The Teachings of Monkey

Synopsis A demon who controls day and night plunges a village into eternal darkness, demanding tribute. Monkey must outwit the celestial trickster to restore balance. The episode explores the duality of light and shadow, wisdom and ignorance. Teaching “Darkness cannot exist without light. Balance is found not in choosing one, but in understanding both.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷 — Background chaos: Pigsy complains about the dark but contributes little to the solution. ...

Synopsis Pigsy is lured by a demon offering magical pearls, only to discover they’re cursed. His greed nearly costs the pilgrims their lives as the pearls drain their energy. Monkey must break the enchantment before it’s too late. Teaching “Treasure offered freely is rarely free. True wealth lies in what cannot be stolen.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷 — Peak Pigsy chaos: greed weaponised into pure disaster. Commentary The episode’s title is a playful nod to the proverb, and Pigsy embodies it perfectly. His inability to resist shiny objects creates comedic mayhem while delivering a sharp lesson about desire and deception.

Synopsis A seductive minx demon and her slug companion terrorise a village, using charm and slime to ensnare victims. Pigsy falls for the minx’s allure while Monkey battles the grotesque slug. The contrast between beauty and horror is camp gold. Teaching “Seduction and repulsion are twin faces of desire. See through both to find truth.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷🐷 — Major disruption: Pigsy’s lust for the minx derails the rescue mission. ...

Synopsis A holy saint is revealed to be a catfish demon in disguise, while a shape-changer sows confusion among the pilgrims. Monkey’s sharp instincts and Tripitaka’s faith are tested as they navigate layers of deception. Teaching “Holiness can be mimicked, but true virtue reveals itself through action, not appearance.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷 — Solid nonsense: Pigsy is duped by the disguises and blunders accordingly. Commentary The episode’s triple-threat of deception — catfish, saint, and shape-changer — creates a delightful puzzle. It’s a masterclass in the series’ recurring theme: never trust what you see, only what you discern.

Synopsis A demon who tunnels underground traps the pilgrims in a network of caves. Monkey must navigate the labyrinth while Pigsy’s appetite leads him astray. The Demon Digger’s cunning tests the crew’s unity and resourcefulness. Teaching “When trapped beneath the surface, the way out is through cooperation, not force.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷🐷 — Major disruption: Pigsy wanders off searching for food and nearly gets everyone lost. Commentary The claustrophobic setting amplifies tension, but Monkey’s ingenuity prevails. The episode highlights the importance of teamwork — a rare moment where even Pigsy’s chaos serves a purpose, albeit accidentally.

Synopsis The pilgrims encounter a demon of terrifying appearance whose monstrous form masks a more complex truth. Monkey must look beyond the surface to distinguish true evil from false impressions. Teaching “The most fearsome face may hide the gentlest heart. Judge not by appearance, but by deed.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷 — Pigsy’s fear leads to comic overreaction, but his cowardice is mostly background noise. Commentary This episode plays with the series’ recurring theme of illusion versus reality, reminding viewers that monstrosity isn’t always what it appears to be — a lesson Pigsy learns the hard way.

Synopsis A demon wielding grey gloves possesses the power to manipulate truth itself, turning allies against each other. The pilgrims must navigate a web of lies where even their own perceptions cannot be trusted. Teaching “Truth is not what we see, but what remains when illusion is stripped away.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷 — Pigsy falls for the demon’s deceptions, creating confusion but no major disasters. Commentary The Grey Gloves Devil epitomises the series’ fascination with deception. Truth becomes a battleground, and Monkey’s sharp wit proves more valuable than his staff.

Synopsis A plague of demonic locusts descends upon a village, devouring everything in sight. The pilgrims must discover the source of the swarm and stop it before the land is reduced to barren waste. Teaching “Greed devours all it touches. Restraint is the only harvest that endures.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷🐷 — Pigsy’s gluttony mirrors the locusts’ consumption, creating comic parallels and near-disasters. Commentary The locust plague serves as a metaphor for unchecked appetite — a theme perfectly embodied by Pigsy himself. Nature’s fury meets demonic mischief in classic Monkey style.

Synopsis The pilgrims encounter a vampire demon who drains not blood, but life force itself. Tripitaka becomes the target, and Monkey must confront an enemy who cannot be defeated by strength alone. Teaching “Life cannot be hoarded or stolen. It flows freely to those who give, not those who take.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷🐷 — Pigsy’s terror of vampires leads to chaotic attempts at self-preservation. Commentary A rare foray into gothic horror, this episode blends Eastern mythology with Western vampire lore. The result is camp, creepy, and quintessentially Monkey.

Synopsis A series of seemingly random coincidences entangle the pilgrims in a demon’s elaborate scheme. What appears as chance is revealed to be careful manipulation, testing the crew’s ability to see patterns in chaos. Teaching “Coincidence is often the mask worn by design. The wise see the hand that moves unseen.” Pigsy Nonsense Rating 🐷🐷🐷 — Pigsy stumbles through the coincidences, inadvertently helping and hindering in equal measure. Commentary This episode delights in layered plotting, where every accident conceals intention. It’s a puzzle box wrapped in slapstick, proving that chaos and craft can coexist.