| Action heroes by Shang Zuo |
| Japanese video games -- anime and manga -- are very hot among American teenagers. If you are or were one of them, you surely have encountered some Chinese characters. Among them are the characters from the Chinese classics "Journey to the West" which was written in the 16th century and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" which was written in the 14th century. They are the most popular ones. Monkey King Wukong was a monkey monster in "Journey to the West." The monkey had many names. He was born by a stone that was capable of absorbing the essence energy of the universe. This monkey was first called "Stone Monkey." He joined other monkey fellows in the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits and was elected to be their king. By that time, he was called the "Handsome Monkey King." As his magic power and knowledge grew, he learned the existence of "Heaven." Heaven didn't like the monkey though. Gods lured him to Heaven and assigned him a low-rank position. Monkey King enjoyed his days but didn't like to obey anyone's command. He went back to his home mountain and named himself the "Great Sage Equal of Heaven" to make fun of the gods. The grand title irritated the Court of Heaven. The conflict between Heaven and Monkey King was set off. This part of the story is full of laughter. Every child loves it. Kids love seeing their dear monkey hero making fun of snobbish gods. Heaven attempted every possible plot to control the insubordinate monkey, only to find that its actions seemed so ridiculous and irrelevant, and that in front of the monkey, all Heaven's efforts were futile. The power of Monkey King surpassed Heaven's. The chaos in Heaven disturbed Buddha himself. Buddha condemned Monkey King and sealed him in a mountain. Monkey King was told that someone can save him from such imprisonment after 500 years. Monkey King was contained for 500 years, and the person in prophecy finally appeared: a monk from the Middle Earth on his way to the far west to obtain religious texts in India. The monk gave Monkey King the name Wukong, and a nickname, "the Walker." Wukong didn't follow anyone's order before, but he acknowledged the powerless mortal as his master and served him on his way to his pilgrimage. The monk Xuanzang (602? - 664) was a scholar, traveler, and translator in history. Other than that, "Journey to the West" is mostly fantasy. "Journey to the West" is probably the most retold story in the world. Goku is the Japanese translation of Wukong. You can easily find over 20 Japanese manga books loosely based on the classic. The extremely popular Dragon Ball borrowed some basic storylines and characters in its early episodes. In this story, Goku is a talented warrior from an alien gorilla race. Similar to the classic, he also rides a piece of cloud and waves a golden stick. While "Journey to the West" is mostly fantasy, the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is a mix of true history and folklore. Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms era (220-280) was a chaotic period that consisted of endless wars. The destinies of the greatest leaders, politicians, generals, warriors, scholars, doctors, and wizards were intertwined in this short but complicated history. Their ambitions, beliefs, desires, and struggles are heart-touching even today. Lu Bu, the most vicious bastard who dominated the battlefields of pre-Three Kingdoms era, was arguably the greatest warrior of all time. His life was full of betrayals. He betrayed two masters whom he served and was eventually betrayed by his own men. Riding his horse Red Hare, he could go anywhere he wanted to go, and with his halberd Sky Scorcher, no one could stop him./In front of the Gate of Tiger Cage, Lu Bu was challenged by three avowed brothers Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei. Guan Yu is considered the Martial Saint. He is also the embodiment of courage, brotherhood and loyalty. In many Hong Kong movies, you can see a red-faced god sitting in the shrine, worshipped by all policemen and gangsters. That's Guan Yu, a half-god, half-human figure. But in the battle at the Gate of Tiger Cage, Lu Bu proved to be simply invincible. Guan Yu's equally powerful younger brother Zhang Fei was overwhelmed by Lu Bu. It didn't take too long for Guan Yu and Liu Bei to join the fight. Under the combined attack of the three brothers, Lu Bu retreated. Evidently, the battle was more like a victory of Lu Bu rather than of the three brothers. In his last days, Lu Bu indulged into alcohol and women. His strength waned. Unlike other warlords, he lacked the strategy to survive in the turbulent world. Because of his bad reputation of betrayal, no one would accept him as a general. Seeing no future following him and afraid of his bad temper, Lu Bu's two officers stole Red Hare and Sky Scorcher, tied him up when he was asleep drunk, and rendered him to his enemies, who ended Lu Bu's existence. Dynasty Warriors is my favorite Three Kingdoms game, in which you could try Lu Bu's aggressive, taunting, powerful, and somewhat dumb moves. |
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