China Focus: Chinese animation "Nobody" set to become somebody in cinematic history

by Xinhua writers Wang Meiqi and Yao Yuan

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Following the steps of the blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," another Chinese animated film has gone viral with its innovative interpretation of ancient Chinese mythologies.

"Nobody" by Shanghai Animation Film Studio has become a major sleeper hit this summer, having grossed 776 million yuan (about 108.73 million U.S. dollars) since its debut on Aug. 2, smashing the record for Chinese-made 2D animated films, previously held by "Big Fish & Begonia," according to ticketing platform Beacon.

Between Tuesday and Thursday, it even outperformed the historical movie "Dead to Rights," which is so far the top grosser in the bustling summer movie-going season, on daily box office charts. Industry tracker Maoyan has projected its total box office to exceed 1.7 billion yuan.

Beyond a box office hit, it is also a critical darling. On Douban, a film review platform known for its stringent ratings, the animation has scored an impressive 8.6, edging out "Ne Zha 2," the most-watched and highest-grossing film ever in China, by 0.1 points.

"Both 'Ne Zha 2' and 'Nobody' are excellent. The former features grand special effects, while the latter excels in storytelling," a movie-goer surnamed Cao told Xinhua.

Based on the Chinese classic novel "Journey to the West" written in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the film does not focus on the original protagonist -- the mighty Monkey King. Instead, it spotlights the countless puny yaoguais (Chinese monsters) that appear in the novel.

In the film, a group of four low-level yaoguais -- a boar, a toad, an ape and a weasel -- decide to embark on their journey to the west by dressing up as the team of Monk Tang and Monkey King. The journey sees the impostors save human villagers from evil yaoguais and be eventually remembered by other nameless, ordinary people as great heroes.

"The film puts contemporary themes onto nameless minor yaoguais that the original work never developed, ultimately crafting a new story with modern relevance," said Chen Liaoyu, producer of "Nobody."

On China's social media, many movie-goers are impressed by the animation's sarcastic portrayal of modern-day work culture, the Shanghai studio's iconic ink-and-wash-painting style and its humanistic focus on the minor characters rather than the big heroes.

"The cinema is filled with laughter of kids and weeping sounds of adults," reads one comment on Douban. "As kids, we dreamed of becoming the Monkey King, only to realize after growing up that we're merely the ordinary yaoguais, the minor characters."

In recent years, many Chinese cultural creations have won great popularity in China and beyond by retelling traditional stories from a modern perspective.

"Black Myth: Wukong," the country's first 3A video game released in 2024, is based on the same story of the Monkey King but adopts a darker narrative. The game sold over 10 million copies in three days after its release and has become a global cultural phenomenon ever since.

"Ne Zha 2," a 3D animation that rewrites the story of another Chinese mythological figure Ne Zha, has soared to the top-grossing animated feature in history, surpassing the likes of Pixar's "Inside Out 2" and Disney's 2019 remake of "The Lion King."

"Ne Zha 2" director Yang Yu, also known as Jiaozi, believes that literary classics are the most valuable source of cultural IPs for animated films. Still, the classics need a modern touch for revitalization, said Yang.

"Today's Chinese creators don't simply copy the past -- they reinvent traditional stories through modern visual language and innovative storytelling while honoring the core values and aesthetic appeal of the original works," said Liang Junjian, associate professor at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication. ■