Here is the full synopsis of all Monkey episodes which were translated into English. The synopsis written on this page were gathered from the Monkey video collection, and were not written by me.

Series 1

Episode 1 - Monkey Goes Wild about Heaven
Mischievous King Monkey is summoned to Heaven, where he steals the heavenly peaches, and eats them to gain immortality. He fights two of the Emperor's officials, and all three of them are expelled to Earth. Monkey gets imprisoned under a mountain of rocks, while the other two are transformed into a pig monster (Pigsy) and a water monster (Sandy). Buddha says that a holy man must be sent to fetch holy scriptures from India, to save the world.

Episode 2 - Monkey Turns Nursemaid
Buddha sends a messenger, the Boddhisattva Kuan-yin the Compassionate, to find a holy man to make the journey from China to India to fetch the large vehicle scriptures. She chooses the boy priest Hsüan Tsang, and bestows upon him the name Tripitaka. Joined by the irrepressible Monkey - with his magic wishing staff and magic powers - and a talking horse, this could be a journey to remember...

Episode 3 - The Great Journey Begins
Tripitaka and the ever-impatient Monkey begin their perilous journey. Arriving at a village terrorised by a greedy and lustful monster, Monkey thus faces the wrath of Pigsy and his deadly muckrake. To cross the Mighty River of Flowing Sands, they must first pass the cannibalistic water monster Sandy. A sandstorm, an army of tiger ghosts - will Tripitaka end up as cat food, or will Monkey save the day?

Episode - 4 Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy, Tripitaka and the horse enter a land ruled by the demonic Golden Horn and his wife, Silver Horn. Bewitched by a beautiful lady, Pigsy discovers that all is not what it seems. An old woman proves too much to handle even for Monkey. Tripitaka and Sandy find themselves a bit tied up when left to their own devices. When a mysterious Taoist magician causes Golden Horn to lose his bottle, things start to look up.

Episode - 5 The Power of Youth
In his mountain kingdom, the immature King of Youth dictates that everything old is useless. When the pilgrims approach, he decides to kidnap Tripitaka to gain the attention of Heaven and Earth, in an attempt to stop living in the shadow of his father, the King of Ox. When Monkey's powers prove no match for the King's fiery temper, and Pigsy and Sandy are otherwise engaged, who will save Tripitaka?

Episode - 6 Even Monsters Can be People
When Monkey kills a girl and her elderly parents, Tripitaka is left with no choice but to punish him and send him back home to his mountain of fruit and flowers. No one believed Monkey's story that the people he killed were red, blue and yellow demons disguised as humans. When the pilgrims later discover that Monkey was telling the truth, Tripitaka finds himself in grave danger, and wishes he'd never denied the demons' existence.

Episode - 7 The Beginning of Wisdom
Desperate for water due to the intense heat, the pilgrims find that the nearest village is completely dried up. The local water monster, who has a taste for the souls of boys, had cursed the village with a drought, because the villagers had no boys left to sacrifice to him. With Monkey's cloud out of action, brave Pigsy volunteers to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Episode - 8 Pigsy Woos a Widow
When Monkey saves a pretty widow from the Demon Spirit of Great Snakes, amorous Pigsy falls snout over trotters in love with her, but she only has eyes for the celibate boy priest Tripitaka. The pilgrims move on, but Pigsy stays behind and tries to win the widow's heart; but time and time again, his true pig nature is revealed. When Monkey goes to fetch Pigsy, Tripitaka and eel-phobic Sandy end up in big trouble.

Episode - 9 What Monkey Calls the Dog-Woman
When the magistrate Lord Li's stepdaughter is kidnapped by bandits, Monkey reluctantly takes on the job of catching them. He soon learns that the bandits are not what they seem, but their bark is far worse than their bite. Meanwhile, Tripitaka, Pigsy and Sandy spend the night at an inn that's owned by a wicked dog-woman. She has a big surprise in store for Tripitaka.

Episode - 10 Pigsy's in the Well
Tripitaka is visited in a dream by the restless spirit of the deceased king of the land of Cockcrow. He tells Tripitaka he was murdered by a Taoist magician and thrown into a well; for the past three years this magician has been impersonating him. With the help of the king's son, Tripitaka and his disciples set out to prove that the current king is a fake.

Episode - 11 The Difference Between Night and Day
An invisible wall separates the land of night from the land of day. The blood-sucking Queen of Night terrorises the inhabitants of her land, while everyone in the land of day is forced into slavery by their merciless king. Tripitaka finds the task of reuniting night and day very difficult, especially when Monkey becomes hopelessly besotted with a pretty girl and Pigsy falls for a lady of the night.

Episode - 12 Pearls Before Swine
The once-prosperous land of Codslow is ruled by three animal-strength immortals, and its enslaved people are dying of hunger. The immortals depend on pearls, paper and wine for their magical powers. The pilgrims offer to help a young girl and her family restore their land to its former glory. When lovesick Pigsy almost becomes roast pork, Monkey hatches a plan to end the immortals' reign of terror.

Episode - 13 The Minx and the Slug
A village headman and his wife grieve for their beautiful daughter Hai-Min who disappeared a year ago. Lecherous Pigsy offers to go and look for her. He finds a slug monster who says he is Hai-Min's reluctant husband, and tells Pigsy he can have her. Pigsy disguises himself as the slug monster and goes to live with selfish Hai-Min. How long will it be before she discovers he's not her slimy husband?

Episode - 14 Catfish, Saint and the Shape-Changer
The pilgrims enter a volcanic land that is plagued by earthquakes caused by the frequent quarrelling of two local demons; a catfish demon and a faceless shape-changer demon, who can take on the shape of anyone. The holy priest San-Chung tells Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka that one of them is the shape-changer. Unable to cope with this revelation, they go their separate ways.

Episode - 15 Monkey Meets the Demon Digger
While climbing a mountain, the pilgrims discover a man who's been digging a tunnel through the mountain for the past twenty-two years, to provide an easier route for travellers. Ever-helpful Tripitaka tells his reluctant disciples that they must all stay and help dig the tunnel until it's finished. When Monkey uses his magic to help speed things up, Tripitaka is furious and dismisses him. Without Monkey around, the pilgrims fall into grave danger.

Episode - 16 The Most Monstrous Monster
Desperate to please Chun-Shou, the woman he hopes to marry, the unhappy King of Unicorns promises to find a new toy for her spoilt brat son, little Chen. When he hears about Monkey's magic wishing staff, he decides this would be ideal. By capturing Tripitaka and using his all-powerful magic ring, the king plans to defeat Monkey and steal his precious wishing staff. While Monkey struggles to resist the king's magic ring, Pigsy finds it difficult to resist Chun-Shou.

Episode - 17 Truth and the Grey Gloves Devil
Following a terrible sandstorm, the pilgrims find a village where everyone has been killed by the evil Grey Gloves Devil, a magician with the power to hypnotise and control anyone who looks into his eyes. While Pigsy lags behind, the others break their journey at another village. A bitter old woman insists Tripitaka is her long-lost son, Su Fung. Meanwhile, Pigsy gets captured and the Grey Gloves Devil looks for a new village to target.

Episode - 18 Land for the Locusts
As the pilgrims continue their journey, Monkey sees that a nearby village is being terrorised by swarms of locusts, and they're coming in their direction. Led by the power-hungry Demon Queen Grasshopper, the locusts follow the magic Lake Lok-Nor as it moves from one place to the next. Everywhere they go they bring death and destruction. Can the pilgrims stop them, or will the Queen turn everyone into pigs?

Episode - 19 Vampire Master
The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Buddha's Law invites Tripitaka and his disciples to stay as his honoured guests. He tells them of the difficulty in controlling the black magicians, shape-changers and bandits who live in the nearby mountains. Tragedy strikes when Tripitaka becomes critically ill with Tibetan Fever. Meanwhile, Pigsy leads the guards in a search for the vampire responsible for a girl's murder. He makes a shocking discovery.

Episode - 20 Outrageous Coincidences
To escape from a deadly blizzard in the Himalayan foothills, Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka take refuge in a small cave. With Tripitaka's death from starvation looking imminent, Monkey tricks Pigsy into going out into the cold to sacrifice himself to provide food for the master. Grief-stricken Tripitaka believes he has eaten his disciple, and becomes possessed by the spirit of Pigsy.

Episode - 21 Pigsy, King and God
The pilgrims arrive at the Kingdom of Red Hog, where pigs are sacred. The people hail Pigsy as their new King and God. Tripitaka discovers that the current king is a disguised demon, the Spirit of the Red Hog, and that he murdered the old king. Helped by rebels, Monkey and Sandy set out to save Princess Green Lotus and stop the evil swine before the whole country is converted to hog worship.

Episode - 22 Village of the Undead
In a deserted village, the evil male demon Wun-Lung and three beautiful witches await the arrival of Tripitaka, Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy. If they can make the four travellers believe in them, they'll be brought to life. They plan to capture Tripitaka and his disciples one by one, and convince them of their existence by killing them. Who'll be the first pilgrim to fall into the trap?

Episode - 23 Two Little Blessings
Forty years before the pilgrims' journey to India, two lovers Chun-Ying and Yu-Lee disobey the God of Fertility Ju-Lee by eloping together - love is forbidden in his country. As punishment, he separates them and turns the young Yu-Lee into an old woman, the Keeper of the Well of Small Blessings. To regain her youth and her man, she must make Tripitaka drink the magic water. Things get very strange indeed when Pigsy and Sandy drink the water and become pregnant.

Episode - 24 The Fires of Jealousy
The pilgrims enter the Kingdom of Lo-Chun, the Queen of Fire, where they are prevented from continuing their journey by the active volcanoes in the Fire and Flame mountain range to the west. The Queen of Fire has a magic fan that can extinguish the fires. Ever since her husband, the Spirit of Water Buffaloes, left her for a human woman, she's lived as a recluse. So getting her to lend them her fan could be quite a challenge.

Episode - 25 The Country of Nightmares
On their way to India, the pilgrims must pass through the Land of Nightmares, inhabited by all the legions of Hell, bad demons and wicked spirits. All humans who go there are eaten, and all others must take a magic test upon entry to the land. To allow Tripitaka to travel through safely, Monkey disguises him as a beautiful longhaired female demon, and teaches him some basic magic. Will the King of Bad Dreams see through Tripitaka's disguise?

Episode - 26 The End of the Way
Tripitaka and his disciples are just a few days away from reaching India - they can clearly see the Gold Temple of the Thunderclap ahead. The King of All Geological Ages appears and says he'll stop them reaching India. Pigsy finds the king's beautiful wife strangely familiar, he knows her from somewhere. The king captures Tripitaka and puts the indestructible Iron Collar of Death on him, to choke him to death. This looks like the end for Tripitaka.

Series2

Episode - 27 Pigsy's Ten Thousand Ladies
Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy become disillusioned with the pilgrimage and go their separate ways. Monkey flies home to his Kingdom of Fruit and Flowers. Pigsy goes back to China seeking rewards from the Emperor. Sandy returns to the Western Heaven, hoping the Jade Emperor will forgive him. Tripitaka continues his journey. He's flabbergasted when lightning strikes the horse and it turns into a human called Yu-Lung. Deserted by his disciples, Tripitaka soon finds himself in grave danger.

Episode - 28 The Dogs of Death
The evil Dogs of Plague, disciples of the Great Hound of Hell, plan to kill Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka. Their leader brings the Plague of Black Dog to a nearby town. The pilgrims arrive at the town, but when Tripitaka tries to help the sick, he catches the deadly plague himself. Monkey discovers the only cure is to give the afflicted grilled fresh monkey brains from a newly dead ape. Will Monkey give up his life to save Tripitaka?

Episode - 29 The Foolish Philosopher
A snobby princess has been kidnapped by a fish monster who wants to marry her, but she continually refuses because he's too common. She sends two little water sprites to get help from her parents. They meet Tripitaka and his disciples, who offer their help. Tripitaka and Monkey escort them to the king and queen, while Sandy and Pigsy go to rescue the princess. Things aren't looking good for Sandy when the fish monster captures him.

Episode - 30 Who Am I?
The pilgrims eat some freshly picked mushrooms, and lose their memories. Monkey wanders off and joins a band of outlaws. They think he's the Fungus Prince who was banished by his father, King Seven Souls. The king wants to kill Tripitaka, so they plan to capture him and claim a reward. Tripitaka leaves Pigsy and Sandy and gets captured by Monkey and the outlaws. Yu-Lung sets out to help Monkey get his memory back so he can save Tripitaka.

Episode - 31 What is Wisdom?
Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka are on their way to the palace in The Land of Search for Understanding; the king insists on interviewing all pilgrims who pass. Following an argument, Monkey stays behind, and an evil magician turns him invisible. Posing as a Taoist priest, the magician persuades the naïve king to hold a contest between him and reluctant Tripitaka to determine which is better - Taoism or Buddhism. The magician plans to take over the kingdom - will he succeed?

Episode - 32 The Fountain of Youth
Tripitaka is shocked when his three followers bathe in a pool and are transformed into babies. It's a Fountain of Youth, and it belongs to two Spirits of Time Passed. Tripitaka must make one of these spirits cry, and use the tears to change his disciples back. Leaving Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy with a babysitter, Tripitaka goes in search of these cannibalistic spirits. Believing Tripitaka won't return, the babysitter decides to sell the three babies at the local market.

Episode - 33 A Shadow So Huge
Chen-Gold, the world's richest man, is advertising for a husband for his only daughter, beautiful Mai-Sun. Possessed of the Spirit of Greed, he eats gold in order to turn himself golden. To feed his habit, he enslaves men to work in his gold mines. When Sandy tries to help an escaped slave, he becomes enslaved himself. Meanwhile, Pigsy puts himself forward as a possible husband for Mai-Sun. Tripitaka wonders where Pigsy and Sandy have gone, and sends Monkey to investigate.

Episode - 34 Keep on Dancing
A young goblin, Yung-Hu, is desperately in love with a married human woman called I-Ling. I-Ling and her husband, Kwo-Fong, are excited that the pilgrims are approaching, because they want to learn about Buddha. Tripitaka is deeply offended by I-Ling's awful Buddhist dance, and the pilgrims leave. The goblin father disguises himself as a priest and convinces Kwo-Fong to join Tripitaka's pilgrimage to India, to become a Buddhist. With Kwo-Fong out of the way, Yung-Hu goes to see I-Ling.

Episode - 35 Give and Take
While Tripitaka and his disciples sleep, The Illiterate Vampire appears and plans to bite Tripitaka. The others wake, and chase him away. The next day, the pilgrims see a display of wanted posters - the king is rewarding people for killing monsters, 10 gold pieces per monster. Pigsy meets a blind girl selling flowers in the street, and becomes fond of her. To raise 100 gold pieces for an operation to cure her blindness, Pigsy goes into business as a monster-killer.

Episode - 36 Such a Nice Monster
A gentle monster dresses up as a puppy dog and calls himself "a good dog" in an attempt to make friends. He desperately wants to be liked, but all the villagers are terrified of him. The pilgrims arrive at the monster's country, and Tripitaka tells his disciples to go ahead and make friends with him. After Pigsy, Monkey and Sandy fail, Yu-Lung befriends the good dog, and comes up with a plan to make the villagers like him.

Episode - 37 Pretty as a Picture
The pilgrims are welcomed to a village headman's house. He shows the disciples a screen that has a picture of the beautiful Goddess Sorosvati painted on it, along with the six other Gods of Good Fortune. During the night, the goddess magically steps out of the screen, tricks Tripitaka, and takes his place on the pilgrimage. While she enchants the others, Monkey discovers Tripitaka trapped in the screen. Can Monkey free Tripitaka and get the goddess back on canvas?

Episode - 38 Mothers
The pilgrims enter a country where an evil wasp witch with a magic whip flies on her chariot and steals children from their parents. The witch lives in a poison mountain called Kijo, and has a hundred or more children of her own. No one knows what she does with the stolen children. While Sandy and Pigsy help the villagers set traps and prepare themselves to fight the witch, Monkey decides to pay her a visit.

Episode - 39 At the Top of the Mountain
Tripitaka has an ominous dream that his mother is dying, and becomes very preoccupied the next day. Concerned about his master, Monkey cloud-flies back to China, and finds Tripitaka's mother, Wing-Chow, infected with a deadly plague. Just before dying, she tells Monkey that her son, original name Hsüan Tsang, must continue his journey to India. Monkey returns and impersonates Wing-Chow, to pretend she's alive, fearing that Tripitaka would stop his journey and return to China if he knew the truth.