#Which I think is part of what the DBK family kinda represents but that's a whole other topic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

imminent-danger-came · 10 months

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I've been seeing a lot of people saying it was a problem that Mei didn't save Red Son from the scroll of memory in TEW as a callback to when he talked to her in EYD. I personally don't like the idea and think it's a kind of silly complaint, it wouldn't fit in the already quickly paced special or really add anything to the story/Mei's S4 arc.

To me, it just seems like another case of the LMK fandom not being able to think of Mei outside of Red Son, but I'm not sure if that's just me being a hater (lesbian) so I'd like to know what you think? Your analysis is always interesting and fun to read!

Aw, thanks anon! <3

I think a majority of the LMK fandom would sacrifice Mei in a blood ritual if it meant Red Son would have more screen time. Which is uh, not an opinion I share (<- Mei is their second favorite character).

Look, I love parallels. I post a lot of 'em on my blog, and I've made a few parallel predictions myself. But, and here's my hot take: A Red Son and Mei convo in the scroll just wouldn't have fit in the special.

Logistically, the only time this conversation could have happened was post-battle, after everything had settled down and they were able to get everyone out of their scroll pieces. The 3x11 convo between Mei and Red Son only happens because Red Son is desperate—he needs a hero, he needs Mei to save his parents, and Mei is worried she'll lose control. A convo at the end of 3x14 wouldn't have stakes for Mei to urge Red Son back into the outside world with, making the parallel fall kind of flat. There's just not that same weight or urgency.

If exploring Red Son's (or any of the Demon Bull Family's) time in the scroll were to happen, it would be at some point in s5 when it would be the most significant and impactful. You don't just...waste something with so much narrative potential for the end of an already jam packed special. Now, this isn't me saying we're guaranteed to get anything like this in the show, but it is me saying that the special wasn't the place for it.

Plus like, a 3x11 parallel would have to have Character A comforting Character B about some fear, with Character A assuring Character B that they're needed and that they can help—they're not going to make the situation worse.

If anything, I'd argue that we do get a parallel to Mei and Red Son's 3x11 conversation, it's just that it's between Wukong and MK—which, BASED Mei and Wukong parallels moment:

((This is also all assuming that going into the scroll is even necessary for a non-broken scroll piece lol.))

It really does feel like a lot of people just can't see Mei as her own character. If it's any consolation, I don't think you're being a hater anon! I think you're just picking up on what was most important to show in the s4 special.

#like what in the special are we cutting out to make time for a non-relevant Mei and Red Son convo you know?#the only thing a Mei and Red Son convo would really add to Mei's arc is her goal to protect the people she cares about (including Red boy)#(and maybe also the fact that she doesn't want to be a failure)#But we got that with her interaction with Peng #So *shrugs*#(though I think people just want Red Son angst asfdadsf)#And it's okay I am a lesbian too #Like I love Red Son. I do. But I don't think I have the same affinity for him that a lot of people have #I think plenty of folk are REALLY attached to s1 of the show #when for me it's s3/s4 #s1 is the monster of the week—the place we can't return to #Which I think is part of what the DBK family kinda represents but that's a whole other topic #But idk #asks #lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk Mei #lmk Red Son #lmk analysis #imp's a little feisty

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icy-watch · 28 days

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And wowwwie. Because Azure isn't just like that with Wukong, but DBK too! Y'all need to learn how to be whumpy losers like Mackie over there and know when to give up /j it'll save you the pain. You're down bad for your original image of Wukong, but in all the wrong ways. You never really knew him. Azure would be great on call out and discourse twitter with the hot shots he thinks he's throwing about the whole situation with Princess Iron Fan and DBK deciding he doesn't want to rule the world now, just wants to be a family man. "Just another beast serving the will of the Monkey King." fr, even Mackie wasn't this obsessed when he was bothering MK with his ~ you're just like the hero~ helps that he changes his mind later and was less seething about it to begin with. Azure is like. "Wukong ruined my life." / srs, kind of hatred and is all "woe is us for what has become of our sworn brother." Speaking of people being obsessed with others. Why is Peng always talking about Macaque lmaooo. "That coward has tucked himself away where even I can't sniff him out." What makes you think he'd want to join? Probably heard you were looking. But Yeah, he's hanging out on FFM in some little cave area above where Wukong lives I think??? Was that place in the pilots, or was it the secret place we saw Wukong eating peaches that one episode?" Are they roommates with Mackie living rent free up there??? I gotta knoww pffff. But yo "sniff" y'know, Peng's VA suggested they might have a hate-crush on Mackie which is HILARIOUS. like, they only remember the one from before so that little fluffball??? that's the one you want???? what appeals to you, the fact past!Mackie is someone you can step on with those boots er talons? Ooh we just reached the sweet scene of MK and the baby monkey ugh I wuv them, and I see Mackie's cave has a nice view of the sun there ha-! and the lanterns I told you about!! sweet, those lanterns were also present during the Brotherhood dinner, 100% had to have been Mackie's design choice. its his trademark pretty much. There is logically no way Wukong just decided to leave them hanging in some random cave here too hence = bud totally lives here. We caught him sleeping here with baby monkey later XD awww. also his FACE when MK and friends drop in, he is SO proud of MK but will not say it. Also interesting eh? Monkie Gang share the opposite qualities of the Pilgrims. the ones they had to learn. the things that led to enlightenment. now they need to adopt the thing their ancestors had to let go of. but they also reject the destiny of being and doing things like their ancestors. this is part of the one thing that makes me ok with show! Tripitaka bc they're making the story more of the classic hero team journey personal growth thing by having Tripitaka learn THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP. we will see if I change my mind seeing the context of "Monkey! No violence!" Zhu Bajie becoming a "deeply caring and protective creature" cracks me up. He didn't achieve enlightenment and caused Wukong problems every step of the way when the Monk believed him every time. Like there's def some deeper representation and allegorical stuff there, but it escapes me atm. "The heart you have in abundance." was also pretty funny tho, bc Tripitaka represents the heart where Wukong is the mind. And Zhu and him were so often on the same page mmm. wonder if its on purpose.

I kinda wondered about Peng's obsession with Macaron too. It's possibly they have a lil bit of a crush on Mackie, but it's also possible that it's jealousy.

Oh, it's totally on purpose there.

#thanks for asking!#qua #nonnie

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tigerseye46 · 3 years

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D..... if were working with 'Pigsy was Baije' then does Wukong know? Were Wukong and Baije a thing too or is that exclusively an 'in the now' thing?

I mean either way that will be FUN to find out

TW: Death, Blood and Injury

Also Season 2 spoilers

Okay so I’ve thought about this a lot-

Thank you for giving me a chance to ramble, anon. This is going to be long

So, I would like to believe Wukong finds out eventually, either through Sandy (who I’d like to think is Sha Wujing), his golden eyes or a build up of hints. Since they’re stuck together on a ship, I think he has more time to figure it out because maybe he’s never really paid attention to MK’s friends until they had to be forced together. Or he did know before that and is just hiding it extremely well.

So for the ‘were Bajie and Wukong a thing’ I believe that even if they weren’t a thing, they at least had feelings each other that they never acted on because I am also a massive Zhuhou shipper.

Either way, it’s Wukong mourning for his lost love. We get a tragedy from two sides if Bajie died (from “To Catch a Leaf, it’s very implied something happened to him), although there are as just as much angles if we got with an alternate universe where Pigsy is just Bajie in disguise which I will elaborate on further.

If Bajie and Wukong were a thing, either married or still in the dating phase, and Bajie died, Wukong knows he has just lost the person he loved the most. Bajie’s death takes place possibly years after Wukong has already sealed DBK and has given up fighting. At this point, demons are still causing havoc and Bajie, who’s maybe matured a little bit, has decided to step up and be the hero for both of them.

Bajie, as shown in the first chapter he appears in, can fight Wukong on equal grounds but usually he does get lost in his cowardice and desire (since desire is what he’s supposed to represent) although when they do need him, he’s there.

Wukong isn’t worried about him fighting because he is strong. One day, there is word about an extremely powerful demon that people are having trouble with so they need Wujing, Bajie and some other warriors to help. Wukong feels something in his gut telling him to not let his husband go but he ignores it, the pig can handle himself. He gives his husband as much kisses as he possibly can with “Do your best, idiot. I love you.” Then he pats Wujing on the shoulder and watches them leave.

He chills on his mountain, suppressing the dread that lies in his stomach and eventually, he sees the top of Wujing’s hair and thinks “Oh, they’re back. I wonder how it went. I can’t wait to shower Bajie with kisses.” He sees Wujing’s face which is a mix of sadness, guilt, grief and anger all wrapped into one. The fish demon gets closer, holding Bajie’s body in his arms, bruises and blood present, the pig isn’t moving, isn’t breathing and Wukong feels sick to his stomach.

He rushes towards them, demanding to know what happened and Wujing explains that during the attack, Bajie blocked a blow meant for Wujing, the fish demon was on the ground when the demon was about to strike him, he was on his knees, breathing heavily and his reactions too slow to fight back. The pig gets knocked to the ground where the enemy demon hits him again and is about to give another blow when some soldiers attack him. It left Wujing enough time to go over to Bajie and try to help with his injuries but the bleeding was too much for him to stop, the pig leaves some parting words and passes away.

When he finishes, Wukong says the demon better be dead or he’ll go kill him himself, Wujing says he killed the demon and Wukong growls out a “good” and goes quiet.

He takes Bajie’s body in his arms, either remaining quiet with silent sobbing mixed in or screaming his lungs out and weeping more than he has ever before. He decides to bury his husband, aware that Bajie will be reincarnated one day, he has no idea when that will be. He leaves a small “Goodbye, my love…” as the pig is buried. And it hits him that he couldn’t protect one of the people that mattered the most to him and he decides to hole himself up on his mountain with the rest of his family occasionally checking up on him, he’s too lost in his grief to care rather they’re there or not while Wujing is in lost in his anger.

Eventually they stop visiting and Wukong believes they passed on just as Bajie did so he sets up a shrine for them.

Wukong holds on to whatever he has of them left, like the courtship bracelets. He makes sure to clean those regularly, holding back sobs as he does so, he gets defensive when anyone asks what they are, no one needs to know what those are except him.

Centuries pass and he finds Xiaotian, the perfect candidate to be successor, he watches the kid carefully, mostly focusing on him, barely taking note of the people around the kid.

So he trains him, hardly leaving his mountain, he doesn’t need to after all. Being around the kid brings him more joy than he’s felt in years but he still misses his family like crazy so he has the kid destroy the mural. It’s a painful reminder of what he has lost.

New Years comes around and we know how that whole thing goes, at the end, when Wukong is near MK’s friends, getting a closer look than he ever has before, maybe he realizes those are his family. He questions, did Tripitaka and Wujing reincarnate as well? An overwhelming feeling pops up in his chest at seeing them after so many years. When he gets a glimpse of Pigsy, he thinks “Oh my gods. That’s him. That’s my husband. He’s here, he’s alive… but he isn’t my husband, not anymore” and Wukong has got to get out of there before it becomes too much so he leaves.

And he suppresses all of it because he has bigger things to worry about.

Then at the last moment, when he finally has what he needs to defeat WBS, he flies just in time to see the kid lose to WBS and he pulls him out of there. Then he gets scolded by the man he once loved, still loves and he knows his husband the pig demon is right.

He tries to convince the others that they shouldn’t go, they’re mortal after all but they refuse and he has to bring them along. Now he and his family’s reincarnations are stuck in close quarters and he wants to get close to them again, he does but he doesn’t deserve it. He let the person he loved die and Pigsy doesn’t think that highly of him anyway so it’s better he just stay away as much as he can. Yet he’s still so hopelessly in love and he tries everyday to not wrap Pigsy in a hug and apologize, the same goes for the rest of his family.

Wujing, I mean Sandy, notices the king’s mood and asks what’s wrong where the king pushes him away, explaining how it’s none of his business. When Sandy tries to push further, Wukong shouts at him how the demon has probably never lost family and Sandy stays silent then explains how he lost a brother. And it hits Wukong, this is Wujing, actually Wujing, not some reincarnation and they hug and sob, maybe the others catch them and they don’t explain.

They’re all each other has and they cling to each other with the others questioning their new found closeness and Pigsy feels a twinge of jealousy but he has no idea why. Wukong tries to connect with Bajie while maintaining his distance because it still hurts way too much.

Now to explain, what happens if they weren’t an item. So, basically the same thing happens with Bajie’s death except they think something happened to Wukong since they couldn’t find him after he sealed DBK. Again demons are still popping up like crazy, taking advantage of the fact that the king is no longer around.

So Bajie steps up, gaining a more responsible attitude and despite, rumors spreading that the king dies, he ignores them as he believes Wukong will return one day. He gets extremely irritated when people say Wukong died or abandoned them. The same thing happens where he bleeds and dies, leaving Wujing, Bái Longma/Ao Lie and possibly Tripitaka, if he hasn’t reincarnated, to mourn (using this angle for a fic I’m working on).

Obviously Wukong thinks they’re dead and again, possibly at New Years, the king finds his family’s reincarnations and questions what happened, feeling a good amount of guilt for leaving them.

Then while they’re all stuck on the ship together or some other thing, Wujing reveals that he is still the same person and admits what happened to Bajie which just grows Wukong’s guilt and he has to stay away from everyone for a few days.

I would imagine he tries to respectfully maintain his distance from Pigsy while also trying to get closer, possibly sticking to him like a puppy. Again, does he really have the right to be near him? Because he left them and it could have been preventable if he just stayed.

The pig has no idea why the king sticks to him sometimes, he finds he doesn’t really mind it for some reason?? Also it’s easy for him to keep an eye on the king and makes sure he takes care of himself. And the king is kinda cute, he’ll admit. Wukong calls Pigsy little nicknames in his head a lot.

Wukong falls deeper in love with Pigsy, noting that no matter what life he takes on, he still loves him. Very much so and he doesn’t know how to tell him about who he once was.

In either sides, should he tell Pigsy this? Does he have a right to see Pigsy? Does he have the right to see any of them? It hurts to watch his family go on without him, but they’re happy, right? He shouldn’t interfere with their lives more than he already has. They don’t deserve that. On both, there is tragedy, longing and mourning and Wukong feeling guilty for so many reasons.

And we have the third take, the universe where Pigsy is Bajie in disguise.

Pigsy mourns Wukong like the king mourns him. Wukong is one of the few people that Pigsy has ever truly loved and vice versa. They miss each other like crazy, believing the other is dead and wishing they could talk to each other once again.

They wish they could have said something to each other, confess their feelings and maybe it would have changed something. Maybe the other would have stayed alive and well. While Pigsy’s working, sometimes it hits him that it’s better that he never said anything, after all, he isn’t Wukong, he’s not a hero, he doesn’t consider himself one. He was a slacker, a coward who did everything to cause problems and does Wukong really need someone like that in his life? Maybe that’s why he left. Pigsy ignores his good qualities from when he went by Zhu Bajie because he doesn’t think he has any good qualities.

The monkey would have rejected him, no doubt about that so it’s better he never admitted his feelings.

Time passes and he takes in Xiaotian, the kid can be good at his job, but annoyingly distracted. The kid is a big fan of the Journey to the west and a part of him feels joy as hearing someone so close to him enjoy the adventures but it’s also another reminder about all his stupid actions. Especially when Tang likes to point out his past mistakes to tease him for always getting them in trouble.

And one day, he sends MK on another delivery because he should really be working instead of listening to those stories. And what’s this, a bad review? Okay, Xiaotian needs to explain this! Where is he?

He’s about to scold him when Xiaotian reveals the staff and no, no, no, no, that can’t be Wukong’s. It just can’t be. Laugh, Pigsy, the kid must have just found a cheap imitation.

Then the kid accidentally breaks the table with it and oh my gods, it’s Wukong’s.

And Pigsy takes them to Sandy. MK believes that Wukong will be there and could the king be there? Yes, it is his home but they haven’t heard a word from him, the pig still believes Wukong is dead. There’s a small ray of hope that the king is alive.

Somehow, Tang and Sandy manage to convince Pigsy to go with the two. He grumbles about it and inside it hurts to go to the home of the man you once loved, still love, knowing that he won’t be there.

Then the fight with Princess Iron Fan happens and Pigsy believes he lost his kid as well.

And it turns out that Xiaotian is fine, thankfully. When Mei asks if MK managed to find Wukong and MK says yes, that cements it, he’s alive. And he never visited them. He tries to not clench his fists in anger and watches as the kid fights DBK.

His kid, the one he thought was dead, is now Wukong’s successor. The king let him believe that Xiaotian was dead, stupid monkey.

That night, he goes on and on to Sandy and Tang about how he hates Wukong, that’s a lie, and how the king should have told him he was okay. He manages to convince them that they shouldn’t see Wukong. If he wanted to visit them, he would have done so.

Life goes on with the pig hearing little things about what the king is doing from Xiaotian, his chest aches. He wants to punch the king in his handsome face and he is so tempted to charge up onto that mountain and do so but he holds off.

And he kinda wonders why the king left. And a thought crosses his mind, maybe it was because of him. Maybe the king didn’t want to be around him any longer and decided to leave. He knows how bad he was in the past so the king probably had enough and decided to go.

Maybe Xiaotian decides to finally introduce Wukong to his favorite people, he’s heard some thing and the kid convinces him to do so. And he meets them and they remind him of his family because they are his family including the person he loved, loves most in the world. Either Wukong knows they’re the originals or believes they’re reincarnations and how they’re so close yet so far.

Wukong yearns for that closeness once again especially with Bajie, the pig who has captured his heart even with their differences and he tries to impress Pigsy a little. Pigsy tries to keep the monkey at arms length, he is not having his heart broken again, that monkey is not getting close to his family.

And yes, I made this insanely long. Thanks to whoever reads this.

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