Has anyone ever read the original Saiyuuki?

TheLiveActionAnimeBoy · Post by **TheLiveActionAnimeBoy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:10 pm

I went to my university's library, and the only copy they had was the original Chinese version. Though I have tooken just one year of Chinese, it's still not good enough.

However, my Korean friend once showed me a Korean drama re-telling of it. About how the main character is of course a monkey-man that rides on a cloud and has an extending staff. The quality is just like those cheesy kung fu movies from the 1970s. It was pretty funny. It even had this pig who can transform. It was really action packed but the comedy of the series I doubt accuratley resembled it.

I remember a few years ago, NBC or whatever did their own show based on Saiyuuki. It's about this American business man who is trapped inside the story and learns kung fu. I forgot the name of the mini-series. I think it was called the Lost Empire.

Anyway, I hope next time I go to Japan, I'll got a Japanese copy of the book.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:37 pm

Lost Empire was terrible O_o

I've read the Jenner translation of Journey to the West. Loved it, of course. I'm Chinese, so I have to like it ;P

And seen some TV-dramas based on JttW. Journey to the West from Hong Kong TV station TVB was my introduction to JttW. Was really a great series, with Dicky Cheung conveying the energetic and rebellious Wukong. The sequel with a different lead actor was not as fun, but still good. The latest JttW series from Hong Kong, "The Monkey King - Quest for the Sutra" had Dicky Cheung again as the Monkey King but was filled with lot's of stars who couldn't really act :/

Timo · Post by **Timo** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:07 pm

I'd read two german translations. One of them is a children's book and the other translation is very old. However both of them are incomplete and they have different adventures of the journey as chapters.

Post by **VegettoEX** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:50 pm

Yep!

I've read, in its entirety, the four-volume translation by Anthony C. Yu:

I also picked up the (greatly) abridged version Monkey (listing on Amazon.com) translation by Arthur Waley.

While the latter is a nice, short read... it doesn't really include any of the gigantic monster fights that make the story so awesome

. I definitely recommend the original, full 100-chapter version. It's just a downright amazing story beginning to end.

gallagtor · Post by **gallagtor** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:39 pm

VegettoEX wrote:Yep!

I've read, in its entirety, the four-volume translation by Anthony C. Yu:
Volume 1 (Amazon.com)

Volume 2 (Amazon.com)

Volume 3 (Amazon.com)

Volume 4 (Amazon.com)
I also picked up the (greatly) abridged version Monkey (listing on Amazon.com) translation by Arthur Waley.

While the latter is a nice, short read... it doesn't really include any of the gigantic monster fights that make the story so awesome . I definitely recommend the original, full 100-chapter version. It's just a downright amazing story beginning to end.

While I would love to own those, the price seems pretty steep. I guess it's not so bad considering each volume is 400+ pages. Can anyone tell me whether the Anthony Yu version is better than the Jenner translation?

Tenka-Ichi · Post by **Tenka-Ichi** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:40 pm

There's also a Manga adaptation by Katsuya Terada called "The Monkey King". To quote the ANN review it's "a sexed-up, ultra-violent version of the classic story." You can see the full review here.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:30 am

I also picked up the (greatly) abridged version Monkey (listing on Amazon.com) translation by Arthur Waley.

Oh! I also picked up a Dutch translation of a "Monkey" by David Kherdian-or-something-similar-sounding a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't a translation though, just a retelling of some of the chapters. Wasn't that good, especially because it was a translation of a translation of a language that isn't that much similar to English ~_~

I've heard that the Yu translation is better than the Jenner translation. But I don't have the Yu translation, so can't make comparisons. I can say the printing of the Jenner translation isn't very good and I'd like to see more footnotes. But it's a okay translation.

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:41 am

I own the set, but I just cant seem to convince myself to read it. Its really hard to understand.

Post by **SaiyaJedi** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:04 pm

Ash wrote:I've heard that the Yu translation is better than the Jenner translation. But I don't have the Yu translation, so can't make comparisons. I can say the printing of the Jenner translation isn't very good and I'd like to see more footnotes. But it's a okay translation.

If you like footnotes, you'll love the Yu translation. That guy footnotes everything that's even the least bit obscure (but I've learned a lot by reading the explanations).

Kanzenshuu

Has anyone ever read the original Saiyuuki?

Has anyone ever read the original Saiyuuki?

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