Animating a bright spot in the movie market
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E-mail China Daily, January 5, 2017
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Japanese hit Your Name is among the top 10 of China's 2016 box-office charts of animated films. [Photo provided to China Daily] |
Meanwhile, though China has a growing population of young people speaking English, the Mandarin versions of foreign films still draw families with young children.
And, here, Kung Fu Panda 3 stole the show. With one-third of its content crafted in China, the Sino-US coproduction had a very good Mandarin version. The characters' mouths were reanimated so they didn't seem off when speaking Chinese. The version cost a lot money and took a lot of time.
Separately, the past year also saw a breakout of Japanese imports.
Among the 11 Japanese titles released across China, nine were animated productions.
Your Name, taking the third spot, was directed by Japan's fast-rising animator Makoto Shinkai.
While the rise of animated titles is a bright spot in the lackluster Chinese film market, it's a bittersweet pill for homegrown animators.
While the films' box-office performance shows that the country is increasingly interested in cartoons, it also indicates a big challenge from powerful foreign players.
Only two domestic films, Big Fish & Begonia and Boonie Bears III, were in the top 10 list, in the fourth and ninth spots, respectively.
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