The Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" premiered in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, receiving widespread acclaim from local audiences and industry professionals, with all premiere tickets selling out within 20 minutes.
Although the screening version featured only Chinese and English subtitles, it still drew a large number of Japanese audiences and animation industry experts. Due to the extended production timeline for Japanese subtitles, the first round of screenings -- running for 21 days from March 14 -- features a Chinese-dubbed version. The Japanese-subtitled version is set for release on April 4.
"This is a film that prompts audiences to reflect on good and evil. The themes of friendship and family resonate deeply, allowing viewers to connect emotionally even without understanding Chinese. I believe many people want to watch it. The film is fascinating, and I think Nezha 2 will become a trending topic in Japan," said one Japanese viewer.
"This is my first time watching a Chinese movie in Japan, and it exceeded my expectations. It was splendid, I was pleasantly surprised," said another impressed moviegoer.
The premiere also drew numerous professionals from the animation and film industries, who hailed it as a must-watch for industry insiders.
"I believe this is a must-watch film for anyone in the movie and animation production industry. The industry is highly anticipating it. The storyline flows smoothly and fully takes audience preferences into account. I recall that it has been about five years since the previous installment, and the production quality of this one is exceptional," said Hiromichi Matsuda, a Japanese animation industry expert.
Distributors also managed to bring the film to theaters in just two weeks -- a remarkably fast turnaround that is rare in the country.
The film's strong global performance and widespread attention have raised expectations among Japanese theaters for its box office success in Japan.
"We requested other film companies to reduce the number of scheduled screenings for their movies in order to secure screening slots for Ne Zha 2," said Takehiko Sasaki, a representative of a Japanese theater chain.
With its global popularity, Ne Zha 2 has surpassed 14.9 billion yuan (about 2.06 billion U.S. dollars) at the box office as of Friday night. As the Chinese animated blockbuster continues to expand its reach to international audiences, it is expected to further showcase Chinese culture to global audiences.
Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 premieres in Japan to enthusiastic reception
