My Animation Era

Martial arts is the romance of the Chinese people.

I believe that there are many people who, when they were young, had a "hero dream" of being an invincible fighter in the world and nicknamed the human-headed dog.

There are many others...

Maybe you have all seen martial arts TV series, movies or novels. I was amazed by all kinds of "magical skills and unique skills", and I was full of yearning for that "jianghu" where there was a clear distinction between love and hatred, and love and hatred.

But martial arts have always performed mediocrely in the field of animation.

This kind of general is actually a relatively implicit statement. To be honest, there are only a few martial arts animations that can be produced.

"Qin Shi Mingyue" series, "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit", "Xia Lan" and "Chinese Boy" and so on.

If the scope is further expanded, "Kung Fu Panda" and "The Adventures of Jackie Chan" can also be counted as martial arts animations.

But that's not accurate.

Because martial arts emphasizes the word "xia" first, followed by "martial arts". Many animations may have something to do with "martial arts", but they cannot be called "martial arts" animations.

Guo Hongwei wants to make martial arts animations.

I have to say that this ideal is beautiful and worthy of encouragement. But as his master and guide, Gu Miao was not very supportive of him.

Whether the martial arts is dead or not is hard to say.

But in the field of animation, martial arts themes, especially "pure martial arts" themes, are indeed half dead, and can even be said to be half buried in the ground.

What's wrong is that you just can't think of making martial arts animations. Is that something you can do?

What will happen to Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit?

What will happen to Xia Lan and the Chinese boy?

Unless it can be as successful as the "Moon Moon" series, or reach an "international scale" like "Kung Fu Panda" and "The Adventures of Jackie Chan", what future does it have?

"Did you read the news some time ago?" Gu Miao asked.

"Which news?"

"The news that an animation company spent a lot of money to purchase the copyright of Master Jin's classic martial arts novel and create a milestone work of martial arts animation adaptation."

"I saw it."

Guo Hongwei nodded and said: "I think it's pretty good! Could it be that... Master, you are not optimistic about this project?"

"Not optimistic."

Gu Miao shook her head and said.

This is the martial arts dream! Groups of animators have been buried, and the bloody lessons are before their eyes. There are also batches of newcomers who do not believe in evil and insist on giving it a try.

There is a very strange phenomenon.

Take Jin, a well-known author of martial arts novels in Hong Kong, as an example. His works have been adapted many times, and TV series, movies, etc. have emerged one after another.

The results of the adaptation are quite good.

TV series are particularly outstanding. The classic Condor Trilogy has been remade countless times by major directors, and the ratings remain high.

But...

After his work was adapted into animation, the results never improved. Many fans don't even know that there are "animated" versions of his works.

Didn't you expect that?

When Gu Miao first learned the news, he was also shocked. On the one hand, I am shocked that there is an animated version, and on the other hand, I am shocked that the popularity of the animated version is so low?

Take the well-known martial arts novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" as an example. It was adapted by a neon animation company and filmed for three seasons with more than 70 episodes, but the result was no splash at all.

Has anyone in China seen it?

There must be, there must be many viewers in Hong Kong and some coastal provinces who have watched it. But in terms of popularity, it is really pitifully low, probably not even as good as "Xia Lan".

Not to mention big martial arts IP animation works such as "The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit" and "Qin Shi Mingyue".

Why is this?

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" In China, I can't say that everyone has watched the original work. At least the TV series is very popular, so most people have watched it, right?

Not everyone may have read the original novel, but at least they have heard of it and know the general plot.

So why is the animated version so deserted and no one knows about it?

Gu Miao analyzed the reasons.

On the one hand, due to insufficient publicity, not many people know about this animation. On the other hand, the producers overestimated children's enthusiasm for "martial arts" themes.

Therefore.

Gu Miao was not optimistic about the news that a domestic animation company purchased the copyright of martial arts novels and wanted to adapt them into animations.

To him, it made no sense.

If you really want to make a "martial arts animation" and you really can't let go of that martial arts dream, OK! You can just draft a business plan and be original, and that's it.

Adapting a martial arts novel?

That's because you don't think you're dead enough. No one is watching martial arts animations in the first place, and you're still spending huge sums of money to buy the copyrights and adapt them. What are you trying to do?

No matter how many fans the original work has, no matter how well-known the original work is, what does it have to do with your animated version? Don’t you think that older fans of martial arts novels will come to watch your cartoons?

I wouldn't dare to think so in my wildest dreams.

"I know, I know all this."

Guo Hongwei sighed: "It is a fact that martial arts is declining. It is also a fact that children are not interested in martial arts themes."

"But I still want to give it a try!"

Gu Miao: "..."

After all the good things he said, Guo Hongwei still wanted to make a martial arts animation, but he had no idea at all.

Then let him be.

Gu Miao did not support him in martial arts, but since he was determined to fulfill his martial arts dream, she might as well let him give it a try.

Creativity Gu Miao can provide.

Be it "Xialan" or "Chinese Boy", these are relatively good martial arts animations.

If he doesn't like it, then make a "The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit" with a pure martial arts flavor and a strong martial arts atmosphere.

Not a big problem.

Since the third season of Pleasant Goat animation has not yet been aired, Guo Hongwei is not in a hurry to make a decision now. He plans to consider his next work after his vacation is over.

"That's right, master!"

"Have you finished writing the script for the Pleasant Goat movie? If not, you might as well consider adding a foreshadowing to the third season of Pleasant Goat?"

Guo Hongwei suggested: "Think of it as an Easter egg. How about creating a surprise for the audience after the movie is released?"

good idea!

Gu Miao strongly agrees with the practice of planting easter eggs in TV animations first and then revealing them later when the big movie is released.

Just how to set up the Easter eggs?

Gu Miao scratched her head and thought for a while. A key figure who appeared in the plot of the movie "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Snake Comes Around" suddenly came to mind.

Cousin Wolf, Night Wolf!

If he remembered correctly, this guy had already married Xiang Tailang and gave birth to "Little Xiangxiang" in the third season of the TV animation, right?

"No! Xiao Xiangxiang did not appear."

Guo Hongwei shook his head and denied: "It was only at the end of the third season that Xiao Xiangxiang was mentioned."

"That's easy to handle."

Gu Miao clapped her hands and said, "Let's just set up a movie Easter egg around Xiao Xiangxiang."

For example.

In the third season animation, the number of times Xiao Xiangxiang is mentioned when Big Big Wolf's family and Cousin Wolf appear are increased to let the audience know the existence of "Xiao Xiangxiang".

But there are no photos, no appearances.

When promoting a major movie, if a picture of little Huihui holding a little wolf of the same age is shown, wouldn't that successfully arouse everyone's desire to "buy tickets"?

Let’s talk about a relatively unfortunate martial arts animated film, “The Legend of Fengyun”. I wonder how many people have seen it?