So I've been working on my series Creative Minds, a series about a group of kids who have the ability to shapeshift and create any weapon from their imagination. I saw a video about Sun Wukong (aka the Monkey King) and I wanted to use Journey To The West as inspiration for the series. But there's one problem: I did my research and discovered that other shows used the concept of the Monkey King. How can I use this inspiration in a way so that people don't think I'm copying them?
You probably can't. Unless you try to make it less obvious like Goku. But nobody has a monopoly on Sun Wukong inspired fiction, so I wouldn't worry about it. Your story and interpretation of the Monkey King won't match anyone else's, two people aren't going to express things in exactly the same way. Also shapeshifting predates Journey to the West. My recommendation would be to write your series and just review the other stories in the genre to limit any specific details that may cause some to think you lifted the idea. But you can't please everyone.
You are copying/being inspired by journey to the west, so it's likely you are going to have some overlap with other people doing the same thing. But this doesn't yours wouldn't be original. That's the point of writing, you can find a way to have a unique take on something and that's original. Or you can convey a similar take better.
How recognisable do you want it to be? Dragonball's Son Goku is quite obviously Sun Wukong (it is more obvious in the early series, and Son Goku is the Japanese name for Sun Wukong). But you could include characters "inspired" by the characters in JttW. For example, perhaps the main character who substitutes for Xuanzang recruits and reforms a gangster (who substitutes for Sun Wukong) who is extremely good at fighting, along with his fat henchmen (who substitutes for Zhu Bajie). Those two become the main character's bodyguards as they set off to do whatever it is they have to do. Or perhaps the main character and his friends create monkey, pig and bird inspired mechs and armour and themselves fall into the role of the characters in the story. Hundreds of ways you could interpret it. Or if you want an alternative source of inspiration, try the "other" monkey king, Hanuman from the Ramayana.
Oh I didn't know that monkey king exists! Thanks! Also, I was thinking about creating a concept where these giant mountain monsters (and/or demon kings based on JTTW) who are indestructible to the MC's powers and the only way to defeat them is with a giant magical mallet (inspired by Hanuman).
...That's kinda like asking: "How do I write a story about King Arthur without people thinking I'm copying all the other King Arthur stories?" We are well passed that. As in, by centuries. It has been done so many times that it would be insane to call you out for it. Here in Sweden, the guy has a brand of food products named after him for some reason. It's not even Chinese food! Just write your Sun Wukong. It's fine.
I'm just dropping by to agree with the 'just write YOUR version!' idea. I mean I plan to use a guy who THINKS he's Sun Wu Kong in one of my future projects, he has many valid reasons to think so, and that's legit the whole point of his character and a huge character moment for him. He's not just 'really good at fighting' he literally is a monkey man, with a magical pole, and a flying cloud to ride on, and is impossibly hard to kill. (Not to mention his 'rival' is a priestess's apprentice who can shapeshift so...) So yeah, in his head, he's the man himself, and the rest of the world believes it because he has the skills and powers to prove it.
Lol not quite, the whole idea of the story is that certain characters believe they're once fictional beings (so like, Thor, Sun Wu Kong etc) in a fictional new reality developed by Otaku. The majority of the story takes place in a fictional setting 'created' by otaku after a cataclysmic event (spoiler alert: elder gods are involved) nearly wipes humanity. A big turning point of the story will be that fictional reality breaking down and slowly revealing the truth. It's something I don't see too often (I've seen it like one or two other times in video games) so it might be fun.
I'm also writing my own version of Journey to the West with a different title, though my character isn't exactly Sun Wukong. I don't worry about accusations because there are so many Monkey King stories out there based on a very old original.
You can also try focusing on the other seldom-touched aspects of the story: an inspirational character development. The disciples of Tang Sanzang were recruited from the ranks of were-creatures and demigods, who agreed to help the monk on his journey in exchange for atonement of their sins. The legendary monkey, pig, and river demon started out as dangerous, mischievous, problematic, in all aspects effectively the complete reverse of traditional Buddhahood characteristics. At the end of their journey, each of them attained a higher status of spirituality and it's a more or less happy ending for everyone involved. What makes it extra satisfying is that they earned it! With every surmounted obstacle, each of the disciples is akin to discovering a small piece of enlightenment and absorbed it into themselves, gradually transforming them from the lowest caste of living being all the way into the very peaks of divinity. Too many popular stories put an inordinate amount of focus to their superficial capabilities, feats, spectacular bravado and witty games of mind. I would like to see a Monkey King-inspired story which focused more on self-discovery, spirituality, maturity, etc.
