The animation and action styles take some getting used to, as does the entire mythological aesthetic. That's not a complaint that more background should have been given for a non-Chinese audience. A quick search of wikipedia shows that this story is based on a Ming-dynasty novel with Taoist themes, and has multiple retellings/versions, including an animated 1979 version, Nezha Conquers the Dragon King. The current version was from an unknown studio, but was massively popular in China, where it has clearly tapped into the cultural Zeitgeist. For myself and my children, what impressed was the stylized but sharp animation, the epic scale, and the manic action scenes. The most distinctive part was the untraditional anti-hero, essentially a young bratty way who simultaneously fights against his own brattiness and others' dislike of him, as well as his fate to die in 3 years; ultimately, he and his frenemy/twin Ao Bing reconcile to overcome this fate, at least partially. The plot reminded me a bit of a Jungian transcendence of opposites in the personality - after all, both Ne Zha and Ao Bing come from the same chaos pearl!
Sebastian: 10 Stars Sienna: 8 Stars Paul: 8 Stars
Sienna's Favorite Character: Drunken Master!
Sebastian's Favorite Character: The Dragon.
Sebastian: 10 Stars Sienna: 8 Stars Paul: 8 Stars
Sienna's Favorite Character: Drunken Master!
Sebastian's Favorite Character: The Dragon.