My Animation Era

What exactly is a prickly ball?

This is a question that has puzzled many viewers since the animation "The Adventures of Little Carp" was aired, because they have never heard of such a thing as a spiny ball.

This thing looks like a sea urchin.

But the name isn’t sea urchin, it’s called spiny ball...

In nature, the thorn ball seems to be another name for a prickly green plant, but that thing does not grow on the seabed, so the question arises, what exactly is the thorn ball used by the mangy snake to relieve itching?

The reason why the audience wants to know the answer is not only because of their own curiosity, but also because they are extremely excited about the efficacy of the prick ball.

Stop itching!

The skin snake has pustules on its body, which can also be said to be a skin disease. In short, it will be extremely itchy when it occurs. The prickly ball can greatly relieve the pain of the skin snake.

Coincidentally, in real life there are also people who are troubled by strange diseases like mangy snakes, with pimples and pustules on their bodies that are itchy and unbearable. When they see the prickly balls in the animation, they will naturally be surprised and even want to try it out. It really relieves itchiness.

But after searching for a long time, everyone could not find the real-life prototype of the spiny ball, so they wondered if this thing was a fictional species created by the animation production team?

"Half and half..."

As the director, Guo Hongwei was busy preparing for a film celebrating the Year of the Rooster, so he had no time to answer the audience's questions. As the producer, Gu Miao stepped forward and responded to everyone's hot questions on social platforms.

He explained to everyone that the prickly ball is half fictional and half realistic.

Its shape is based on the shapes of sea urchins and some thorny plants, but its anti-itching effect is pure nonsense. Even in the animation, there is no mention of the benefits of this thing.

The reason why the Mangy Snake uses the prickly ball to relieve itching is because he has rough skin and thick flesh, and uses poison to fight poison to relieve pain. The animation does not say that the prickly ball is a good thing.

Quite the opposite!

The spiny ball is a species that extremely damages the seabed environment. This can be seen by referring to the large number of spiny balls in Carp Lake and the worried expression of Grandma Carp.

"What kind of snake is the mangy snake?"

"Scaleed snake!"

Gu Miao was not sure about this question, because he did not know much about snakes, and he had never studied the prototype of the mangy snake. He only knew that this thing should be an aquatic snake.

Sea snakes are also possible. Anyway, mangy snakes are definitely not those snakes that live on land.

Some people also asked, in the animation "The Adventures of Little Carp", Grandma Bubble asks Paopao to find a real dragon, but does such a creature really exist in the animation?

"There is a real dragon, but he is already dead."

Gu Miao patiently explained: "A long time ago, the underwater world encountered an unprecedented crisis. The real dragon appeared and solved the crisis, but he also paid the price with his life."

"Before his death, he entrusted his dragon horn to his trusted subordinate Lao Ju'ao for safekeeping, but it was taken away by the Mangy Snake. This is also the source of the Mangy Snake's strength..."

It's interesting to say.

After the death of the real dragon, he left behind two treasures, namely the Five Elements Dragon Scales and the Dragon Horns. Judging from the final defeat of the Mangy Snake by Bubble and others, the Dragon Horns are obviously not as powerful as the Five Elements Dragon Scales.

It can also be said that the five elements dragon scales themselves are not strong, but with the blessing of strong belief, they can become stronger than the dragon horns.

So the question is, why was it that before the true dragon fell, what was left to the old giant was not the five-element dragon scales but the dragon horns?

…

"Perhaps the real dragon expected this day, so he deliberately left the five-element dragon scales and scattered them around the world. It was also a means of resisting the dragon horns."

"Thinking deeper, whether it is the Mangy Snake or Bubbles and others, their power actually comes from the true dragon. They are the inheritors of the true dragon's power and will. The true dragon may be cultivating new ones by leaving these things behind. A true dragon is born!"

While making tea, Ma Kui, who was analyzing the reasons for Mr. Gu, had a sudden thought: "Do you think there is a possibility that the Five Elements Dragon Scales were originally created not for five people, but for one person?"

Just like the twelve zodiac signs of the Holy Lord in the animation "The Adventures of Uncle Long", they seem to be twelve completely different powers, but they can be attributed to one person.

The Five Elements Dragon Scales are all left by the True Dragon, which means that the power of the dragon scales originally belonged to the True Dragon alone.

In this case, who stipulates that each person must have one Five Elements Dragon Scale? Can't Paopao monopolize the Five Elements Dragon Scales alone?

"You...are unreasonable!"

Gu Miao rolled her eyes and said, "If Pao Pao can use five dragon scales by himself, then he is no longer a little carp, but the second real dragon."

"But at the end of the story, Bubble, Aku and others have jumped over the dragon gate. In a sense, they have become dragons!"

"That's what I say but..."

As Gu Miao talked, she gradually became silent.

The setting of the Five Elements Dragon Scales reminded him of the special drama "Armor Warrior" that was once popular all over the country. There were also five sets of armors based on the Five Elements.

This is not the point. The point is that in Armor Warrior, there is a set of armor called the Emperor, which combines the power of the five elements of armor and is regarded as a collection of the five elements of armor.

The armor of the five elements can be integrated into one, so there is no reason why the dragon scales of the five elements cannot be integrated.

In other words, in the animation "The Adventures of Little Carp", it is completely possible for Bubble to gather the power of the five elements of dragon scales and transform into a "Super Bubble" form that is half dragon and half carp.

Isn’t that so cool?

Unfortunately, the animation has already been completed and broadcast, so it is definitely too late to temporarily change the settings. However, this idea can be realized in a sequel or even a special episode.

"Huh? Sequel?!"

Hearing this, Ma Kui was so frightened that he almost stopped holding the teapot in his hand, and asked with a somewhat surprised expression: "Dragon Gate has leapt, and the mangy snake is dead, how can there be a sequel?"

"Oh, simple!"

Gu Miao smiled and didn't explain much.

Not only Ma Kui, but also himself, in fact, in the beginning, he felt that animations like "The Adventures of Little Carp" should not be able to have a sequel. After all, the story was too complete.

But after Guo Hongwei reminded him, he discovered that the seemingly satisfactory ending of "The Adventures of Little Carp" actually contained a foreshadowing that could extend a large plot.

The fangs of the mangy snake!

Didn't you expect that? Although the seemingly cool mangy snake died in the ending, his fangs disappeared, and Bubble and others also decided to find the fangs.

This foreshadowing is present in the original version.

If nothing else, the reason why the production team left this foreshadowing is probably to prepare for the launch of a sequel in the future.

But it's a pity...

Even more than ten years later, this foreshadowing has still not been taken back, and there has been no news about the production of a second season sequel or special episode of The Adventures of Little Carp.

I don’t know if the production team forgot about it, or if it simply can’t be done?