Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" captivates moviegoers in Japan

China

Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" captivates moviegoers in Japan

2025-03-15 15:53 Last Updated At：03-16 15:17

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.

"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman

The "soft landing" of the China-EU electric vehicle case will greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

He Yongqian, the spokeswoman, made the remarks after China and the European Union (EU) agreed on the necessity of providing general guidance on price undertakings for Chinese companies exporting battery electric vehicle (BEV) passenger cars to the EU.

"China and the EU simultaneously announced on Monday that they had achieved positive outcomes following multiple rounds of consultations on the EV case, a development that has drawn wide attention at home and abroad. Industry players from both sides have 'highly welcomed and fully endorsed' the outcome, saying the 'soft landing' of the case is expected to greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment. Some EU politicians have described it as a positive step toward building a sustainable China-EU trade relationship, and said it demonstrated that resolving trade differences through partnership remains feasible," she said.

"Against the current international backdrop, China and the EU, acting in a spirit of mutual respect and within the framework of WTO rules, have properly addressed the EV case, which is of significant positive importance. The outcome will not only contribute to the sound development of China-EU economic and trade ties and help safeguard the stability of the global automotive industrial and supply chains, but will also send a clear and strong signal that both sides are willing to uphold a rules-based international trading order, setting a good example for countries to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and injecting greater certainty and positive energy into global economic growth," she said.

"China appreciates the spirit of dialogue showed by the EU side and stands ready to work with the EU, building on the current positive outcomes, to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides, maintain dialogue and communication, and support stable industrial and supply chains on both sides, continue to deepen cooperation on the basis of market principles, and make active contributions to the global green transition," she added.