Dragon Ball similar to Disney/Goku and Sun Wukong?

[mecha3000]

Please, don't attack me!!! But seriously, hear me out. Disney takes classic fairy tales and updates them, with their version becoming the definitive version (one that everyone mostly recognizes around the world). Aladdin is a good example, because although people still acknowledge the original tale, most people will probably first think of the Disney version if you bring it up. And the more recent Disney movies don't even keep the same title as the original fairy tales (kind of like Dragon Ball, except Dragon Ball is not a STRAIGHT UP adaptation). But from what I know, it was still originally an adaptation of Journey to the West, wasn't it? In Japan, Son Goku is the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong and I remember a famous manga artist (Masashi Kishimoto, I think) saying now when people hear the name Goku, they don't think of Journey to the West's Sun Wukong, but instead of Dragon Ball's Son Goku (obviously), which I find fascinating. And it's kind of a similar case here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYn4mhWE-rw I just wonder what other people think about this, if at all.

[Kamiccolo9]

See also: nearly every work of fiction ever made ever.

[RedRibbonSoldier#42]

I don't think Dragonball has "replaced" Journey to the West like Aladdin has "replaced" it's original. First of all, except for some references in the beginning, Dragonball has nothing to to with the Chinese classic at all. Secondly, my impression is that Journey to the West is way more known in Japan than A Thousand and One Nights is known in the West.

[mecha3000]

I don't think Dragonball has "replaced" Journey to the West like Aladdin has "replaced" it's original. First of all, except for some references in the beginning, Dragonball has nothing to to with the Chinese classic at all. Secondly, my impression is that Journey to the West is way more known in Japan than A Thousand and One Nights is known in the West.

You're definitely not wrong about that and I agree. I just find the correlations between how cultures create their art interesting. Not trying to get all philosophical here, but I've read excerpts of Derek Padula's Dragon Ball Culture books on Amazon (haven't bought them for myself yet), and Padula described Goku as a "modern and stylized representation" of the character Sun Wukong. So although Dragon Ball is not exactly like Disney (they do straight up adaptations, but mix it up in a more contemporary storytelling style), it's almost like the character of Goku is a spiritual Sun Wukong and Dragon Ball is a spiritual adaptation of Journey to the West. I know that Dragon Ball is not at all telling the story of Sun Wukong like Disney tells the story of Aladdin, but like I said before, this cultural connection between how mythology is created and evolved fascinates me.

[Kamiccolo9]

Oops, misread the OP. This actually looks like an interesting topic. I'll be back with some thoughts later. Typing on my phone is a pain in the ass.