“Yao-Chinese Folktales” is a animations series that has been streaming on the online platform Bilibili since January 1. The first episode is titled “Nobody” and is based on the famous “Journey to the West”.
Little Pig Demon (Nobody) is screening at New York Asian Film Festival
As the movie begins, Little Pig demon is sleeping on the grass, when Crow demon wakes him up with a slap to inform him that the Monster King is calling for a meeting. The whole of monster demons seem to have amassed in a cave where the King informs them that Monk Tang will be passing from the area, along with his disciples. As eating Tang's flesh can make the demons immortal, the enthusiasm is spread throughout. In the four days that follow, the demon groups start making preparations for capturing the monk alive. The Wild Boar and his bird friend are then drilled by sergeant Bear, doing all kinds of chores, from manufacturing arrows to cleaning the pop that monk is to be cooked. As the tasks grow more and more difficult, to the point of impossible, the two friends must come up with newfound ways to get them done. Finally, the day comes but the two of them seem to be in extreme trouble.
Yu Shui and Chen Liaoyu shoot a 22-short that unfolds in two axes, one aiming to make some comments that can be described as didactic and one focusing on entertainment through action and a bit of comedy. The first axis mostly revolves around the preparations, which seem to function as a metaphor about how newcomers in various workplaces are treated. The Wild Boar comes up with a better design for arrows which is dismissed by his higher up due to his inexperience, he is then used himself as a cleaning tool, while his hardest work, of amassing an intense amount of burning wood, which he achieves with his cunningness, are immediately dismissed by an even higher up than the Bear, Lord Wolf. Whoever has gotten into a new line of work, particularly in their youth, will probably have experienced similar situations, in a rather pragmatic approach here. The way his mother insists that he keeps going, always trying to do his best, also moves in a didactic direction, with the ending actually rewarding the particular mentality.
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The second one focuses on action, and it is where the artform here finds its apogee. The water-color style that dominates the short is impressive throughout, but even more in the action scenes, with the wolf-chasing in particular, being one that will stay on mind both for the style of drawing and the animation. The sketches of the animals are also quite detailed, with their movement actually suiting the drawing, while the backgrounds are rather beautiful on occasion, particularly in the few long shots appearing in the short. That movement is also included in them is a quite appealing element, with the overall work by animation director Li Jun being impressive. Granted, it would be much better if we could actually witness the final fight instead of just listening to its aftermath by Wukong, but that is not exactly an issue.
“Little Pig Demon (Nobody)” is a rather artful animation short that manages to present its comments with artistry while retaining entertainment throughout. It is also a testament to the progress of Chinese animation.
