Quick Review: The World’s Most Adorable Rage-Ball ‘Ne Zha 2’

Five years ago, I noticed an increase in Chinese animation both in quality and quantity. Leading the charge was Ne Zha, a surprisingly wicked story about a demon-born boy causing havoc for gods and mortals. Ne Zah 2 follows up with its charismatic antihero as he must complete a series of challenges to become an immortal and uncover a conspiracy that threatens the heavens.

Clocking in at over two hours and with a record-breaking box office, Ne Zha 2 is an animated epic we rarely see in the West. That being said, adult viewers are bound to roll their eyes at the goofy toilet humor. While the film is PG-13 for stylized violence, the intended audience is clearly pitched a lot younger.

Despite being made for the 10-year old within every one of us, Ne Zha 2 punches above its weight and its action scenes outclass most superhero films. The success of the film proves that there is a hungry audience for action-fantasy animated feature films. It’s easy to root for Ne Zha pissing off the gods because he’s the world’s most adorable rage-ball. If you love anime but are new to Chinese animation then Ne Zha 2 is a great place to start.