#yang wei

YANDAI BYWAY NO.10 | S01E10

Chinese Drama - 2016, 10 episodes

~ Episode List~ |  ~ Chinese Drama Master List ~  

Spoilers for the end of the novel under the cut....

You've probably never heard of Ne Zha despite it currently being the 9th highest grossing film of 2019. It's because all that money came from China. Now, the picture's getting a limited release in the West too. How does it look?

Loosely based on the Chinese mythological characters and the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods, Li Jing (Chen Has) and Madam Yin (Lü Qi) are shocked when their son is born with superhuman strength and the ability to breathe fire. The boy has been infused with the power of the Demon Pearl and is destined to bring chaos and destruction. In 3 years, a storm will have gathered the energy necessary to destroy Ne Zha (voiced by Lü Yanting as a child and Joseph/Jiongsensefu when older). Meanwhile, the parents attempt to raise him as best they can.

The beginning moves at such a rapid pace it’s hard to keep up. We’re dunked face-first in Chinese mythology: a pearl that absorbs energy uncontrollably turns into a monster, the powers contained are split by divine beings who proceed to use its energies for their own purposes. While immortal Taiyi zhenren (Zhang Jiaming) attempts to teach Ne Zha to hold his temper, Shen gongbao (Yang Wei) has stolen the Divine Pearl for the world's guardian dragons - They've grown weary of their responsibilities and now seek freedom. Got that? You will once you're settled in. Despite the unfamiliar mythology, it's pretty grokkable.

Once accustomed to the story's rhythm, I was impressed by the action scenes. Long, extensive sequences where punches, kicks, and energy blasts are thrown left and right in the kinda moneyshot scenes that make what we saw in Dragon Ball Super: Broly look flat. They may go on for slightly too long but in IMAX and in 3D, wow does it look great.

It’s a movie for children so there are several juvenile gags but I’ll be damned if they didn’t get to me. In fact, it’s got the funniest fart joke I’ve seen in ages. It again makes this storyline approachable and digestible.

What works best in Ne Zha is the way the story approaches what should be a bore: the theme of rebelling against destiny. How many times have we seen a prophecy forcing someone into becoming a hero, said protagonist languishing over the fact that they just want a regular life and blah, blah blah? Here, Ne Zha doesn't know he's a bringer of destruction. His parents want his short life to be happy, and decide to defy the divine words which say he will become a menace and teach him to be a hero instead. It isn’t wholly revolutionary but it's a nice way to go at it.

Ne Zha feels fresh and also captures the feel of ancient myth because it's exploring myths we're not familiar with. You'll look forward to more - and the sequel promised in the numerous end credits look promising. (3D Theatrical version in IMAX, September 4, 2019)

YANDAI BYWAY NO.10 | S01E09

Chinese Drama - 2016, 10 episodes

YANDAI BYWAY NO.10 | S01E08

Chinese Drama - 2016, 10 episodes

YANDAI BYWAY NO.10 | S01E07

Chinese Drama - 2016, 10 episodes

YANDAI BYWAY NO.10 | S01E06

Chinese Drama - 2016, 10 episodes