'Ne Zha 2' sees massive acclaim in Japan

The Chinese animated film Nezha: The demon child churns the sea received widespread acclaim after its release in Japan. Local audiences were deeply impressed by the film's high-quality CG visuals and intricate details.

The animated blockbuster, also known as Ne Zha 2, held its premiere in Tokyo on Friday. Keiji Miyamoto, an employee of Tohoki, a Tokyo-based human resources company, attended the event and praised China's technology in animation production.

"The visuals and character details left me in awe," Miyamoto said.

Sara Takase, another employee of the company, shared her emotional reaction: "The themes of family and friendship in the film moved me to tears".

She also expressed her hope that Japanese and Chinese animation studios could collaborate in the future and looked forward to seeing co-produced works.

Starting from Friday, the original Chinese version of Ne Zha 2, with Chinese and English subtitles, has been released in major Japanese cities with high population density, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Nagoya, covering 32 theaters.

The Japanese-subtitled version is set to be released on April 4. By then, the distributor aims to expand screenings to all prefectures in Japan, hoping to more than double the current number of theaters showing the film.

Even before Japan decided to release Ne Zha 2, many people were inquiring about whether the film would come to Japan and when it would be released. Chinese communities in Japan, including some well-known directors and creators in the industry, were eager to see this film. This kind of anticipation was something that Facewhite, the film's distribution company in Japan, had never encountered before.

Steve Dong, founder of Facewhite, noted that the time gap for Chinese films to be released in Japan has been reduced from an average of 500 days to less than 50 days. However, simultaneous releases are still very unfamiliar to the Japanese film industry.

The near-simultaneous release of Ne Zha 2 in Japan and China was, to some extent, a response to the strong demand from the Chinese community in Japan, Dong said.

He recalled, "We told those people inquiring about the film that we still needed time to prepare Japanese subtitles of the film. But they said, 'It's okay, just release it first — we really want to watch it. We've been waiting for so long!'"

According to a Chinese film industry data provider, since its release in China on Jan 29, Ne Zha 2 has accumulated a global box office revenue of over 15 billion yuan ($2.07 billion), surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens and entering the top five of the global box office rankings.

The film is produced by several Chinese companies such as Chengdu Coco Cartoon, Beijing Enlight Media, and Beijing Coloroom Technology Ltd. In March alone, it has been released in several countries, including Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.

Dong attributed the movie's success in part to the fact that some outstanding creators in China's animation industry grew up watching high-quality works from around the world are now at the prime age for creation. They have experienced many setbacks, undergone significant growth, and gained valuable experience.

Furthermore, the development of China's animation industry is also closely related to the economic environment of the country. Making animated films requires significant financial investment, and the final product must have a market that is willing to pay for it, he said.

"In recent years, the economic conditions, talent availability, and market demand have all been maturing, ultimately leading to the emergence of high-quality works," he said.

Dong recalled that when he was making animated films over a decade ago, the box office revenue for animated films that Chinese teenagers could watch was only around tens of millions of yuan. But today, Ne Zha 2's global earnings, including presales, have surpassed 15 billion yuan. This breakthrough shows that the market demand has always been there, but the supply in this field was previously insufficient, he said.

"I might have wanted to watch a great domestic animated film, but there weren't any good options. So when a high-quality work finally emerged and exceeded expectations, it triggered a wave of pent-up consumer demand," he said.

Speaking of the strong elements of traditional Chinese culture that Ne Zha 2 contains, Dong emphasized that for foreign audiences, Chinese elements can bring a sense of novelty, but they also come with a degree of unfamiliarity.

"If Chinese cultural elements are used effectively, they can make a work highly distinctive, allowing it to stand out from the crowd and differentiate itself from Hollywood and Japanese films. However, the risk is that if foreign audiences struggle to understand these elements, it could hinder the work's ability to spread internationally," he said.

That is why Facewhite has been striving to maximize the positive impact of Chinese cultural elements in this film.

"Culture is a form of soft power — it cannot be forcefully imposed on audiences, especially when spreading it overseas. Instead, we must find ways that foreign audiences are willing to embrace, with the key being respect for the local market and its people," Dong said.

He acknowledged that in the beginning, no one really knows for sure how well Ne Zha 2 will adapt to the Japanese market. That is why the distribution company is carefully listening to feedback from ordinary audiences and industry professionals alike.

"We need to understand whether Japanese viewers face any difficulties in comprehending and accepting Ne Zha 2 and identify aspects that might need adjustment. Through this process, we hope to discover the best approach to making the film more accessible to Japanese audiences," he said.

Currently, three different versions of the Japanese subtitles are being produced because each translator has their own interpretation of the same line, and theaters also have specific formatting requirements that may further affect how the subtitles are displayed.

To find out which version is the best, Facewhite is comparing all three, not just internally among industry professionals but also by collecting ordinary audience feedback. Its staff want to understand which subtitle translation resonates most with Japanese viewers and best aligns with the essence of the film.

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn