Recommended Posts

While I'm excited of a theme based on Journey to the West and hope the sets are good. I wonder how Lego will handle Sun Wukong being a Deity.

Edited by Dr.Cogg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not sure if this is the right place for this but as I've seen someone mention before, the leaked bigfig does have some strong connections to Sha Wujing. (Red) beard? Check! Partially bald? On the sides, so check! Somewhat Grisly? Check! And the most important feature, a Necklace of skulls? Well he has a necklace but rather without the skulls. It could be the bhikkhu necklace he eventually gets on the journey. He's also blue in some media. I'd say it's definitely him. I wonder what is staff will look like. He looks especially like his depiction in this picture:

https://images.app.goo.gl/5dmeCdNW1pPxJNnJ9

On a sidenote, is it just me or do his pants kinda look like jogging pants rather than more traditional pants. Ofcourse the cord could be some kind of belt, but it kinda makes you wonder if this is a more modern interpretation of journey to the west.

They might actually call him Sandy as it's somewhat easier for the western audience.

Also, I really wonder how they'll depict Zhu Bajie. If they make him slightly more brownish and hog like I might be able to finally make a purist Bebop for TMNT. I've been wanting a humanoid hog for such a long time (as the cmf pig simply doesn't work and overwatch's roadhog is more of a mask than an actual hog).

Edited by Huigberts Builds
Sandy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
11 minutes ago, Huigberts Builds said:

On a sidenote, is it just me or do his pants kinda look like jogging pants rather than more traditional pants. Ofcourse the cord could be some kind of belt, but it kinda makes you wonder if this is a more modern interpretation of journey to the west.

If you look at the feet, he’s also wearing sneakers. I’m 99% sure it’s a modern interpretation of the story. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
39 minutes ago, mrfang2 said:

If you look at the feet, he’s also wearing sneakers. I’m 99% sure it’s a modern interpretation of the story. 

Yeah I agree, they look indeed like sneakers. This is gonna be a really interesting theme. Can't wait to see more of it. Gotta get my hands on the cmf monkey king real quick now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wait so that was sandy all along? If they follow the book then he could be introduced as a villain at first.

I don't like the thought of a modernized Journey to the West setting.But this way Lego will be able to justify the existence of all the vehicles.

Edited by LOTR34

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As the brand was mentioned in this thread: The monkey king theme by Chinese brand Enlighten / Qman was introducted in late 2018. Enlighten / Qman has been around for a while, in fact since the late 90ies, and they have been doing several Asian-themed sets for a while now. This includes characters from Thee Kingdoms era (Enlighten 1501A and 1501B), typical wuxia characters (Enlighten 1504) and a few other "Asian" minifigs like a Buddhist monk. In 2017, they have released a whole theme based on famous novel Investiture of the Gods. It's futuristic with weird vehicles and such, but it includes several nice characters like e.g. Jiang Ziya or Nezha. Enlighten / Qman has received an official licence for the Nezha anime introduced last year, and they have another official licence for the anime Legend of Deification, with the movie being scheduled for Chinese New Year 2020 but now postponed due to shutdowns / coronavirus. The sets for the animes are sold under the "keeppley" brand, a new brand with which Enlighten / Qman tries to target somewhat older kids. For these themes, they use their new minifigs with super-large manga-style heads.

Apart from that, Chinese brand Winner had a theme focusing on monkey king well before, dating back to 2016 or 2017.

Thus, if anything, then TLC has tried to copy their Wukong minifigs (just like their official logo for their new theme sharing some "interesting" similarities with the Dragon Ball logo), as they are interested in growing big in China, and themes dedicated to Chinese culture should be helpful for that purpose (just like Chinese New Year).

In general, the Chinese brick brands have advanced massively in the last one or two years. E.g. concerning CNY, they have introduced a bunch of original sets, and unsurprisingly, they focus on Asian culture in other contexts as well. Search for e.g. Xingbao XB-25002 to get an idea (there were ships like that in historic China, although the colour pattern might well be a bit over-the-top), there are modulars by Xingbao, there are sets with more traditional, historically accurate sceneries by Panlos and Sembo while Cayi has focused on characters from Chinese opera and so on and so forth. Thus, TLC has to throw in their own material to stay on top.

Concerning the new theme, the monkey face in the logo looks like a "traditional" monkey king. Of course, it could well be combined with futuristic elements, or it could also be some kid from nowadays dressing up as a monkey, or being somehow transformed, ... The leaked bigfig could well be Sha Wujing. Traditionally he has black hair, but in more recent movies (there's a bunch of those) he also appeared with blue skin and red or reddish-brown hair (see the trailers for The Monkey King 2 and The Monkey King 3). Also check out this picture. Seems TLC was heavily inspired by Chinese movies. Anyway, it's funny to see that Chinese brands are turning to officially licenced themes (Wandering Earth, Shanghai Fortress, Detective Chinatown 3, The Rescue, The Untamed, Three Lives Three Worlds) while TLC switches to "inspirations" if "useful".

Edited by Oederland
Typos, updated information based on leaked pic

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If Monkey Kid is a modern day interpretation, it would be horrible. I already felt Leaf was going to replace Hidden Side from the beginning, and I would prefer more Hidden Side buildings than City. Unless Monkey Kid takes place in a more Chinese inspired city, I feel most of the buildings would be bland. Also, we've seen giant cartoony vehicles too many times on store shelves already. I personally think that more fantastical play sets would be nice, since we have never seen to much Chinese culture in Lego until now.

However, I do feel this theme could take place in the Chima relm. While the builds for this theme will be different, the old Legends of Chima theme had a decent amount of Chinese details inside (the Phoenix tribe, various anthropomorphic animals,  the Chi itself, and the handwriting being similar.) Considering we only saw a piece of the Chima relm, (and the fact Chima's culture was evolving for millennias,) Monkey Kid could take place in a different piece of land.      

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
49 minutes ago, Oederland said:

The leaked bigfig could well be Sha Wujing. Traditionally he has black hair, but in more recent movies (there's a bunch of those) he also appeared with blue skin and red or reddish-brown hair (see the trailers for The Monkey King 2 and The Monkey King 3). Also check out this picture. Seems TLC was heavily inspired by Chinese movies.

Still looks better than genie Will Smith. :laugh_hard:

Anyway this version indeed looks quite a lot like the Lego one, similar but not the same. Lego could indeed have taken some inspiration from these movies.

4 minutes ago, Legoanonymous said:

If Monkey Kid is a modern day interpretation, it would be horrible. I already felt Leaf was going to replace Hidden Side from the beginning

Tbh I don't think it will replace hidden side (yet). The theme is selling pretty well from my understanding so Lego would be crazy to get rid of it. Especially now that the Ninjago sets are so lackluster for the most part.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 minutes ago, Huigberts Builds said:

 

Tbh I don't think it will replace hidden side (yet). The theme is selling pretty well from my understanding so Lego would be crazy to get rid of it. Especially now that the Ninjago sets are so lackluster for the most part.

I think it's popularity depends on the region you are in. For me, most of the sets aren't doing to well. Also, the "big set" of wave 3 seems like a perfect climactic battle. So I have doubts that Hidden Side will be released along side Monkey Kid, especially considering they will release at around the same time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So, we've got another figure leak, a villian this time!

The bull helmet and magenta color are great, but this might reignite our fears: it looks like it might be tech based. It's got tubes and air vents and a gunmetal color scheme. A man can still have hope, but now it's slightly diminished...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I suspect the figure is from the next Ninjago wave, not Monkey Kid.  The pink body reminds me of Rat Pack Richie, and the bull helmet is appropriate for a dungeon location; the figure looks like something from a game too, and the next Ninjago wave might continue the gaming theme.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 minutes ago, Tommy Thunder said:

I suspect the figure is from the next Ninjago wave, not Monkey Kid.  The pink body reminds me of Rat Pack Richie, and the bull helmet is appropriate for a dungeon location; the figure looks like something from a game too, and the next Ninjago wave might continue the gaming theme.

Unfortunately, Ninjago's next wave will take place in a DnD type setting, and there aren't any new sets planned in the video game style. My theories are A.) this takes place in the Nexo Knights setting, B.) this is future Chima, or C.) Monkey Kid is anime! The LAST thing we need in the Lego landscape is for a theme like Hidden Side to get replaced by another Ninjago like theme.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This has to be from Ninjago

Look at all the chinese sets so far: they are all focused on chinese traditions and folklore, because chinese people love and have a huge respect for their culture

If those sets are selling well, why would they change it for this Monkey Kid theme?

 

Also there is no character like that in the original source

 

I might be wrong, but I say Ninjago. Looks EXACTLY like the wave we just got. Why would they repeat themselves on a different theme so quickly?

 

Doesnt make sense

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The reason why it is believed to be from Monkey King is because if you review your Journey to the West folklore there is a Bull Demon King, also known as Ox King (牛魔王) ...

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 minutes ago, makoy said:

The reason why it is believed to be from Monkey King is because if you review your Journey to the West folklore there is a Bull Demon King, also known as Ox King (牛魔王) ...

 

Quite probable given the symbol on his chest resembles the Chinese letter on the left in your parentheses. In an earlier post I mentioned Lost Empire. In that adaptation the main villains' costuming suggests some access to technology. There are ways to make such injections of technology work.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 minutes ago, gedren_y said:

Quite probable given the symbol on his chest resembles the Chinese letter on the left in your parentheses. In an earlier post I mentioned Lost Empire. In that adaptation the main villains' costuming suggests some access to technology. There are ways to make such injections of technology work.

Good point, if the villians have some light tech, like a toned down version of 2011 ninjago, I think it would be better than full on sci-fi fantasy.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Robert8 said:

This has to be from Ninjago

Look at all the chinese sets so far: they are all focused on chinese traditions and folklore, because chinese people love and have a huge respect for their culture

If those sets are selling well, why would they change it for this Monkey Kid theme?

 

Also there is no character like that in the original source

 

I might be wrong, but I say Ninjago. Looks EXACTLY like the wave we just got. Why would they repeat themselves on a different theme so quickly?

 

Doesnt make sense

As much as I wish this would stay traditional too, several reliable leakers have claimed it to be from Monkey King, as well as the fact that there is a Bull Demon in the story, and other leakers have said there is a modern/tech influence on things (See the sneakers on the bigfig's feet). 

Very curious as to what aesthetic the sets will take. Ninjago started off pretty traditional with some minor tech elements for the villains only, but quickly spiraled into full sci-fi fantasy. I hope they chart a different path for this theme to prevent it from becoming same-y, despite how much I love Ninjago's aesthetic.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think what the theme should do is define a boundary: it's this sci-fi, not more or less, rather than ninjago which went crazy after year 1 pretty much. As long as it starts with low sci-fi, and stays that way, I'm fine with it. Just keep it under control, please.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 minutes ago, NetherCreeper said:

I think what the theme should do is define a boundary: it's this sci-fi, not more or less, rather than ninjago which went crazy after year 1 pretty much. As long as it starts with low sci-fi, and stays that way, I'm fine with it. Just keep it under control, please.

Agreed, I don't want to see a Monkey spacecraft, Monkey Jet, or Monkey Motorcyle anytime soon. Fingers crossed they set a line and stick to it. The question is: how long can they sustain without giving the heroes vehicles and modern battle machines? Kids like substantial builds for the hero characters, and I don't know how many different animals/non tech vehicles they can sustain.

Edited by legozebra

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The one thing I do not get is, if they are going to make this another futuristic based world, why is the logo so cartoony? At least with Nexo Knights or Hero Factory, we got a mechanical looking logo, while the one we are getting looks like a kiddie anime. I theorize that when set leaks come out, they will be in a somewhat traditional setting. Maybe the good guys travel from a fairly modern to science fiction city through ruins and natural terrain. I am confident we will get less modern - looking leaks, all we need is patience.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmm

 

But that figure looks like the Ninjago gaming wave. And I mean the exact same aesthetic. That figure could be on any of the recent Ninjago sets.

How is TLG is going to handle having such similar products sharing the shelves? Because the current Ninjago wave will be still around by the time this arrives.

 

Either Monkey Kid will be like a LEGO Store exclusive out of China, or I don't know.... :wacko:

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Just now, Robert8 said:

Hmm

 

But that figure looks like the Ninjago gaming wave. And I mean the exact same aesthetic. That figure could be on any of the recent Ninjago sets.

How is TLG is going to handle having such similar products sharing the shelves? Because the current Ninjago wave will be still around by the time this arrives.

 

Either Monkey Kid will be like a LEGO Store exclusive out of China, or I don't know.... :wacko:

 

 

None of the summer Ninjago listings have any more sets under the Prime Empire aesthetic, so there won't be any more confusion. As for this wave, Monkey Kid will probibly follow the "anime" concept of futuristic characters traveling through an old and broken land. Remember, Monkey Kid has an AR app, and I doubt a science fiction story can use those correctly. Overall, we need more info before we judge this theme yet.    

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I would be extremely disappointed if the Monkey Kid aesthetics are in line with this leaked pink tech fig rather than with the gorgeous Series 19 Monkey King. :cry_sad:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.