Monkey! - the 70s TV Series

Ranked #2,913 in Entertainment, #32,578 overall

Monkey Magic

This is my tribute to the great TV series - Monkey! (or Monkey Magic) which was broadcast in the UK in the late 1970s and was the highlight of my TV week. Filmed in China by Japanese actors and then dubbed into English, it tells the story of a monkey king/demi-god who accompanies a buddhist priest, Tripitaka, on his journey to India to fetch holy scriptures.

Although the plot was taken from the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en, the TV series is better known for it's imaginative demon costumes, bad dubbing and special effects - not to mention Monkey's fondness for a good old-fashioned staff fight and his ability to travel around on a pink cloud!

The nature of Monkey was irrepressible!

The classic Monkey Magic! intro

In the worlds before Monkey, primal chaos reigned. Heaven sought order. But the phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown. The four worlds formed again and yet again, as endless aeons wheeled and passed. Time and the pure essences of Heaven, the moisture of the Earth, the powers of the Sun and the Moon all worked upon a certain rock, old as creation. And it became magically fertile. That first egg was named "Thought". Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha, said, "With our thoughts, we make the World". Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch. From it then came a stone monkey. The nature of Monkey was irrepressible!

Monkey Magic T-Shirts on eBay

Loading

Monkey Magic Costumes for Hire

Why not give your mates a laugh and dress up as one of the Monkey! crew at your next fancy dress party. I have included a set of links for Australian and UK costume hire places below.
Monkey Costumes - For Hire In The UK
Monkey Costumes - For Hire In The UK features details of where in the UK you can hire costumes of the characters in the cult Japanese TV series Monkey (sometimes called Monkey Magic).
The Costume Company - Brisbane
Costume Company Hire, Brisbane, Australia.
The Wardrobe - Sydney's Premier Costumiers
The Wardrobe is Sydney's Premier Costume Hire Resource for theatre, corporate event and party wear, with over 15,000 costumes and accessories for hire for every occasion.
Disguises Fancy Costume Hire
Disguises Fancy Dress Costume Hire, Brisbane, Australia.

Who wrote that funky Monkey! Theme Tune?

The song was released by a Japanese band called Godiego. The Monkey! theme tune called Monkey Magic was their most famous release. Here are the lyrics:

Born from an egg on a mountain top
The punkiest monkey that ever popped
He knew every magic trick under the sun
To tease the Gods
And everyone and have some fun

Monkey magic, Monkey magic (repeat 4 times)

What a cocky saucy monkey this one is
All the Gods were angered
And they punished him
Until he was saved by a kindly priest
And that was the start
Of their pilgrimage west

Monkey magic, Monkey magic (repeat 4 times)

With a little bit of monkey magic
There'll be fireworks tonight
With a little bit of monkey magic
Every thing will be all right

Born from an egg on a mountain top
The punkiest monkey that ever popped
He knew every magic trick under the sun
To tease the Gods
And everyone and have some fun

Monkey magic, Monkey magic (repeat 4 times)

Cool Monkey Magic Links

Monkey Heaven
A tribute to the cult Japanese TV series Monkey (sometimes called Monkey Magic). This is the definitive site for all things Monkey! including video, music & screensavers.
Monkey - Great Sage, Equal of Heaven
Another fansite - includes gallery, quotes, videos. Lots of good information about the characters.
Monkey Magic Movie Mania
Download videos of Monkey, Sandy, Pigsy, Tripitaka and friends!
The Monkey Plot Generator
This one is for diehard fans. Click the button to reveal a typical Monkey! storyline. Look familiar?

Monkey! DVDs

Monkey! is extremely popular in Australia and the UK, but it was never aired in the US due to licensing rights. If you live in the States, you can only buy the DVDs via eBay.
Loading

Please share your Monkey! memories here!

submit

by

Meloramus

I'm probably too old to be still enjoying Monkey! as much as I do, but I never tire of this TV series. I'm hoping that I get invited to a fancy dress party... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!