LEGO’s newest property, Monkie Kid, is based on the classic Chinese story, Journey to the West. It follows the adventures of a young boy named MK and his journey as the Monkey King’s successor, Monkie Kid. He is tasked with protecting the city from demons who wish to cause chaos, most notably, the Demon Bull King and his family.

This show was initially released in China back in 2020, but a western release date was nowhere in sight. However, a small yet passionate fandom was still able to grow. Finally, this fantastic show has made its way to the States. As a fan of the show, I would like to express my thoughts on the first season of Monkie Kid. It will be less of a summary and more about what details stuck out to me in each episode. Also, the whole season will be in one post since there are only 10 11-minute episodes plus a 44-minute special to kickstart the season.

SPOILERS!!!

Special: A Hero is Born

MK, a noodle delivery boy, stumbles upon the Monkey King’s staff, and with the help of his friends, confronts the Demon Bull Family who are trying to take over the world.

In terms of a stand-alone story and a pilot for an ongoing series, this is a delightful watch. The #1 thing that impressed me was the animation done by Flying Bark Productions. It’s an incredibly dynamic 2D art style that helps it stand out from other LEGO shows like Ninjago. It’s pure eye candy from the second the special starts, especially with the fight scenes and backgrounds.

The main characters consist of a five-man band, all with distinct and fun personalities. I love how relationships between characters are quickly established. MK and Mei’s friendship. Tang and MK are Monkey King fanboys. Pigsy is a grumpy boss that genuinely cares for MK’s wellbeing. And Sandy is the quirky uncle of the group.

The villains are hilariously dramatic and rambunctious. The way Red Son and Princess Iron Fan try to one-up each other for DBK’s approval provides an interesting family dynamic. And Red Son’s interactions with MK in general. I know OG fans love every time Red Son says “peasant” and “noodle boy”.

And can’t forget about the Monkey King himself, Sun Wukong, an adorable troll. I’m certain he was the one who ordered the noodles to force MK to come into contact with the staff and start his journey. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of screen time. Neither in this special nor the rest of the season. It’s a shame because I really enjoy his character and interactions with MK.

Now the actual plot of the special. The first half is solid in its setup and pacing. But the second half progresses a mile a minute and slightly feels like a rush to a conclusion. That’s not to say that the second half is poor and incoherent, just that it could benefit from a little more room to breathe. One such moment is when the Gang thought MK was dead and was resolved to fight DBK in his stead. But they don’t actually accomplish anything. They’re moreso there to give MK moral support rather than combat support. Granted, the only one who probably could help is Mei, whose powers are hinted at but never fully shown. And Sandy’s a pacifist now. I guess it’s par for the course since Wukong did most of the heavy lifting in JTTW. But I hoped to see them contribute more, especially after their declaration.

Episode 1: Bad Weather

MK struggles to save the city when Red Son takes over the weather station.

This episode effectively sets up MK’s arc for the rest of the series. It establishes MK’s lack of self-confidence and his journey towards mastering his mystic monkey powers. Once again, we see the various relationships each member of the Gang has with MK. Mei is his hype-man and encourages MK’s new superhero career. And you have Pigsy, who is worried for MK’s safety and wants him to be more responsible. Wukong also makes a brief appearance in this episode, where he affirms that he is retired and isn’t planning on intervening. I always found it interesting how Wukong so nonchalantly thrusts this dangerous responsibility onto MK. A decision that will be further explored in later seasons.

But other than those elements, this episode is probably my least favorite of the season. The humor wasn’t exactly landing for me, and they incessantly hammer home that MK is invincible. You also have Red Son taking over a weather station to help his father, DBK, take over the world. How controlling the weather helps DBK, I don’t know. Not a bad episode, but definitely the weakest of the bunch.

Episode 2: Duplicatnation

Stressed from wanting to spend time with all his friends, MK makes clones of himself so that he can be in multiple places at multiple times.

“Porty people make some noise!” Haha, this episode was fun to watch. Definitely an improvement in terms of humor from Bad Weather. MK’s clone personalities were so over the top, especially Porty MK. MK unlocking different mystic monkey powers and using them in his own way helps him establish his own identity as a hero. Unfortunately, MK doesn’t unlock any other abilities this season, leaving him with clones, golden eyes of truth, and materialization to work with. This is the only episode where MK learns a new power, and even then, the clones don’t make a return until the finale. Though I can understand not wanting to make MK too powerful too quickly.

Episode 3: Coming Home

Mei struggles as the outlier in her prestigious dragon family.

This episode…oh boy. Mei’s arc is introduced and resolved within 11 minutes and the insecurities presented are never addressed again. Mei feels like an outsider in her own family due to her tomboyish, adventurous nature not meshing well with her prestigious and dignified dragon family. There isn’t really a catalyst to prompt Mei into believing in herself more. She grabs the dragon blade and then says that she is a part of this family. Nothing really changes in her life that justifies this character growth. Honestly, I bet this episode exists just to give Mei the dragon blade so she can participate in fight scenes. I like Mei and her personality, but it’s a shame that an episode focused on her was a miss.

Episode 4: Noodles or Death

MK, Mei, and Sandy have to rescue Tang and Pigsy from the Spider Queen.

We get introduced to one of my favorite characters, the Spider Queen. It’s cool to see other formidable demons battle the Gang outside the season’s main villains. Though her more memorable moments occur in season 2, Spider Queen’s personality shines through in this episode. And I love how she’s riding a spider mech instead of actually looking like a spider. It’s a unique design choice which is a strength of the show in general.

Now onto the Monkie Gang. This is the first episode where they somewhat work as a team. So far, it’s been MK battling the demons solo or Mei’s solo moment in Coming Home, but here we see Sandy contribute a bit. MK is the leader, Mei is the backup muscle, and Sandy presents as an engineer of sorts since he has a lot of vehicles. Pigsy and Tang don’t really contribute since they’re the ones who got captured. The dramatic narration and atmosphere of a rescue mission were humorous additions.

Episode 5: Calabash

MK gets trapped in an alternate reality where everything is seemingly “perfect”.

I love alternate reality stories. And though fast-paced, this episode is one of my favorites of the season. Again we are introduced to other villains, the Gold and Silver Demons, who exhibit a Team Rocket type of energy. Comedic but not a serious threat. So not only do we now have several demons but various levels of threats as well. I believe the brothers have cockney accents, and I chuckled when the AU characters, when not playing their roles, also switched to a cockney accent.

One of the best parts of the episode? The writers sinking any potential romance between MK and Mei. I hope romance never becomes a part of this show. Unless, of course, the couple is already married like DBK and Princess Iron Fan. The show only has 10 episodes, 11 minutes each. There’s not enough time to squeeze in a romantic subplot. And I’d rather focus on other aspects of the narrative.

Episode 6: The Great Wall Race

MK, Mei, and the Demon Bull Family all compete in the Great Wall Race to win a peach of immortality.

An incredibly humorous Mario Kart-esque episode. We have the return of Jin and Yin as colorful commentators for the race. There’s also Red Son, determined to win the peach and utilize the fruit’s supposed magical properties. And the best part, DBK and Princess Iron Fan enter the race just so they can humiliate and crush their son’s ambitions. What a wonderful family. The weakest part of the episode is definitely the MK and Mei conflict. I didn’t find it engaging at all. Though I liked that they finished the race together since they’re a dynamic duo, and I love their friendship. We also get another showing of MK’s materialization powers where he can create LEGO sets. What a creative way to implement the toys into the show.

The hints to Journey to the West lore are very much appreciated. I love pointing at the screen and recognizing when they’re referencing the book. Or get the joke about how Monkey King is immortal several times over. The whispering bone chest is seen again for a few seconds. It really doesn’t get much screentime for such an important plot point. It is easy to forget the chest since it’s so in the background.

Episode 7: Impossible Delivery

Monkey King challenges MK to improve his focus.

Finally, a training episode. I love episodes in shows where the characters actively work on improving their powers and skills. It’s nice that though he is retired, Wukong is still training MK. And it’s nice to see Wukong in general, who’s just an adorable character. Though MK doesn’t learn any new mystic monkey powers, he does learn to improve his focus. I believe this fits with his character since MK is shown to be a very hyperactive person. Even moreso when paired with Mei. It’s also a very relatable lesson. I’m sure we’ve all had times when we had to complete a crucial task but got distracted by things that look more enticing. I’m glad that at the end of the episode, though MK did manage to improve his focus, he didn’t complete the task perfectly, showing that there is still room for improvement.

Episode 8: Skeleton Key

As a reward for protecting the city, MK is given a key that can unlock anything.

Now an episode that is actually dedicated to this mysterious bone chest. DBK is losing his mind over this to the point where he’s even yelling at Princess Iron Fan. A good preview of his mental state in the finale. We have the debut of the creepy, robotic Mystic Mayor, who just so happens to have a key to this evil bone chest. I’m glad they didn’t try to hide that this Mayor is obviously shady and corrupt. Then, what does MK do with the skeleton key that can unlock anything? Immediately abuses its power to have endless fun and mess with Pigsy. Not a knock on his actions by the way. This is totally in character. When MK put the key to his brain and had that ethereal experience, was anyone else reminded of the Avatar State?

Red Son tries to steal the key on his own to no avail, thanks to the combined efforts of MK and Mei. Love those two tag-teaming. Though I think it is important to point out that MK might have sent an innocent couple tumbling to their doom. Oops. It was cool to see Princess Iron Fan fight, even for a few seconds. But I’m glad they showed the difference in power between her and her son. The whispering bones are shown to have a mind of their own, saying “freedom” and possessing the bull clones. So that’s not good.

Episode 9: Macaque

Frustrated with Monkey King’s teaching methods, MK seeks guidance from the mysterious Six-Eared Macaque.

Easily the best episode of the season. I’m still surprised that the show made me fall in love with a new character in just 11 minutes. Macaque is like an edgy version of Sun Wukong and is exceptionally charismatic. When you watch the episode, you understand why fans lost their minds over this character. And the DBZ-style fight between Macaque and Wukong! I know fans have watched just those scenes on loop. I’m thoroughly enamored with his character and am looking forward to any future scenes with him.

Now, let me go over the training lesson in this episode. Macaque enters the show and throws a wrench into MK and Wukong’s relationship. Wukong obviously watched too many Karate Kid movies and made MK build up his strength by doing mundane chores. Wukong tries to teach patience and focus. On the other hand, Macaque’s training involves constant combat and using the full force of one’s power with every strike. And to MK, Macaque’s training is more enticing to him.

I don’t think Macaque’s training regiment is wrong per se, but perhaps wrong for MK at this moment. Macaque is a mighty ancient demon monkey who could be thrown through mountains and left without a scratch. So him using the full force of his power is no big deal to him. But MK is human, green, and also impulsive. His powers are new to him, and he still has lots to learn. So it’s more helpful for MK to establish a firm foundation and understanding of his strength and powers before becoming an unrelenting juggernaut of destruction.

And yes, the Six-Eared Macaque isn’t shown with six ears. My theory is that he uses glamour to conceal his true form, just like he is shown to have a scar for a brief moment, but it disappears afterward. And though his scar isn’t always visible, his Smoke Monster exhibits that trait. Hopefully, we’ll eventually see Macaque in all his six-eared glory.

Episode 10: The End is Here!

MK confronts a crazed DBK, who is supercharged by the mystical, whispering bones.

On initial viewing, I didn’t have many expectations for the finale since the setup for the bone chest was a few seconds in a few episodes. So I probably felt less disappointed than most fans. And given that this season was presented in a slice-of-life format, I wasn’t expecting anything crazy. However, I will say that this finale left a lot to be desired.

Mk’s team…how do I say this nicely. They don’t do much. Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy are primarily supporting characters, and that’s fine. An excellent line in the episode highlights this: “It’s your job to go fight the bad guys, but we’re your team…it’s our job to get you there, no matter what.” MK’s friends are there to support him on his journey to being a hero. But they really weren’t needed this time around. MK and Mei could reach the pit on their own. It takes me out of it when the others talk of participating but then contribute so little. Speaking of our dynamic duo, MK and Mei are so in sync, and their friendship once again shines through this episode. And we even got the return of Monkie Mech, which just looks so regal and fantastic.

But then we reached the DB family, and this fight went by quick. This is supposed to be the final battle against the season’s big bad. But the fight is over soon after it begins. Princess Iron Fan and Red Son immediately team up with MK, and multiple MKs swiftly kick DBK’s butt. And then the DB family peace out. I wish we got to see MK fight a little more. This half of the episode could have really used some breathing room. Something that probably could have been accomplished with more time, but overall it was a pretty lackluster finale.

Oh, and the evil demon bones possessed some poor girl. It was a little dark, not gonna lie. That little stinger gave me hope that the show might get more serious in tone.

Overall

I’m not much of a fan of slice-of-life content these days, but I did enjoy this season. Though, there is room for improvement. MK and Mei are sufficiently characterized and are given multiple scenes to shine. The other three characters, however, are more in the background. Given that these five characters are supposed to be a team, it would be nice to see the others have more notable moments. And I’m not talking combat. Tang is a Monkey King enthusiast and a foodie. Pigsy is a noodle shop owner. Sandy is zen, a former fighter, and builds vehicles. I’d like to see those characterizations fleshed out more. And when it comes to combat, if they’re not going to do much, keep their butts at home. Or have them give MK a pep talk, then send him and Mei on their way to clean up the demon swarm.

The variety of demons was great. Spider Queen, the Gold and Silver brothers, Macaque, and the Demon Bull family were colorful characters that brought something different to the table despite all being naughty demons. Poor Red Son never gets a win though, which is highlighted in the finale. He has disappointed his father and has to have his mom help him with his evil schemes. Not a very successful villain, poor thing.

Wished there were more MK training episodes or more powers he learned. When watching a superhero story, I love witnessing a character’s progression in strength and ability. But I don’t think that progress is easily seen this season. I felt that MK’s abilities were at a consistent level with no significant turns or leaps. Something I believe could be remedied with more training, powers, and fights.

Though I enjoyed this season, I will say that it’s not one I come back to often. With most of these episodes, after I’ve seen them once or twice, I don’t really feel the need to watch them again. It’s probably due to their episodic nature. I know all the jokes and gags and am content. No need to really relive it again. Between seasons 1 and 2, probably what most excited me were the demon bones and the idea of an underlying villain. I definitely saw the show’s potential and would prefer if it took a more narrative-driven route. The show has all the necessary ingredients for a great story and just needs to capitalize on it.