Genjou Sanzou is a Buddhist monk dispatched by the Emperor on a quest to locate sacred Buddhist scriptures. One day, Sanzou encounters an Earth Deity who informs him that Buddha has assigned him a disciple: the mischievous Monkey Deity Son Goku, who had been sealed within a mountain for five hundred years after causing chaos in Heaven! Alongside the alcohol-loving playboy Cho Hakkai; the heavenly army General Sagojyou; and their horse, the Dragon Crown Prince Ryuuba; the group faces numerous adventures, ranging from battling monsters to participating in bishounen contests.