"Making a Splash" is the fourth episode of the Disney+ series American Born Chinese.
Synopsis[]
In a flashback, young Sun Wukong and his best friend, Niu Mowang, attend a heavenly banquet.
Plot[]
Jin returns to school where he is hailed as a hero by everyone for TPing the rival school's mascot. As he sits in class, he is greeted by Amelia who asks how he managed to accomplish the task. He turns to look for Wei-Chen, only to see that he is not there.
Sun Wukong has taken Wei-Chen back to Heaven and grounds him for 200 years while scolding him for chasing a dream. Wei-Chen tells him that he does not want to be anything like him, causing Wukong to suddenly have a flashback to his younger years. Before he was the Monkey King, Wukong was brought by his friend Niu Mowang to attend the Heavenly Peach Banquet, a party for all the major Gods and Demons to celebrate the last year of Ao Guang, the Dragon King, being a Great Sage. Wukong tries to urge Mowang to be the next Great Sage, though it is heavily apparent that he does not have the confidence for it, made apparent when he sheepishly greets Guanyin.
Upon arriving at the entrance, Wukong is denied entry over the fact that he does not wear shoes. When Ji Gong, who id slated to be the next Great Sage arrives, Wukong uses his magic to keep his wine jug full to keep him out as he and Mowang sneak inside. Wukong entices Mowang to have a meeting with Guang so that he can pitch his idea for a journey to the west to acquire the sutras from India. While waiting around, the two of them meet Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face. Mowang tells Iron Fan his dream and she becomes smitten with him. When Guang passes through the party, Iron Fan uses her magic fan so that Wukong and Mowang can follow Guang.
Guang privately undresses so that he can be bathed and Mowang uses the opportunity to pitch his idea to him. However, his low mumbling ends up putting Guang to sleep and he returns to Wukong dejected. Wukong uses his powers to make a fake Jingu Bang while he steals the real one from Guang. When Guang returns to the party, Wukong urges Mowang to go up and speak, but he gets stage fright and simply chants a song before getting booted off stage. When the Queen Mother, wife of the Jade Emperor, announces the final award to Guang, with a giant heavenly peach being the reward, Wukong whisks the fake Jingu Bang away and takes the stage.
Wukong proceeds to mock and criticize everyone at the party for being phonies and for patting themselves on the back and destroys the peach. Guang is impressed with Wukong's honesty and admits that he too hates these kinds of parties. He announces his intent to have Wukong be the new Great Sage, despite Wukong not really wanting the position, and he reluctantly accepts. Afterwards, Iron Fan meets with Mowang and offers that he visit her at her home at Fire Mountain, which he is pleased by.
Wukong happily explains that now he is Great Sage, he can bring Mowang with him, but he rebuffs him. Mowang admits that he embarrasses him and that he did not want to be urged into doing what he wanted to do. This causes Wukong to tell Mowang that he does not have what it takes to be a Great Sage due to his conservative demeanor. Mowang tells him that he knows that he does not want to be anything like him and leaves the party angrily.
Back in the present, Wukong takes back what he said to Wei-Chen and tells him that he can return to Earth so as to prove himself and Wei-Chen happily goes back. Wei-Chen goes to meet up with Jin, believing that it has only been a day, but Jin tells him that he has been gone for a month, confusing him.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Ben Wang as Jin Wang
- Yeo Yann Yann as Christine Wang (credit only)
- Chin Han as Simon Wang (credit only)
- Ke Huy Quan as Jamie Yao / Freddy Wong (credit only)
- Jimmy Liu as Sun Wei-Chen
- Sydney Taylor as Amelia Taylor
- Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong / The Monkey King
- Michelle Yeoh as Guanyin
Guest starring[]
- Ronny Chieng as Ji Gong / Mad Monk
- Jimmy O. Yang as Ao Guang / Dragon King
- Brian Huskey as Mr. Larkins
- Larry Bates as Coach Garrett
- Leonard Wu as Niu Mowang / Bull Demon
- Poppy Liu as Princess Iron Fan
- James Hong as Jade Emperor
Co-starring[]
- Sakura Lin as Queen Mother
- Sarah Ho as Princess Jade Face
- Jensen Cheng as Menshen #1
- R.J. O'Young as Menshen #2
- Wayne Lee as Bigwen
- Dralla Aierken as Luli
Song[]
- Sun Wukong Theme
Trivia[]
- The title is said by Sun Wukong to Niu Mowang as they enter the banquet.
- The episode is meant to be a throwback to classic 70s Chinese television dramas, particularly the series Monkey.
- This episode is a reworked origin of how Sun Wukong attained the Jingu Bang. While Sun Wukong did steal the Jingu Bang from the Dragon King, he took it from the ocean and the Jingu Bang glowed in his presence, indicating that he was indeed the rightful owner of it. The Dragon King was also very compliant to this and offered his future assistance if necessary.
Gallery[]
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