Lego Monkie Kid — BrandWiki

country	Australia (seasons 1–4) Canada (season 5) China Denmark United States

language	English Mandarin

num seasons	5

num episodes	50 (+ 4 specials)

executive producer	Robert Fewkes Alexia Gates-Foale Keith Malone Thomas Sørensen (2022–2024) Villads Spangsberg (2020–2022) Barbara Stephen Phabey Wang (2020) Jill Wilfert Asa Tait (2021–2024)

producer	Vicky Kjaer Jensen Simon Lucas Debbie Steer Xiaodong Wen

runtime	11 minutes

company	Flying Bark Productions (seasons 1–4) WildBrain Studios (season 5) ‡R77R‡ The Lego Group

network	Tencent Video (China) Youku (China) iQIYI (China) 9Go! (Australia) Cartoon Network (Australia) Kabillion (U.S.) ‡R78R‡ HappyKids (U.S.) Peacock (U.S.)‡R79R‡

first aired	May 30, 2020

last aired	present

Lego Monkie Kid is a Lego theme inspired by the Monkey King and Journey to the West.[1] It is licensed from The Lego Group.[2][3] The theme was first introduced in May 2020. The toy line is also accompanied by an animated television series that premiered in China that same month.[4]

Overview

Lego Monkie Kid is inspired by the Monkey King and Journey to the West, which focuses on Monkie Kid and his friends, battling against a variety of demons who are trying to take over Megapolis.[5][6]

Development

Lego Monkie Kid is The Lego Group's first product line based on Chinese culture. Although The Lego Group had previously released Lego Chinese New Year sets, it was the first time that the company had released an entire product line based on a Chinese theme. Following research in China, The Lego Group discovered that the classic Chinese story of the Monkey King and Journey to the West is widely known within Chinese culture. As a result, the story was chosen as the main inspiration for Lego Monkie Kid. Simon Lucas, senior creative director commented, "It feels like it was in the DNA of everybody there. So we thought it was a great starting point to tell a new story that's rooted in Chinese culture". The Lego theme was developed over the course of two years and interpreted the story in a different way to the original. Lucas explained, "The people we spoke to have grown up with these stories, and we wanted to find out what's important to them, and how to interpret that in a new way...So, being 100% accurate to the original was not necessary, really, because we were picking up the key ingredients". The product line does, however, include recognizable characters from Journey to the West.[7]

The designers behind Lego Monkie Kid revealed that researching Chinese stories and testing with children were important in the development of the theme. Lego Senior Design Manager Dennis Fong explained, "We felt that we hit something really big when we had this concept of the Monkey King ... Seeing all the energy from the kids, the parents, how they could instantly recognize it because we had a lot of key iconic elements in there. And, you know, we didn't need to tell a new story. We had the old story as a foundation for us to build upon."[8][9]

Launch

The Lego Monkie Kid theme was launched on 16 May 2020. As part of the marketing campaign, The Lego Group released the eight sets inspired by Monkey King and Journey to the West.[11][2] Each set featured different giant mecha, buildings and vehicles. Minifigures including Monkie Kid, Mei, Monkey King, Mo the cat, Sandy, Mr. Tang and Pigsy were released as well.[12][13] The sets were designed primarily for children 6+.

Characters

Monkie Kids

Monkie Kid ("MK"):[14][15][16] The main protagonist of the series. A young noodle delivery boy chosen by Monkey King as his new successor to battle against the forces of evil, he wields Monkey King's golden staff and given almost all of his powers.
Mei :[14][17] The descendant of the legendary White Horse Dragon and MK's best friend, she is gifted with a dragon aura

Toy line

Construction sets

According to BrickLink, The Lego Group has released 47 playsets and promotional packs based on the Lego Monkie Kid theme.[27]

A Hero is Born sets

In 2020, eight sets were released on 16 May 2020 and were based on the TV special titled A Hero is Born. A total of eight sets including the Monkey King Warrior Mech, Demon Bull King and Monkie Kid's Team Secret HQ were released.[28] Senior Design Director of Lego Simon Lucas, discussed the Demon Bull King set, and explained "The Demon Bull is such an iconic demon and kept coming up in our conversation. So we wanted to include him as the main demon in this season," adding that "... we wanted to reinvent him in a brand new way, because LEGO is the perfect way to do that. So now we heard from the kids, 'That's definitely the Bull Demon, but I've never seen him like that before. He's now half cyborg and half bull, and that's really cool."[8]

Television series

Lego Monkie Kid is an animated sitcom inspired by the Monkey King and Journey to the West and produced by Flying Bark Productions from seasons 1–4 and WildBrain Studios from season 5[77] to coincide with the release of the theme's Lego sets. The series premiered on TV3 in Malaysia on 13 September 2020, debuted on Channel 9 in Australia on 13 March 2021, on CITV on 9 May 2022 and Boomerang on 4 February 2023 in the United Kingdom.[80][81][82][83]

Other media

Theme park attractions

In November 2021, a Lego Monkie Kid themed land was announced for the upcoming launch of Legoland Shanghai Resort in 2024.[92][93]

Publications

A quarterly Lego Monkie Kid limited edition magazine published by CoroCoro was launched from 2021 to accompany the toy line only available in Japan.[94]

Video game

Lego Brawls

Reception

Stephanie Morgan for Common Sense Media gave the animated series a three out of five star rating and commented, "This animated Lego series is fast-moving, suspenseful, and frenetic, all things that will draw young, hero-loving viewers to it. The Lego Monkie Kid episodes are short, usually around 10 minutes, but each manages a satisfying story arc and a few laughs. Unfortunately, some of those laughs come from mild violence, name-calling, or yelling. Underlying lessons are also delivered as mixed messages. For example, MK breaks something and says "part of being a hero is owning up to your mistakes," but later fails to admit what he's done. Overall, there's not a lot of bang for your parental buck here, but your child will likely be enthralled with the high-quality animation and likable cast of characters."[102]

Awards and nominations

In October 2021, Lego Monkie Kid was nominated for "Animated Series Production of the Year" by the 20th Screen Producers Australia Awards.[103][104] It was also nominated for the Animation Ages 11–17 category in the 2022 Banff Rockie Awards.[105]

In December 2022, Lego Monkie Kid director Sarah Harper was awarded for "Best Direction in Animation" by the 2022 Australian Directors’ Guild Awards.[106]

External links

References

Lego Group. LEGO Monkie Kid™ - a new hero is born, a new story is waiting to unfold Lego.com, Lego, 15 May 2020, retrieved 15 May 2020^
LEGO Monkie Kid "demonstrates our commitment to building a strong future in China," says LEGO Mojo Nation, 2020-05-18, retrieved 2021-04-15^
Behind The Brick: The LEGO Monkie Kid Creative Team

Demons

Demon Bull King ("DBK"):[14][24][8] Princess Iron Fan's husband and Red Son's father, he is the leader of the Demon Bull Family and the main antagonist of season 1. Demon Bull King was defeated by Monkey King centuries ago and trapped inside a mountain for 500 years until he was freed by his family and plans to takeover Megapolis, his weapon is a battle axe, while also cannons and a flamethrower when transformed into a giant, he is made into a brick-built figure in "The Flaming Foundry" set.

Princess Iron Fan:[14][25] Demon Bull King's celestial wife and Red Son's mother. She was once a member of the royal Celestial Court, but later defected after falling in love with Demon Bull King and giving birth to Red Son, thus forming the Demon Bull Family who want to conquer Megapolis, the Celestial Realm and then the world. She is portrayed as cold-hearted and cruel who would do anything to please her husband, but despite that is also shown to actually care about her family. She wields a giant magic fan that can summon whirlwinds while also the power of aerokinesis.

Red Son:[14][26] Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan's half-demon, half-celestial son. He is an egotistical mad scientist who builds diabolical weapons and has a literal hot temper when humiliated in front of his father, whom he seeks his affection. He would occasionally join MK's team briefly to help them stop much bigger threats. It turns out he is responsible for the creation of the three Samadhi Rings due to his power being unstable when he was born. He has Pyrokinesis to conjure fire and uses a gauntlet as a weapon for both combat and to wield Monkey King's staff.

Bull Clones: An army of bull robots created by Red Son to serve the Demon Bull Family who are led by General Ironclad, there are also five Bull Clones that are named, Bob, Snort, Grunt, Roar, and Growl in the toy line.

Gold and Silver Demons: Twin demon brothers Jin and Yin are a duo of troublemakers who like to create mischief. One time MK got sucked inside an enchanted Calabash by the twins which they make him believe he has a perfect life, but their influence goes awry which made the hero escape.

The Demon Accountant: A female demon who works for Jin and Yin as their accountant when they had owned Speedy Panda.

Spider Queen: She is the leader of the Spider Demons and the main antagonist of season 2. She was once a powerful queen a long time ago but not before her empire was buried underground, she then rises to the surface with the help of Syntax and a little girl (possessed by Lady Bone Demon) to conquer Megapolis by spreading her venom to mind control every citizen. She is carried by a robotic spider that acts as her chariot which makes her appear to have spider legs and an abdomen. At the end of season 2, she is betrayed by Lady Bone Demon, revealing that she was the final ingredient to her plan, and is dragged into the Trigram Furnace, killing her. Her ghost is later used by the Bone Mech in season 3 against Pigsy, Sandy and Tang before it was eventually destroyed. She also appears in season 4 as one of the forms the Ink Demons take to taunt Monkey King of his past.

Syntax: A human scientist that was turned by the Spider Queen's venom to help her conquer Megapolis, he wears goggles and has retractable robotic spider legs on his back he uses for mobility. He is the first of the spider demons to be killed by the Mayor near the end of season 2, with his ghost being used by the Bone Mech in season 3 against Pigsy, Sandy and Tang before it was eventually destroyed.

Spider-Bots: Robots created by Syntax to aid in the Spider Queen's takeover of Megapolis by injecting civilians with her venom to mind control them.

Huntsman: A skilled hunter who serves the Spider Queen that is ordered to track down MK and his team, he has mechanical legs that can transform from regular legs to spider limbs. He also ends up growing a fascination with Sandy, who he becomes obsessed with fighting. He and Strong Spider are killed by the Mayor near the end of season 2, with his ghost being used by the Bone Mech in season 3 against Pigsy, Sandy and Tang before it was eventually destroyed.

Strong Spider: A brute who acts as the brawns of the Spider Queen's army, he has a muscular build with robotic spider limbs for legs, he also doesn't appear in the toy line. He and Huntsman are killed by the Mayor near the end of season 2, with his ghost being used by the Bone Mech in season 3 against Pigsy, Sandy and Tang before it was eventually destroyed.

Spindrax: A female biker who works for the Spider Queen, she doesn't appear in the series but was only released in the "Monkie Kid's Cloud Bike" set.

Lady Bone Demon: A ghostly spiritual demon that was sealed within a tomb by Monkey King and the main antagonist of season 3, she believes that the mortal realm has suffered far too long and that the only way to save itself is to reshape the realms in her image as a way to end all flaws. After being freed by the Demon Bull King she took over his body and tried to destroy MK, only for the hero to defeat her and free Demon Bull King of her possession, Unbeknownst to them she roams the city and possessed a little girl. She then helped the Spider Queen rule over Megapolis but only to betray the monarch by placing her and other 4 ingredients in the Trigram Furnace to create her Bone Mech, MK tried to defeat her again but every blow just made her stronger which drained him of his powers and claim Monkey King's staff.

Bone Spirits: Ghostly warriors who serve Lady Bone Demon, they don't appear in the series but were only released in "The Bone Demon" set.

Macaque (also known as the "Six-Eared Macaque"): Monkey King's doppelgänger who shares his powers and the secondary antagonist of season 3. He and Monkey King were once allies centuries ago, but as he grew more powerful, Macaque was left behind and grew jealous to his opposite which makes him desire to steal his staff, his power and his title. After being killed by his former friend during the Journey to the West, he was resurrected by Lady Bone Demon who offers him to join her cause to destroy Monkey King, however he eventually redeems himself and help MK to defeat her, thus becoming an ally to his team. He has a scarred blind eye on the right side of his face, which he hides with magic to appear normal. He can generate a staff similar to Monkey King's except it has mace spikes at the end of each tip. Unlike his rival he possesses dark magic such as power absorption, phase through terrain, teleporting through shadows, creating copies of himself called Shadow Monkeys, and summon a gigantic smoke monster.

The Mayor: The supposed "mayor" of Megapolis who turns out to be a former chief of war who assisted Lady Bone Demon in betraying and executing his emperor before her entrapment. It is implied that a lot of Lady Bone Demon's power has been channeled into him, possibly being the reason for his inhuman qualities such as his white eyes and his weird movements. He is betrayed and drained of his power by Lady Bone Demon and captured by a newly reformed Macaque in season 3, who forces him to tell the heroes about Lady Bone Demon's plan. He is presumably left in their custody. He appears via the Memory Scroll in season 4, showing a glimpse into Lady Bone Demon and his past serving under their emperor.

Scorpion Queen: A scorpion demoness that can cast illusions to appear like an attractive woman, she once kidnapped Tang in an attempt to have a friend, but later persuaded to form one with Tudi. Her true form is that of a woman with both scorpion claws, legs and a stinger for a tail.

Goldfish Demon: A small fish demon whose only source of mobility is a glass bubble with two robotic arms, he challenges MK and his team to a game where he has to give them a new engine for the T.E.A., the team kept losing their valuable items with every loss but found out he's been cheating all along thanks to MK regaining his Golden Eyes of Truth, thus winning the game, regaining their belongings and won the new engine.

Azure Lion:[18] A blue lion who is the leader of The Brotherhood and is the main antagonist of season 4. His goal is to free his brothers from the Scroll of Memory and rid the world of the supposed suffering from the Jade Emperor and replace him as the new ruler, however his rule almost severely damages the other realms due to his self-righteous views. He uses a bronze saber as a weapon.

Ink Demons: Demons made of ink who serve The Brotherhood created from the Scroll of Memory. They have the ability to shape-shift into the forms of others, which they use to take the form of those from Monkey King's troubled past in order to taunt him.

Yellowtusk:[18] A large white elephant with yellow tusks who is a member of The Brotherhood that uses a mallet as a weapon. Being wiser than his brothers, he sees the error of the Brotherhood's ways and know that Azure Lion's goal was only for his selfish gain to the point where he helps MK's team and turn himself over to the Celestial Army. He is designed into a big-fig within the show but made into a minifigure in the toy line.

Peng (also known as the "Golden-Winged Peng"):[18] A bird with golden wings who is a member of The Brotherhood that uses a Ji spear as a weapon, they are shown to care about their brothers, but cares mostly about themselves and own safety. They and their brothers have the ability to create structures in any size and can materialize their wings for flight.

Kui Mulang (also known as the "Yellow Robed Demon"): A celestial member of the 28 Mansions who fell in love with one of the Jade Maidens, however the Celestial Realm did not accept their love to which they sacrificed their immortality in hopes of being reincarnated, but in the process lost the love of his life. Because of this he turns into a demon and consumes the souls of anyone who enters his domain to prolong his mortality. He has the ability to transform into a monstrous giant wolf.

The Nine-Headed Demon: A demon that shapeshifts into a flying nine-headed beast. He is the main antagonist in season 5. He is a secret villain whose main mission is to explore the chaos realm. Trapped in the mortal realm for eons, his long-term plan to get back in was to wake up MK and disguise as an Underworld King.

The 100-Eyed Demon: A centipede demon with multiple eyes who is a brief antagonist in season 5. His main power is manipulating the memories of others.

Allies and Celestial Beings

Tang Sanzang: The Buddhist monk and reincarnation of the Golden Cicada who completed the Journey to the West with the assistance of Monkey King and his other disciples.

Zhu Bajie: Pigsy's ancestor and one of the original Pilgrims of the Journey to the West, before joining with Tang Sanzang, he was once a demon that was much larger and obese, gathering humans as ingredients to his food and serve them to other demons to eat (including himself).

Sha Wujing: Sandy's ancestor and one of the original Pilgrims of the Journey to the West, before joining with Tang Sanzang, he was once a rageful demon with a muscular build and has a necklace of skulls that orbit around his neck, challenging anyone who dare trespass the Flowing Sand River to see who is the strongest warrior.

Ao Lie (also known as the "White Horse Dragon"): Mei's ancestor and one of the original Pilgrims of the Journey to the West, during a ritual of extracting the infant Red Son of the Samadhi Fire, a small fragment was transferred to him instead of one of the rings, resulting his descendant to inherit the unstable flames. He has the ability to change from his dragon, horse and human form.

Ne Zha: The young Third Lotus Prince and member of the Celestial Court who once fought off Monkey King, but now is an ally to his successor MK and his team. He wields a spear as a weapon and is carried by two flaming rings under his feet for mobility.

Chang'e: A celestial lunar deity who resides on the moon who enjoys livestreaming to her followers and does a cooking show that Pigsy loves to watch, she is assisted by Lunar Rabbit Robots to help her make mooncakes in her factory, she is also guarded by Bunny Mechs that protect the moon while she's away.

Ao Guang (also known as the "Dragon of the East"): The ruler of the Eastern Sea and great-uncle of Mei who was the original owner of the golden staff before Monkey King took it as a weapon.

The Attendant: The royal assistant and stylist to the Dragon of the East.

Master Subodhi: Monkey King's former martial arts mentor who taught him to how to become immortal through Taoism and give him powers such as summoning a cloud to fly, replicating himself through his fur and shapeshifting into 72 forms of transformation. When MK and his friends got sucked inside the Scroll of Memory, he meets with a memory of the wise master, however he is revealed to be all knowing as he has limited knowledge of the present despite being just a memory.

The Acolyte: A female disciple of Master Subodhi.

Jade Emperor: The ruler of the Celestial Realm who has the power to control all the realms, he previously defeated Monkey King after he tried to takeover the Celestial Realm and forced him to become Tang Sanzang's disciple. He was later challenged by Azure Lion to which the immortal ruler was killed, making the lion the new emperor. It is revealed that the Jade Emperor was instructed by Nüwa to protect the yellow Color Stone, which caused the entire universe to crumble due to Azure Lion's actions.

Erlang Shen: A half-celestial with a mystical third eye often accompanied by his dog. He is also the Jade Emperor's nephew. In the TV show, he, Ne Zha, and Princess Iron Fan were sent to fight off the Brotherhood. He is in "The Heavenly Realms" set.

Lao Tzu: A celestial alchemist who was the original owner of the Trigram Furnace, which he used to contain Monkey King for causing a ruckus in the Celestial Realm. He appears in "The Heavenly Realms" set.

Li Jing: The pagoda-bearing celestial and father of Ne Zha. He takes over the role of the Jade Emperor after Azure Lion failed at keeping his power.

Nüwa: The celestial goddess of creation who is responsible for overlooking the Great Cycle and is responsible for the birth of MK. She appears in her goddess form in the "Celestial Pagoda" set, and in human form (named Lady Yu) in the "Megapolis City" set working at a jade shop.

Tudi: A small tutelary mountain deity who resides underground, a robot named "2D-GONG" appears in the "Megapolis City" set.

Jade Maidens: Female servants who reside in the Celestial Realm to entertain the guests and garden the Peaches of Immortality.

The Court of the Underworld: The ten tribunal rulers of the Underworld and the creators of the Scroll of Memory to punish those who committed crimes. The Nine-Headed Demon disguised as one of the kings and used the Scroll to free Azure Lion, causing the death of the Jade Emperor and almost destroying the universe.

The Four Symbols: Four animal beings of the Chinese constellations who are the guardians of the five Color Stones (one of which previously belonged to the Jade Emperor).

Black Tortoise: A large black tortoise from the North who protects the blue Color Stone, she represents the element of water and the season of Winter.

Teal Dragon: A green dragon from the East who protects the green Color Stone, he represents the element of nature and the season of Spring.

Vermillion Bird: A red Phoenix-like bird from the South who protects the red Color Stone, she represents the element of fire and the season of Summer.

White Tiger: A armored white tiger from the West who protects the purple Color Stone, he represents the element of Earth and the season of Fall.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2020)

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born (2020)

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born is a 45-minute television special that premiered on RTM TV2 and TV3 in Malaysia on 13 June 2020,[86] debuted on Mediacorp in Singapore on 27 June 2020,[87][88][89][90] premiered on 9Go! in Australia on 13 March 2021,[91] and premiered internationally on Amazon Kids+ on September 9, 2021.[84] It also debuted on CITV in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2022.[81]

Episodes

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born (2020)

Episodes

Season 2 (2021)

Revenge of the Spider Queen (2021)

Revenge of the Spider Queen is a four-part television special that premiered on TV3 in Malaysia on 27 March 2021, premiered on 9Go! in Australia on 24 April 2021, and premiered internationally on Amazon Kids+ on October 1, 2021.[84] It also debuted on CITV in the United Kingdom on 17 May 2022.[81]

Episodes

Revenge of the Spider Queen (2021)

Episodes

Season 3 (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny is a four-part television special that premiered on CITV in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2022.[83]

Embrace Your Destiny (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny is a four-part television special that premiered on CITV in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2022.[83]

Season 4 (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath is a four-part television special that premiered in China on 1 June 2023, and on the HappyKids app on 19 June 2023.

The Emperor's Wrath (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath is a four-part television special that premiered in China on 1 June 2023, and on the HappyKids app on 19 June 2023.

alt name	Monkie Kid
genre	Action Adventure Animated sitcom Fantasy
creator	Simon Lucas
writer	Jeremy Adams (2020–2022) David Breen (2022–2024) Sarah Harper (2022–2023) Deirdre Devlin (2023–2024) Akira "Mark" Fujita (2023–2024)
director	Sarah Harper (2020–2022) Christian Barkel (2023) Eden Timm (2024) Ryan MacNeil (2024)
voices

Overview

Development

Launch

Characters

Monkie Kids

Toy line

Construction sets

A Hero is Born sets

Television series

Other media

Theme park attractions

Publications

Video game

Lego Brawls

Reception

Awards and nominations

See also

External links

References

Demons

Allies and Celestial Beings

Others

Season 1 sets

Season 2 sets

Season 3 sets

Season 4 sets

Fifth anniversary sets

Season 5 sets

A Hero is Born sets

Season 1 sets

Season 2 sets

Season 3 sets

Season 4 sets

Fifth anniversary sets

Season 5 sets

Lego BrickHeadz sets

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2020)

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born (2020)

Episodes

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born (2020)

Episodes

Season 2 (2021)

Revenge of the Spider Queen (2021)

Episodes

Revenge of the Spider Queen (2021)

Episodes

Season 3 (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny (2022)

Season 4 (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath (2023)

Season 5 (2024)

Series overview

Season 1 (2020)

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born (2020)

Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born (2020)

Episodes

Season 2 (2021)

Revenge of the Spider Queen (2021)

Episodes

Revenge of the Spider Queen (2021)

Episodes

Season 3 (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny (2022)

Embrace Your Destiny (2022)

Season 4 (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath (2023)

The Emperor's Wrath (2023)

Season 5 (2024)

Lego Brawls

Reality television

Episodes