Latest news with #MonkeyKing
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'Nobody' set to become somebody in cinematic history
Nobody by Shanghai Animation Film Studio has become a huge hit this summer. Photo: Following the steps of the blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2', another Chinese animated film has gone viral with its innovative interpretation of ancient Chinese mythologies. 'Nobody' by Shanghai Animation Film Studio has become a major sleeper hit this summer, having grossed 776 million yuan (about 108.73 million US dollars) since its debut on Aug 2, smashing the record for Chinese-made 2D animated films, previously held by 'Big Fish & Begonia,' according to ticketing platform Beacon. Between Tuesday and Thursday, it even outperformed the historical movie 'Dead to Rights,' which is so far the top grosser in the bustling summer movie-going season, on daily box office charts. Industry tracker Maoyan has projected its total box office to exceed 1.7 billion yuan. Beyond a box office hit, it is also a critical darling. On Douban, a film review platform known for its stringent ratings, the animation has scored an impressive 8.6, edging out 'Ne Zha 2,' the most-watched and highest-grossing film ever in China, by 0.1 points. 'Both 'Ne Zha 2' and 'Nobody' are excellent. The former features grand special effects, while the latter excels in storytelling,' a movie-goer surnamed Cao told Xinhua. Based on the Chinese classic novel 'Journey to the West' written in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the film does not focus on the original protagonist – the mighty Monkey King. Instead, it spotlights the countless puny yaoguais (Chinese monsters) that appear in the novel. In the film, a group of four low-level yaoguais – a boar, a toad, an ape and a weasel – decide to embark on their journey to the west by dressing up as the team of Monk Tang and Monkey King. The journey sees the impostors save human villagers from evil yaoguais and be eventually remembered by other nameless, ordinary people as great heroes. "The film puts contemporary themes onto nameless minor yaoguais that the original work never developed, ultimately crafting a new story with modern relevance," said Chen Liaoyu, producer of 'Nobody.' On China's social media, many movie-goers are impressed by the animation's sarcastic portrayal of modern-day work culture, the Shanghai studio's iconic ink-and-wash-painting style and its humanistic focus on the minor characters rather than the big heroes. "The cinema is filled with laughter of kids and weeping sounds of adults," reads one comment on Douban. "As kids, we dreamed of becoming the Monkey King, only to realise after growing up that we're merely the ordinary yaoguais, the minor characters." In recent years, many Chinese cultural creations have won great popularity in China and beyond by retelling traditional stories from a modern perspective. 'Black Myth: Wukong,' the country's first 3A video game released in 2024, is based on the same story of the Monkey King but adopts a darker narrative. The game sold over 10 million copies in three days after its release and has become a global cultural phenomenon ever since. 'Ne Zha 2,' a 3D animation that rewrites the story of another Chinese mythological figure Ne Zha, has soared to the top-grossing animated feature in history, surpassing the likes of Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' and Disney's 2019 remake of 'The Lion King.' 'Ne Zha 2' director Yang Yu, also known as Jiaozi, believes that literary classics are the most valuable source of cultural IPs for animated films. Still, the classics need a modern touch for revitalization, said Yang. "Today's Chinese creators don't simply copy the past — they reinvent traditional stories through modern visual language and innovative storytelling while honouring the core values and aesthetic appeal of the original works," said Liang Junjian, associate professor at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Black Myth Wukong release date for Xbox and when 2024's leading soulslike comes to the Series X
Black Myth: Wukong is finally making its way to Xbox Series X|S, and it's not too far away. Players can get ready to dive in with Wukong and the Monkey King with all of its Chinese mythology and sharp combat. The much-anticipated 2024 soulslike game, Black Myth: Wukong, is finally making its way to Xbox after Game Science's previous claims that the Xbox Series S wasn't robust enough to handle it. Black Myth: Wukong made quite the impact when it first landed on PlayStation and PC. While there's no shortage of soulslike games for players to delve into as FromSoftware continues to work on its multiplayer-player side quest in Elden Ring Nightreign, something about Wukong's Chinese mythology and responsive controls resonated with players in a way that other games simply couldn't match. This is the same reason why the appearance of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers on Xbox Game Pass was so thrilling. However, the game's journey was shrouded in controversy within the broader gaming community – the company claimed that the Xbox Series S simply wasn't capable of handling the game, which reportedly delayed the game's debut on Microsoft consoles this console generation. Forbes debunked this claim, reporting that an exclusivity deal was actually in place that the company was keeping under wraps, and Xbox took the flak for it – but now, presumably with the deal having expired (conveniently timed), it's finally arriving on Xbox Series X|S after a long wait. Despite initial doubts raised by Game Science about the game's compatibility with the Series S, it seems these concerns are now irrelevant. The team has confirmed in a blog post that all issues have been resolved and the game is set to launch on the console. For fans of soulslikes, the wait won't be long. So, when exactly is Black Myth: Wukong hitting Xbox? Here's what you need to know. Introducing All Out Gaming Introducing All Out Gaming, a dedicated gaming brand providing the best gaming news, reviews, previews, interviews and more! Make sure you don't miss out on our latest high-quality videos on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, where we'll be posting our latest reviews, previews, interviews, and live streams! You can also subscribe to our free All Out Gaming newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. Black Myth: Wukong Xbox release date The release date for Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19 at 7pm PDT / 10pm EDT, and Wednesday, August 20 at 3am BST. This information comes directly from Game Science, who revealed that the Xbox port of Black Myth: Wukong will be released on Wednesday, August 20 (Hong Kong time), coinciding with the exact time the full game was launched a year ago. The game has a lot to prove to new players on Microsoft consoles, particularly as every other console has had a significant head start. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has already made a positive impact on Xbox Game Pass. Interestingly, the game's arrival on the console exactly a year after its initial release fuels speculation about an exclusivity deal – but for many players, this is no longer a concern. It's time to dive in.
The Star
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Cultural event "Shanghai Day" held in New York City
NEW YORK, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Co-presented by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Center for China Shanghai International Arts Festival, an event themed "Summer for the City-Shanghai Day" brought hundreds of thousands of locals close to Shanghai's culture in New York City on Saturday. More than a dozen cultural events were held here, including the dance production of Lady White Snake, electric street dance performances, jazz music, indoor show, cultural product market, screening of the Monkey King, concert, immersive experience event and more. The opportunity to showcase ballet dancers, video game composers, traditional storytellers and performers who blend traditional and contemporary elements to audiences across New York City is truly extraordinary, said Mariko Silver, president and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Transatlantic cultural exchanges have truly built bridges of understanding and connections between the people of China and the United States, said Liu Ping, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government. "Looking ahead, Shanghai is committed to embracing an even more open approach, deepening cultural exchanges with New York and friends across the United States," said Liu. Chinese Consul General in New York Chen Li said that "When we experience another culture, we gain insight into their values and their humanity. And in doing so, we often rediscover our own." Collaboration between New York and Shanghai is crucial in fostering understanding between the people of the two countries, he said.
Kyodo News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: July 6, 2025
TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan right-wing leader's remarks on foreigners may be hate speech FUKUOKA - Naoki Hyakuta, leader of the minor right-wing opposition Conservative Party of Japan, made remarks on Saturday that could be construed as hate speech, criticizing foreign workers during a national election campaign. Foreign workers "disrespect Japanese culture, ignore the rules, assault Japanese people, and steal their belongings," Hyakuta, a former novelist, said in a stump speech ahead of the July 20 House of Councillors election. ---------- Japan's 1st rocket launch with foreign capital delayed by typhoon KUSHIRO, Japan - Japan's first launch of a rocket developed with foreign capital has been delayed from Sunday due to an approaching typhoon, the operator of a private spaceport in Hokkaido said. Space Cotan Co., which operates the spaceport in Japan's northernmost prefecture, said the launch has been postponed to the following Saturday or later, as the typhoon could hinder ship-based monitoring and debris recovery in the event of an emergency. ---------- About 80% of Japan local gov'ts have used drones at disaster sites TOKYO - Around 80 percent of Japan's 47 prefectures and 20 major cities have used drones at disaster sites, a Kyodo News survey showed Saturday, underscoring growing recognition of unmanned aircraft as an effective disaster response tool. Momentum for drone utilization has been spurred in part by their role in last year's earthquake that struck the hard-to-reach Noto Peninsula in central Japan, where they delivered supplies to isolated communities and assessed damage from the air. ---------- Monkey King stars as China's 1st Legoland opens in Shanghai SHANGHAI - China's first Legoland opened in Shanghai on Saturday, featuring eight areas themed on such characters as the Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" as well as an expansive replica of the local cityscape made of Lego bricks. The amusement park spanning 318,000 square meters in the suburbs of Shanghai is the 11th globally. Visitors can enjoy more than 75 interactive rides, shows and attractions in addition to thousands of models made with over 85 million Lego bricks. ---------- Quake not connected to viral manga prediction: Japan weather agency TOKYO - Japan's weather agency said an earthquake that rattled small islands in the country's southwest on Saturday was in no way connected to a manga author's disaster prediction that went viral on social media and even affected inbound tourism. "It is absolutely a coincidence. There is no causal connection," Ayataka Ebita of the Japan Meteorological Agency said at a press conference on the day the prediction was supposed to materialize -- a claim authorities have repeatedly dismissed as a "baseless rumor." ---------- Boy with measles visited Osaka Expo, officials urge caution OSAKA - A boy from Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo who tested positive for measles visited the World Exposition in Osaka on June 21, local governments said Saturday, urging other visitors to exercise caution due to possible exposure. The local governments said the boy, identified only as being between the ages of 10 and 19, may have come into contact with an unspecified number of people at the venue. He was there from around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., visiting at least eight pavilions, including those of the European Union and Cambodia. ---------- Rugby: Test debutants spur Japan to 24-19 comeback win over Wales KITAKYUSHU, Japan - Debutants Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea scored second-half tries and flyhalf Lee Seung Sin was flawless with the boot as Japan came back for a 24-19 win against Wales in the first match of their two-test series on Saturday. Both sides gave error-strewn performances, but it was the hosts who rallied late to overcome a 19-7 halftime deficit and open their international season with a gritty victory at a sweltering Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu in southwestern Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture. ---------- Video: Lantern festival takes place in quake-hit central Japan town
The Mainichi
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Monkey King stars as world's largest Legoland opens in Shanghai
SHANGHAI (Kyodo) -- The world's largest Legoland opened in Shanghai on Saturday, featuring eight areas themed on such characters as the Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" as well as an expansive replica of the local cityscape made of Lego bricks. The amusement park spanning 318,000 square meters in the suburbs of Shanghai is the first Legoland resort in China and the 11th globally. Visitors can enjoy more than 75 interactive rides, shows and attractions in addition to thousands of models made with over 85 million Lego bricks. The Lego models include pandas and the Bund, Shanghai's iconic waterfront promenade. The resort also features a hotel with 250 Lego-themed rooms. Shi Shuyi, 32, who traveled two hours from Changzhou in Jiangsu Province to reach Shanghai Legoland during a trial opening in late June, rode the same attraction three times with her 4-year-old son. "I want to go to a Legoland in Nagoya as well," Shi said. The other Legoland resorts are located in Britain, Denmark, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. In China, two more Legoland resorts are under construction, one in Shenzhen in the southern Guangdong Province and the other near Chengdu, capital of the southwestern Sichuan Province.
