Taking Sides: Monkey v. The Water Margin

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Monkey told the story of the Monkey King who for some reason had to escort the curiously androgynous boy priest Tripitaka and some Buddhist scriptures to China, accompanied by Sandy (some kind of river monster) and Pigssy (a half man half pig all sleazebag). Monkey had a magic cloud he could fly around on and a magic staff he could beat people up with.

The Water Margin told the story of the outlaws of the water margin, Chinese Robin Hood types taking on an evil empire of some sort. When people fought each other they jumped up in the air a lot.

― DV, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

obviously Monkey was better. aside from communicating deep Buddhist wisdom, it wasn't as po-faced as the overly serious Water Margin.

― DV, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

All that and better theme music too.

― Winkelmann, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tripitaka was a boy?????????

but yeah, Monkey, obviously, far funnier and far more ridiculous special effects.

― chris, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

b-b-but WM had 109 heroes??? also a better themetune

― mark s, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

better theme tune than monkey? not possible. oh there is Space 1999 i suppose.

― Alan T, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

hey i just read the bk of MONKEY, its great!

― dz, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Space 1999's music is great, as were the sets, but then they;d spent all the money so the plots and sets of the planets they;d visit were stinky.

― Winkelmann, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

WM is in no way bad as far as I remember but then I ahven;t seen it sicne the 70's whereas Monkey gets wheeled out at regular intervals. Surely we can reserve space in our hearts for both? but if not I'll stick with Monkey and the gang.

― Winkelmann, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I couldn't believe that Tripitaka was a boy either. Remember the one where they thought that they'd eaten Piggy? Then it turned out he'd really just fallen over a cliff.

― maryann, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Water Margin was totally incomprehensible.

Did anyone watch the 94-episode version of the Mahabharata (sp?) that BBC2 used to show?

― Tom, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"not understanding only adds to the pleasure"

― mark s, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes! Mahabharata = excellent late night telly. It was like a freaky soap opera of the gods: lots of stuff happening in each episode yet plot only advanced at 0.1ph.

― RickyT, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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