Alakazam the Great

About Alakazam the Great

Alakazam the Great (西遊記) blends adventure and fantasy by Toei Animation (1960). Below is a fresh retelling of what the story is about. What the story covers: Alakazam is a young and brave monkey who convinces all the other monkeys to make him their king. After attaining the throne and learning magic, he turns into so vain that he goes to heaven to challenge the gods.

From there, he is defeated by King Amo, and sentenced to serve as the bodyguard of Prince Amat in order to learn humility. --- Osamu Tezuka was named as a director of the film by Toei Company. However, Tezuka later stated that the only time he was in the studio was to pose for publicity photos. His involvement in promoting the film, however, led to his interest in animation.

With adventure at the core, exploration, new locations and a steady sense of momentum drive the story. Voice work is led by Nobuaki Sekine as Sanzo-hoshi and Noriko Shindou as RinRin. It will appeal most to anyone who enjoys travel-the-world storytelling. The run is 1 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by Toei Animation, so the studio's house style defines how Alakazam the Great looks and moves on screen. Because it leans on adventure, exploration, new locations and a steady sense of momentum drive the story. Its 5.7/10 score suggests opinions are split, so it suits viewers who already like the genre. On the casting side, Nobuaki Sekine voicing Sanzo-hoshi gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 1960, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.