The legend of Sun Wu Kong, the mythical Monkey King, begins here! One of the most popular and beloved Chinese novels of all time, Journey to the West, is reinvented as a full color action-adventure Manga Classic® for all ages!

Following the Buddha’s instructions, diligent monk Tang San-Zang and his four disciples set forth on a mission to retrieve important Buddhist scriptures from India. But the journey becomes far more than they ever could have imagined as they encounter mysterious magic, mighty monsters, strange spirits, and so much more!

Coming this fall from Manga Classics!

Journey to the West – The Beginning is a fast-paced, jam-packed adventure manga with plenty to enjoy. The story starts with Tang San-Zang, a Buddhist monk tasked by the Buddha himself to retrieve special scrolls of Buddha’s knowledge from the vast West.

Tang San-Zang is given four companions to travel with: Shah Wu-jing, an oni and a sand monk; Zhu Ba-Jie, a pig who is also a monk; Bai Long-Ma, a white horse; and the most powerful and unpredictable of all, Sun Wu-Kong, the monkey king. (We are told with the exception of Sun Wu-Kong that the other companions are not always what they seem to be, suggesting transformation or disguises).

The first stop is a town down on its luck–Sweetwell, which is dealing with a drought and famine, where the well at the center of town is completely dried up. The town blames a young boy who was born on the day the troubles started, calling him Bad Luck Boy, but the Monkey King knows better–something bigger and magical is behind all of it.

There is some investigation and while they don’t find all the answers they seek, Sun Ku-Wong calls on the assistance of the white horse Bai Long-Ma, who is actual a water dragon prince in disguise. He uses his water magic to fill the well again, and the town is saved.

The next place they journey to is a desolate, fiery mountain called the Inferno Mountain, where they are attacked by fire-beasts but fight them off.

Amid the hot, lonely mountain is a small paradise with grapes being harvested for an incredible-tasting wine, complete with its own palace. Sun Ku-Wong reunites with an old friend he treats like a brother, Wu-Zhen, a sort of man-bull with incredible powers.

I’m going to stop with the plot summary here, but trust me when I say that a ton more things happen, we are introduced to more characters, and it turns out that everything tends to be inter-connected. It also turns out that Sun Ku-Wong has a powerful dark side that can’t be held at bay unless he wears a special circlet that subdues his powers and makes him a little bit more agreeable.

The Journey to the West is one of China’s greatest and most beloved epic stories, and the epicness translates to the pages of the manga well. So much happened in this single volume, and it feels like we traversed lands far and wide along with the characters.

The note from the publisher says this book is meant for teens, but that it’s suitable for middle-grade readers, too. I think older readers, like adults, would find something here to enjoy as well, so I’m going to recommend it to manga fans overall and those curious about Chinese myth. It’s been a fun ride and I look forward to the next volume.

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This manga was gifted as a copy from the publisher, Udon Entertainment, via NetGalley for the purpose of writing and sharing a review of the work. The publication date for Journey to the West: The Beginning is September 15, 2026.