I plan to write about my experience with the novel and especially elements that remind me of Dragon Ball on my blog, and discussing them here. I will be reading and referencing Anthony C Yu's translation, as published by the University of Chicago press in 2012. Here's the version I've picked up:
As I understand it most of the direct correlations end at the Pilaf arc, although the stories DNA is still there throughout Dragon Ball. Iconic accessories we associate with Dragon Ball like the Nyoi Bo and Kinto Un are used by the main character of Journey to the West - Sun Wukong (hence "Son Goku" is derived from translating this name into Japanese), which is an issue with renaming them "Power Pole" and "Flying Nimbus" respectively as it robs them of their heritage. Episode 79 of the original series where Goku visits Chao’s village, which is plagued by the outlaws Kinkaku and Ginkaku is a filler episode based on a story from Journey to the West also. I also hear the Wedding Dress arc has similarities, although The Furnace of Eight Trigrams, the Five Elements, and Taijou Roukun are in name only. Still going to be interesting to see for myself.
If anyone here has read Journey to the West I'd love to hear your thoughts and input into the conversation, or hey, maybe your like me and just starting off. I'd make this similar to my friend Robo4900's Rewatch threads, but with life, as is I can't commit to a coherent schedule of how many chapters a week, but I'm sure it will be a fun ride if anyone else is working through it.
In any case I very much look forward to this great journey, as a fan from the west who also loves eastern culture.
