New domestic anime film eyeing Chinese adults

BEIJING - Hopes are high that homegrown animation "Kuiba 2" can find a cartoon industry holy grail and resonate with adults as well as kids when it is released nationwide on Friday, a day before International Children's Day.

The second instalment in a five-part series produced by Vassoon Animation, "Kuiba 2" has been made to try to help anime pull away from most adults' perception of the genre as puerile nonsense.

It has a plot centering around a figure named Manji who struggles to be a hero but must fight his inner demon. This demon is Kuiba, a destructive force reborn every 333 years to annihilate the world.

"I've watched a few animations, but this time I was deeply touched by the story's spirit of self-esteem and responsibility, which are great assets for both adults and children," said Xu Xiaoping, the 47-year-old co-founder of private education company New Oriental, after watching an early release of the film on Wednesday.

The film not only centers on inspiring themes of fighting to the last but also explores the father-son relationship and comments on realities, according to Xu.

Wang Chuan, director of the film and CEO of Vasson Animation, China's oldest private animation company after being founded in 1993, called the film a tryout to break with the nation's stereotypical teenager-riveted animations.

The animator pointed out that big-screen cartoons are created for diverse age groups in other parts of the world, as some Disney blockbusters successfully appeal to the whole family while adults are the main market for Japan's animation giants.

However, China's animation industry, although fledgling thanks to a series of governmental preferential policies, primarily focuses on the teen and children's market, Wang said.