Nezha Reborn: A Chinese Steampunk Mythological Anime!? | Video Essay

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Accented Cinema - Episode 64
Brought to you by the folks who made White Snake, Nezha Reborn is a visual stunning, steampunk anime inspired reimagining of a classic Chinese folk tale. While the story reception is lukewarm in China, almost everyone agrees that the visual style is a big achievement.
That's kinda unusual. Consider how much Chinese people hate when someone messes with Chinese culture. So, what did this movie do so right, that people can overlook the drastic change?
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[@AccentedCinema]

Oh, and two more things that would enhance your enjoyment of this movie: 1) Nezha also makes an appearance in Journey to the West. He is one of the gods who fight Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) one on one. Nezha's fire turns out to be one of the few things that can actually hurt Wukong. This weakness is then corrupted through pop culture, which is why Infernape is a fire type. 2) The Monkey character in Nezha Reborn actually isn't Wukong, but the Six Eared Macaque. This character also appears in Journey to the West. This imposter looks exactly like Wukong and has the same power and abilities. Even the gods cannot tell them apart. Well, except The Buddha himself. Happy viewing!

[@AccentedCinema]

Why does this feel like I'm explaining wrestling lore?

[@613aristocrat]

@@AccentedCinema To be fair, each Journey to the West 'episode' can seem like setups to intense wrestling matches with Sun Wukong's violent tendencies.

[@thesuniu]

Err, isn't it Red Boy (son of Bull King and Fan Princess) that have the fiery fire that cannot be quenched by normal water?

[@iamnoone21]

Huh I always thought Infernape was a reference to when the gods tried to kill Sun Wukong by burning him in an alchemy furnace, which only made him stronger

[@maxtyson9035]

@@AccentedCinema Actually Jiang Ziya is better than nezha, according to me. Nezha is spoiling emotions of audience because when there is a moment of seriousness, a comedy comes and spoils it. But Jiang Ziya serious when there is a moment if seriousness. Hence I think Jiang Ziya is more better than Nezha. I think it might have got low rating due to the pandemic.

[@AgentDanielCross]

"Back when Queen Elizabeth was a mere middle aged woman." HA!

[@dewarfV]

Lizzy is the real immortal

[@2nd3rd1st]

Little dig at the oppressor

[@fathinmedia6340]

that is a long time a go than i could imagine

[@johnnyjacksted6528]

@@2nd3rd1st China is also an oppressor you know...

[@javanese-engineer]

@@2nd3rd1st As a South-East Asian looking at South China Sea condition: which one?

[@flykyrt81]

To be fair, 'FF7 Advent Children meets Akira', sounds like something I would totally be into!

[@diosnelfrica7589]

Fu*k yes

[@ValkyrieTiara]

I'm pretty sure that's just FF7R lol

[@madhukarg8052]

Hell yeah

[@manwithlongnose2810]

@@ValkyrieTiara Kinda yeah, but I don't see how it's any more Akira-like than the OG FF7

[@davadh]

FF7 is already Akira-like, just rename Zack Kaneda and Sephiroth Tetsuo

[@vsiu]

the original story of nezha is that he was playing in the east sea and he wasn't aware his magical powers were causing massive disruption to the water. so the east sea dragon sends his general to investigate the source of disruption which was nezha. they fought and the general was killed easily, then he sent his son to fight and he was easily killed too. nezha didn't know he was causing trouble, he thought he did a good deed by ripping out the dragon son's spine and made a belt for his dad. nezha was actually a very kind and obedience to his parents. the dragon king knew he wasn't strong enough to fight nezha, so he complained to his dad. nezha's parents were shocked to found out about this, and nezha protect his parents by taking responsibility by "returning" his fresh and bone to them and killed himself. his later revived by his master by blinding his soul to a lotus and was given more magical items and became even more powerful. then he was sent to help the zhou and fight against the gods in the zhang dynasty in Investiture of the Gods

[@NeostormXLMAX]

It is debatable, most versions say he was executed by his father for insubordination then begged the budda to give his body back so he could take revenge

[@vsiu]

@@NeostormXLMAX i don't know where you got your story from. my story is from both Buddhist and Taoist books from the song and yuen dynasty, which is by far the most popular story of nezha in Chinese culture. the same story is in the journey to the west and Investiture of the Gods, again a very popular Chinese literature. nezha has always been a symbol of obedience to parents in Chinese culture for sacrificing himself to save his parents, from the east dragon king. even though he and his dad hate each other afterwards.

[@NightPhoenix.Y]

@@NeostormXLMAX tf where did that came from, sounds a lot like the whole Hades deal where 'modern' values are used, Hades is a chill dude and Nezha committed suicide to stop a war that he started.

[@theirishviking9278]

@@vsiu when it comes to tracing back a story how popular something is isn't factored in, age of the text and intentions of the author are factored in for example as Night Phoenix mentions modern depictions of hades has him painted to be the villain, this is due to Christianity throughout history trying to force there own mythos onto others and misunderstood how the Greek afterlife worked, as well as the most well know story involving Hades is the tail of how he was married to Persephone and how its title is badly translated, most people know it by the title "The Rape of Persephone" but the word "Rape" refers to the traditional translation of the Latin raptus, "seized" or "carried off", and not to sexual violence. a more accurate title and less confusing would be "The Abduction of Persephone", and even then her abduction was on the order of the father of the bride something that was well within Zeus rights to do at the time of the story, as an interesting aside everyone in the tale actually blames Zeus for everything that happens including Demeter the mother of the Bride

[@ivanlim3180]

​@@theirishviking9278 Tf it has to do with Christianity? How does language translation and interpretation of Greek mythology had to do with Christianity at all?

[@ethanlee8307]

I won't deny that when I myself watched this movie, I was coming at it from a more technical storytelling standpoint, rather than its cultural significance or accuracy and as a result, my impression was that the movie was "okay". But aside from my little nitpicks about plot and character and pacing, there was always an underlying current of "Wow. I can feel this movie, it feels _real_." and that is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of a story. The worldbuilding has to be strong in order to foster and nurture strong characters that can hold a story.

[@AccentedCinema]

That's pretty much how I feel, too. The world and the characters all feel great. It's just the story isn't as strong. I think it's main problem is it follows the original story a bit too closely, instead of updating it to suit the new style and new target audience. It's a film aimed at a more mature audience, with a plot that was meant for audience of all ages.

[@JW-xd8up]

@@AccentedCinema I respectfully disagree. Now personally, I feel this movie is a perfect “teen boy rebellion fantasy”. I mean, what teen boy wouldn’t want to look like a cool, attractive, “bad boy” who rides motorcycles, wears badass leather jackets, and successfully defies authoritarian father figures?

[@ghadlydevastated2067]

I think the film's aesthetics lean on diesel punk rather than steampunk. But holy crap, thank you for analyzing this movie!

[@AccentedCinema]

I think so, too. But the official publicity materials keep referring this as steampunk and cyberpunk. Despite it having no "cyber" in it. So I picked the less wrong one.

[@liuhc]

@Stellvia Hoenheim Knock-off from whom?

[@whosaidthat84]

The whole "punk" thing is getting about out of hand. Yeah, Dieselpunk would be more accurate since gasoline is the main source of power instead of steam and smoke, but it's such a niche term that it might as well not be mentioned.

[@luohao2321]

@@liuhc Just ignore him. If u click on his profile and look at the past comments he's made on this channel, u can tell he's a Sinophobic troll who's lying and talking nonsense. He just wants the attention.

[@fluidthought42]

@@liuhc A knockoff of the story of Nezha, duh. Wait...

[@huytungnguyen119]

I thought Nezha's motorbike is a modern take on his traditional fiery wheels on his feet. Or those things appears later on in the movie?

[@ShinyGreninja14]

They're teased in the last scene

[@mastertofu]

Teased? They were quite literally shown in the post-credit scene.

[@danc42421]

@@mastertofu its as if thats what teased means in this context lmao

[@maggiejetson7904]

The OG roller blades

[@kieranking7173]

What's especially cool about Nezha Reborn is, believe it or not, the end credits. Not only does it tease a sequel to White Snake, but it also asks the viewer to wait for it. Even Marvel doesn't do that.

[@CLUMSY101]

Yeah . Those after credit scenes are really on point. Damn can't wait for the sequel.

[@RushGarcia]

When yah boi lost his mask and said he was the 6 eared maquaque I was like "oh nuts I've been had." Then he was like "I AM SUN WUKONG" Aah there it is...

[@camrendavis6650]

I was watching the movie with my little brother and we both swore that the masked guy was Sun Wukong, it was too obvious. Then his mask came off and we were both like "YES!!!" And then he said "I am the six-eared macaque" and we were both like "NO!!! Kinda." But when it turned out to actually be The monkey King in the end we just thought "that is so like him XD"

[@monkeyincorporated]

I love the reveal at the end. Just so cool

[@dylantennant6594]

If this movie is setting up a sequel, I would love a movie that explores how Wukong got there. Because from my memmory, Journey to The West ends with him becoming a bodisatva, and gaining inner peace. What happened to him to cause him to revert back to running gang outfits and living while wearing a false identity? I'm kind of hoping it takes an american gods approach, where chinese myths are forverer doomed to keep repeating, heroes doing their deeds, only to die and be reborn to do it again. And considering how many gods, monsters and heroes are in chinese myth, it could make a good series. Maybe it will end with a movie bringing Journey To The West, Nezha, Hu Yi, Madame White Snake and more together to fight one common threat.

[@icecreambone]

i just realized that cultural appropriation is literally just "we were inspired by the hall of mirrors" in reverse, just ripping off the aesthetics without any of the cultural narratives that make it meaningful

[@jacoblevenson7934]

Which is the line one must cross to justify cultural appropriation

[@MichaelHarto]

Cultural appropriation? Only asian americans use that word.

[@fyang1429]

Well you fake it until you make it. A bad movie does help to generate discussions and improve ones that come later.

[@carlosandleon]

Cultural appropriation is an absolutely nonsensical concept. Honestly the only ones who complain are americans. I would actually be honored to have my Culture imitated. Be it hairstyle, dress style or some other shit

[@joaodelgado6696]

@@carlosandleon cultural appropriation definetely exists but it is not the mere reference or copying of a cultures aesthetic.

[@henryhchzhu]

The most popularly Nezha's origin story is from the novel 封神演义, where he is an extremely self-centered but strong little kid who doesn't really care others (aka 熊孩子). All of his conflicts started because he was carelessly, obnoxious, and inconsiderate to others. Even after committing murderous crimes he never admitted nor apologized for his own wrongdoings. The 1979 cartoon created distinctively good vs bad, where Nezha has to be shown as the "good guy" because of the target audience. This is like Disney's version of The Little Mermaid vs. the original.

[@camrendavis6650]

This was the best animated movie I'd seen all year! So dark and violent and sad! A huge fan of Chinese myth, especially Ne Zha!

[@Daniel-nf1gq]

From what I understand, the original story looks more like a critique of confucian morality, or perhaps even its mix with legalism rather than just feudalism in the western sense.

[@Gabriel-l]

2:03. Ahh yes, I too, prefer to measure historical events with the stages of Queen Elizabeth II 's life.

[@user-ty2fm3ge9m]

”Back when Queen Elizabeth was merely a middle aged woman” Impossible

[@Friskycandy]

Ikr I thought she was immortal

[@iwasanangryyoungman]

I saw that underrated gem at Netflix and was gobsmacked at the aesthetics which readily drew comparisons to Final Fantasy XII as well as Avatar: The Legend of Korra. The action sequences are equally jaw-dropping as well

[@Y-two-K]

This looks interesting. My sentiments regarding Ne Zha (2019) were pretty mixed. After recently watching The Tale of Princess Kaguya, I'd love to see old Chinese myths told in such an honest and beautiful fashion as that film. Ne Zha just felt like flashy mediocrity to me.

[@AccentedCinema]

My feeling towards Ne Zha (2019) is also somewhat mixed. But it understand that I'm just not the target audience. Personally I find this movie to be a bit more of my taste. I think objectively it's less well done. But if you prefer your animation a bit more mature (and by that I mean teenage mature), this is the movie for you.

[@shazzatulanam6680]

The tale of princess kaguya is one of the few films that made me cry.and it does not get enough attention.

[@Y-two-K]

@@AccentedCinema Oh, you replied to my comment! Awesome! I've been watching you for well over a year now, and I'm happy to see how much your channel has grown. Keep up the good work! Thankfully, I just found it on Netflix. I already queued up Dr. Strangelove for tonight, but I think I'll check it out tomorrow :]

[@Y-two-K]

@@shazzatulanam6680 I've seen it twice in English now. I look forward to seeing it in the original Japanese during my next viewing. Some people complain about its pacing, but I think it is an expertly done film and an emotional goodbye from Paku-San to the world, while simultaneously expressing gratitude toward his culture and its mythology. Even without watching the entire film, I'll sometimes pull up the ending for a good cry.

[@peterwang5660]

@@Y-two-K The one time he replied to me was when I asked why Marlon Brando was controversial, because I’m not a cinema scholar and I’m Gen Z… so the only time I’ve gotten his attention was by embarassing myself 😂.

[@felixowen2693]

Isn’t the motorcycle a reference to those wheels at the bottom of his feet? I don’t know much about Nezha but I just remember seeing a photo of him with wheels at the souls of his feet.

[@EricChien95]

风火轮

[@user-js9zt3hv2x]

His wheels appear in the final scene of the movie, suggesting a sequel

[@davidkumarmahto8187]

I don't know much about nezha, but I've seen nezha with wheels under her feet in the game monster super league (yeah he's a female in the game). Also she uses a floating ring as big as a wheel as a weapon.

[@maggiejetson7904]

Chinese invented roller blades thousands of years ago...... seriously

[@Lyserus]

I'm Chinese and I did not watch this movie ....yet Didn't like the art style illustrated in the trailer but now you got me hooked :p

[@shogun2heroicvictories15]

I had the same thought. I thought this was going to suck due to the style, but as I watched it I kinda found it to be really engaging. One of my favourite scenes is in the very beginning where we see nothing more than just people living their day to day lives.

[@jaytb5815]

Imo the visuals smack

[@Clarity520]

I think this one just recently came online on Netflix. I'm going to watch it tonight

[@zainiikhwan9405]

_"You should watch it"_ Yes your highness o7

[@renarddubois940]

Ao bing's design as a dragon and his fight against Nezha was very well done in this movie.. my favorite rendition by far.. just for the dragon design and fight tho..

[@raizopopo3159]

As Indonesian, sometimes i envy chinese story, as we Indonesian had mainly shared from Hindia, and other foklores main protagonist always a noble, or god, or nobless/god illegitimate kid.

[@MrWillypanda88]

Not always. You can look at folklore from eastern part of Indonesia. They tend to be more original and not part of Hinduism/Buddhism. They tend to be heavy on nature and its origin. I used to read them back when I was a kid as part of Study of Local Content. Try searching for the origin of Timor island, it supposed to be a giant alligator

[@scorpioninpink]

@@MrWillypanda88 He is probably Javanese.

[@MrWillypanda88]

@@scorpioninpink I can't see why he can't be interested in stories from other regions of Indonesia 😉

[@hdzy121]

fyi, nezha originates in Hindu mythology

[@ycantiusegeorgiantextforhandle]

That's only the case in Java, Bali and parts of Sumatra. We have loads of different stories, myths and folklore often dealing with many very different topics, one of the pros of having 700+ different ethnicities in one country. However, the one thing to be jealous of would be how well preserved these stories are in China, India and Europe, we should work harder to find and preserve these stories before they disappear forever.

[@alexandravillar9783]

Just wanted to say I love you're channel, I'm from Brazil and since I've graduated as an historian I've been looking into history of animation and animation in general as a means to represent history. Because I'm in the other side of the world, there's a lot of things I have no idea about Chinese and asian animation in general, so every new video of this channel is like a source of innumerous new references to learn from. Thank you for all the amazing videos!

[@AimbyFrame]

7:20 Me: We were inspired by the haul... "No we are not doing that" Me: *dies a little inside*

[@MagronesBR2]

(Sad Chinese noises)

[@nulnoh219]

Why can I hear that line even tho it's muted?!

[@AimbyFrame]

@@nulnoh219 It's not in the video he just showed the footage without the audio

[@--Paws--]

I just realize the manhua "Feng Sheng Ji" (2010) is like a Nezha inspired version of the story. I read scanned translation of it long ago. The story was full of rebellious angst, fights, a teenage romance that works with how the story is told and the art style carried each event beautifully. I can see why many artists and writers get inspired with Nezha, it feels relatable to rebel, especially when I read it growing up.

[@justafloatingcoconut1368]

"no we're no doing that" my disappointment is immeasurable keep up the good work! Even though I've read NeZha's story since childhood I never thought about it from this perspective!

[@spikesagitta]

Ok, I wasn't interested in this, but now I'm, going to give this a chance.

[@chaosfire321]

1:03 East meets cyberpunk, huh? Honestly reminds me a lot of the new series/line LEGO is doing, Monkie Kid, a loose adaption of Journey to the West. It's far more kid oriented and the tone and style feels a lot more western, but the aesethetic was the same kind of proto-modern eastpunk. Not to mention the animation is downright godly.

[@maggiejetson7904]

Steampunk, more like roaring 20s.

[@boreos3499]

I get literal chills every time I watch one of your videos. Your writing, voicing, and the content of your messages are just absolutely top-notch.

[@mikkireally9250]

Nobody talks about this awesome movie!!! Thanks for reviewing it, Accented Cinena

[@rayzhang1008]

Yes, FINALLY, thank you for giving me the word "Eastpunk", that is long an art style that is freaking attractive to me but I don't know how to describe or to name it.

[@DensetsuVII]

This is 100% what I come to the channel for - I think I saw this on Netflix and having seen the more recent Nezha, I was unsure as to what it was and whether it was a strange reimagining not worth looking at or something vibrant and new - Yang's continued ability to help us discern which Asian films are worth our time is a tremendous boon to any filmgoer - thanks so much for bringing this one to our attention!

[@--Paws--]

The Avatar the Last Airbender looks to be like a Nezha inspired story. The Legend of Korra also seems to be inspired by that era of China in the 1900s.

[@etang5]

I've been planning to watch this but then I saw that Kenshin (another movie you mentioned) came up first. I'm happy this channel exists. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@mr13579100]

AHHHH I LOVE THIS. Not enough Chinese cinema analysis on youtube. Very very much appreciate what you do!

[@ScuzoidMelee]

This was amazing. Thank you so much. I'd seen the thumbnail for Nezha Reborn on Netflix a couple of times and just immediately wrote it off as just another Netflix anime I'll never watch. Now I'm hyped to actually watch it.

[@binkusbonkus]

I gotta say, I wish I had the cultural understanding to enjoy Chinese media within it's full context. I would never have picked up on the references to a different era in Chinese history without this video, and even though I am likely going to watch it now, I'm going to miss so much :/

[@sinuhezarzuelero6054]

This work makes me want to learn about Chinese mythology; but also learn Mandarin Chinese at the same time.

[@peterwang5660]

Hey Accented, so, I don’t want to burden you with fanboying which you might think “what in the actual fuck?!” To. But, like, it’s very personal. It’s not as cringe as you think but, you’re kind of a hero of mine right now. Yeah! Let me explain, so I’m 16 right now and the past three years have been critical in helping me figure out my identity, I’m a third culture child, Canadian, Hong Konger, but I will to the death call myself Chinese. I also discovered my passion for the performing arts in general and to direct a film and/or tv show (already a stupid amount of ideas in my head) is a dream I have. So a while ago, in the middle of searching up videos about Kung Fu, because, I was getting into MMA, and just going through a “overcompensate for your foreign infancy” phase I happened to come across your Jackie Chan video, now I don’t exactly agree on your thesis in that video if I remember, but I don’t even care what I was thinking then right now lol. If you even reply and if you’re curious I’ll try to remember and summarize it. Anyways, after that one video I binged through all your videos, ALL of them, and have watched every new one you’ve made since, and of course in your video you’ve given viewers a sense of some parts of your life. And the fact that you went to freaking VANCOUVER (which OF COURSE YOU DID, but BESIDES THE POINT) where I WENT TO KINDERGARTEN, and you went to film school, and dude, like, I think you basically get it. On top of that, I seem to have 缘分 with your channel and this release is yet another example, the kung fu panda video was spot on for a complicated reason I left in a comment on it, but this video is about a movie I’ve been seeing a million clips of on tiktok’s Chinese servers and WeChat channels, I asked my brother literally saying “Chinese myth, steampunk” and he didn’t know what it was, and then today you made a fucking video of it! Haha. Look, you’re awesome, keep inspiring us third culture gen Z’s, hope to be lucky enough to meet you someday! Oh and I really didn’t know much about Marlon Brando, I swear, I didn’t know about Last Tango in Paris…

[@youtubedeletedmyaccountlma2263]

Saying you are Chinese are like saying you are European. Lol you are Chinese racially yeah, but cultural identity? You are definitely Cantonese.

[@numbernumber25]

@@youtubedeletedmyaccountlma2263 well to be fair they are not far off the mark when laying out their identity. They may be Canadian and Hong Kongnese, but they can still identify with their Chinese heritage. The Hong Kongnese is also just a term some people use to refer to people that have several generations coming specifically from Hong Kong. I understand your point that it is a bit far since they are Hong Kong that they would be Cantonese, but people in Hong Kong are still Chinese nonetheless. I speak specifically from an ethnicity standpoint to say they call themselves Chinese. My point is that I am most definitely sure they are referring to their ethnicity, not their nationality so you do not need to stomp them out on it. In addition to that them being Cantonese does not denote them any less of a Chinese person than any other.

[@youtubedeletedmyaccountlma2263]

@@numbernumber25 I mean the term Chinese was being abused politically is kinda dumb. Cause it can mean lots of things. He should refer to himself as Cantonese first before Chinese. Just like how Germany people refer to themselves as German before European. And nobody says that they aren’t Chinese culturally, but they are not Chinese nationally. And mainland Chinese people usually love to abuse this aspect saying that Hong Kongers don’t claim themselves as Chinese. And I’m not even Hong kongers but I’m Chinese lmao. So he should edit the post and remove that line and to respect his roots and his ancestors.

[@peterwang5660]

@@youtubedeletedmyaccountlma2263 You don’t know me, so don’t assume anything. My family comes from Henan, I’m the first generation to live in HK before mainland.

[@peterwang5660]

@@youtubedeletedmyaccountlma2263 And no, Canton isn’t a country, it’s a province, it’s not the same thing as the German thing at all, you have no idea what you’re talking about but it seems to come from an anti-mainlander bias. Cantonese people in mainland Canton call themselves Chinese first then Cantonese. Because it’s nation and then province obviously. It’s only HKers who do this nonsense you’re telling me I should do because yes, mainlanders aren’t wrong when Hong Kongers sometimes want to separate themselves from the mainland. I’m not saying I support the CCP, I can understand that part, but I don’t appreciate the sentiment that somewhat exists in HK where some feel superior for being more Westernized and they also think mainlanders are brainwashed peasant pigs. And anyways, because some people abuse a term for political points suddenly the definition changes? What kind of logic is that? stop using your woke ass ideas to tell people how to identify themselves.

[@kingyamcha5289]

i love the effort you put in your videos the quality shines through so much.

[@FM-cp6kc]

Thanks for not spoiling cause I've been wanting to check this out for a while (mostly because I heard of the presence of the Monkey King who has now become one of my favorite characters in general ever since I read Journey to the West). A 1920s steampunk retelling of classic mythology is everything I ever wanted The moment I got the notification I went to check if we had this movie on our Netflix (since we don't have Hero is Back or White Snake) and YES, we do! Ironically, League of Gods was suggested right next to it

[@WooMaster777]

I love, absolutely LOVE your analysis of movies. You bring so much insight to things I would have never noticed or understand. Thank you so much for your videos.

[@mai14128]

as a chinese teenager I enjoyed nezha reborn so much, because it's just simply very well animated and a nice modern twist to the story. The animation has a kind of appeal that makes sense for teenagers to be very drawn to in my opinion although I found the film itself a little long and not with perfect storytelling but the six-eared macaque character I loved a lot, especially his design! I guess what I have to say is the designs in this movie are exquisite.

[@MrNamesNoMore]

Wouldn't have known about this movie without you bringing this up. Thank You!

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I love when punk aesthetics mix with fantasy, sci-fi etc. this is really interesting

[@Minboelf]

It looks like a movie setting in the 1920s

[@el_dogetaco812]

I'm definitely putting this on my watch list. Thanks Accented Cinema!

[@tonymatic1704]

OMG this made me remember my favorite tv show as a kid, The Legend of Nezha!!!! Thank you!!!!!!

[@JPHarringtonJr]

Thanks for highlighting this one

[@grumpyoldguy6117]

Thank you for your presentation of your opinions.

[@alphabettical1]

It's interesting learning about the detail in the fonts, as I would have no idea that it was included

[@Stormbolter]

I remember watching the 79 film as a child, and boy, seeing back this scene still makes me cry

[@lastofthestarmakers]

I always love your videos, and this is no exception. I don't know that I even would have heard of this movie without your essay, and that would have been sad indeed! I look forward to watching it.

[@nunyabiznes7446]

And I never would have heard about it without you. Thanks, man.

[@ziljin]

I watched both Nezha movies on Netflix. I liked them both. But I love mythology movies in general involving gods, monsters and other mythological beings. I love Journey to the West and Greek mythology movies.

[@juanpaula152]

I'm always delighted by your words. Another amazing video, I hope this channel can grow more each and every day keep on this great job! Love from Brazil 🇧🇷

[@sammypan3528]

Hi Accented Cinema :) Thank you for what you are doing. I recently listened to a joe rogan podcast with Jamie Metzl where Jamie said something along the lines of China no longer has its culture as it was all destroyed in the Cultural revolution. This is the same idea shared by many, inside or outside of China. And for most of my life so far, I share the same idea. But hearing those words from a non-Chinese person really makes me reevaluate my own take on if that is true -- what is Chinese culture? It seems that when the word "Chinese culture" is used, people refer to a nebulous concept, some kind of oriental fantasies that exist only in some kind of fervent dreams. Now watching what you reviewed on the readapted version of Nezha, as well as looking at other incredible art projects that are going on in China at the moment, not least Black Wukong, 自得琴社, 雾山五行... I am beginning to to realize that -- yes the cultural revolution may have destroyed the Chinese culture in the past. But ultimately it is the Chinese people who create and readapt their culture in ways they like. The oriental fantasy of "Chinese culture" is destroyed -- but Chinese culture is not. Where there are Chinese, there is Chinese culture. The culture is best generated and maintained by the ordinary people, the 老百姓. And it is experiencing a rebirth right now.

[@edukid1984]

Very good of you to consider the topic independently instead what accepting wholesale the increasingly tiresome "China lost all its culture in Cultural Revolution" BS that's constantly peddled among Western KOLs and media. Spend a few months travelling across China and you'll realize that the narrative can't be further from the truth.

[@andro7862]

While the cultural revolution was indeed a horrible time marred by chaos, to say all of China's 3000 years of heritage and culture was destroyed by those 10 years (and somehow not by a total Japanese invasion and war) is ridiculous.

[@sususegar]

😂 I gave that podcast episode a listen and find it muddled in fear-peddling. To measure culture absolutely by the number of fine arts a country own is just very funny.

[@user-wy8nw1yk4v]

作为一名中国人，文化大革命根本就没有摧毁中国文化，我觉得西方故意抹黑中国

[@MrAwesomaniac]

Thanks to this, I just resubbed to Netflix. I love the work you do and the recommendations. Please keep this up, I love listening to you talk about other movies and giving me more reasons to watch them. Also thank you for not spoiling the movie.

[@santi3574]

Man, the fact that a channel like this exists is such a fucking blessing it helped me interact with a part of the world that I never got to understand before. I really love your nuanced takes on Asian culture! Keep it up

[@jemiu9525]

This made me want to watch it so much! I love your channel. I learn so much.

[@ParmMannREBORN]

Well I've been sold, having all this context for a major film is nice

[@KillerTacos54]

Thanks for another fantastic video! I'll have to watch this now

[@phoenixz7011]

Thank you. I was in the audience of a very early screening of this movie, and for a month before its wide release, I felt kind of unjustified for liking this movie more than a lot of the critics who saw it the same time as i did. Even after its wide release, people were saying that it was "style over substance". Your video helped me solidify a lot of my feelings. Looking forward to Qingshe.

[@Jumungous]

The studio looks like it took some direct inspiration from Asura's Wrath, too, and it *works* Highlighting the emotion that drives each act of violence makes even flawed products resonate long-term. Great video, 100% going to give this a watch.

[@FigureOnAStick]

I appreciate you sharing your perspective. I expect that they'll be a lot more Chinese cinema going forward, and it's nice to hear how it is meaningful to its domestic audience to get some context for your own viewing

[@vrownvegan3187]

Your writing style is superb!

[@dvf1736]

Now I just need a Journey to the West (1980s edition) in a steampunk setting

[@Carewolf]

Was hoping for follow up movies, seems they might be under way. At least there seemed to be several chinese only movies in the Nazha Reborn universe.

[@benninasc]

I love the way he guides us through the films... I always end up wanting to watch the right now.. good or bad... One of the best cinema channels out there! 🏆✨

[@rmhartman]

I ran across Nezha a few weeks ago and enjoyed. I could tell it was based on a cultural touchstone, even if I wasn't familiar with that particular story. It was still a great experience.

[@andrewjpalla]

As someone unfamiliar with the original story, Nezha Reborn was a little bit confusing to navigate mythology-wise. This context would've been very helpful going into it! Nonetheless, the setting is beautiful, the story is good and the characters are compelling. It is a very gripping movie even though some parts were confusing.

[@supercyc10]

Hey heyyyy, nice, I'm glad you got to talk about this movie.

[@priscillaye5049]

i was lucky enough to see ne zha in theaters two summers ago when I went back to china to visit my family; it was also the first time i'd ever watched a movie in a theater. to say the least, it was absolutely amazing

[@squishycld]

Dude this makes so much more sense. I thought this was a continuation of the previous Nezha animation, the one on netflix where he's a little kid. like the characters looked almost the same too. Like i was thinking it was a bad translation because i thought he survived in the last movie.

[@NickyShelby_]

I never know cheongsam looks good with steampunk corset. 10/10 Would buy

[@joseespino4488]

Excellent vid as always!

[@teekay534]

Love this video, and I went and saw Nezha Reborn because of it, and I absolutely adored it! But I noticed - throughout this video, Kasha has been referred to as Nezha's younger sister, but isn't she just his childhood friend? Just wanted to point that out. Thank you for putting out this video!

[@syafizzaq]

3:00 that's a hella cool scene

[@TheKillakick]

I’m surprised you haven’t done this already, but you should make a video on the various shows/films of the three kingdoms

[@AddaeAkono]

This looks interesting to me. I'm going to check it out on Netflix when I get the chance.

[@CaptainPikeachu]

Nezha was always my favorite in watching Journey to the West when I was a kid and is still one of my favorite parts of Chinese mythology, so I love that this film exists! :D

[@sofarsogood8680]

I still remembered a hongkong tvb drama titled gods of honour in the early 2000 i guess, which was the live action of nezha . The drama was so good and the actors played their characters well. The lore has been simplified and easy to understand. The most heartbreaking moment when it showed his mother love nezha so much she would do anything, many good deeds before his master resurrected him from lotus. I might as well watch this nezha's movie adaptation in real life world

[@polarbear6794]

Dang. Just finished the movie and it was a blast!!! I cant stress enough how well this movie is now

[@xavierbenech2856]

Next video will be about "Wish Dragon" ? :) I love the way Sun Wukong is depicted in this one, playing well with the crazyness and outsider position of the character...

[@paperboy1116]

Not long ago, I actually came across this movie on Netflix and decided to check it out because I was like "Nezha? Isn't that one of the dudes Sun Wukong beat up?" and I was happily surprised over the overall visual qualities and surprising accuracy to the myth. While it's not the tightest written script, it knows when and where to hit and makes me want to check out more Chinese animations. Next on my list are the White Snake movies, because it seems like an atypical romance movie I can get behind for once.

[@leiladekwatro3147]

I expected to see literally anything else in the first 30 seconds except the monk XuanZang singing Only You.

[@batuhanakyol8722]

Man these animes are golden. Thank you!

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

I remember I watched the 2019 Ne Zha film in theaters because my buddy was part of a Chinese language club in our university, and I decided to join him. It’s very interesting to consider that the actual mythology is so commonly interpreted as a fable criticizing social hierarchy, while the film’s message was morphed into one about individualism, and “overcoming one’s own destiny” and stuff like that. One where the main character is literally a demon monster boy instead of being interpreted that way because he stands in conflict with the status quo, and where most authoritative figures are considered somewhat just, or even outright selfless and magnanimous.

[@YasmeenCheM]

I originally watched this on Netflix just to check out its visuals and animation (former 3D animator here) and came away with feeling awed at how rich the world building was. I knew a lot of the cultural and mythological references went over my head so I couldn’t really appreciate it from that perspective but it was refreshing to see a new take on Chinese mythology. I agree, the pacing can be improved and after a while, it felt like the story was being dragged from one set piece to another. However, I very much enjoyed studying the animation. Looking forward to seeing more quality Chinese animation!

[@sumdood8563]

You should do a video on various manhua. The beautiful art of Ma Wing Shing's Storm Riders series plays a large part in what got me into Chinese fantasy.

[@Akahigep]

I didn't know nothing about this movie but I'll watch it for sure. Thanks as always for your interesting videos ☺️

[@mr.person1219]

literally just watched this movie on Netflix a minute ago and found this. Great movie, can't wait for the next one. It gives a Chinese story animated feel rather than the American story vibes.

[@justinemot2282]

"Chinese or not, this is just... good." Loved it!

[@Bendelsohn]

I'm mad I have work to do this morning because I want to watch this movie immediately

[@CoryTheRaven]

Nezha Reborn looks alright, but now you got me looking for those vintage cartoons! Thanks!

[@rickr9435]

13:30 ah! i can't wait for the green snake! i hope it will be good! i am surprised the studio makes two movies about the white snake but sets the stories before and after the original folklore. also surprised they have two movies this year.

[@KarelPKerezman]

I'm glad I made sure to watch the movie before watching this video. It's good! As you say, there are some weak and wobbly bits, but overall? I'm impressed. It looks great, there's some really imaginative and fun stuff here, and for all that the melodrama is rather blatant they sell it surprisingly well, considering. Also, one of the post-credits trailers says there's a White Snake 2 coming and I am SO HERE for that.

[@francescogulisano2917]

Now I kind of want an Accented Cinema video about Tolkien, even if it would be a bit off-brand...

[@ThePizzaGoblin]

This looks amazing. I'm digging the eastpunk aesthetic, and I'll always love an updated mythological story.

[@simonsays5094]

I saw the nezha film when it first came out in american theaters but didn't make the connection that it was the same story of the cartoon I used to watch in China when I went to visit during the summers. Holy crap what a wave of nostalgia when the connection finally hit. This film looks amazing in the punk style and now I have to go watch it

[@phanithC137]

Amazing as always