| “Perhaps. There was only one thing that could ever bring the Great Sage to yield, as I've been in powered by the Heavenly Host... I collar the beast!” |
| — Li Jing |
Collar the King is the second episode of Season 5 and the fiftieth episode overall of Monkie Kid.
Synopsis[]
Short DescriptionMonkey King and Macaque are called to the underworld to stand trial for their 'crimes,' confronting their past misdeeds.[1] |
Plot[]
The Court of the Underworld convened a meeting at their temple, summoning MK, Monkey King, and Macaque before them as the three have been present at every moment when chaos has descended upon the universe since its inception. The significance of their titles was made clear by the court, emphasizing their power over the cycle of life and death, known as the Great Cycle, which had been disrupted. Monkey King couldn't help but recall the last time he was sent to the Underworld by the court, a consequence of his act of crossing his name out of the Book of the Dead. Accusations were hurled at Monkey King by the kings, pinning the theft of the Scroll of Memory on him as it was similar to his last crime. Inspired by Monkey Cop: Coutroom Edition, MK decided to stand as a lawyer to defend themselves. However, they learned that they were being held responsible for the fall of the Jade Emperor and the subsequent damage to the Pillar of Heaven because of it, events that now threatened the stability of the entire universe once more. As the Mystic Monkeys gathered in a huddle, MK proposed an escape plan, but the court had already anticipated such moves from Monkey King and called upon someone to thwart their bid for freedom. The arrival of Ne Zha initially offered hope to the accused, but their relief turned to worry when it became apparent to them that the kings were referring to Li Jing, Ne Zha's father. Li Jing and the First King reveal that he has been elevated to govern the Celestial Realm in the Jade Emperor's absence. As Li Jing is irked by trio, Monkey King asserts that his Celestial Pagoda won't be enough to stop them. Li Jing agrees, so he decides to summon a circlet on Monkey King to subdue him from attacking. Witnessing Monkey King's suffering, MK briefly lapsed into his monkey state, only finding solace when reassured by Monkey King. Ne Zha attempted to intercede on their behalf, but Li Jing silenced him. Ultimately, the group was escorted back to the Celestial Realm in the custody of Li Jing and a conflicted Ne Zha, where they were to be incarcerated.
While at their prison cell, MK attempts to remove the circlet from Monkey King, but it was tighter than the last time. Monkey King escalates the tensions at Macaque for moping around, but MK persisted in his efforts to remove the circlet. Unfortunately, his attempts were unsuccessful. Ne Zha arrives, regretting for the predicament they found themselves in. Ne Zha proceeded to open the gateway to their cell to talk to them, unaware that Monkey King was secretly dispersing plucks of hair to the other side in order to create clones. Ne Zha revealed that someone was plotting to destroy the Pillar of Heaven. This revelation piqued MK's curiosity about the Pillar of Heaven, prompting Monkey King to begin explaining its significance, albeit in a manner reminiscent of Tang's storytelling style due to MK asking him to explain it like him so he could learn. Monkey King explained that the universe was born out of the Primordial Chaos, but a sanctuary housing the Pillar of Heaven was eventually constructed, which stood as a symbol of order amidst the chaos. Monkey King also mentioned that the Pillar of Heaven had been destroyed in the past, resulting in chaos running rampant until Nüwa used the five color stones to restore it. MK proposed the idea of locating the Color Stones to repair the pillar. However, Macaque questioned Ne Zha's lack of initiative in searching for the Color Stones, prompting MK to once again adopt the role of a lawyer and express suspicions about Li Jing's potential ulterior motives regarding the Color Stones. Ne Zha defends his father, but he quickly notices the clones outside the cell. Mistakenly thinking the clones were real due to the actual trio pretending to be clones, he attacks them, destroying the cell. The real MK, Monkey King, and Macaque manage to escape while the MK Clones and Monkey King Clones pin Ne Zha down. MK, Monkey King, and Macaque fled from the Celestial Armies, engaging in a few skirmishes along the way. Monkey King and Macaque easily defeated the army leader, seizing his sword. Monkey King pushes MK and Macaque out of the bridge and uses the sword they stole to escape from the Celestial Realm.
In Megapolis, Sandy backs up a new truck near Pigsy's Noodles, having hopes that it would last a while— but upon the trio's return, Sandy's new truck was destroyed when MK and Monkey King accidentally fell on it. Pigsy starts yelling at MK for being eight hours late to work. MK says they have to move, but Tang asks if the appearance of more cracks in the sky has to do with it. Monkey King states that he has a plan, but Macaque doubted the existence of the Color Stones. MK speculated that the stones could be used for nefarious purposes by a secret enemy once they're collected, using the team as pawns like before. Monkey King reassured him that he trusts everybody in the group and that they are doing the right thing. He outlines a plan to locate the Color Stones, but their discussion was interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Celestial Armies, surprising everyone. Mei suggests to MK that him and Monkey King shouldn't have destroyed Sandy's truck, so MK decides to transform it into the Team Power Truck. The Monkie Kids managed to escape to the truck just as Li Jing arrived and closed in on MK and Monkey King. Macaque stepped in, urging MK to save the universe. He then teleported both MK and Monkey King to safety inside the truck. While the Monkie Kids and Monkey King made their getaway, Macaque battled Li Jing with the help of his Smoke Monster powers and Shadow Monkeys. However, Macaque was eventually captured and imprisoned in the Celestial Pagoda. Unbeknownst to everyone, a treacherous Underworld King was secretly observing the conflict from atop a nearby building.
Cast[]
Features[]
Characters[]
Main:
Supporting:
Antagonists:
Locations[]
Objects[]
- Book of the Dead (illustration)
- Circlet
- Color Stones (illustration)
- Ne Zha's spear
Vehicles[]
Abilities[]
Species[]
Mentioned[]
- Journey to the West (indirectly mentioned)
- Jade Emperor
- Tang Sanzang
Names in other languages[]
| Language | Name | Translation, etymology, and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Korean | 다시 씌워진 굴레 | Translates to The Shackles Are Put Back On. |
| Mandarin (China) |
神秘的羁绊 | Translates to A Clever Plan to Fight the Ten Kings. |
Trivia[]
- When Macaque sacrifices himself, a building with a sun and moon sign appears in the background, this calls back to The Hero and the Warrior monologue from "Shadow Play".
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Characters' roles[]
Protagonists[]
- MK, Macaque, and Monkey King are the main protagonists of this episode.
- They tried to prove their innocence but failed and became fugitives after their jailbreak.
- MK tried to use his legal expertise to clear their names but realized they should just leave.
- Macaque fought off Li Jing so the gang could get away.
- Monkey King used his clones to trick Ne Zha into making their breakout.
- Mei, Pigsy, Sandy, and Tang are secondary protagonists of the episode.
- Sandy's truck was upgraded to the Team Power Truck and they joined in on the run to save the world.
Antagonists[]
- The Court of the Underworld and Li Jing are the main antagonists of this episode.
- The Court accused MK, Macaque, and Monkey King of being responsible for the world's destruction. And when Monkey King announced he would make their exit, they summoned Li Jing.
- Li Jing placed a circlet on Monkey King and used it to stop him from escaping before incarcerating them at the Celestial Realm. Eventually, he also trapped Macaque in the Celestial Pagoda.
- Ne Zha is a secondary antagonist of the episode.
- Although reluctant to obey his father, he went along with his orders. He also tried to prevent the trio from escaping their prison.
- The Celestial Armies serve as the villainous faction.
- They tried to stop their prisoners from leaving the Celestial Realm.
References[]
- ↑ Roku (2024-07-10). Roku - Collar the King. Roku.