The image of Nezha in “The Descendants of the Demon Child” is a reversal of the traditional image of Nezha in film and television, taking a heroic young hero and deconstructing him into a child with a sinister appearance. This is a risky way to subvert a positive image that has long been recognized by the public, and it is easy for the audience to question the character.Secondly, the characterization, there is no overly loyal position in the film, and the character lacks internal conflict. Nezha, as a demon pill, seems to be rude and impolite, but in fact he needs to be recognized; Ao C, as a spirit pearl, has a difficult time deciding between his best friend and his family; and Shen Gong Bao rebels against his master because he does not approve of his identity; Li Jing’s seemingly harsh but loving behavior towards Nezha.
The inner conflicts and motivations of these different characters all make the characters’ actions convincing, and also these actions all make the characters more realistic and believable.
The final aspect of the film is its finish, which is the best part of Nezha compared to previous animated films. This finish is a combination of aspects.
Nezha’s story is not thin, with the main story of Nezha’s personal growth and overcoming of the apocalypse, and the branching lines of his father, Li Jing, and the friendship line of the white dragon, Ao Bing.
The rhythm of Nezha’s emotions is relatively good, such as the final birth feast scene, the plot and emotions of this scene is very dense, Nezha stormed when the heart; Ao C blackened and Nezha confrontation when the excitement; and the final magic pills and spiritual beads together against the heavenly calamity of the moving.
These three intense emotions, the director did not string down in one breath, and is in the confrontation between Nezha and Ao C, inserted part of the comedy effect, to dissipate the tension of the previous episode Nezha storm. Nezha’s farewell to his parents at the onset of the apocalypse is also a way to ease the emotions of the previous section where he confronts Ao C. This measured pacing gives the audience preparation for the emotional shift and avoids the sudden mood changes that can cause an emotional disconnect.
It is not that “Nezha” is without its flaws, but the high degree of completion of the film adds to the overall effect, making some of the minor flaws seem less glaring
First of all, some of the details of the character shift motivation, the most obvious is the sudden realization of Li Jing and the blackening of Ao C. Li Jing suddenly realized that here seems very abrupt, although Li Jing said that the smell is not right, but did not mention the smell of demons before the setting, in the absence of any padding directly revealed, the more unnatural this twist in the eyes of the audience.
The second is the problem between character presentation and plot ratio. Nezha and Ao C love each other’s relationship, which can be described as like the small fish and flowers in “The Greatest Duo”.
The last thing is the setting of the laugh track. Nezha’s laugh track is the most criticized part of the film, where the laugh track is mostly shitty and vulgar. Considering the fact that children are the main audience for Chinese animation, it is important to pay attention to the scale of the punchlines. After all, the film is to face the public, although it is a commercial film, but also be careful not to put some of the elements that are not elegant, injected into it. This kind of vulgarity can easily cause physical discomfort to the viewing public.
The success of “Nezha’s Demon Boy” is due to the timing (the withdrawal of domestic films and the inability of imported films) and the people (the tolerance of domestic audiences towards national comics), but the high level of completion of the film itself has shown everyone that national comics are a big step forward and gives everyone more confidence in the future of national comics. Although Nezha still has some flaws and cannot be said to be the complete body of Chinese animation, its release is a shot in the arm for all Chinese comic fans.
