The golden age of Chinese animated film from “The Monkey King” to “Tales of the Effendi”
“Hero is Back,” declares the subtitle for Monkey King, a 3D animated film from 2015 that made 956 million RMB at the domestic box office, won several international awards, and became China’s highest grossing domestic animation in decades.
Its title was meaningful in more than one way, as its high production values, connection to Chinese mythology, and unexpected success brought back memories of a “golden age” in Chinese animation—which the domestic film industry has been trying to recapture ever since.
Chinese animation’s “golden age” typically refers to a period from the 1950s to the early 1990s when domestic companies, led by the renowned Shanghai Animation Film Studio, produced cartoons with distinct Chinese styles that won acclaim both in China and abroad.
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