Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," the highest-grossing animated film of all time, has been warmly received by Japanese moviegoers after hitting local movie screens on Friday.
At the premiere in Tokyo, many moviegoers showed up early and queued up to take photos with the movie poster prior to the highly anticipated screening.
The animated epic fantasy film was screened in 32 theaters in more than 20 cities across Japan on the day with Chinese and English subtitles. The Japanese subtitled version will be released in the country on April 4.
Moviegoers said they were impressed by the movie's integration of traditional Chinese culture with modern storytelling techniques as well as exquisite visual effects.
"The scenes are very beautiful. The story is fascinating. The film ended in a blink of an eye. I had some expectations about the quality of Chinese films, but after watching this film, it exceeded my expectations," said a moviegoer.
"By using Chinese history as the background, and applying the most advanced technology, the film expresses the themes of love, unity, and family affection to modern audiences. I look forward to more excellent films like this in the future," said Yutaka Kitamura, a Japanese film and music producer.
"It's amazing. What surprised me most was how the scenes and characters were presented with so many details. It left a deep impression on me," said a moviegoer.
According to the Japanese distributor of "Ne Zha 2", nearly half of the more than 30 screenings across Japan on Friday were full.
Several cinema websites showed that the movie's pre-sales were good, with tickets in Tokyo and many other places almost sold out for this weekend.
"Ne Zha 2", the sequel to the 2019 animated hit "Ne Zha", continues the tale of the iconic boy god from Chinese mythology, as Nezha and his ally Aobing struggle to rebuild their physical forms and secure their fate with the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren.
"Ne Zha 2" has surpassed Disney's Star Wars: The Force Awakens to secure its spot as the fifth highest-grossing film of all time globally.
According to data from ticketing platform Maoyan, the film's global earnings, including presales, have exceeded 15.019 billion yuan (about 2.09 billion U.S. dollars) as of Saturday.
The milestone was reached just 45 days after the film's release during the Chinese New Year on Jan. 29.
Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" captivates moviegoers in Japan
Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" captivates moviegoers in Japan
Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" captivates moviegoers in Japan
The heartbreaking story of 96-year-old Peng Zhuying, one of the last living survivors from the Japanese military's "comfort women" system in the Chinese mainland, has been shared in a moving documentary produced by the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
Peng remains one of only seven registered survivors in the Chinese mainland of the Japanese military's "comfort women" system, a brutal a state-enforced regime of sexual slavery during World War II, victimizing over 400,000 women across Asia.
She is also the only living survivor who is officially documented as a victim of both sexual slavery and of Japan's chemical warfare during the Japanese militarists' war of aggression against China.
Eight decades on, Peng has bravely shared the story of her horrifying experiences in the CGTN original documentary "Last Daughters," which reveals the deep scars left by war and captures the quiet strength and warmth that endured, even in the darkest depths of human suffering.
Blinded by mustard gas at age nine and mutilated at 14 before being forced into a military brothel during the war, Peng was able to survive despite facing these unimaginable hardships in her young life.
Peng shared some of the artifacts and the stories behind them from those difficult days.
"This is a fortune slip, a divination note, meaning you need to be cautious in what you do. When I was 16, my father forced me to study fortune-telling. He told me if I didn't learn, I would not get any food. At that time, I wanted to care for children instead, but I could make the call myself. I had to listen to him to make a living," she said.
She memorized every incantation as part of the fortune-telling custom. For 80 years, it was her livelihood, and she has continued to show strength to overcome any challenges in her life.
"I've gone through so much hardship, and yet I'm still alive. Now, I'm only afraid of getting sick and dying from it. I was sick for most of last year, and have yet to recover until now," said Peng.
Though she survived all the tortures and survived from the atrocities conducted by the Japanese aggressors, Peng's health is never been too strong, as she suffered from severe gynecological injuries and became infertile, while also losing her sight as she fell victim to a chemical warfare attack.
"These are gallstones. She had them for several decades. But she lost her eyesight early on and never had toxic exposure. The only explanation is the mustard gas she inhaled. Life for her has been harsh, far harsher than it appears on the surface," said her nephew Peng Zifang.
Japan's "comfort women" system, a state-sponsored sexual slavery scheme by the military, was unprecedented in modern history. It enslaved at least 400,000 women across Asia and the Pacific, including Chinese, Korean, Filipino and many other victims.
Half of those who suffered were Chinese. The Japanese opened its first "comfort women station" in Shanghai and over 2,100 followed in other places they invaded. Girls, deemed "military supplies," were trafficked like weapons.
Later in life, aged 43, Peng married a fisherman 20 years older than her. Only after his death did she speak openly about what she faced.
"Before my father passed away, he told me the stories of my two aunts. I was deeply shaken. Both of my aunts revealed the truth about the 'comfort stations' only after their husbands died. The often-cited figure [of 400,000] known victims barely scratches the surface of the true scale. Many more endured in silence because of the conservative traditions of that era. To speak up meant risking scorn, oppression and even violence. So they bore it quietly," said Peng Zifang.
Documentary reveals life of Chinese survivor of Japan's sexual slavery during WWII
