Son Goku is completely different from the Monkey King in traditional Chinese culture. While one is a homegrown Japanese anime hero with a cult following, the other has been China's favorite superhero for at least five centuries.

In the classical Chinese novel "Journey to the West", the Monkey King or Sun Wukong has extraordinary powers -- he can fly and change into 72 different objects. He is one pupil that his master Xun Zang can't live without in his adventure to the West to locate Buddhist sutras. Its popularity in China far exceeds that of Mickey Mouse in the US.

Dragon Ball and its sequel series are one of the longest-running and most popular anime shows coming out of Japan. Goku is a dedicated athletes in the manga universe. The monkey-tailed boy practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. He meets Bulma and joins her on a journey to find wish-granting Dragon Balls.