spitting water in their faces. Reminds me of that one Vine (we miss you Vine/pre-ai era)

-One of the boys IDC: “We spoke to him very reasonably” 😒

-The Great Immortal flies up to find them because he can do that…Oh shit “instruments of torture”

-Not really important but the Immortal dresses like an itinerant Taoist. He doesn’t maintain the disguise for very long, so we also get a description of what he’s wearing in his true form.

-The horse is the most valid character for just zoning the fuck out the whole time while he pays for his crime. Sanzang can’t be that heavy, and the horse isn’t carrying the luggage either. Easiest job of the party (which isn’t saying much, but still, he avoids all the drama)

-Wukong offers to be whipped first/takes the blame to spare Sanzang. Wukong loves him so much.

-He makes his legs into iorn, which kinda cheapens the sacrifice, but then he also does it again. Wukong loves Sanzang so much, AND is a clever bastard.

-And Sanzang still has the AUDACITY to complain! (Should I start counting how many times I say that Wukong deserves better?)

-Because he’s the Sun Wukong, he just shrinks himself and gets out with ease, helping the others out to. And who does he release first? Sanzang! It’s hinted that he was just going to leave the other two there. (Seriously I can’t say it twice in a row. This is getting ridiculous and a bit redundant)

-Wukong does some magic (with his own blood by the way) to make some trees into convincing dummies of the group, ability to talk and everything.

-Wukong still feels it when his fake body is hit, the others don’t. He dismisses the spell, and they all get caught again

-The plan is now “while we finish him off once and for all with a bit of evil; then we’ll be able to escape” (I also just really like the way this quote is worded for some reason)

-The Immortal tries to…encoffin them alive in turban fabric and lacquer…really going for cruel and unusual punishment here

-Wukong looks forward to being boiled in oil at first because he hasn’t had a bath in a while (Wukong volcano bath possibility?). He only starts to worry because the Immortal has that big magic TM. So he uses a clone again out of a nearby decorative stone lion and goes up to watch from the clouds as the stone smashes a hole in the cauldron. Has an ‘oh shit’ moment when they threaten Sanzang again and comes back claiming to have just needed a bathroom break. Real smooth.

#tech reads jttw

Another 2 chapter day so I can finish my (slightly delayed) goal of finishing the first volume

Tech reads JTTW, chapter 24 notes:

-Wukong really enjoys tormenting Zhu, I can’t blame him

-Friar Sand is the one who unties Zhu. I’ve noticed that he doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he’s a lot less aggressive than the other disciples (makes sense, he had the least severe crime. I still think this sentence is too much for a broken plate)

-Do I even need to mention that Wukong is almost always the one to console Sanzang at this point? I feel like I point it out at least once every chapter

-Ancient Chinese mythology has unicorns

-The mountains they have to cross next are really pretty. So pretty that Sanzang assumes they must be close. (Oh poor baby)

-The only reason this is going so slow is because of Sanzang

-More honest reassurance from Wukong

-Wukong: “there couldn’t be any evil creatures here” famous last words Wukong

-The Taoist temple that they’re coming up on has a tree that every 10,000 years produces 30 very human infant like fruit called manfruit. They massively extend the life of anyone who just smells them, let alone eats them. (TBH why did they even let Wukong into the building?)

-Apparently the Golden Cicada (Sanzang’s previous life) poured tea for the Great Immortal that runs the temple. This is why he’s having his students break the interactions between disciplines of the Way rule.

-The Great Immortal is also taking all of his disciples (except for two of the younger ones) on a field trip to a lecture being given in heaven…surely nothing could go wrong at the temple…

-“gangster underlings”! 🤣

-The boys tell the party about their master and Wukong is not buying it (ironically this is exactly what Sanzang does to him sometimes)

-Sanzang is mediating before anything happens (One thing I’ve noticed about Wukong (especially after he settled in with Sanzang) is that he doesn’t really start fights without some form of provocation (even if it’s just a mild offense), but he sure as well will finish/escalate them.)

-The concept of a silk handkerchief is kinda silly to me. It’s expensive, stains with water, and not absorbent. There’s a reason most towels are made with cotton

-Anyways, the disciples are sent off, and the boys offer Sanzang two manfruit like they were told to do. Sanzang immediately assumes that they are actuall infants and refuses to eat them in disgust.

-The boys decide to go back to their room and eat them, but curse thin walls because Zhu (preparing rice) overhears, and like the glutton he is, wants to try one.

-Everyone seems to know what manfruit is except for Sanzang (benefits of having worked in heaven?)

-Wukong, the peach their himself: *finds out that there’s another immortality giving fruit in this temple that he hasn’t even seen before* 🤩

-Taoists are allowed to have garlic and onions

-The manfruit are literally flailing on the tree

-“Now there is nothing that monkeys are better at than climbing trees to steal fruit”. Seriously, who the fuck thought letting Wukong onto the premises was a good idea?

-“Ghost Immortal” sounds rather counter intuitive

-These manfruit don’t like the five elements. The reactions are as follows

Metal: fall

Wood: rot

Water: dissolve

Fire: burnt

Earth: burrow into it (also makes the ground unbreakable)

-Sand, you don’t need to get involved with the other’s crimes (though it was nice of Wukong to get a third fruit for Sand so they could have one each)

-Sand is also kinda gullible. It’s giving himbo with a dash of murder (Zhu practically inhaled his, then asked Sand what it tasted like)

-Apparently one can keep a secret if he shuts the fuck up, because Zhu complaining to himself alerts the boys that something is wrong

-Wukong left the fucking gate open 🤦(I mean, he’s a master fruit thief, not a master at getting away with it lol)

-The boys check and immediately decide that they should go harass and insult Sanzang over it (they are described as filthy and stinking insults, but I need to know what they were to understand the standard.)

-Sanzang didn’t sign up for any of this shit and is just trying to handle it as calmly as possible. I almost feel bad for him. (He’s only a vibe when he’s exhausted)

#tech reads jttw

Tech reads JTTW, chapter 23 notes:

-Wukong does not understand exhaustion

-Confirmation that Wukong hasn’t lifted the luggage since Zhu was there to do it for him

-Sha/Friar Sand asks “Is he really a dragon?”, referring to the horse. I just think this is cute.

-Zhu complains that the horse isn’t going fast enough, so Wukong takes out his staff. The horse is immediately scared shitless and bolts. Sanzang has to catch his breath after

-When they catch up, Wukong proceeds to immediately check whether or not Sanzang fell off as if this wasn’t his doing. Wukong is smiling the whole time. Little shit.

-They find their way to a mansion

Wukong: *sees clouds of blessings above* Oh, some disguised heavenly beings must be responsible for this *proceeds to tell no one ;3*

-Gasp, a woman!

-“As the woman came out of the hall to welcome them, Pig stole a glance at her with greedy eyes.”

My live audible reaction to that: Oh fucking damnit (I’m expecting some Circe shit)

-We get a description to drive how how beautiful she-“She was as attractive as a younger girl.” 😨🙂‍↕️😒😠…

-Apparently her husband died two years ago wants to remarry. Okay, cool, chill, why is this-

“Now that you have come here, venerable sir, with your three disciples, I think it should be you.” 😟

-Sanzang is straight up pretending to not exist, because on multiple levels, no. (My aroace ass every time I’m told that I’m going/have to get married someday. I see you man)

-The oldest daughter is 19 🙂‍↕️ (Given how casually all this is being said, this is definitely normalized in the context. But still…the other two sisters would be underage brides (17 and 15 respectively). Gross.)

-“Sanzang sat in the place of honour as still as a child terrified by thunder or a toad soaked in a rainstorm. He seemed to be in a trance as he leant back with his eyes turned up towards the sky.” Me too man, me too.

-Zhu literally tugs at Sanzang’s clothes asking what he’s doing. Following the rules and being a decent person for once, you dipshit

-I think this is the angriest we’ve seen Sanzang. Man is philosophically squaring up, both to yell at Zhu, and with poetry. The woman is immediately offended

-Why are you telling Wukong to stay?! Like, as your first choice? Does your monkey son mean nothing to you?! Dude, you don’t even have to console her, but you offer your most loyal boy! Wukong may be a little shit, but he deserves better! (At the beginning of the chapter, Wukong told Zhu that monks have to suffer. Why taught you that? Who conditioned you? Why Wukong why? 😭)

-Zhu goes off to pasture the horse. Wukong follows him as a dragonfly

-“but don’t play any tricks on him” Sanzang, he doesn’t have to. Wukong is already in on the fact that the whole damn house is a trick.

-Lo and behold, Zhu went to the back to accept the offer. 😒

-“That Tang Priest may be very handsome, but he’s completely useless.”

1. Confirmation that Sanzang has his father’s good looks

2. True, he is kinda useless

-Wukong goes back to report. “Sanzang did not know whether to believe him or not.” Since when has Wukong lied about anything? Though in his defense, Wukong was laughing because Sanzang gave him a dry response to the first ‘hey he’s bringing the horse back’ report.

-I don’t know what moth eyebrows are, or why they’re blue (They’re a style of eyebrow, I still don’t know why they’re blue, or glistening for that matter)

-Anyways, description of the current fashions of the Tang Dynasty

-Oh wait, are they actually going through with this? (Disturbing, but Wukong as a best man is so real)

-Once alone with the mother, Zhu offers to marry all three daughters ‘to avoid quarreling’ (avoid quarreling my ass). He also calls it ‘protracted warfare’ 🤢

-Literally blindfolds himself when the mother tells him to do so so he can blindly case her daughters like some fucked up game of Sandman. I like to head cannon that the bandana is green (iykyk). Zhu you’re embarrassing yourself (he’s tripping all over the place and everything)

-He just fucking offered to marry the mother instead. At least she’s closer in age to him, but still, wtf

-Apparently her daughters all made shirts, and Zhu is to see which one fits the best (and offers to put them all on because he sucks). He is delivered one…yeah, he gets tied up to a tree. This whole thing was a trap >:3

-Wukong gives the game away and is overall having a great time

-They just hear Zhu yelling in the woods 😂. Usually I wouldn’t laugh, but he fucking deserves this

-“Although that idiot is obstinately stupid in mind and nature,” said Sanzang, “he is an honest fellow (No he fucking isn’t!). Besides, he is very strong and can carry the luggage” Sangzang NEVER gives Wukong the benefit of the doubt like this. Again, Sanzang sucks and Wukong deserves better.

#tech reads jttw

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ITS FUCKING SIGNED. I DIDN’T KNOW IT WOULD BE SIGNED!

Pretty pretty pretty book. There are sea shanties. There’s a map. Currently loosing my shit

#tech says things #OSP #osp veneziad #blue OSP #overly sarcastic productions #More people need to be this level of just a bit insane with their interests

I now have some air conditioning. Anyways,

Tech reads JTTW, chapter 22 notes:

-“Why are there no boats on it”?… People don’t usually sail rough waters Sanzang 🫤

-It’s a wide ass river. Sanzang is “Depressed and worried”

-Who’s making all these signs, and wtf does the “ancient curly style” mean? Isn’t the general area’s writing system super exact?

-Oh shit there’s a guy in there. Right off the bat he’s lunging at Sanzang (ALSO CONFIRMATION THAT HES INDIGO!). Don’t worry, Wukong yoinks him out of there (Wukong’s first instinct is ‘protect Sanzang’ and not ‘murder’. He loves his shitty master so much 💕)

-I wish Zhu and Sha (it’s obviously him) acknowledged that they were technically coworkers/both worked in the Hall of Miraculous Mist. I just think it would be fun.

-Wukong still needs to to be in the violence with every bone in his body. “I’m going to play with him.” “I just had to join the fun. How was I to know that the monster wouldn’t want to play and was going to run away?” It’s been a whole month since he got to hit something. Wukong needs enrichment. (Kinda fucked up sweet baby boy behavior)

-Anyways, Sha ran off, and they can’t kill him because they need a guide across this river

-Wukong weakness unlocked: water. So it’s Zhu’s turn to chase an enemy

-Time for an exhaustive poem detailing how Sha got here (apparently all high class adjacent armor is gold. Sold is too soft to make good armor, so it’s either gilded, looks gold, or is shit armor)

-Ha ha “Death Star”

-“It was as if a brass pan was fighting an iron brush”

-Sha retreats again because Wukong is impatient

-Sanzang bows for Zhu and not Wukong?! Jail Sanzang, jail for a 100 years

-Sanzang is mortal, and therefore too heavy to be carried on cloud.

-“After all, if we could get them that easily, we’d have nothing to do.” Literally just ‘we need a plot, or this story wouldn’t exist’

-Hot take: “Even if it doesn’t kill you, you’ll have tetanus for the rest of your days” is a better threat than “one swipe from it and you’ll have nowhere left to put ointment, because your blood will be pouring out from nine holes”

-Sha is getting wise to the plan, and lo and behold, Wukong is impatient and strikes too early

-Wukong always goes back to check on Sanzang 🥺

-TIME TO GET MAMA GUANYIN! (I would call this a cop out if I didn’t like her so much)

-“The deva on duty” I ❤️ Chinese mythology’s organized legal system

-Wukong sitting in waiting room lol

-Sun Wukong has still not learned how to communicate with his fucking enemies.

-Since Guanyin was busy “leaning on a balcony looking at the blossoms in the Precious Lotus Pool with Dragon Princess Peng Zhu” (If she wasn’t a Bodhisattva, I’d call this a date), she sends Moska to deal with this. She gives him a red bottle gourd that can be turned into a boat, some instructions, and sends them off.

-Sanzang must be internally loosing his shit over a divine figure just being there.

-Moska gets up in a cloud and yells like a mother in the other room ““Wujing, Wujing,” he shouted at the top of his voice, “The pilgrims who are going to fetch the scriptures have been here for a long time. Why haven’t you submitted to them?””

-Sha peaks out of the waves, and is actually happy to see Moska. Moska just points and tells him that those are the pilgrims. Sha needs to be coaxed by Muzha to come greet them. Just some good direct professional kindness.

-They shave Sha’s red hair off 😢

-Moska: “There’s no need to waste time talking. Make the dharma boat at once”

-Moska stays to make sure things go smoothly and to get the gourd back, then leaves.

This chapter did not have enough Moska for his name being in the title. He would be a great responsible friend, I’d vibe with him so hard.

Also found out that Transformers: Nezha is a thing and was loosing my shit over it at 3 am. I don’t know what a sleep schedule is.

#tech reads jttw

DOUBLE FEATURE DAY PART 2! (If not June, then before the fourth)

Tech reads JTTW, chapter 21 notes:

-Wukong goes back to yell at the door, this time dragging along the tiger’s dead body

-GYWK thought he was getting Kaiju Wukong. Instead he’s getting 4 ft (121.92 cm) something gremlin.

-Wukong continues his habit of going ‘you think you’re tough? Bet. I’ll give you a free shot’ but this time adds that he’ll grow 6 ft (that’s the unit they use I’m not converting that) when he’s hit. Wukong is such a little shit and I love him for that

-Confirmation that the gold banded cudgel is canonically black

-The GYWK blows a whole ass hurricane at him, followed by over a page of poetry about beings from Heaven and Earth loosing shit (Li Jing looses his pagoda 😂!)(Nezha can’t draw his sword. TBH he’s also just a little bit of a wet cat in JTTW)

-Dragon beard grass fan?👀

-Wukong has to flee…he’s asking for an oculist now? Not when his eyes were set on fire, no, just dust from heavy winds…sure, okay.

-Time to find a not at all suspicious cabin with “magic fungus” in a place where no one is supposed to live…

-The GYWK’s wind is a “Divine Samadhi Wind.” Okay, so Samadhi is not just the fire

-Wukong gets his eye drops and the party goes to sleep. He’s blinded for a bit. Blind/visually impaired/disabled Wukong supremacy

-The cabin is gone in the morning, but the horse and the luggage is still there!…yeah, it was the gods sent to help Sanzang again.

-Stealth mode mosquito Wukong (he literally goes in, FIRST comforts Sanzang, then does some eavesdropping)

-The GYWK assumes Wukong is dead. Clearly he hasn’t heard of the no corpse rule

-Also name drops the only Bodhisattva that can defeat him (Bodhisattva Lingji). Plot convenience am I right?

-The party doesn’t know where to find the Bodhisattva. Oh look, a random old man! But not just any random old man, The Star of Longevity aka the Great White Planet! Anyway, he tells them where to find the Bodhisattva.

-Wukong (to Zhu): “So you’re capable of feeling gratitude”

-Shout out to the lay brother who can’t remember as many words and Wukong gives him. Shout out to Wukong for giving him a shorted message.

-Apparently the GYWK did a crime (theft) and this Bodhisattva is tasked with making sure he doesn’t do another crime. Not doing a great job, but is ready to take accountability.

-The Bodhisattva is actually taking the GYWK to the Buddha Tathagata for sentencing (oh I crave a functional government)

-Sanzang saved! Chapter over.

(Moska is mentioned in the title of the next chapter and I’m so excited.)

#tech reads jttw

DOUBLE FEATURE DAY PART 1! (Because I want to finish this volume by the end of June)

Tech reads JTTW, chapter twenty notes:

-“Do not allow yourself to be deceived by others — smash them first with a punch” So Buddhism allows violence when necessary? Sanzang, wtf have you been on about?

-We’re already starting on Wukong mocking/teasing Zhu (Wukong, some of us have to eat actual food)

-“I may be stupid, but I’m straight.” During Pride month?

-Zhu is now the one doing most of the heavy lifting

-IDK where the head dress that Sanzang is usually depicted with comes from, here it says he’s wearing a rattan hat

-The guy at this cottage that they’re stopping at just told them that the Journey to the West is impossible. Sanzang is struck speechless (I like to imagine Sanzang having the biggest, wettest eyes)

-Wukong is the one to defend him because Wukong is cool like that

-Wukong: “Those pretty boys may look good but, as they say, don’t taste good”

-“The gift of the gab” is iconic. Boy is a yapper

-IDK who exactly Sanzang is thanking for not losing their temper (probably Wukong), but either way I can hear the exasperation

-Guy sees Zhu and immediately is like ‘nope.’ It seems to be a right of passage at this point

-Sanzang scolds them for being rough and ugly

-Zhu: “I’ve grown better-looking since I’ve been following you.” 🤣

-Wukong tells Zhu to fix his face (offering viable ways to do that), and Zhu actually listens

-People keep calling Wukong young now

-This is literally so D&D coded (I need a campaign with this setting, but with a bunch of westerners. I want to see how long it would take for that party to be sentenced to death by the Jade Emperor)

-Zhu is not waiting for grace to be said, he hungry…really fucking hungry, holly shit (he eats all the rice in the house)

-A heavy wind comes and Wukong just…he just grabs it, sniffs it, and determines what kind of wind it is (correctly might I add). Legendary behavior

-Sanzang gets startled my the tiger spirit and falls head first off the horse 🥺

-Zhu is the defensive one this time. Like, he actually gets in front of Wukong

-The tiger removes his skin like a selkie

-Tiger selkie works for the Great Yellow Wind King (I’m shortening that to GYWK for these notes, that’s too long)

-Wukong is the one that consoles and helps Sanzang up ☺️

-Sanzang is officially back on his damsel in distress shit. Wettest wet cat to ever be wet.

-“Whether we have him boiled, steamed, fried or scrambled, we can eat him at our leisure” fucking SCRAMBLED?!?!

-Wukong is doing a lot of consoling this chapter. “Don’t cry. If you cry you’ll dampen our spirits. I’m convinced he must be somewhere on this mountain. We must start searching for him.” Also a man of action, respect

-Wukong has a plan, but it’s just yell outside the door again

-Wukong fights the tiger again, the tiger runs off and is finished by Zhu. This murder is considered him earning his merit in his religious life. (Sanzang, WTF have you been on about part 2)(Wukong is cute about this though)

#tech reads jttw

Tech reads JTTW, chapter nineteen notes:

TW: some major talk of SA in this chapter. The narratively important part to take away is that Zhu joins the party. Stay safe people!

-Okay but what color is Wukong’s cloud then? Because “coloured” is so vague (the book uses the British spelling)

-Zhu nearly fucked up his mortal life being a slacker, then fucked up his heavenly life by…oh, ew

#tech reads jttw

Tech reads JTTW, chapter eighteen notes:

-Wukong, did we really need to start this chapter off with arson? At least everyone that would have been inside already ran away

-Anyway, that arc’s resolved, back to quest

-They come across a village, and Wukong makes sure it’s not ancient China’s equivalent to Gary, Indiana. The village does in fact pass the vibe check

-Poor guy in nice clothes on the street gets picked up by Wukong. I’d like to think Wukong picked him up by the scruff like a cat, but he’s probably too short for that

-Wukong taking insults with good humor (fucking “BALDY” 😧?!?!) and having a great time watching this man struggle as he asks him questions. Just morally dubious Wukong being a cutie.

-The poor guy has a shitty elder on his case about freeing his daughter from her monster husband and holy shit this is a D&D campaign plot

-The guy has our monk duo wait outside while he goes back to the elder with the news that they can help. The elder is in fact shitty to him.

-The elder puts on his best clothes to meet our monks, then refuses to bow to Wukong because he ugly. SIR. (Wukong doesn’t disagree on the ugly thing though)

-Wukong is here to have a grand old time doing some monster hunting

-Monster’s name is Zhu 👀. Oh this is THAT chapter

-Zhu actually married this guy’s daughter with permission, and he does work around the property, though he did show up with a glamor, so still sketchy

-Sanzang: “He has to eat so much because he works so hard.” I think this is the most understanding comment he’s made so far

-Elder/Squire Gao: “If you can catch him, why bother with a divorce document? Wipe him out for me, if you please.” A few things of note here

Divorces were a thing

Wukong’s first solution was divorce, not murder

Sanzang is being awfully quiet for a guy who condemns violence…(he’s inconsistent in his beliefs and I don’t like him)

-If possible, Wukong always leaves Sanzang with some company

-Wukong is also the one to comfort the daughter when they get her out of the locked cabin in the back. Even with his flaws, I honestly consider Wukong a better person than Sanzang, if only for how earnest he is

-IT’S IDENTITY THEFT TIME! DRAG EDITION

-Hemp exists in this place and time

-Wukong attempts to act sick, and Zhu still comes on to his not-wife Wukong 😒. Pretty damn bad first impression

-When I’ve heard about this chapter, it’s implied that Wukong flirted with Zhu. I may be dense, but he doesn’t really flirt (good for me honestly, random sexual tension in books makes me vaguely uncomfortable)

-Wukong really does just tell it as it is.

-Zhu isn’t scared until he hears that it’s Sun Wukong who’s been sent after him. At that point he just gets up to leave lol.

-Okay we get a singular actually flirty line: “Where d’you think you’re going, my fine monster?” But Wukong “roared” it, so it’s probably more teasing than flirting

-“The monster turned round and say Monkey’s protruding teeth, pinched face, fiery eyes with golden pupil, bald head, and hairy face” Wukong actually did the monk shaving of his head. I might come back to this post later with an artist’s rendition

Edit: Artists rendition (+ a young Wukong)

#tech reads jttw

3 posts in the span of 24 hours??? I must be going insane. Anyway…LOOK

The cute aggression I’m getting from this little man. I hate early LMK Six eared Macaque with every bone in my body in a way I find deeply entertaining.

I chose his shadow play design because I’m really having a blast researching hanfu right now. The wiki specifies that he specifically wearing a qixiong ruqun, which from what I can find was historically (circa. Tang Dynasty) feminine, especially worn as high up the bust as he’s wearing it (correct me if I’m wrong, doing research in America is hell)

The robe he’s wearing in the show seems to have set-in sleeves, which is historically a western practice, but I chose to follow the show on that part

(I also gave him a secret monkey butt heart because I just thought the detail was too cute to miss)

#tech’s art #handmade plush #six eared macaque #LMK #Lego monkey kid #lmk macaque #lmk six eared macaque #Vaugely related to #tech reads jttw

Tech reads JTTW, chapter seventeen notes:

-Sanzang is fully willing to weaponize Wukong’s violent tendencies while also condemning them (tbh the complicated reasons I don’t like him/am weary of religious institutions. You can’t just condemn something so harshly while benefitting from it.)

-Sun Wukong goes off to do a bit of spying on the bear spirit, which fails almost automatically because he just doesn’t do subtlety

-Sun Wukong’s murder bonk. No notes

-“There’s a harry-faced thunder god outside the gates who’s demanding the cassock.” Okay, what’s with Wukong continuously being mistaken for a thunder god? I know it emphasizes his power, but is it that difficult to recognize a monkey in human clothes?

-Wukong calling everyone “kid” or ‘his grandchildren’ gives me life

-Actually Mr. Bear Spirit, Wukong DIDN’T start the fire (I take back what I said last chapter, I WOULD defend Wukong in court)

-“You can’t recognize your own grandfather.” 😂 I fucking love Wukong.

-In acquiring a magic body, Wukong is now probably immune to back pain 🫡 . Respect, I need this

-“Made Nazha flee in pain at the head of his men” Nezha is misspelled here (“Nazha”), so either this is a misprint, or Wukong simply couldn’t be bothered to remember his name lol

-33 heavens good lord

-In fights, Wukong regularly aims for kill shots (ie. “heart and face”), while the Bear Spirit aims for extremities. Which one is considered more valid can be its own long post/debate, but I do find this habit of his interesting

-Ten rounds in and the Bear Spirit calls for a dinner break…🙄 dude that’s not how this works…No you can’t lock yourself away either!

-Sanzang is literally being pampered by the monks and is still making demands.

-“The blow did not just kill the goblin: it left him looking like a hamburger.” This made me laugh out loud

-The old Patriarch was friends with the Bear Spirit?! At least it allows Wukong to do more identity theft (taking a moment to acknowledge that Wukong is trying to settle this through stealth again, and just so happens to be bad at it)

-Bear Spirit: *living happily in a cave*

Wukong: oh he understands life (unfortunately Wukong can no longer just go back to monkey)

-Wukong is actually doing pretty good at the stealth thing (though “That disciple of the Tang Priest’s is quite a bold fellow” isn’t subtle, it’s not as brazen as it could be) until another goblin comes to snitch

-Bear Spirit pulls the locking himself away to take a break thing again, but for sleep this time. Wukong returns to the burnt monastery again to get…actually not scolded my Sanzang this time?

-Wukong is surprisingly humble when met with a match in strength (I’d argue that the Bear Spirit is getting too much credit, but that’s not the point)

-Satan mention???

-Even Sanzang seems to have forgotten that Wukong is a monkey (also tbh humans are technically also animals, so of course animals can become spirits)

-The nine openings thing technically excludes cis women/afab peeps.

-Sanzang really didn’t need to wake Wukong up at dawn

-The odd but technically accurate roundabout way Wukong places some of the blame on Guanyin (this is her temple, and therefore the area is her province)…It just reminds me of the kind of logistic debates I get up to with my dad.

-Anyway, Wukong heads off to go get my GOAT mama Guanyin

-Purple bamboo is a real thing and that’s really cool

-MOSKA MENTION! 😃

-Wukong bonks anything suspicious to him like a cat

-Guanyin actually lets Wukong explain the logic to his violence. She only condemns it if she doesn’t understand the purpose.

-Wukong: “I have a saying that goes ‘beat him at his own game’. Are you willing to do things my way?”

Guanyin: *actually listens to him because she’s the best.* (hot take: Guanyin and Wukong is a better duo than Wukong and Sanzang)

-“You’ve got cheek, you ape,” replied the Bodhisattva with a smile.” They literally plan and banter, it’s so cute

-This time Guanyin does identity theft!

-😐😑😐Why is vore apart of the plan? Though “If he doesn’t hand the cassock over then, I’ll weave a substitute out of his guts” is metal as fuck

-Wukong is laughing 🥹. They’re so cute your honor

-Wukong: “Are you a Bodhisattva disguised as an evil spirit, or a Bodhisattva who really is an evil spirit?”

Guanyin: *laughs* “Monkey, evil spirit and Bodhisattva are all the same in analysis — they both belong to non-being.” I literally fucking love them so much I’m fucking crying.

-Also Guanyin found the mountain beautiful and saw good/a chance at redemption in/for the Bear Spirit because she’s amazing and compassionate.

-Sun Wukong shape shifts back into his true form once the Bear Spirit puts him as a pill on his mouth, not after swallowing.

-Wukong is loosing some approval points from me for laughing when Guanyin puts a migraine circlet on the Bear Spirit, and admitting that he’d use the spell to punish all the black bears if he knew it. I never considered him a good person per se, but still, I thought he would be more of a quick relatively painless kill guy than this. (Again, the exact morality/implications of this can be its own damn debate and I’m not unpacking all that here, but the general consensus is torture=bad, so…yeah)

#tech reads jttw #damn ending this like a OSP trope talk video

techtainia-makes-things

All of my plush felt figurines May 2020-June 2023

Almost forgot Tailgate

techtainia-makes-things

I figure it’s about time for an update, so here’s June 2023-June 2026

Two major changes: most of them are minis, and there’s a lot less of them. This is for a few reasons (slower media intake, other projects, less motivation, COLLAGE, etc.).

I’ve always just made them when I felt like it, and these have been great for practicing teeny tiny hand stitches.

I think the only one not getting it’s own post will the Long Quiet from Slay the Princess (second to last). I’m not really satisfied with how he turned out.

#handmade plush #tech’s art #Hand sewing shinanigans

Tech reads JTTW, chapter sixteen notes:

Another simple chapter, but definitely more fun (and by fun I mean chaotic)

-Anyway, our party stops at the Guanyin monastery to rest for the night

-Monk: “Fancy taking a monstrously ugly creature like that for a disciple” 😒

Sanzang: “He may not look it, but ugly as he is, he has his uses” 😡 Sanzang you fucker

-Monkey like bell. Monkey happy. (Good for him. Chaotic Neutral) Monkey everyone’s grandpa.

-Idk why they mistake him for the thunder god

-Wukong: “Get up, get up, you’ve nothing to fear.” If they behave. 👁️👁️

-Oh damn, these monks are rich. Many nice cassocks.

-Oh and they’re fucking pretentious about it. Great. (Isn’t that technically against the whole point?)

-Wukong is ready to play this game. Sanzang is not. This is literally “never tell a stranger how much you make in a year”

-Wukong, you Icarus, why are you still game?

-The patriarch cries because he can’t see the cassock properly without taking it to his room oh no… (I would not fucking trust that. You don’t just lend people nice shit. Especially not over night. That’s how you loose all your good pens. Or your good seam ripper 😡.)

-Wukong: “If anything goes wrong, I’ll be responsible.” Wukong, when have you ever been responsible in your life?

-Sanzang just kinda lets him do it because Wukong is both the unstoppable force and the immovable object.

-Junior monks/favorite advisors really need to shut up. This seems to be a whole book problem. Like, ‘we can’t murder them directly, Wukong will get our asses. Let’s commit arson on our own monastery instead.’ Can’t they’re advice ever be ‘you can’t have the nice thing because it belongs to someone else, cope’

-Wukong being bad a sleeping is such a mood

-He goes up to heaven to essentially borrow a fire smothering blanket to protect Sanzang though. Water doesn’t do enough harm prevention, it has to be the blanket. (I would not defend Wukong in court, but I would give him a hug)

-Wukong is aware he shouldn’t do murder…directly…the logic is the same, but it’s just better coming from him. The building’s already on fire, y’know…just fanning the flames a bit. I’m still calling this Chaotic Neutral. He’s just chilling on the roof protecting the building with the cassock.

-A monster from a local mountain steals the cassock

-Wukong does actually return the fire smothering blanket afterwards. “After all, ‘If you return a thing properly when you borrow it, it’ll be easier to borrow it next time.” YES. I need to get this on a sign (I’m still bitter about my nice seam ripper guys)

-Wukong: “I’m no longer the man to ‘sit on a bench till it rots, talking about the universe’.” (No commentary, I just really like how this is worded)

-Sanzang wakes up and is immediately suspicious of Wukong. I can hear the condescension in “Are you sure that you didn’t cook this up because they were rude to you?” And hey, Wukong may be a chaotic gremlin, but he’s honest!

-It’s not your arson if you didn’t start the fire :3

-Sanzang is so quick to threaten Wukong with the band tightening spell and I don’t like it

-Another thing: advisors need to start taking some damn responsibility

-The patriarch smashes his skull open because fuck dealing with consequences, as I right?

-Wukong inspects everyone, he uses the roster and everything. Organized Monkey.

-The monks literally beg Sanzang to stop with the band tightening spell. First good thing they’ve done.

-No one here does fucking communication. What happened to tell the inspector everything because if you lie or leave out anything you’re immediately suspect? (Fun fact: I was questioned by cops over a misunderstanding once. Fucked up my near perfect rice purity test score)

-Sanzang: “If you go, who’s going to protect me?” Are we sure that this guy specifically has to deliver the scriptures? On that note, why couldn’t Guanyin do it herself when she went east to choose the damn guy in the first place?

-Wukong really told the monks ‘you’re going to serve my master, and you’re going to like it’

-Knocking down 8-9 walls down with one hit? Nice.

#tech reads jttw

Tech reads JTTW, chapter fifteen notes:

Fair warning, this one is comparatively dry next to the other chapters so far

-Today’s damsel in distress Sanzang is brought to you by the jade dragon who this book refuses to properly name. (Please just confirm that it’s Ao Lie, I beg you)

-Wukong moves him out of the way in time, but the horse gets eaten

-Wukong and Sanzang bicker like a married couple I swear

-Wukong why is your sight insane? You literally got furnaced.

-Apparently Guanyin had sent a selection of gods to watch over Sanzang. They work in shifts. Everything is refreshingly structured. Doesn’t make for the most engaging narrative though.

-Anyway, Wukong picks a fight with the dragon because they kinda need a horse to keep traveling. The dragon runs away after a bit of fighting

-Runs away after round 2

-Apparently Wukong is considered above in rank to the local gods, because they’re all bowing to him and he’s pissed they didn’t greet him earlier

-They call mama Guanyin with the help of one of the watch gods

-Before asking for help, Wukong rants (rightfully tbh) at Guanyin for the migraine circlet

-Wukong: “Letting evil creatures out to run amuck like that is a bad deed.” 🤨 Wukong, you probably shouldn’t be saying that to the divine being who just pointed out that you would be doing evil deeds of not for the circlet you just complained about.

-The dragon comes up in human form to talk…It was a fucking miscommunication. The dragon did not know. Everyone who has known has been hospitable. 😐😑😐

-Yes it’s funny and great and cool, but this is such a dry conflict resolution.

-I do like how Wukong clings to Guanyin. She has such strict mother energy with him

-Anyway, the dragon is now a horse. They don’t have the riding gear anymore though

-The fisherman that takes them across the gorge is also a minor god. Not particularly important, but Wukong is upset he didn’t properly greet him

-We stop at a temple this time, and the man running it just so happens to have lots of nice horse gear that he gifts to Sanzang (Also Wukong steals his clothesline to lead the horse)

-I am fond of the way Wukong is both a gremlin scavenger and seemingly good at appraising quality craftsmanship. Literally just me while thrifting/antiquing.

-Lo and behold the man was…another god.

-Wukong is a self proclaimed “tough guy” who doesn’t bow to anyone. He would either love or hate Scotland, no in between. Wukong is a guy of extremes.

#tech reads jttw

Tech reads JTTW, Chapter fourteen notes:

-Not me trying to figure out when exactly Sun Wukong’s big rebellion against heaven happened so I can essentially do a study/cosplay of what Moska could have been wearing at the time. My math said Han, the book is saying maybe late Han?

-Sun Wukong’s entrapment being called ancient is wild. I know it works in context, but like, I read that a few weeks ago. My brain does not fully comprehend big time skip.

-“His head was thick with moss” Reject monkey, return to moss.

-He’s so happy to be found 🥹. He’s stimming🥹. Sweet baby (My cat looked up multiple times while I was reading because I also call him that)

-Boqin clearly talking to just Sanzang, and Wukong just buts in. Autism (I do this).

-Anyway, Sanzang removes the seal at the top of the mountain and frees Wukong

“Then there was a great noise as the mountain split open. As they were all shaking in terror, the monkey appeared kneeling stark naked in front of Sanzang’s horse…” …reject moss, return to monkey.

-Sanzang giving Wukong the title “Brother Monkey” 🥹

-Wukong: “Don’t be scared, Master, it’s just bringing me my clothes.” *Proceeds to kill a tiger with one hit and skin it, and turns it into two kilts because “It’s on the big side”*

Sanzang: *shook* (he falls off his saddle crying)

Wukong then has to explain that he’s overpowered as fuck

-They make it to a house for the night, and appearance wise alone Wukong and Sanzang are good monk and bad monk to a poor old man.

-Apparently this old man gathered wild vegetables in front of Sun Wukong’s face as a kid. (Not so imaginary friend Sun Wukong fanfic??? 👀)

-They have tea. It’s nice. They’re laughing about how the man didn’t recognize Wukong because he looks like someone’s feral D&D character

-Wukong: “I’m afraid this will be putting your family out, but I haven’t washed for over five hundred years, so could you go and boil up some water for me and my master to have a bath before we set out again? Thank you.” I love how polite Wukong can be when he’s not being feral

-Wukong knows how to sew 😄! Sanzang lets him have his discarded tunic, and honestly this whole scene is so cute

-They get back to traveling and get attacked by bandits. Sun Wukong pulls the same shit he did with the tiger, except this time Wukong lets them harmlessly try to hack his face off before slaughtering them and looting their bodies (Perception Check by Tom Cardy vibes. My friend told me this book read like a D&D campaign, and it absolutely does). He comes back smiling

-Wukong and Sanzang have an argument about the value of life and how murder bad. Wukong is already fed up and just fucking leaves

-Sanzang meets a disguised Guanyin, who gives him some nice robes with a hat hiding the famous migraine crown, and teaches him the spell to use it

-Meanwhile Wukong goes to have tea and mope with the dragon king of the East Sea (Without context it almost reads like two old friends talking), who convinces him to go back because monkey wants his reward

-Sanzang just sits and waits for him because he can’t really do anything on his own

-I would find his pathetic nature endearing if he didn’t just tell Sun Wukong that religious men shouldn’t lie AND THEN PROCEEDS TO LIE TO HIM! Sun Wukong might be a feral murder gremlin, but at least he’s honest.

-The migraine crown is literally a fucking torture device. I mean, I figured, but it’s so much more gruesome when described. And Sanzang just KEEPS FUCKING USEING IT! First as a test, then to make sure he doesn’t break it!

-I think Wukong is being reasonable threatening him. If someone tried to literally trick me into giving them the ability torture me, I’d go fucking apeshit (pun fully fucking intended)

-He also threaten to kill Guanyin, but I find that less reasonable. I’m fully aware that might just be because I really like her character. It could also be her status as an Budhisttava, punishment just vibes different for divinity.

#tech reads jttw

*Gay Screaming*

I thought I was ready for this (Sitting Pretty) mv. I was in fact, not ready for this mv

Crying over DogBird have subtle Lesbian flag Dog quick drawing (can I @orbitalmoonrat? Is this allowed?)

#dogbird #madds buckley #my love is sick #Tech’s art #Tech says things

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