Foreigners started with "Journey to the West" again, and after watching 8 episodes in one go, I was both surprised and uncomfortable
In the matter of magic reform "Journey to the West", foreigners are always tireless.
So far, in addition to the mainland, six countries have officially released the adaptation of "Journey to the West".
Although these "Journey to the West" stories are different, they are surprisingly consistent in the matter of "Thunder".
In 1978, Japan filmed the earliest foreign version of "Journey to the West", but it took a funny route.
The Tang monk in the film is not only a female role, her kiss can also heal the apprentice.
So just after it went online, there was a famous scene like "Tang Monk" kissing "Sun Wukong".
Also in the Asian cultural circle, South Korea also presented a "Journey to the West" in 2011.
The film puts the story of "Journey to the West" in a modern context, but after the four masters and apprentices were created, they became such a thing.
Relatively speaking, in 2001, the American version of "Qi Tian Dashen" was slightly more acceptable, at least the protagonist was a monkey.
It's a pity that the fake special effects, crappy fights and thunderous plots are really not flattering.
In particular, Tang Monk actually fell in love with Guanyin, and his three views were ruined.
In addition, there is a black Thai version of "Journey to the West".
The Vietnamese version of "Journey to the West" with five thunders.
and the Australian version of "Journey to the West", which resembles the cottage version of "The Lord of the Rings".
So many countries in the world are vying to adapt the IP of "Journey to the West", on the one hand, because "Journey to the West" is too famous, on the other hand, it just exposes that except for China, no country or region can really shoot the core and spirit of "Journey to the West".
But this does not mean that they will stop the pace of magic changes to "Journey to the West".
No, two days ago, Disney's adaptation of "Journey to the West ABC" was launched.
After being launched, it not only won the top spot in the list of Douban real-time popular TV series.
It also scored 95% freshness and 87% viewership on Rotten Tomatoes.
So, is this "Journey to the West ABC" a new attempt to adapt the IP of "Journey to the West", or is it on the road of no return of another magic reform?
After eight episodes, Pico was speechless.
It's like eating a sweet hot pot, there are both "surprises" about the innovation of the play, and there are thunderous settings that have to be complained about, which makes people "regret" one after another.
Today, Pico will take you to take a good look at this "Journey to the West ABC", which is not oceanic and not in the West, and take a look at its "three surprises" and "three regrets".
First, let's talk about "surprise" first
In sincerity, "Journey to the West ABC" expresses the greatest respect for China's "Journey to the West" IP.
The sensational thing in Hollywood in the first half of this year was that "Instantaneous Universe" swept the Oscars, and Michelle Yeoh won the Oscar with this film.
And "Journey to the West ABC" almost gathers the original cast of "Instantaneous Universe", continuing the highest light of the entire Asian actor group in Hollywood.
In addition, the director has Destin Crichton, who has directed "Shang Qi", and the other 6 directors are all Asian, including action director Liu Yuling.
Among the actors, Wu Yanzu played Sun Wukong, Michelle Yeoh played Guanyin, and well-known Asian actors such as Guan Jiwei and Yang Yanyan appeared together, almost gathering the strongest team of Asian Americans in Hollywood.
With such sincerity, the drama naturally has a "bottom line".
At least in these 8 episodes, the "three surprises" cannot be hidden.
01, "Chinese Boy" and "Monkey King's Son" met, the double lines overlapped, and sparks were hit
"Journey to the West ABC" did not follow the conventional routine of "Journey to the West", on the whole, it is the shell of "Journey to the West" in the growth story of a Chinese teenager.
The teenager's name is Wang Jin, and he is a typical American ABC (American-born Chinese American-born Chinese).
Wang Jin is about to enter high school life, which also means that he will usher in a new round of challenges.
But going to school did not change Wang Jin's character and family status.
He is honest, introverted and loves anime.
Mom and dad quarrel at every turn, mom is controlling, and dad has difficulty getting promoted.
As an Asian who lives in a white neighborhood, Wang has a hard time integrating into real Americans.
But even so, he struggled to find his "American" identity.
In the new semester, he plans to meet more classmates.
He joins the school's soccer team and has a crush, a beautiful and gentle white girl.
But at this time, the appearance of another Chinese classmate broke all this.
His name is Sun Weichen, his parents are not clear, his relatives are unknown, and he inexplicably transferred to Wang Jin's school, because of the same Asian identity, he became Wang Jin's "little follower".
Sun Weichen did things tenaciously and recklessly, constantly making Wang Jin embarrassed in front of his classmates.
He shouted Wang Jin's name in public, disturbing his emotions when Wang Jin was selected for the football team, making him lose valuable opportunities.
Even put on a "couple outfit" with Wang Jin and became a laughing stock in school.
Wang Jin deliberately distanced himself from Sun Weichen, but he fell in front of everyone, which became a small video material spread throughout the school.
Wang Jin was annoyed until Sun Weichen confessed his identity to him.
It turned out that Sun Weichen was the son of Sun Wukong, the immortal of the Celestial Realm.
He had a hunch that he could find the legendary fourth scroll to save the world, so he stole his father's magic weapon, the Golden Hoop Stick.
After the chase between father and son, Sun Weichen not only did not return the magic weapon, but also insisted on coming to the world to find his "guide".
And this person is Wang Jin.
The two teenagers also returned to the same place, and at the same time began the journey to find themselves and chase their dreams.
Although the protagonists of the story are not the Monkey King father and son, and the content has little to do with "Journey to the West", Disney still cleverly uses the shell of mythological stories to sneak into the growth story of the teenager.
Two teenagers, one in the sky and one in the ground, but in fact, they both have their own problems and troubles in growing up.
One is that patriarchy prevents the pursuit of dreams,
The other is racial and cultural barriers that hinder true identity.
When their dilemmas overlap with each other, stories merge with each other, and hearts come close to each other.
Whether it is myth or reality, it collides with sparks and makes the audience have the desire to watch it.
02, Disi catches up with Bai Fumei, the setting of "anti-routine", adapted to universal values
The core character of this play is this ABC high school student named "Wang Jin".
The biggest problem is that although he was born in the United States, he seems to be unable to become a real "American".
Innate inferiority complex, differences in appearance, cultural barriers... are at the root of this problem.
But from a student, "Journey to the West ABC" does not try to give any advanced solutions.
Instead, it uses an old-fashioned story to tell us how to deal with it simply and crudely.
In online novels, the story of Disi's counterattack catching up with Bai Fumei always attracts a lot of attention.
The same is true of Wang Jin in "Journey to the West ABC".
But the reverse is that he does not rely on wealth to counterattack, nor does he rely on ability to win hearts, but only relies on one thing: to be himself.
Although Wang Jin is introverted, he has been moving forward and making efforts in the process of trying to integrate into the local community.
While shopping for clothes, he came across a white girl.
Mistakenly called people "mom", fate is like this.
Wang's family had little money, and his parents struggled to survive.
But the girl Alemia lives in a big house and lives a comfortable life in the middle class of the United States.
Can you see it? The door is not right.
But when he found the girl in the same class as him, Wang Jin still plucked up the courage to launch the pursuit.
Although there is a lame response.
There were not very reliable invitations, and even "good guy cards" were issued.
But Wang Jin did not give up the offensive, and finally achieved a couple story of "memorizing fourth-level words together".
In his relationship with white classmates, Wang Jin did not blindly feel inferior and blindly refused to communicate.
Instead, in the "stupid task" after joining the team, with the help of Sun Weichen, he successfully wrapped the statue of the school with toilet paper.
He also gained the recognition of his classmates.
Watching "Journey to the West ABC", you will find that there is no boring preaching in it, let alone profoundly exposing the root of contradictions like other dramas.
Rather, from the perspective of a student, the most suitable treatment for universal values is given, that is, self-realization.
To put it simply, it is to be yourself.
This is not a pandering to other ethnic cultures, but an effort to break the comfort zone and use communication and change to gain recognition and approval from others.
From this point of view, in any circle, any country, "Westward Journey ABC" seems to have a special educational meaning.
03. Asian living conditions, cultural contradictions, self-identity... The kernel is clear and to the point
In addition to the teenager Wang Jin, through Wang Jin's perspective, "Journey to the West ABC" more or less touches on the real survival status of American ABC, or the entire Asian American community, and the profound problems they face.
Wang's family lives in a white American neighborhood surrounded by few Asians.
Wang Jin received a pure American education at school, always embracing risks, always ready for change, always fighting for freedom and rights, and shouting slogans on the streets at every turn.
But in the family environment, Wang Jin was often told by his parents to teach him a relatively conservative Asian culture.
For example, we must be diligent, be honest, learn to avoid risks, and let ourselves walk steadily.
The most typical is that parents always refer to things other than "learning cultural lessons" as "not doing business".
When Wang Jin asked to join the football team, this was his father's biggest "advice" to him.
This cultural contradiction makes Wang Jin always in a state of refined cosplay.
At school, he wants to play a pure American teenager, and in the face of the same Chinese Sun Weichen, he will naturally question: Do I have something in common with him?
But at home, he had to follow his parents' guidance and behave in accordance with the rules of Asian culture.
This has made the young generation of American ABC always fall into a state of cultural fragmentation.
In addition to Wang Jin, the actor Freddy played by Guan Jiwei also injected depth into the real Asian ethnic problem in the drama "Journey to the West ABC".
He was a comedian who became famous as a harlequin in his early years, and many years later, audiences still laugh when they see his funny performances.
But Freddy was unimpressed, and in an interview, he said very seriously: I also want to play a hero.
The white host on the side laughed angrily: Do you want to play "Batman"?
This scene actually reflects the status of Asian groups and Asian culture in American culture.
In the minds of real Americans, what Asians can do and what kind of social role they play seem to have been "defined" long ago.
They simply live in the United States as Americans.
But many times, there are no specific social behavior qualifications, such as playing heroes, playing decent, playing tall and powerful sci-fi protagonists, and so on.
The two lines of Wang Jin and Freddy clearly show the core of what the play wants to tell, and point out the root of the problem to the point.
Combined with the images and personalities of Asian characters in many American drama characters in reality.
Asian audiences in any country will have a certain degree of empathy with this social phenomenon.
Second, say "regret" again
In terms of story, culture and core, "Westward Journey ABC" does have a lot to watch.
But overall, the problems of this American drama are still very big.
This is also the reason why its Douban score is only 5.6, which is inverted with the movie Rotten Tomatoes score.
The reason for this, Pico believes that there are the following three regrets:
01. Completely devilishly changed the story and character of "Journey to the West", giving Chinese a sense of cultural humiliation
In fact, most audiences who watch the drama are rushing to the two words "Journey to the West" in the title of the play.
As a result, after watching the play, I found that not only "Journey to the West" is a shell, but even the characters and stories are also full of "thunderous attributes".
First of all, for the setting of Sun Weichen, the "son" of Sun Wukong, the Chinese audience was dumbfounded.
Chinese know that Sun Wukong jumped out of the crack in the stone, and who this so-called "son" was born with is an unexplainable big bug.
Secondly, the appearance of Guanyin is even more out of line with the rules of logic.
In "Journey to the West", Guanyin is a bodhisattva with extraordinary abilities and can give Sun Wukong the bottom of it.
But in the play, although Guanyin also has a strong ability setting, it is not brought into play.
On the premise that he can easily stop the villain Bull Demon King, he allows him to steal the golden hoop stick, as if "destroying the world" is just a game of life.
And when Michelle Yeoh stepped on the platform and high-heeled sandals and appeared in a Mazu costume, she opened her mouth and said to Sun Wukong's son: Let's practice English!
For Chinese audiences, it's just thunderous.
Finally, if the costume and setting of Sun Wukong and Guanyin are still reasonable.
The image and costume of the other immortals have reached the level of "hot eyes".
Jigong, a drunken curly.
The East Sea Dragon King is a cosplay pervert.
The queen mother wore a red suspender.
The old immortal can openly talk about love...
Not to mention the Bull Demon King, Zhu Bajie, and the female version of Sha Wujing...
Even if you have watched a little bit of "Journey to the West", you can be killed by this group of immortals in "Journey to the West ABC".
Therefore, Chinese netizens will feel that IQ and culture have been humiliated.
02. Crude production, prop plastic, negative special effects
The beginning of this play is a thrilling chase scene, Sun Wukong chases behind, "monster" runs in front, one will transform into a fish, the other will become a wolf, and the look is full.
As everyone knows, this is already the highest light of the whole drama.
Maybe it's because the cost isn't enough, or maybe it's because of the style.
In the expression of the mythological part, "Westward Journey ABC" is completely out of line with Disney's level, and can simply be described as "simple".
Action and fighting are only at the level of domestic third-rate action movies, and even some nets are not as good as
Hang Weiya is full of floating feeling, and there is a trend to be on par with domestic fairy tale dramas,
The biggest slot is concentrated in the fourth episode, Sun Wukong's memories of his feud with the Bull Demon King.
This is a peach conference, and it is also the appointment ceremony of the peak post of the power of the Heavenly Court, "Yipin Dashen", which is only once in 10,000 years, but it is stunned to shoot the sense of "urban and rural combination team building".
The gate of the Heavenly Palace looks like this.
The immortal costume is like this.
The so-called "Peach Conference" is not as good as a birthday party for a three-year-old child.
Not only is it full of transvestites, but there is also a reserved show "Sichuan Opera Changing Faces".
As for the process of choosing the "Yipin Great Sage", it is even more pulled.
There was no appointment, no vote, no Jade Emperor's will and no process, just relying on a word from the carp essence Ao Guang, Sun Wukong became a "great saint".
To be reasonable, just for the sake of such a grass team, spelled out the title, where does the bull demon king get the motivation to be jealous, to accumulate grudges for 10,000 years and then destroy the world?
No matter how many big names are invited, it can be seen that Disney did not want to seriously shoot the mythological characters in "Journey to the West", and even never understood their appearance in the original work, but just took their fur and made magic changes.
Not to mention Wu Yanzu's super ugly Wukong shape.
Does the export of such a "Heavenly Palace", such a "Peach Conference", and such a "Qi Heaven Great Sage" selection to other countries really affect their understanding of Chinese mythology?
03. From the character to the plot, it is full of stereotypes and prejudices about Asian and Chinese culture
Although it is telling about the plight of Asian Americans, "Journey to the West ABC" still inevitably reveals various stereotypes and prejudices of Americans against Asians.
Wang Jin's appearance is difficult to like.
He looked at a piece of clothing, but it was worth as much as $80 and he couldn't afford it.
So, Wang Jin quietly stole the clothes home and removed the magnetic buttons on the clothes himself.
The key is this dress, or he is going to wear it to date white girls.
In this way, it is ironic, in our culture, it is important to pay attention to "people are not short", but in the eyes of Americans, Asians love to take advantage.
Even the Monkey King, who went down to the fan, did not escape this prejudice.
Wang Jin's character is also a typical Asian three-piece - being subjected to school violence, parental discord at home, love and ideals blocked.
Even the strong mother, the cowardly father, the classmates behind the previous set, and the teachers of the stereotypical masters have all been translated from other film and television dramas intact.
This violent grafting of Asian-American stereotypes has made "Westward Journey ABC" itself lose its innovation and creativity, and fall into the cliché "discrimination" dilemma.
And the treatment of Wang Jin and Sun Weichen's "counterattack" fate is almost a "luck" tone.
Wang Jin is full of accidental events, which makes him a kind of "chosen son".
For example, an ordinary Asian American is liked and pursued by a white girl with white wealth, which is almost impossible in the real United States.
Not to mention the fantasy event of bumping into "Immortal Classmates".
In "Journey to the West ABC", we seem to be able to feel that only the accumulation of countless bumps into big luck can urge the Asian male protagonist to complete the final growth.
This also makes Pico feel that American creators will never believe and affirm:
An Asian American can obtain money and social status in the United States with his hardworking and simple character and down-to-earth perseverance, and can only stretch his neck and wait for the white girl to chase back, and wait for the gods to save him.
Even this group of "immortals" seems to represent the prejudice of American screenwriters against Chinese Americans in the United States.
Sun Wukong is a bearded man who a port.
Sun Weichen and Wang Jin's mother are both very standard Taiwanese.
Guanyin Bodhisattva is obsessed with learning English, and the Chinese mother pours herbs when she has nothing to do...
In fact, we should not hope that Americans can make the real core of "Journey to the West".
Hollywood's best trick is to steal other people's culture, pile up some plausible cultural characteristics, change some cultural symbols, and then inject American values into something that no culture can explain, but the spirit is very "American".
From "Shangqi" to "Journey to the West ABC".
In essence, this is all consumption of stereotypes, it is just a commodity, and as for Chinese culture, it is just a gimmick.
Just like at the end of the play, Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King are fighting to save the world, and the white classmates who don't know why think it is a big show and applaud and cheer in unison.
In reality, the traditional culture we are proud of, for Americans, is not just watching a play?
And the reason why this play can quickly resonate with the Asian American community is largely because they themselves are constantly being changed by the United States.
Like this "Journey to the West ABC", they can both resonate with the situation of Asian Americans and want to find a way out of it.
But for Chinese, no matter what it is packaged into, this "Westward Journey ABC" is just another foreigner's thunderous modification of the "Westward Journey" IP.
Text/Pipi Film Editorial Department: Ephemera
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