About

Ne Zha, alternatively spelled Nezha, refers to a Chinese animated feature film that was released in 2019, and followed by a sequel released in 2025. The story is based on a "protection deity" named Ne Zha, a prominent figure in Chinese mythology, known for his youthful defiance and powerful abilities. The films drew acclaim for their animation quality and story building, with Ne Zha 2 dethroning Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animated film in 2025.

History

Ne Zha (2019)

Ne Zha is a 2019 Chinese animated fantasy film directed by Jiaozi and produced by Chengdu Coco Cartoon, Horgos Coloroom Pictures, and October Media. The film premiered in Beijing on July 11, 2019, and was widely released in China on July 26, 2019.^[1] The film is a modern retelling of the mythological figure Ne Zha (loosely based on the novel Investiture of the Gods), focusing on his struggle against a predestined role as a demon and his quest for identity.^[2]

Ne Zha 2 (2025)

Ne Zha 2 is the sequel to the 2019 film, directed once again by Jiaozi and produced by Chengdu Coco Cartoon and Horgos Coloroom Pictures. Released on January 29, 2025, during the Chinese New Year, it continues the saga of Ne Zha and Ao Bing as they navigate challenges to restore their mortal forms.^[3][4]

Reception

Ne Zha became China's highest-grossing animated feature at the time, earning over $725 million worldwide. The movie was also critically acclaimed for its animation quality and storytelling, and it holds an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[5]

Ne Zha 2 received positive reviews for its action sequences and emotional depth as well, with an average rating of 9.7 out of 10 on the Chinese ticketing site Maoyan.^[6] Ne Zha 2 has become the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, surpassing $2 billion in box office revenue.^[7]

Online Reactions

While the first Ne Zha film received positive reviews within Mainland China, it saw limited release in the West. Ne Zha 2, on the other hand, prompted discussions online after it surpassed the box office revenue of Disney's Inside Out 2, earning over $2 billion and becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all-time worldwide.

On February 18th, 2025, X^[8] account @ToonHive made a post about Ne Zha 2 becoming the highest-grossing animated film, gathering over 45,000 likes in two weeks. Several Twitter users reacted to the news by commending Ne Zha for dethroning Disney and decentering Western animation studios, as seen in posts by @GATheOne1984 and @Velinxi that gathered over 100,000 likes each.^[10][11]

On February 20th, Toonhive^[9] posted a martial arts sequence from the film, gathering over 13,000 likes in two weeks.

Martial arts action scene from ‘NE ZHA 2.’

The film has now become the highest-grossing animated film of ALL TIME. pic.twitter.com/tyudIZNaFO

— ToonHive (@ToonHive) February 20, 2025

Search Interest

External References