Chinese strange
Yao-Chinese Folktales
Director: Chen Liaoyu / Yu Shui / Hu Rui / Yang Mu / Liu Maoning / Chen Lianhua / Xu Ning / Gu Yang / Liu Kuang / Pan Bin
Genre: Animation / Short / Fantasy
Country/region of production: Chinese mainland
"China Qitan" is perhaps the most topical animation collection in China this year, it basically realizes everyone's expectations for domestic quality animation, some people say that it is the Chinese version of "Love, Death, Robot".
The overall style of "China Qitan" is like a collection of works by students majoring in animation from Central American Central Beauty, more artistic expression from a local perspective, aesthetic online, there are many eye-catching paragraphs, but there are also some problems of high and low. But overall, I still like it.
The following is completely subjective, and I have rated the episodes according to my personal preferences. If the feeling doesn't match yours, you're right.
The first episode "Summer of the Little Goblin", 8 points
The episode that made "China Strange Tan" a hit, in the entire series, can be regarded as excellent in all indicators, almost no shortcomings, worthy of the opening work,
In terms of narrative, he opens up a different way and talks about the journey to the west from the perspective of a little monster; The painting style is unconventional, simple and expressive, refreshing; In terms of connotation, it echoes reality, not limited to entertainment, and has a deep portrayal of small people; In terms of entertainment, the story is easy to understand, humor, sensationalism, action, thriller elements are all available, and the rhythm is good.
All in all, neither popcorn, nor pretentious, a little realistic but not much, just matching the volume of ten minutes.
The only thing I regret is not sticking to an anti-hero ending, but going to a happy ending. The shock of the sad fate of the little people was dissolved. Of course, some people feel that this is a deliberate anti-routine and even more unconventional. Maybe, it's a matter of opinion.
The second episode "Goose, Goose Goose", 9 points
A puzzling story, but the atmosphere, mood and art are the best in the whole series, and I personally like it very much, even more than the first episode.
The plot is adapted from the Southern Dynasty Chi Wei "Yang Envy Scholar", layers of nested characters, each with their own hearts, do not know each other, metaphor people's unpredictable and changeable. It does not have a strong narrative in itself, and the expression is slightly obscure, which needs the support of interpretation. The movie makes a slight change at the end of the girl, allowing her to have an emotional connection with the seller and make the story warm.
Overall, it is a story with no plot and lack of entertainment, slightly high and low, but not incomprehensible. I didn't put it in the first article, probably for fear of "rushing customers".
What I like the most is the enchanting atmosphere of this episode, and the tribute to "Heavenly Book Strange Tan" is also very useful to me, an old audience who exposes my age.
The third episode "Linlin", 6 points
The story is simple and straightforward.
The fight between wolves and hunters is depicted in rich colors, the atmosphere is in place, and the aesthetic is good.
The story tries to make some profound discussions, such as wild and domesticated, such as both sexes, hunters and children are male, wolves are mother and daughter, both gender settings are single, the metaphor is obvious.
Simple stories do not support the depth of discussion, and can only be said to be decent in form. The image of the adult protagonist looking at the wolf at the end is very stunning, but it is only a glimpse.
Don't like it or hate it, pass.
The fourth episode "The Country Bus Takes the King Child and the Immortals", 9 points
A personal favorite episode.
"Wang Child" is spiritually similar to the first season of "Love Death" "Good Harvest" (good Hunting), both of which talk about the disappearance of the village's homeland and legendary culture under the impact of modern civilization. Of course, the latter is more entertaining and dramatic.
"The King Child" is like prose, it is poetic, it tells the author's impression of northern rural life, full of innocent childhood, full of fairies and adventures; It also talks in detail about the withering of the hometown, the young people go out to work, the old people gradually leave, and the children left behind shine three shadows under the lamp, the appearance of a family of three.
In modern civilization, there is no place for immortals and ghosts, and in the end, they left by bus together, taking with them the royal children, earth dogs and old people who also could not enter the modern era.
At the end of the film, the protagonist is lonely and bored in the vast snow of the north, firing one cannon after another, whistling through the air, but no one answers, which is a standard art film shooting method. The music is also very good, beautiful but not stealing the scene, just when it appears, making the nostalgia double, such as Lin Qiang met Jia Zhangke, this fatal faint sadness.
Episode 5 "Xiaoman", 8 points
Like "Goose, Goose and Goose", the aesthetics full of Chinese elements, the style of paper cutting and New Year painting is impressive, and the mirror transition is full of aura, full of classical beauty, and modern expression.
There is no strong story, but the content is easy to understand, and the description of childlike fun is very interesting. That smell is reminiscent of "Ventriloquist" that I read at school.
Children's surprise, joy, fun, very vivid and agile. I watched it and felt that I was like this when I was a child, and I was very empathetic.
It's not long, but it's complete, very pure and clean, just like its theme.
Finally, the summer is over, the dry well is filled, the silver carp is caught and divided, only the broken copper mirror is put together, the solar term "Xiaoman" passes, the child "Xiaoman" also grows up, the adventure ends, and childhood and childlike fun are gone.
Episode 6 "Birds and Fish", 3 points
The most criticized episode, I don't like either.
Is the plot a condensed Korean drama, or the kind that is not very well written.
If the audience has an impression of the 2002 Korean animated film "Beautiful Whisper", you should see a lot of familiar shadows, flat-headed boys, strange girls with white hair and "magic", the sea and the lighthouse, youth and ignorant love, and it is not a tribute or a sympathetic creation. But in terms of completion, "Asuka" is far behind.
You can see that there are many big and unwarranted concepts in the play, and whales, aliens, islands, and love, but there is no depth to speak of. The whole process is the set of candy in the youth drama, or the kind that is forced into the mouth. To pretend to be profound, Guo Jingming-style literature, lines and narration are like hot mouths. The plot is limited to the length of time and cannot be unfolded, and the plot set by this strong world view is completely unmatched.
Visually typical of 3D shaded 2D, the finish is generally acceptable, but it is very mediocre throughout the series.
Finally, it is necessary to imitate "Shinkai Makoto" in the upper paragraph, the result is that the picture and atmosphere are completely backward, and even the music is not as good, why expose it short...
Episode 7 "Commissary", 7 points
A story full of Beijing flavor, interesting old men write vividly, and life in the hutong is also very grounded. People who have lived in Beijing can smile.
The story is actually very similar to "Wang Child", which also uses a fantasy way to tell that hutongs and old people have become outliers in the city, gradually engulfed by the times. But obviously the "commissary" is more popular, with the optimism and cheerfulness of Beijing hutong culture, sadness is masked, and the ending is brighter, as beautiful as a fairy tale. A story, each expressed separately, with a happy ending, is also very good.
The disadvantage is that the voice of the old man dubbing is too young, a little dramatic, details ah details.
Episode 8 "Jade Rabbit", 5 points
Clay stop-motion animation, sci-fi theme, a shrunken version of "Walking on the Moon Alone", the style is reminiscent of the British "Super Invincible Boss Dog".
But the story is written very routinely, space rescue + inner redemption, the interaction between the protagonist and the robot rabbit, including the inner transformation, is very patterned, and the entertainment products created by the assembly line are very mediocre in the entire series with an artistic tone.
In addition, it is the same problem as "Birds and Fish", the story structure is very large, and the volume of ten minutes cannot cover too much content, so the whole story is told reluctantly and anxiously, lacking details and lack of aftertaste.
Hurriedly finished speaking, it is not satisfactory. As the end, it is indeed not complete, and it gives people the impression of opening high and going low.