The Legend of Chinese Animation
‘Hoping domestically produced animation can go back 30 years,” is a well-known saying in China’s animation industry, or guoman. Why do audiences and industry insiders alike long for works produced during that era? Can those old stories and old-fashioned elements still satisfy an increasingly discerning generation of viewers?
The return of a cartoon created 38 years ago provides answers to these questions.
On November 5, the 4K restoration of the classic Chinese animated film The Legend of Sealed Book made its debut in theaters. Widely regarded as one of the best animated films in Chinese history, it is hailed for its artistry, narrative, imagination and profound meaning.
The plot follows the story of a young boy who, after hatching from a swan’s egg,
