“ASIAN

REPRESENTATION

SERIES“

Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (2019)

By Sue Van Phan

Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child is based on one of the famous Chinese legendary mythological  characters called Ne Zha. The plot of this animated film was loosely based on a Chinese classic  16th century novel called, Investiture of the Gods.  

The remake of Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child was one of the 2019 Chinese 3D animated  films. It was written and directed by Jiaozi. This animated film is also the first ever Chinese animated film to be release in IMAX, which is gradually becoming a global sensation from  China to the United States. Due to its popularity in China, Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child 

began to be released in the United States on August 19, 2019 to only select IMAX 3D theatres,  however, on the following month it was released nationwide.  

Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child is a really brief and sweet story with a deep lesson that both  children and adults can learn in life. When I first watched this animated film I was captivated by  how adorable and demonic Ne Zha was drawn. Aside from Ne Zha’s physical appearance, he  also had a very short life span throughout the film. Due to the fact that Ne Zha only has three  years to live, his parents did their best to tame his demonic nature while at the same time trying  to make him live as happily as he could. From that moment, Ne Zha’s parent concealed the secret  by making him believe that he was born of the Spirit Pearl and that he was destined to be an  outstanding demon hunter.  

Unfortunately, no matter how discreet Ne Zha’s parents could be about the truth, Ne Zha ended  up knowing the truth. He was furious initially, but as the movie progressed he realized what his  parents did was for his own good. Ne Zha might seems like a demon child, but deep within him  he was just like a normal kid that wanted to be loved and accepted by his peers. His birth to the  universe might be unique but that doesn’t mean he was born to be bad. In fact, Ne Zha is the  

good kid because at the end of the movie he defied what his faith was and chose to follow his  heart in doing what he believed was right.  

Overall, all the people from the village finally saw the real Ne Zha and they all gave him a  standing ovation as a way to show Ne Zha their gratitude for saving their lives and the rest of the  village. This part is what I found touching because Ne Zha is only three years old and he already  understands one of life’s greatest lessons. The fact that Ne Zha understands that already shows  that he was not a demon child as others said he was. All the years that his parents raised him  seemed to be paying off because Ne Zha ended up becoming a forever hero that lasted through 

centuries. This animated film is truly different and unique due to the fact that it engaged with the  audience about the morals of life.