Until a few years ago, the science fiction genre in China was considered childish, intended primarily for a very young audience and mostly for educational purposes. Therefore, this kind of film has never found its place in the boundless Chinese filmography, if not very recently, since Chinese production companies began to invest massively in local and foreign productions.
1. The Monkey King (2014)
Sun Wukong is the main character in this first of three films in a trilogy series. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, rebels against the Jade Emperor of Heaven in the film.
2. The Monkey King 2 (2016)
The sequel to The Monkey King (2014) takes place 500 years after Sun Wukong defeats the Jade Emperor in Heaven. Tang Sanzang, a young Buddhist monk, goes on a trip to collect Buddha's scriptures the film. Tang Sanzang frees Sun Wukong on his travels and feels obligated to defend the monk.
3. Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons (2013)
The Chinese tradition of the Monkey King is one of the most well-known. Thus it is not surprising that another film represents this old Chinese myth. Because the film is just 110 minutes long, the intricacies of the myth have been greatly reduced to fit so much content into one film.
4. Journey To The West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)
As the film begins, Tang Sanzang and his students are on a mission to tame the demons and fulfill his Buddhist obligations. Tang Sanzang learns personal challenges and must learn to deal with his numerous personal shortcomings along the Journey.
5. The Magic Brush Has Two Different Forms
This animated film exists in two versions: one from 1954 and one from 1955. An impoverished peasant child wishes to become an artist, and a wizard grants his dream. The magician gives the youngster a magical paintbrush that brings whatever he is drawing to life.
6. Snow White & The Frog Prince References Classic Tales
This Chinese cut-out style animated picture follows the well-known fairy tale in which a princess and her dwarf allies must battle her evil stepmother. The film adds several variations to the fairy tale, such as Snow White being exiled to the wilderness when the king is duped into believing she is a witch.
7. Big Fish & Begonia Originated On The Web
Chun is a young girl who lives in a magical realm with spirit creatures and is allowed to visit the human world in the shape of a red dolphin before her sixteenth birthday. While there, she unintentionally kills a human boy. An animated web short inspired the feature-length film.
8. The Legend Of Hei Took Several Years To Make
This film took four years to develop and is a precursor to the web animation The Legend of Luo Xiaohei. After his home is destroyed, Luo Xiaohei, a ghost who can take the appearance of a black cat, meets other spirits and humans.
9. White Snake Has Roots In The Past
White Snake, a computer-animated film produced in 2019, is loosely based on a Chinese folktale. In the film, Blanc, a white snake demon, loses her memory after falling in love with Xuan, a snake hunter. They come upon her sister, Verta, who has to take her home as they try to discover her memories. Blanca agrees to return to her people but must leave her new love behind.
10. Princess Iron Fan Made An Impact
The first animated Chinese film is a rough depiction of the meeting of Sun Wukong and Princess Iron Fan in the renowned epic Journey to the West. The tale is largely focused on the Monkey King's fight with the princess to gain her magical fan and is animated with a heavy influence from Disney and Fleischer cartoons. This Chinese animated picture would have a significant international impact on Japanese animation.
