{"id":5959,"date":"2026-01-20T22:09:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T14:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acas.world\/?p=5959"},"modified":"2026-01-25T22:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T14:42:42","slug":"ne-zha-2-and-the-good-china-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acas.world\/cn\/2026\/01\/20\/ne-zha-2-and-the-good-china-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Ne Zha 2<\/em> and the Good China Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ying Zhu<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a world-wide box-office of US$2,259,822,417, Ne Zha 2<\/em> (Yu Yang, 2025), a story about the mythological child-god Ne Zha, made history for Chinese animation, indeed Chinese cinema, by topping the 2025 global box-office chart.[1]<\/a> The box-office victory of the film created a patriotic fervor in China, with state media touting the film as an instance of the triumph of Chinese culture on the global stage.[2]<\/a> Organized and sponsored group screenings as well as repeated viewings further pushed the box-office up. The film has become a must see for everyone, with non-participants being shamed and even ostracized. “A friend told me I was not patriotic, just because I did not watch Ne Zha 2<\/em>,” a social media user posted on Douyin, China’s TikTok.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beyond China, however, Ne Zha 2<\/em> gained little traction in box office or popular appeal. Only 1% of its total box office revenue came from overseas markets, far below the 76.8% international share garnered by the Disney animation Zootopia 2<\/em> (Jared Bush & Byron Howard, 2025), which came in second to Ne Zha 2<\/em> in the 2025 total box office. Reports and commentaries by Chinese state-run media nonetheless praised the film as a model for \u201ctelling the good China story\u201d and thereby effectively \u201cpromoting China\u2019s cultural influence abroad\u201d\u2014a framing that suggests a more prominent position for the film on the world stage than it actually holds.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

The gap between the film\u2019s runaway domestic success and its lukewarm international reception raises questions concerning the efficacy of China\u2019s campaign for global cultural influence. While indicative of the wishful thinking on the part of Chinese state media and patriotic fans, the framing of the film as a Chinese cultural ambassador raises further questions: By what criteria is \u201ca good China story\u201d measured? To what extent does Ne Zha 2<\/em> meet those criteria? And, ultimately, to whom is a \u201cgood China story\u201d meant to appeal?<\/p>\n

Ne Zha 2 <\/em><\/strong>as a Domestic Box-office Success<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ne Zha 2\u2019s box-office success owes much to its combustible creative energy combining dazzling visuals with fast-paced combat sequences. The core of the film is the dizzily imaginative and spectacular high-jink epic battle sequences, which come literally \u201cone battle after another,\u201d to borrow the title of Paul Anderson\u2019s 2025 movie. In one much talked about sequence, thousands of white-clad martial-arts warriors cloaked in glowing golden bubbles are piled on top of each other, leading to the formation of a majestic autumn mountaintop tree.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

The film is notable for its slapstick humor and snappy wisecracks. At times bordering on juvenile obscenity and misogyny, the cheap jokes managed to win over young male spectators, the main target audiences.<\/p>\n

Amidst the widespread anti-American sentiment in China, the film is further noted for its irreverent attitude towards the United States as some viewers claimed that the film contains visual clues that put the United States in a negative light. It is said that the pristine white architecture of the Jade Void Palace in the film where the evil Master Wuliang Xianweng resides is a visual metaphor for the White House in DC with its white exterior concealing evil intentions.[6]<\/a> Elsewhere, the much valued “green token” or “green pendant” given to Ne Zha by a corrupted celestial elder in exchange for Ne Zha\u2019s compliance is compared to the U.S. Green Card seen as a trap. The Tianyuan Cauldron, a fictional artifact with destructive power is compared to the Pentagon, which is seen as a source of violence. Chinese netizens suggested that these visual codes might have contributed to the film\u2019s domestic appeal. Some speculated that the film\u2019s lukewarm North American reception could be the result of its not so friendly attitude towards the US. <\/p>\n

Others blamed “America-First” cultural sentiment and the rise of Sinophobia for the film\u2019s negligible presence in the North American market.[7]<\/a> A few took to the social media to complain that Ne Zha 2<\/em> did not get fair screen shares in North American theatres. Some argued that anxiety about Chinese influence might have played a role in the Western resistance to any Chinese audiovisual products. State-promoted Chinese films in the West are indeed frequently dismissed as didactic and propagandistic. Ne Zha 2<\/em> can certainly be perceived as yet another leitmotif film of influence-peddling, given that the film is linked to national pride.<\/p>\n

It so happened that in the Chinese film market during the same period as Ne Zha 2<\/em> was Captain America: Brave New World,<\/em> which was seen by the patriotic Chinese audiences as an unwelcome intrusion and had to be defeated. The BBC reported a popular Chinese online slogan, “I don’t care if Ne Zha 2<\/em> can survive overseas, but Captain America 4<\/em> must die in China,\u201d which was repeated on multiple posts on social media.[8]<\/a> The same BBC report noted that one movie theatre in Sichuan province held off screenings of Captain America 4<\/em> in an effort to support Ne Zha 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Captain America<\/em> did \u201cdie\u201d in China. According to the BBC report, \u201cof the $92m the film has made outside the US, only $10.6m has come from China.\u201d[9]<\/a> Chinese media celebrated the box-office failure of Captain America<\/em> in China.[10]<\/a> “It’s not Captain America<\/em> that’s dying, but America that’s dying,” claims one online article. The author asserts further that “In reality, the US does not have superheroes and the US is not a peace-loving, peace-defending beacon for humanity.”[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

The Misfortune of Ne Zha 2<\/em> Overseas<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Captain America<\/em> failed to compete in China, Ne Zha 2<\/em> fared hardly any better in North America when the subtitled version came out in February 2025. To the uninitiated eyes, a story based on a Chinese mythology is simply too complicated to grasp. It did not help that the trailer for the February release was more interested in showcasing spectacular visuals that demonstrated technical sophistication than in articulating a story comprehensible to audiences, making the already convoluted Chinese mythology more opaque to American audiences.<\/p>\n

The film was given a second chance when A24, the independent production and distribution company behind critically acclaimed titles such as Everything Everywhere All at Once<\/em> and Moonlight<\/em>, dubbed the film into English with Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh in the voice cast as Ne Zha\u2019s mother. However, the A24 release in August did not turn the North American fortunes of Ne Zha 2<\/em> around, despite a Disney-style trailer that recast the film as a coming-of-age story foregrounding the mother-son relationship. The A24 trailer provided a more straightforward narrative framework akin to Hollywood\u2019s family-oriented animations, which is more universally recognizable. This contrasted with the film’s core, which is about fighting against fate as the child-god navigates individual, familial, and societal tensions on a path to personal redemption and enlightenment.<\/p>\n

The creator of Ne Zha 2<\/em> seems more interested in appealing to the Chinese fans of the first Ne Zha<\/em> film, showing little effort in cluing in the uninitiated audiences. As Richard Ren puts it, \u201cThere is little handholding for new or unfamiliar audiences\u2014the film plunges straight into large-scale battles.\u201d[12]<\/a> At 150 minutes, the film\u2019s epic scale and length laced with high-voltage battle sequences is not for the faint-of-heart. To viewers accustomed to Disney and Pixar\u2019s fairy-tale formula \u2014with its emotional subtlety and simplicity in character relations and plot development\u2014 Ne Zha 2<\/em>\u2019s \u201cin your face\u201d audiovisual style might come across as too loud, while its character relationships and plotlines are too convoluted and complex. Writing for The Telegraph, Robbie Collin further laments the film\u2019s lack of emotional resonance.[13]<\/a><\/p>\n

Deeply rooted in Chinese mythology and loaded with references to literary and folklore traditions from multiple adaptations, the story of Ne Zha is not easy to grasp even for Chinese audiences. Its evolution is further complicated by China\u2019s diverse religious traditions involving Buddhism, Daoism, and a variety of spirit-possession mediums. This convoluted history and the complicated characters’ relationships make the viewing experience all the more challenging for untrained Western viewers.<\/p>\n

In the end, the comfort food for mainstream American audiences continues to be the familiar Disney and Pixar pictures, and the occasional Japanese animations with a much longer circulation history in the global market. For 2025, Lilo & Stitch<\/em>, Zootopia 2<\/em>, and How to Train Your Dragon<\/em> were the three animated films that made it onto North America’s top-ten chart. To the adventurous American audiences who made the effort to see it, Ne Zha 2<\/em> remains a quaint curiosity.<\/p>\n

As Ne Zha 2<\/em> fumbled in the US market, Hollywood\u2019s Zootopia 2<\/em> waltzed into the Chinese market with ease.<\/p>\n

The Fortune of Zootopia<\/em> in China<\/strong><\/p>\n

Disney\u2019s Zootopia 2<\/em>, which opened in China over the Thanksgiving weekend in 2025, soon secured the second spot on the Chinese box-office chart before surpassing Avengers: Endgame<\/em> to become China’s top-grossing imported film, as well as setting records for animated imports, despite its near year-end release. Most significantly for the Chinese film market, Zootopia 2<\/em> injected much-needed momentum into China\u2019s sluggish year-end market, propelling the domestic market toward its RMB 50 billion annual goal, which was looking unattainable after the one-shot success of Ne Zha 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Zootopia<\/em> is no stranger to the Chinese market. Back in 2016, the market saw a significant slowdown in box-office growth. In response, Chinese regulators relaxed the traditional “blackout” period in December\u2014previously reserved for local movies\u2014allowing a number of Hollywood films to be released in November and December to boost year-end revenue. That year saw revenue from imported films increase by 10.9%, mostly from U.S. titles including Warcraft<\/em>, Captain America<\/em>, and Zootopia<\/em>, which collectively accounted for 41.7% of the total market share. Zootopia<\/em> came in at number two on the annual box office chart. The film was even re-released in China in 2020, during the reopening of cinemas amidst the COVID-19 slump.<\/p>\n

Similar to 2016, the domestic Chinese film market was soft in 2025, despite the success of Ne Zha 2<\/em>. Once again, Zootopia<\/em> came to the rescue. In this critic\u2019s view, in comparison to the epic scale of Ne Zha 2<\/em>, Zootopia 2<\/em> is more charming in character design, more emotionally intelligent and intimate, more methodical in its story pacing, and wittier in dialogue. The heartwarming buddy film naturally appealed to audiences during the economic downturn, both in China and the US. Chinese online commentaries suggested that the Disney animation would have outperformed Ne Zha 2<\/em> at the box office had it been released earlier and allowed for equal critical and popular attention as domestic animations.[14]<\/a> <\/p>\n

Most notably, Zootopia 2<\/em> had a higher opening box-office total than Ne Zha 2<\/em>, with a worldwide debut of approximately $556.4 million compared to Ne Zha 2<\/em>‘s opening of $431.3 million.<\/p>\n

The Rise of <\/strong>Chinese National Animation <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ne Zha 2<\/em>\u2019s underperformance overseas has not deterred Chinese state media from claiming victory for the film\u2019s ability to tell a good Chinese story.[15]<\/a> A Xinhua Daily<\/em> article celebrated Ne Zha 2<\/em> for its \u201cphenomenal overseas dissemination\u201d of China\u2019s superb animation technology.[16]<\/a> China Daily<\/em> is quick to point out that \u201cNe Zha 2<\/em> symbolizes the country\u2019s ‘growing cultural confidence’\u201d and \u201cthat China\u2019s entertainment industry is telling its own stories instead of relying on Western studios to make movies based on Chinese folklore.\u201d The article says further that \u201cNe Zha 2<\/em> reclaims the storytelling mantle, proving that no one can narrate China\u2019s myths better than China itself.\u201d[17]<\/a><\/p>\n

The ethnocentric conviction that the Chinese are best at telling China stories might not hold water, given that a U.S. studio was credited with making the panda, China\u2019s national animal, into a box-office success. Ne Zha 2<\/em>\u2019s domestic success does demonstrate that the Chinese film industry is capable of making visually compelling animated films on equal footing with imports. As an article in the Global Times<\/em> puts it, \u201cThe era when Chinese people looked up to Hollywood cartoons like Kung Fu Panda<\/em> and marvelled at them is over.\u201d<\/p>\n

The box-office success made Ne Zha 2<\/em> a rallying event for patriotism, which is a political boon to the Chinese government reeling from the impact of Covid missteps and the ongoing economic woes.[18]<\/a> Leveraging market success for the cause of the party has been a standard practice.[19]<\/a> Commercially successful domestic films are frequently endowed with political significance and cultural mission.<\/p>\n

What boosted Chinese animation\u2019s creative competence and competitiveness vis-\u00e0-vis Hollywood was China\u2019s state campaign in the past decade to improve the quality and quantity of domestic animation production. Following the footsteps of Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2<\/em>, the success in 2016 of Kung Fu Panda 3<\/em>, the first major US-China animation co-production, led to significant government support and a call to develop quality domestic content.[20]<\/a> The same year also saw the growing influence of Chinese online platforms such as Bilibili, which provided much-needed space to showcase animated content, nurturing a new generation of animation lovers who gravitated towards domestic content.<\/p>\n

The potential of Chinese animation as a driving force for China’s cultural influence abroad led to a call in 2016 to build a formidable national animation industry. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) approved 20 national animation industry bases and eight national animation teaching and research bases in 2016. SARFT further issued policies offering government subsidies, tax concessions, and investment in animation, with a special focus on original IP creation.<\/p>\n

The development of Chinese national animation industry led to the box-office success of Ne Zha<\/em> in 2019 and the subsequent success of a few other animation films including another epic scale animated feature depicting Tang Dynasty poets Li Bai and Gao Shi, Chang’an<\/em> in 2023, all with stunning visuals in storytelling.[21]<\/a><\/p>\n

The success of Chinese animation further attracted investment from private Chinese media firms, including Beijing Enlight Media, whose subsidiary animation company, Coloroom Pictures, boasts a large workforce that aspires to be China\u2019s Disney.<\/p>\n

The backer of Ne Zha 2<\/em>, Beijing Enlight Media, though not as globally recognized as Disney or Pixar, has become a major player in the Chinese film industry.<\/p>\n

The success of Ne Zha 2<\/em> is the result of the state-led effort to build the scale, skill, and quality of Chinese animation, which pushed studios to produce content capable of rivaling that of their Western counterparts.[22]<\/a> The merger of techno-nationalism and cultural nationalism contributed to the rise of Chinese animation.<\/p>\n

The policy supportive of domestic animation is accompanied by restrictions on foreign animation, which have created favorable conditions for Chinese animation to grow its market share. Ne Zha 2<\/em> was allocated unprecedented screen time during the peak holiday season, with competing foreign films either delayed or given restricted screening windows.[23]<\/a><\/p>\n

National Animation Style<\/strong><\/p>\n

The rise of national animation is accompanied by a push to rediscover traditional Chinese culture, and a large number of animations produced during this period have drawn from Chinese legends and mythologies. The emphasis is not only on Chinese content but also on a distinctive Chinese style rooted in an ethnocentric view of culture and aesthetics.<\/p>\n

Yet, while embedding Chinese values, worldviews, and aesthetics, national animation\u2014as Chinese scholar Bai Huiyuan reminds us\u2014\u201cis not a return to pure Chinese tradition. Rather, it is a combination of Disney, Japanese anime, and web fiction.\u201d[24]<\/a> Daisy Yan Du notes in her book, Animated Encounters: Transnational Movements of Chinese Animation, 1940s\u20131970s, <\/em>the historical engagement of Chinese animation with the Japanese and the Soviet, what she termed \u201canimated encounters.\u201d[25]<\/a> From Kung Fu Panda<\/em> and Mulan<\/em>, Hollywood too has left an imprint on how Chinese animations tell stories.[26]<\/a> The director of Ne Zha 2<\/em> further acknowledged the influence of Hong Kong martial arts films.[27]<\/a><\/p>\n

Last but not least, the character of Ne Zha has its origins elsewhere, in ancient Indian Vedic and Buddhist texts. Though Ne Zha as a rebel was fully fleshed out in China in the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen yanyi)<\/em>, in which the reborn child-god wielded divine weapons, the earliest prototype of Ne Zha is Nalakubara, a son of the guardian god Vai\u015brava\u1e47a from Indian mythology.<\/p>\n

Whether pure Chinese or hybrid models, the official framing of Ne Zha 2<\/em>\u2019s success as evidence of a \u201cgood China story\u201d has come to dictate the popular reception and perception of the film, pre-empting any critical assessment that deviates from the official verdict. Reviewers who dare to express alternative voices are frequently labeled as \u201cunpatriotic\u201d and delegitimized. This social pressure leads to self-censorship and conformity, transforming film viewing from a personal enjoyment into a politicized, collective performance of national pride and fostering the formation of \u201cpatriotic consumption communities.\u201d Not unlike the populist MAGA movement in the US, where \u201cbuying American\u201d is seen as an expression of national identity, here popular entertainment becomes embedded in broader geopolitical narratives of cultural competition. <\/p>\n

However, criticism did appear online. To its detractors, Ne Zha 2<\/em> is at best a mediocre popcorn film, with vulgar jokes and cheap laughs that push the envelope even by Hollywood standards.[28]<\/a> There were also complaints of the lengthy fight scenes \u201cas mindless as Hollywood\u2019s worst.\u201d The film has also been faulted for its predictable plot and misogynistic, male-centric narrative.[29]<\/a> Patriotic activist audiences promptly came to the film\u2019s defense. The rise of active audiences on social media has contributed to the success of recent Chinese films. The industry has learned to harness social media in filmmaking and marketing by reimagining Chinese classics from bygone eras to fit contemporary sensibilities.<\/p>\n

Ne Zha 2<\/em><\/strong> as an Apt Modern Tale<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ultimately, what makes Ne Zha 2<\/em> a \u201cgood China story\u201d might have more to do with the film\u2019s contemporary relevance to Chinese society than with an elusive Chinese tradition.<\/p>\n

Ne Zha 2<\/em> has managed to transform an old legend into a modern tale about equality and social justice. As a few commentators noted, the struggle of Ne Zha mirrors that of contemporary Chinese youth in an increasingly challenging social and economic environment. In the film, the titular character undergoes a series of trials in an attempt to become immortal in order to save his friend Ao Bing, whose life is intertwined with his\u2014both literally and figuratively.<\/p>\n

Ao Bing was Ne Zha\u2019s archenemy in Investiture of the Gods<\/em>, one of the major vernacular Chinese literary works in the gods and demons genre, written during the Ming dynasty (1368\u20131644). The Ne Zha<\/em> films have reimagined their relationship as one of friendly rivals, making Ao Bing Ne Zha’s closest companion. As a balancer, conscience, and counterpart to Ne Zha, Ao Bing injects empathy and purpose into Ne Zha\u2019s single-minded rebellion. The balance between Ne Zha’s wild impulsiveness and Ao Bing’s calm nature makes the two characters a perfect duo with a shared destiny, injecting new dynamics and modern sensibilities into the old tale.<\/p>\n

In the first Ne Zha<\/em> film (2019), the physical bodies of Ne Zha and Ao Bing are destroyed. As the sequel opens, their surviving souls need new forms. A botched attempt leaves the two souls sharing Ne Zha\u2019s single body. It then falls to Ne Zha to undergo a series of arduous trials to earn an elixir capable of fully restoring Ao Bing. As Ne Zha confronts demonic creatures and other mythical beings, the two begin to question the existing hierarchy and whether their enemies are truly the “demons” they have been fighting. Ne Zha eventually comes to the realization that the caste-based celestial system he strives to join is itself corrupt and oppressive.[30]<\/a> His decision to reject participation in a rigged system resonates with the contemporary Chinese youth movement of \u201clying flat,\u201d whose adherents opt out of what they see as a doomed rat race on an unequal footing.[31]<\/a><\/p>\n

It is telling that one of the most beloved characters in this new Ne Zha rendition is the leopard demon Shen Gongbao (\u7533\u516c\u8c79), the antagonist who was tasked with attacking Ne Zha\u2019s hometown.[32]<\/a> A hardworking overachiever with humble origins, Shen Gongbao ascended to the divine court by doing the dirty work of the sanctimonious celestial establishment. Remaining on the lower rungs of the hierarchy, he must work tirelessly to prove his usefulness in order to maintain his social status. <\/p>\n

The character of Shen holds special appeal for disenchanted young migrant workers and small-town college students, who have nicknamed him a \u201csmall-town swot\u201d (\u5c0f\u9547\u505a\u9898\u5bb6). This term refers to underprivileged individuals who work hard yet fail to secure a better life. Unlike their more privileged urban peers, \u201csmall-town swots\u201d are held back by a lack of financial and social resources. The buzzword \u201cdaddy status\u201d (\u62fc\u7239), referring to getting ahead in life through family background and connections, became trendy in China over the last decade. It highlights an inequality where success is inherited rather than earned, capturing a social phenomenon in which parental background\u2014not merit\u2014determines advancement. Children of the rich and powerful (\u5bcc\u4e8c\u4ee3, second-generation rich; \u5b98\u4e8c\u4ee3, second-generation officials) can leverage family resources to maintain their position at the top.<\/p>\n

The reality that one\u2019s social status does not improve despite hard work, and that one might never escape one\u2019s background, has led to widespread discontent among Chinese youth. Shen Gongbao has thus become a symbol of the struggling underclass and has been bestowed the title of \u201cChina\u2019s most beloved villain.\u201d[33]<\/a><\/p>\n

It is unsurprising that Ne Zha 2<\/em> performed better in third- and fourth-tier markets\u2014which have predominantly migrant and gig workers\u2014during its Chinese New Year release. The box office from third- and fourth-tier cities accounted for 56% of the total domestic revenue, as migrant workers and college students patronized the film while returning home for the holiday. Revenue for Ne Zha 2<\/em> from first- and second-tier markets decreased by 2% compared to that of Ne Zha 1<\/em>.[34]<\/a><\/p>\n

Ne Zha 2<\/em> makes a good China story not for overseas audiences, but for domestic ones, due to its contemporary relevance.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u201c2025 Worldwide Box Office,\u201d Box Office Mojo, accessed January 17, 2026, https:\/\/www.boxofficemojo.com\/year\/world\/2025\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Zhao Zhijiang, \u201cNezha 2, 100,000,000,000,\u201d People\u2019s Daily Online<\/em>, February 13, 2025, http:\/\/opinion.people.com.cn\/n1\/2025\/0213\/c448676-40418171.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Rui Wu and Zixiao Tao, \u201cSchool Invites over a Thousand Students to Watch Ne Zha 2<\/em> for Free: Total Cost Nearly 40,000 Yuan to Help Students Relax,\u201d Jiupai News<\/em>, February 17, 2025, https:\/\/news.ifeng. com\/c\/8h3IO3XrD00<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Qi Li, Yan Lu, and Xinyu Dong, \u201cNe Zha 2 Breaks into Global Box Office Top Five as Overseas Popularity Continues to Rise,\u201d Xinhua News Agency<\/em>, March 15, 2025, http:\/\/www.news.cn\/fortune\/20250315\/13be52d23b7f41e39280ae237d14e17b\/c.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Gabriel Chong, \u201cNE ZHA 2<\/em> (2025),\u201d MovieXclusive, last modified March 6, 2025, https:\/\/www.moviexclusive.com\/movie\/ne-zha-2–2025#:~:text=a%20beautiful%20mountaintop%20tree%20in%20autumn%20in,Tianyuan%20caldron%20that%20will%20turn%20each%20of<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> \u201cDetails of Nezha 2<\/em>,\u201d Wondershare EdrawMind, accessed January 17, 2026, https:\/\/www.edrawmind.com\/mind-maps\/61602\/details-of-%E3%80%8Anezha-2%E3%80%8B\/?lang=EN<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Jenny Zhang, \u201cThe Panic over Nezha 2<\/em>,\u201d August 18, 2025, https:\/\/slate.com\/culture\/2025\/08\/ne-zha-2-movie-china-box-office-animation-a24.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Koh Ewe, \u201c\u2018Captain America Must Die in China\u2019: Nationalism Fuels Ne Zha 2<\/em> Fans,\u201d BBC News, February 20, 2025, https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgl026rw7xpo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Dan Zong, \u201cIt\u2019s Not that Captain America<\/em> Is No Good, It\u2019s That America Is No Good,\u201d Zhihu<\/em>, February 19, 2025, https:\/\/zhuanlan.zhihu.com\/p\/24686101039<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a>NME<\/em> News Desk, \u201c\u2018Captain America 4 Must Die\u2019: Chinese Blockbuster Fans Declare War on US Release,\u201d NME<\/em>, February 20, 2025, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/film\/captain-america-4-must-die-chinese-blockbuster-fans-declare-war-on-us-release-3839915<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[12]<\/a> Richard Ren, \u201cFilm Review: Ne Zha 2<\/em> English-Language Release Stumbles in the U.S. \u2013 Bottlenecks and Lessons in Cultural Transmission,\u201d LAPost<\/em>, August 29, 2025,https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=75067#:~:text=When%20news%20first%20broke%20that,arguably%2C%20adults%20conditioned%20by%20TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[13]<\/a> Robbie Collin, \u201cNe Zha 2<\/em> is the Most Successful Animated Film Ever Made \u2013 And I\u2019ve Absolutely No Idea Why,\u201d Telegrap<\/em>h, March 17, 2025, https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/films\/0\/ne-aha-2-review-animation\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[14]<\/a> Yingshi yuanshuo, \u201cIf Zootopia 2<\/em> Were a Domestic Film, Its Box Office Would Exceed 16 Billion Yuan, and Ne Zha 2<\/em>‘s Champion Status Would Be at Risk,\u201d Sohu, January 11, 2026, https:\/\/m.sohu.com\/a\/974813622_121779952?scm=10001.325_13-325_13.0.0-0-0-0-0.5_1334<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[15]<\/a> Economic Daily<\/em> Commentator, \u201cThe Fundamental Success of Ne Zha 2<\/em> Lies in Telling a Good Chinese Story),\u201d Economic Daily<\/em>, February 22, 2025, http:\/\/paper.ce.cn\/pad\/content\/202502\/22\/content_309408.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[16]<\/a> Yuan Yuan, \u201cUsing Chinese Technology to \u2018Illuminate\u2019 Chinese Stories,\u201d Xinhua Daily<\/em>, February 8, 2025, https:\/\/zgjssw.jschina.com.cn\/dangjianxinlun\/202502\/t20250208_8454526.shtml<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[17]<\/a> Zhang Yixin, \u201cNe Zha 2<\/em>: Redefining Excellence in Chinese Animated Films,\u201d China Daily<\/em>, February 8, 2025, https:\/\/www.chinadaily.com.cn\/a\/202502\/08\/WS67a6b974a310a2ab06eaadc2.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[18]<\/a> Neo Xia, \u201cMarket Miracle and National Image: Government Promotion and Nationalist Transformation in Black Myth: Wukong<\/em> and Ne Zha 2<\/em>,\u201d Continuum<\/em>, August 7, 2025, https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/10304312.2025.2544779<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[19]<\/a> Paola Voci and Luo Hui, eds., Screening China\u2019s Soft Power<\/em> (London: Routledge, 2017).<\/p>\n

[20]<\/a> The film was co-produced by DreamWorks Animation, China Film Group Corporation, and Oriental DreamWorks.<\/p>\n

[21]<\/a> Evelyn Cheng, “The Record-breaking Run of Ne Zha 2<\/em> May Seem Like a Surprise. It Shouldn\u2019t,” CNBC<\/em>, Feb 25 2025, https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/02\/26\/the-record-breaking-run-of-ne-zha-2-may-seem-like-a-surprise-it-shouldnt-be.html#:~:text=The%20record%2Dbreaking%20run%20of,It%20shouldn’t<\/a><\/p>\n

[22]<\/a>Jun Kit Man, “Ne Zha 2<\/em> Conquers China, But Can It Win Over the World?” Resonate<\/em>, February 27, 2025, https:\/\/www.weareresonate.com\/2025\/02\/ne-zha-2-conquers-china-but-can-it-win-over-the-world\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[23]<\/a> Wang, Nian and Zhang Xin, \u201cChasing Titanic? Ne Zha 2<\/em> Officially Extends Release for Another Month, Set to Stay in Theatres Until at Least End of April,\u201d Jimu News<\/em>, March 21, 2025. https:\/\/www.ctdsb.net\/c1476_202503\/2401227.html<\/a><\/p>\n

[24]<\/a> Bai Huiyuan, \u201cGuochan donghua yuzhou: Xin shiji Zhongguo donghua dianying yu minzuxing gushi Shijie,\u201d Yishu pinglun <\/em>no. 2 (2022): 52-67.<\/p>\n

[25]<\/a> Daisy Yan Du, Animated Encounters: Transnational Movements of Chinese Animation, 1940s-1970s<\/em> (Honolulu: University of Hawai\u2019i Press, 2019), 1.<\/p>\n

[26]<\/a> Yan Yihang, \u201cNezha 2: Playing the Rebel,\u201d CHINA WRITER OBLINE<\/em>, February 6, 2025, https:\/\/www.chinawriter.com.cn\/n1\/2025\/0206\/c404076-40413494.html<\/a><\/p>\n

[27]<\/a> Kasheng, \u201cWhy Is It the Highest-Rated Film in This Record-Breaking Spring Festival Season?\u201d Sanlian Life Weekly<\/em>, February 2, 2025, https:\/\/www.lifeweek.com.cn\/h5\/article\/detail.do?artId=241340<\/a>. <\/p>\n

[28]<\/a> Tasha Robinson, \u201cNe Zha 2<\/em>, the highest-grossing animated movie ever, pits breathtaking spectacle against fart gags,\u201d Polygon<\/em>, February 21, 2025, https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/animation-cartoons\/527578\/ne-zha-2-review-chinese-biggest-animated-movie-of-all-time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[29]<\/a> See Yan Yihang, \u201cAnime Eye | Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea<\/em>: Pretending to Rebel,\u201d Pengpai sixiang shichang<\/em>, February 3, 2025, https:\/\/mp.weixin.qq.com\/s\/eUJBg67TTbV4oWzMXsz_jA?poc_token=HNVrwWejo-fToExl5D5HPB0_zIntzAftS2dn7yKp<\/a>.  <\/p>\n

[30]<\/a> Bai Huiyuan, \u201cNezha 2<\/em>: The Passion-igniting Mechanism of the Chinese Nezha,\u201d Film Art<\/em>, February 8, 2025, https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/900178160\/%E5%93%AA%E5%90%92%E4%B9%8B%E9%AD%94%E7%AB%A5%E9%97%B9%E6%B5%B7-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%93%AA%E5%90%92%E7%9A%84%E7%87%83%E6%83%85%E6%9C%BA%E5%88%B6-%E7%99%BD%E6%83%A0%E5%85%83<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

[31]<\/a> Zhu, Ying & Peng, Junqi, \u201cFrom Diaosi<\/em> to Sang<\/em> to Tangping<\/em>: The Chinese DST Youth Subculture Online,\u201d Global Storytelling: Journal of Digital and Moving Images<\/em> 3, no. 2 (2024): 2. doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3998\/gs.5304<\/a><\/p>\n

[32]<\/a> Manya Koetse, \u201cHow Ne Zha 2\u2019s Shen Gongbao Became Known as the Ultimate \u2018Small-Town Swot,\u2019\u201d Eye on Digital China<\/em>, March 1, 2025, https:\/\/www.whatsonweibo.com\/how-ne-zha-2s-shen-gongbao-became-known-as-the-ultimate-small-town-swot\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[33]<\/a> Eyal Press, Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America<\/em> (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021).<\/p>\n

[34]<\/a> FreeS Fund, \u201cThe Timing, Geographic Advantage, and Human Unity Behind the Explosive Popularity of Ne Zha 2<\/em>,\u201d CBNData, March 12, 2025, https:\/\/www.cbndata.com\/information\/293748#:~:text=%E3%80%8A%E5%93%AA%E5%90%922%E3%80%8B%E7%9A%84%E5%8F%99%E4%BA%8B,%E5%AE%B6%E7%A6%BB%E5%BC%80%E7%9A%84%E9%82%A3%E4%B8%80%E5%A4%A9%E3%80%82<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bio: <\/strong><\/p>\n

With a career spanning senior academic positions in the United States and Hong Kong, Ying ZHU is an internationally recognized voice on global entertainment\/creative media scholarship. Her work bridges Chinese and American media systems, with a focus on transnational media and cultural diplomacy. She is the founding and chief-editor of Global Storytelling: Journal of Digital and Moving Images<\/a>, a peer-reviewed open access academic journal. Zhu has published four research monographs including Hollywood in China: Behind the Scenes of the World\u2019s Largest Movie Market<\/a> (2022), which The China Quarterly<\/em> calls \u201ca one-stop shop for facts and figures about the Chinese film market, and Hollywood\u2019s presence therein\u2013about what happened, where and when\u201d and six co-edited books including Soft Power with Chinese Characteristics: China\u2019s Campaign for Hearts and Minds<\/a> (2019) with a foreword by Joseph Nye. Her first book, Chinese Cinema During the Era of Reform: The Ingenuity of the System<\/a> (2003) pioneered the industry analysis of Chinese film studios, with the Journal of Asian Studies<\/em> calling it \u201ca path-breaking book that initiated the institutional study of Chinese cinema.\u201d Her second book, Television in Post-Reform China: Serial Drama, Confucian Leadership and the Global Television Market<\/a> together with three co-edited TV books pioneered the subfield of Chinese TV drama studies. <\/p>\n\r\n\t\t