Unknowingly, we are already halfway through 2023. Following the success of the Monkie Kid series introduced last year, the LEGO Group has recently released new sets, including the LEGO® 80049 Dragon of the East Palace. How can we use building blocks to tell traditional Chinese mythological stories, and what new interpretations does this Monkie Kid set bring? Today, let's take a look at how this Deep Sea Dragon Palace model performs.
LEGO® Monkie Kid™ returns to the classic story of "Journey to the West." This time, LEGO designers have recreated the scene of Sun Wukong's first encounter with the Dragon King of the East Sea, allowing everyone to revisit the legendary story of the "Ruyi Jingu Bang" transforming from the "Sea-Calming Needle."
- Set Number: 80049
- Set Name: Dragon of the East Palace
- Minifigures: 8
- Pieces: 2364
- Recommended Age: 10+
- Official Price: €189.99
- Release Date: June 1, 2023
Unboxing
At the center of the set's outer packaging box is a completed model image of the East Sea Dragon Palace, with the picture of the 8 minifigure characters included in the set below (we will introduce them one by one shortly). In the top left corner, there's the logo of the LEGO Group and the Monkie Kid theme, while the bottom section contains relevant information about the set. On the right side, there's a gameplay hint for the completed model, which is usually placed on the back.
The back of the outer packaging box features a photo of the set from a different angle after it is built. It's evident that LEGO has used its commonly employed design of a semi-cutaway and semi-open structure, which has been seen in other series multiple times. The four small images above the completed model depict four scenes included in the set, which we will discuss in detail in later sections.
Opening the outer packaging box reveals 17 parts bags, three instruction books, and a sticker sheet included in the set. It's worth noting that this large set is divided into three instruction books, a format that has been quite common in LEGO sets this year. However, it's still great to have a set based on the theme of Journey to the West that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The first few pages of the instruction book provide an introduction to the set and the designers involved. It's particularly noteworthy that, in order to better depict the story from Journey to the West, the main creative designers of this set are two Chinese designers from the Shanghai design team within the LEGO Group. We are excited to see the surprises they have in store for us.
Finished Model
The LEGO® 80049 Dragon of the East Palace set consists of several components, including the East Sea Dragon Palace, Crystal Palace, Curved Water Pavilion, Treasure Pavilion, Sea Prison, Hall of Divine Weapons, Ruyi Golden Cudgel, Reception Hall, and Dragon King's Chamber. In today's showcase, we will introduce each of these parts separately.
The model is divided into two levels, with a main color scheme of blue roofs and white buildings. The remaining rock sections feature a dark blue color, adorned with marine creatures, coral, and gems as decorations.
This color scheme is quite consistent with the scene colors depicted in the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West." On the other hand, the appearance of the East Sea Dragon Palace in the "Monkie Kid" animated series looks completely different. A quick comparison between the two images below reveals the contrast. It can be said that in terms of color scheme, the LEGO design team behind the Journey to the West set seems to have taken more inspiration from the original work.
To fully showcase the Dragon Palace, the doors in front of the Crystal Palace need to be slid open horizontally.
These doors are sealed using transparent blue glass elements, providing a semi-transparent visual effect for the Crystal Palace and adding a touch of mystery inspired by the underwater environment.
The front of the gate is adorned with marine creatures and coral, instantly creating the atmosphere of the surroundings of the East Sea Dragon Palace.
Opening the gate, let's first take a look inside the Crystal Palace. The front plaque displays the characters "Crystal Palace" in seal script, and stickers are used for the plaque instead of printed elements. Cat tail pieces are used around the plaque to create a distinctive Chinese-style embellishment.
On the central steps inside the Crystal Palace is the Dragon King's throne, which is assembled using LEGO elements. The armrests of the throne use parts from the LEGO Ninjago series' Golden Dragon sword hilt, fitting seamlessly in this context.
The back of the throne is still decorated with transparent blue glass elements to create an atmospheric effect. On both sides of the main hall are two dining tables with wine bottles and cups.
Exiting the Crystal Palace through the main gate and following the designated path in the set's design, we arrive at the main entrance of the East Sea Dragon Palace guarded by Shrimp Soldiers. Ascending the steps behind the gate, we reach the second floor, where the main building of the East Sea Dragon Palace is located.
However, before reaching the main building, we first encounter the Curved Water Pavilion. The roof and overall architectural style of the pavilion are unified. The blue roof is adorned with pearl gold vine elements as decoration, with spherical elements in the middle of the roof representing "great pearls."
Inside the pavilion is a stone table with a sticker pattern resembling a Chinese chessboard. The four corners of the pavilion's fence are decorated with gems corresponding to those found within the Dragon Palace.
It's worth mentioning that the entire staircase integrates seamlessly with the main gate of the Crystal Palace. The sliding gate doesn't cause confusion in the flow of the stairs; instead, it creates two distinct paths. This design truly demonstrates the designers' attention to detail.
After passing the Curved Water Pavilion, above the tall red cylinder is the "Ruyi Golden Cudgel," written in seal script. In my opinion, the design here is not entirely accurate. Before the Golden Cudgel is transformed, it is referred to as the "Staff of the Sea," as indicated in the original work. It's only after Sun Wukong shrinks it that it becomes the "Ruyi Golden Cudgel."
Continuing along the path of the Ruyi Jingu Bang, we arrive at the main building of the East Sea Dragon Palace guarded by Crab General. The white pillars and blue roof of the main building are adorned with two "Great Pearls" along the central axis. Surrounding the pearls are pearl gold vines and auspicious cloud elements, while the perimeter fence is complemented by gemstone pieces.
The main entrance of the Dragon Palace is beautifully decorated with stickered patterns on the door panel. The windows, crafted using lateral assembly techniques, feature elegant lines.
Moving forward after exploring the main building of the East Sea Dragon Palace, we come across a deep blue dragon with a pearl gold belly. In my recollection, the Dragon King did not appear inside the Dragon Palace in the TV series, but this dragon is reminiscent of its portrayal in the animated series Monkie Kid, where the Dragon King manifests in this form during moments of fury.
The dragon body is segmented and fixed using cross-axis components, allowing only left and right rotation. The dragon's head and body are connected using ball joints, enabling free movement. The bottom of the dragon is secured with turntable elements, allowing for 360° horizontal rotation.
With the front introduction completed, let's take a look at the backside. In the center of the ground floor is the Hall of Divine Weapons, where numerous weapons from the East Sea Dragon Palace are stored. Initially, Sun Wukong came to the Dragon Palace to obtain a suitable weapon, enticed by the abundance of weapons. Through the blue transparent parts, the Dragon King's throne from the Crystal Palace serves as a backdrop for the main wall of the Hall of Divine Weapons, showcasing a clever design.
Above the Hall of Divine Weapons is the Treasure Chamber of the East Sea Dragon Palace. It houses many treasures, including gemstones and crystals. However, one peculiar item on the table deserves some criticism—it's an egg.
The first room on the left side of the Hall of Divine Weapons is the Dragon King's reception room. It features two chairs and a mural, serving as a place where the Dragon King usually enjoys tea and drinks with guests. As for the hidden Easter eggs in this room, we'll discuss them in detail in the next chapter.
On the left side of the reception room is the Sea Dungeon. This scene was not depicted in the TV series but corresponds to a scene from the animated series Monkie Kid. The Sea Dungeon is small, and inside, there's a little skeleton figure who seems to have been forgotten by the Dragon King for a long time.
On the right side of the Hall of Divine Weapons is likely the Dragon King's living room, where a folding bed occupies all the space. This room doesn't seem to have appeared in either the TV series or the animated series. Its design might be aimed at complementing the functionality of all the rooms while also hiding a small Easter egg.
Easter Eggs
The first Easter egg appears in the reception room. It pays homage to a scene from the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West" in Episode 5: "The Monkey King Protects Tang Sanzang." At that time, Tang Sanzang had just rescued Sun Wukong from under the Five Elements Mountain, and they embarked on their journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. In the picture, Sun Wukong kills several bandits. However, Tang Sanzang, feeling compassionate, reprimands Sun Wukong for taking lives, leading to Sun Wukong's anger and return to Flower Fruit Mountain. When passing by the East Sea Dragon Palace and drinking with the Dragon King, they come across this painting. The painting depicts the story of "Yi Bridge Entering the Footwear."(圯桥进履) Using this story, the Dragon King persuades Wukong to return to Tang Sanzang.
The second Easter egg is found in the Sea Dungeon on the left side of the reception room. Although the Sea Dungeon didn't appear in the TV series, it did appear in Episode 28 of the Monkie Kid animated series: "Meeting the Dragon King in the East Sea." At that time, Sun Wukong, Qi Xiaotian, Zhu Dachef, and others pass by the East Sea Dragon Palace. The Dragon King, angered by Sun Wukong's earlier theft of the Ruyi Jingu Bang, imprisons them in the Sea Dungeon. The scene from the animated series shows them attempting to escape using a spoon, with a small skeleton also present in the Sea Dungeon.
The third Easter egg is found in the Hall of Divine Weapons. In Episode 2 of the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West": "Appointed as the Horse Steward by the Official," before acquiring the Ruyi Jingu Bang, Sun Wukong tries various weapons. After examining the Nine-Toothed Steel Fork, the Dragon King orders someone to bring over a pair of hammers for Sun Wukong to try. In the center of the Hall of Divine Weapons, there are the double hammers as weapons. The LEGO designers captured this detail, although it's regrettable that the other two weapons Sun Wukong tried—Nine-Toothed Steel Fork and the Ruyi Jingu Bang—didn't appear in the Hall of Divine Weapons.
The fourth Easter egg is the dragon on the left side of the main gate of the East Sea Dragon Palace. This dragon appeared in the Monkie Kid animated series. It also appeared in Episode 28: "Meeting the Dragon King in the East Sea," where whenever the Dragon King gets angry, he instantly transforms into a dragon as a means of intimidation. This dragon, which appears in the set, is deep blue, while in the animated series, it was depicted as a white dragon.
The fifth Easter egg is the "East Sea Dragon Pearl" found in the treasure vault. We've already mentioned it earlier. In the set, it is represented by an egg, symbolizing the top jewel of the "Dragon King's Dragon Prince." In the original novel, this treasure holds immense value, but here it is just an egg?
The sixth Easter egg is the appearance of the Ruyi Jingu Bang. In Episode 2 of the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West": "Appointed as the Horse Steward by the Official," Sun Wukong finally obtains his ideal weapon from the East Sea Dragon King, which is the Ruyi Jingu Bang, transformed from the shrinking Dinghai Divine Needle. In this set, we remove the large Ruyi Jingu Bang, revealing the hidden small version of the golden staff, which adds a fun element.
The seventh Easter egg is located under the bed in the living room. After removing the bed, you can see a cookbook by Zhu Da chef and a scroll. This scroll is from Episode 43 of the Monkie Kid animated series, where the Valley Scroll appears in the episode titled "Ancient Scroll Holds Profound Secrets."
Character Depictions
The minifigure of Sun Wukong has two-tone molded legs and printed details on the body and legs. The arms have a yellow and red design, and it comes with a tail piece. The face features dual expressions of anger and silliness. As for the golden staff accessory provided for the minifigure, it seems more suitable for the Beggar's Sect. It might be preferable to give him the Ruyi Jingu Bang that appears in the set, as it looks more appealing.
The minifigure of the East Sea Dragon King is primarily designed based on the character's appearance in the Monkie Kid animated series. The Dragon King has a fully white body with dual-sided printing on the body, single-sided printing on the legs, and interchangeable dual-faced expressions of an open mouth and a closed mouth. The dragon head serves as a decorative piece for the head. The accessories include a dragon-headed staff and a purple crystal sword. 
For the mini-figure of Qi Xiaotian, the legs feature a two-tone molded design with printed details. The body has dual-sided printing, and the arms are black and red. The minifigure has dual expressions of a mischievous smile and anger. The accessories include a diving apparatus, a camera, and a pair of turquoise-colored flippers.
The minifigure of the Turtle Prime Minister (Guichenxiang) is interesting. It uses non-movable short leg pieces, and the body has dual-sided printing. The hat is built using separate pieces, and the turtle shell is faithfully replicated using prototype elements. The accessories include a ledger book and a calligraphy brush. The face has a single expression that might seem a bit eerie, but it matches the character's personality depiction.
The minifigure of the Shrimp Soldier is provided in two identical pieces. The legs are monochrome molded pieces, and the body features dual-sided printing. Instead of a separate head, the shrimp's head piece is directly attached to the body. With the red shrimp head on top of the body, it looks like a fiberglass statue one would find in a seafood restaurant promoting spicy crawfish.
Similarly, the Crab General minifigure also uses non-movable short leg pieces with dual-sided printing on the body. It also lacks a separate head, and a crab is directly mounted on the minifigure's body, which looks quite amusing.
Summary and Commentary
If the previous sets in the Monkie Kid series were purely based on Western designers' imagination of the classic novel "Journey to the West," then the LEGO® 80049 Dragon of the East Palace set can be considered a faithful recreation of iconic scenes from "Journey to the West."
All the scenes within the set are similar to the Harry Potter series, faithfully recreating the storylines depicted in the film and television adaptations. Although there have been modifications to the layout of the East Sea Dragon Palace and the inclusion of Monkie Kid minifigures, considering that it is a mythical scene without a specific reference, the level of design achieved is still highly commendable.
Moreover, the predominant blue color scheme and the abundance of elements connect all the stories, forming a coherent narrative thread. During the building process, it allows us to introduce the must-watch TV shows from our childhood summers to our own children. Compared to other original storyline sets in this series, it can be said that this set holds greater significance.
In conclusion, if we were to give this set a rating out of 5, I would recommend it with a score of 4.6.