Know no shame

A Richardson's ground squirrel feasting on grasses.

OKAY OKAY GUYS I KNOW THE STANDOUTS THIS YEAR FROM CHINESE ANIMATION ARE NEZHA 2 AND THE LEGEND OF HEI 2 BUT I NEED TO PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR THE FILM NOBODY!!!! 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺

Finally got to see it tonight (I am SO glad I live near a city with a big Chinese population so the film was still showing; I heard it only got to show in LA for like 2 weeks and it was during a road trip I was on so I was scared I’d miss it). 🥹

It’s an expansion of episode 1 from the short collection Yao—Chinese Folktales, which can be watched here:

Yao—Chinese Folktales Episode 1:

The film is focused on the life of the small-time yao that get no names and are basically henchmen in Journey to the West where they’re basically cannon fodder for Sun Wukong ADKFJSKFJSKSH.

In the movie, the plot is that the main characters (a boar and a toad) decide to impersonate Sun Wukong and his gang to try and be respected but also gain immortality, gathering two other yao to help them on their journey. 🔥

It’s a very funny movie but also pretty low-key—less flashy in terms of action than The Legend of Hei 2 and Nezha 2 and also sillier than the former but less immature than the latter!

It also has a very hopeful message and themes since it’s focused on the underdog and kind of more clearly reflects our reality (since the yao suffer from the hierarchy system and struggle to keep/find jobs).

I even forced my younger brother to watch it and it’s actually his favourite donghua film this year out of the other 2 I similarly forced him to watch in theatres. 😆

Here’s the trailer!:

Official MV:

Behind the scenes:

And kind of depressingly, we only have one video on YouTube reviewing it… 😭

But they really liked it too!:

Plus it has legacy too since it’s animated by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which was practically responsible for all animation in China after the 1920s-1930s in the 20th century before China opened up in the 1980s, and they evidently have tons of important historical animation under their belt like Uproar in Heaven (1961-1964) and Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (1979).

Nobody even references SAFS’ work with the Journey to the West characters, along with the iconic 1986 adaptation. ^^

Evidently Nobody itself is not doing too hot in western theatres and has already left some theatres, but I’d encourage you guys to watch it in theatres if you can! It is quite a pretty film and it’s cute and funny and honest and subdued and heartfelt and adds a really fun new dimension to Journey to the West.

It actually makes it so that this story doesn’t mess up the JttW canon at all despite using a villain directly from the story, so it can totally be taken as canon. 🔥

My favourite character is surprisingly enough the weasel ALFJSKDJSKS. HE’S ANIMATED PRETTY CUTELY AND HE HAS A FUN LITTLE PERSONALITY AND ARC TOO!

(Actually all the characters have pretty strong character arcs!)

OH AND I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION THIS BUT NOBODY IS NOW CHINA’S HIGHEST-GROSSING 2D ANIMATED FILM EVER!!

hi hi! I understand your scepticism, but I lived Here for half a decade:

and nnno we don't call it "winter" when it's december even though we're TECHNICALLY in the northern hemisphere. because it is 35+ degrees during december and 35+ degrees during july and 35+ degrees every other time of the year as well. so it doesn't really make sense to reference the typical northern/southern seasons when you live right on the equator!

Second reblog. tags. #i like the implication that there are multiple other hemispheres #<- prev I know right #do we have posters from mars or something?

A map of 13 countries lying on the equator. Kiribati. Indonesia. Maldives. Somalia. Kenya. Uganda. Democratic republic of Congo. Congo. Gabon. São Tomé and Príncipe. Brazil. Colombia. Ecuador.

Third reblog. Tags. #ehhh that last bit feels like a stretch. #do people in equatorial places really not even reference seasons like just as a way to break up the year?

Episode 1 of MLC is so hilarious. Because what do you mean we start with learning of this legendary hero and then we cut to this suspicious physician that's actively lying to people (most hilarious scene when that lady walks by and greets him) and purposely getting Biachuan Academy detective involved in his shit so he doesn't have to do any work and just manipulating the situation.

mansplain, manipulate, resurrect, I guess? 🤣 Like Lianhua is such a lying liar, and I love it.

"In this world, there are ways to revive the dead. Because sometimes, the dead may not really be the dead."

Ahhhh the foreshadowing of it all! God, like on first watch this is like ooh interesting concept but now?! Now I'm screeching thinking about how this is true for himself and the guy in the coffin but also all the other people that we will meet soon! Like... ooooh it's so juicy

Li Lianhau just reading Fang Doubing to filth. He really said "boy you ain't worth your weight in salt and you are too trusting and too obvious. Just go home."

And then he gets kicked while he's down and finds out he's been cut off.

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Fei wielding the power of the yao