| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the theater. |
| “You're right. That is enough. You know, you are just that bit too much like him. But it's good to see there's some potential.” |
| — Macaque to MK |
Shadow Play is the seventh episode of Season 2 and the seventeenth episode overall of Monkie Kid.
Synopsis[]
Short DescriptionOur heroes attend a shadow play, secretly run by the Macaque. Using a magical lantern, he imprisons the other heroes to toy with MK.[1] ExtendedOur heroes attend a shadow play, secretly run by the Macaque. Using a magical lantern, he imprisons the other heroes to toy with MK. MK feels a strong connection to the play, about a Warrior abandoned by his Hero. When Macaque finally reveals himself, he torments MK for not realising his friends were missing. Macaque declares he will be MK's teacher, even if MK doesn't want him to be.[2] |
Plot[]
MK, Mei, Pigsy, and Tang attend in a shadow play called The Hero and the Warrior. While waiting, MK and Mei recognize the Mayor as the same guy who gave them the Skeleton Key. Once the play was about to start, MK left to get snacks. Unknownest to him, the puppeteer used a magic lantern to trap the others inside. When MK returned, he watches the play and assumed that the characters are referring to him and Monkey King.
After watching the play, MK wonders if he is the warrior from the story and asks the puppeteer what happened to the character in the story. Suddenly, "Monkey King" appears right next to MK and laughs at him once he mentioned that he can't face the Lady Bone Demon all by himself. Angered, MK attempts to hit Monkey King, but had his punch block by him. He soon figures out that the puppeteer was Macaque all along.
After MK realized that he accidentally revealed all of his insecurities with Macaque about the Lady Bone Demon and the thoughts of being the wrong successor to the Monkey King, the latter uses the lantern to make MK fight the shadow versions of Mei, Pigsy, and Tang. But during the fight, MK charges at Macaque in a way that reminds him of Monkey King. Macaque breaks the magic lantern and leaves, freeing MK's friends. When MK asks him why he broke the lamp, Macaque explained to him that he did because wanted to see him suffer until he learned that MK was already doing to himself. MK realizes that Macaque was the warrior from the story. Macaque then warns him that he's not ready for what's coming next.
Later, Macaque returns to the theater to get the lantern back, but gets confronted by the Mayor, who wants the lantern as one of the ingredients to the bone mech and bring him to the Lady Bone Demon.
Cast[]
| Voice Actor | Role(s) |
|---|---|
| Billy Kametz | Macaque |
| Dave B. Mitchell | Pigsy |
| David Chen | Tang |
| Jack De Sena | MK |
| Sean Schemmel | Macaque (as the Monkey King) |
| Stephanie Sheh | Mei |
| Steve Blum | Mayor |
| Victoria Grace | Lady Bone Demon |
Features[]
Characters[]
Main:
Supporting:
- Lady Bone Demon (flashback)
- Mei
- Monkey King
- Monkeys
- Pigsy
- Snack Gal
- Tang
Antagonists:
Locations[]
- China
- Megapolis
- MK's house
- Pigsy's Noodles
- Sewers (flashback)
- Shadow play
- Megapolis
- Flower Fruit Mountain
Objects[]
- Golden Staff
- Magic lantern
- MK's phone
- Monkey Mech
- Peaches of Immortality (illustration)
- Skeleton Key (flashback)
Vehicles[]
Abilities[]
- Gold Vision
- Magic cloud (flashback)
- Shadows
Species[]
Mentioned[]
Names in other languages[]
| Language | Name | Translation, etymology, and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | المسرحية | Translates to Theatrical. |
| Cantonese | 皮影戲 | Translates to Shadow Play. |
| Dutch | Schaduwspel | Translates to Shadow Play. |
| French | Théâtre d'ombres | Translates to Shadow Theater. |
| German | Schattenspiel | Translates to Shadow Play. |
| Hebrew | מחזה צללים | Translates to Shadow Play. |
| Italian | Il teatro delle ombre | Translates to The Theater of Shadows. |
| Japanese | 光と闇、キッドの迷い | Translates to Light and Darkness, MK's Hesitation. |
| Korean | 그림자 연극 | Translates to Shadow Play. |
| Mandarin | 智破魅影君 | Translates to Outsmarting The Phantom Lord. |
| Polish | Gra cieni | Translates to Shadow Play. |
| Slovene | Igra senc | Translates to A Game of Shadows. |
Trivia[]
- This is the seventh episode to be released before it reaches China.
- This episode was adapted into a comic book in Monkie Kid Comic Story 8.
- According to series director Sarah Harper, Billy Kametz and Sean Schemmel recorded the transition from Monkey King to Macaque's laugh in one take, this was revealed in a Twitch stream not long after the episode aired.[3]
- Macaque's puppeteer design (called "Master Mac" by Ashe Jacobson) is drawn with a long beard in the storyboards.[4]
- Story editor, David Breen, has joked that Macaque used a glue stick to attach the posters of "Kung Fu Monkey Cop: The Movie" and "The Hero and the Warrior" in order to trick MK. [5]
- As MK charges at Macaque with his staff, several images flash, one of Macaque with an X over his eye, MK appearing as Monkey King, and the Lady Bone Demon's skull.
- Shortly after Macaque revealed himself to be the puppeteer to MK, he indirectly mentions the Brotherhood, Monkey King's sworn brothers before the Journey to the West, noting to MK that the Hero in the story was inattentive to his friends after gaining great power, which references to how Monkey King had turned against each of his sworn brothers after becoming a hero and abandoning the Brotherhood's former cause.
- Macaque does not actually mention any other members of the Brotherhood, which could indicate that his friendship with Monkey King was the most important to him.
Censorship[]
- The scene where the Mayor chokes Macaque was shortened during international Cartoon Network airings.
Characters' roles[]
Protagonists[]
- MK serves as the main focus character in this episode. After witnessing a shadow play about The Hero and the Warrior, MK began to feel like he's the warrior from the story due to the recent events that occurred. However, he soon realizes that Macaque is the warrior from the story and battled him until he destroyed the lantern.
- Mei, Pigsy, and Tang joined MK in a shadow play as a break for MK. However, while MK was gone, they were captured by Macaque and had their shadows used by him to battle MK.
Antagonists[]
- Macaque served as the main villain in this episode. When MK and his team attend in a shadow play, Macaque traps Mei, Pigsy, and Tang by using his magic lantern and later told a story being based on him and the Monkey King. After he learned about MK's recent lack of confidence, he used Mei, Pigsy, and Tang's shadows to torment MK until he destroyed the lantern. He later warned MK about what would happen next before being confronted by the Mayor.
- While at the theater, MK and Mei recognized the Mayor as the one who gave them the Skeleton Key. Unbeknownst to them, the Mayor meets up with Macaque to take the magic lantern for Lady Bone Demon.
References[]
- ↑ LEGO Monkie Kid – Season 2, Episode 8
- ↑ Foxtel TV Guide
- ↑ when he and Billy Kametz synced up for that laugh as Macaque and Sara said he did it in like one take its like oh yeah babey vegito (May 23, 2021).
- ↑ Jacobson, Ashe (August 05, 2022). The other half of the Mac/MK scene from Shadow Play. @minbitt thumbed this out and I cleaned it up as we hustled to get the ep done in late 2020! Sorry for the cutoff, that 2:20 max is killer. But man, what amazing line delivery by Jack and Billy. Legends, both of them..
- ↑ Breen, David (January 12, 2022). Macaque making this double-sided poster to clickbait MK into seeing his play might be my favourite. Maquack is one conniving monkey. Bet he used a glue stick..