Monkey Typhoon
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Goku
アソボット戦記五九
(Assobotto Senki Gokū)
Created byAvex Inc.
Manga
Assobot Goku
Written byJōji Arimori
Illustrated byRomu Aoi
Published byKodansha
Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runDecember 26, 2001 – October 20, 2003
Volumes7
Anime television series
Directed byMamoru Hamatsu
Produced by
  • Fukashi Azuma
  • Yuma Sakata
  • Kazuo Jibiki
Written by
  • Hiroshi Hashimoto (1–20)
  • Rika Nakase (21–36)
  • Shin Kibayashi (21–52)
StudioStudio Egg
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run October 1, 2002 – September 30, 2003
Episodes52

Monkey Typhoon, known in Japan as Assobot Robot Goku (Japanese: アソボット戦記五九, Hepburn: Assobotto Senki Gokū, lit. "The War Chronicles of Goku the Assobot"), is a Japanese mixed-media project created by Avex Inc., consisting of a manga series and an anime television series. The project was first announced in June 2000, under the tentative title Son Gokū no Bōken (孫悟空の冒険, "Son Goku Adventure"), with collaboration of writer Yoshimi Ishikawa.[1] The series is loosely based on the 16th century novel Journey to the West.[2]

The manga series, Assobot Goku, was written by Shin Kibayashi (under the pen name Jōji Arimori) and illustrated by Romu Aoi, serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 2001 to 2002, with its chapters collected in seven tankōbon volumes. The 52-episode anime television series was animated by studio Egg and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 2002 to September 2003.

Story

Monkey Typhoon tells the story of three assobots (アソボット, assobotto)—a form of robots whose general title is a portmanteau of the words association and robot— Goku, Tongo, and Joe. They are assisted in their journeys by Sanzo, a human, the son of the creator of the assobots, and Suzie, who joined them after her father was cured from the Destruction Virus. Later on they are joined by their former rivals Miyon and Shiyon. Their quest is to stop their world's destruction by collecting the legendary 49 keys to unlock Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Along the way, the assobots gain the ability to evolve further. Together, in their many voyages, they come across several foes and enemies such as Loki, Ryutaro Demon, the Quartet, King Doberman Pinscher, and many more, as well as grow united in their friendship.

Characters

Goku (五九)
Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi
A first generation assobot. His mission is to find the 49 Keys of the Apocalypse (actually he just wants to find the treasure where the key is located). He is accompanied with Suzie, Sanzo, Tongo, Joe and later with Meeyon and Shiyon. Goku looks mostly human, but he has a face that resembles a monkey, and he gets angry when they call him monkey. He has a robot horse called Skywalker and a magic metal weapon he calls a 'joystick' which lengthens or contracts to his will. Sanzo put a curse on him that will make him weak to all women and children. After he collected 6 keys, his appearance changed and acquired new abilities such as the improved "Easter Wind" and "Fire Vortex Revolution". He likes to chase pretty girls every time he arrives in town, which leads him to get a punch out of the air. In the end, Sanzo took off the curse from Goku and chose to go back in past, since Professor D's feather flew in a worm hole to the past, accompanied by his gang. His name, Goku, is made up of the Chinese characters for five and nine.
Sanzo Genjo (玄奘三蔵, Genjō Sanzō)
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki
The one who forced Goku on the quest, he said he can only remove the curse when they arrive to the last city. He woke up after 1000 years of cold sleep, to stop the world's destruction by collecting the 49 keys. He has a magical harmonica that affects assobots, but not the ones who were infected by the Destruction Virus. He sometimes uses it to heal assobots or power up Goku's attacks. Like Goku, he collected 6 keys, which later on, changed the appearance of his harmonica and can heal assobots even with the virus. He serves as a big brother to Suzie. He is also the former lover of Rhea, the mother of all assobots. At the last part of the series, he fought off Ryutaro Demon along with Goku, Yazu and friends. After all the keys have been collected, all assobots that have been affected by the Destruction Virus have been cured. His last words (the last words in the series) are "The real treasure is none other than the treasure of the journey."
Suzie (スージィ, Sūjī)
Voiced by: Mayumi Iizuka
Suzie lost her dad in an attack of some infected assobots did to her city. When she was young, her father was telling her the legend, which leads her to join Goku and his friends to witness it. Although she does not have any abilities, she has a flying vehicle. Later she finds a bow which can produce a sound which affects assobots. Only Suzie can use it. At the last part of the series, Suzie is the last person who finished Ryutaro Demon by using the bow of sun to rest Ryutaro Demon's soul in peace. It is because she is the only one who understands what Ryutaro Demon feels. In the end, she, along with the gang, choose to go back with Goku in the past.
Joe (ジョー, Jō)
Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki
A worker assobot, but his mouth is never seen because he has it covered ninja style. He needs much water to survive. Goku himself said he is invincible when battling underwater. His weapon is called 'Feather Sword'. Later, like Goku, he collected 6 keys which can change his appearance and which can also change his weapon into 'Feather Blade'. He returned to the past along with Goku and friends, since the bandit group should never abandon each other.
Tongo (トンゴー, Tongō)
Voiced by: Takeharu Kunimoto
A nurse assobot who looks like a fat cat that likes to eat. His weapon is called 'Chain Hammer'. Later, like Goku and Jo, he collected 6 keys, which can change his appearance and his weapon, making it the 'Megaton Hammer'. At the last part of the series, he fought off Ryutaro Demon along with Goku, Yazu and friends. He came back to past along with Goku and friends, since the bandit group should never abandon each other.
Meeyon (魅音, Mion)
Voiced by: Minami Takayama
An assobot who looks almost like a human. Later, she joined Goku. Sanzo stated that Meeyon has similarities with Rhea. She has a little sister named Shiyon. She has a pet named Saati that can transform itself into a hoverboard which she uses to travel. Most of her attacks are candy based (bubblegum bomb, choco men, etc.). Later in the series, after collecting 6 keys, she gets a magical umbrella that she can be used to fly, used as a shield, or used to hypnotize somebody (she did this to escape Goku once but never used it again). At the last part of the series, she and Shiyon were the ones who found Ryutaro Demon's weakness. She and Shiyon came to the past with Goku and friends to find treasures.
Shiyon (紫苑, Shion)
Voiced by: Atsuko Enomoto
Meeyon's little sister. Like Meeyon, she is an assobot and one of Ryutaro Demon's quartet. During her time as part of the quartet she used a Sitar played like a cello. She joined Goku so she can spy them in their journey. After she died due to the Destruction Virus, Sanzo revived her after his harmonica is changed by the 6 keys. She can transform or change into a pretty lady who looks like Meeyon, only with blue hair. She has a pet parrot that can transform into a walkie-talkie.
Yazu (ヤズー, Yazū)
Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki
He is a third generation assobot. He is one of Ryutaro Demon's quartet. He dies but later gets revived in episode 33. Yazu is also armed with an elegantly designed scythe. He sacrificed himself for the group when he disagreed with Ryutaro Demon's plans in the last part of the series.
Rei (零)
The mother of all assobots and former lover of Sanzo 1000 years before the series started. According to Sanzo, she has similarities with Meeyon but Sanzo stated that he can see Rei more on Goku than on Meeyon.
Ryutaro Demon (出門龍太郎, Demon Ryūtarō)
Voiced by: Nachi Nozawa
The main villain. He is the rival of Kuzo Genjo (玄奘久造, Genjō Kuzō). Like Sanzo, he wants to find the keys for his sinister plans.
Casper
Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi
One of Ryutaro Demon's quartet. He has a violin.
Marty
One of Ryutaro Demon's quartet. He has a trumpet.
Marie
Voiced by: Chiemi Chiba
One of Ryutaro Demon's quartet. She has a set of drums.

Media

Manga

Written by Shin Kibayashi (under the pen name Jōji Arimori) and illustrated by Romu Aoi, the manga series Assobot Goku (アソボット五九, Assobotto Gokū) started in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine on December 26, 2001.[3] It was later transferred to Magazine Special, where it ran from September 20, 2002,[4] to October 20, 2003.[5] Kodansha collected its chapters in seven tankōbon volumes, released from September 17, 2002,[6] to November 17, 2003.[7]

Anime

Produced by Avex Inc., Dentsu and TV Tokyo, animated by studio Egg and directed by Mamoru Hamatsu, Monkey Typhoon was broadcast for 52 episodes on TV Tokyo from October 1, 2003, to September 30, 2003.[8]

Theme songs

Opening Themes
  1. "Beside You: Boku o Yobu Koe" (Beside You: 僕を呼ぶ声) by BoA (1–25)
  2. "Wo Ai Ni" (我愛你) by Dream (26–52)
Ending Themes
  1. "I Wake Your Love" by Move (1–13)
  2. "Kasumi Yuku Sora Se ni Shite" (霞ゆく空背にして) by Janne da Arc (14–25)
  3. "Burning Dance" by Move (26–38)
  4. "LolitA☆Strawberry in summer" by Sweets (39–51)
  5. "Assobot Senki Goku no Sekai" (アソボット戦記五九のせかい) (52)

References

  1. ↑ "Avex USA" エイベックス、新作アニメーション 「孫悟空の冒険（仮題）」制作プロジェクトを発足 (in Japanese). Avex Inc. June 13, 2000. Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. ↑ Toole, Michael (June 19, 2011). "Too Many Gokus! - The Mike Toole Show". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  3. ↑ 週刊少年マガジン 2002年第4・5合併号. shonenmagazine.com (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 3, 2002. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ マガジンSPECIAL 2002年第10号 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ マガジンSPECIAL 2003年第10号 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 1, 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2023. マガジンSPECIAL NO.11　10月20日（月）発売 […] 最終回センターカラー！ 起死回生の時間旅行は成功するのか!? 怒濤のクライマックス!!
  6. ↑ アソボット五九（1） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 13, 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  7. ↑ アソボット五九（7） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 22, 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ アソボット戦記 五九. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
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