The fourth episode of the English-dubbed Japanese action series Monkey airs on BBC2. The series is a translation and dub of a fancifully satirical Japanese adaptation of the Chinese novel “Journey To The West”, starring Masaaki Sakai. 
Monkey, Tripitaka, Pigsy and Sandy encounter a local on their journey, and he warns them of cannibalistic demons on the road ahead. Monkey tricks Pigsy – who wasn’t paying attention to this warning – into scouting ahead by himself. When Monkey goes to look for Pigsy, his friend is nowhere to be found…and a demon drop a mountain on his back, which will eventually crush him. Sandy and Tripitaka are surrounded by demons and taken prisoner. Tripitaka’s very flawed retinue begin bickering about one another’s weaknesses. Once he frees himself from the mountain, demons are sent with a magic bottle to absorb Monkey’s body and soul. Monkey takes it upon himself to infiltrate the demons’ ranks and defeat them, tricking them into thinking he has a bottle that will engulf the entire universe. Using all of the magic available to him, Monkey might just live long enough to free his friends…or be recaptured.
written by Hiroichi Fuse
based on the story by Wu Ch’Eng-En
adapted by David Weir
directed by Daisuke Yamazaki
English dub directed by Michael Bakewell
music by Micky Yoshino / theme performed by Godiego
Cast: Masaaki Sakai (Monkey), Masako Natsume (Tripitaka), Shirô Kishibe (Sandy), Toshiyuki Nishida (Pigsy), Kenji Tamiya (Silver Horn), Ryohei Uchida (Golden Horn), Yuzuru Yamaguchi (Cannibal #1), Hideya Niiyama (Cannibal #2), David Collings (Monkey’s voice – English dub), Maria Warburg (Tripitaka’s voice – English dub), Gareth Armstrong (Sandy’s voice – English dub), Peter Woodthorpe (Pigsy’s voice – English dub), Frank Duncan (Narrator – English dub), Cecile Chevreau (Buddha’s voice – English dub), Miriam Margolyes (Voices – English dub), Peter Marinker (Voices – English dub)
LogBook entry by Earl Green