Watch: 8 Yao-Chinese Folktale Animated Short Films from Shanghai

Watch: 8 Yao-Chinese Folktale Animated Short Films from Shanghai

by Alex Billington
June 4, 2024
Source: YouTube

There’s a fantastic set of animated shorts from China now available to watch online with English subtitles on YouTube. These eight unique Yao-Chinese Folktale Animated Short Films originally debuted last year on the Chinese social media site Bilibili. They’re all made by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, with different style including stop motion, 2D & 3D, and even a beautiful papercraft one. They’re lovely to watch but let’s be honest – they’re essentially just Chinese propaganda. This description explains: “The stories look back to the past, and looks forward to the future, from nostalgia for the countryside to technological fantasy, from the theme of life to thinking about human nature, showing Chinese imagination and carrying Chinese national culture & philosophy.” The titles are: Nobody aka Little Monster’s Summer, Goose Mountain, She Wolf, Fool and God, Ship Down the Well, Null Island, Old Man Yang, and Fly to the Earth. You can view all 8 of them below. There’s some mesmerizing animation in each one, even if you aren’t into the stories much.

Thanks to Catsuka for the tip on these shorts debuting on YouTube. The full playlist is available here. These short films were commissioned by and developed for the Chinese social media site Bilibili. Their original intro: “A compilation of eight stories from Chinese mythology. Wildly imaginative & with unique art styles, this series tell the stories of ‘demons’ from a Chinese perspective.” The eight short films are all made by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, originally founded in 1946. The series of shorts is created by Chen Liaoyu and Li Zao. Presented by Su Da and Li Ni, produced by Li Zao and Zhang Shengyan, with system directors Su Da and Zhu Beining. The original title 中国奇谭 translates to “Chinese Strange Tales.” For more info on these shorts, visit Bilibili or YouTube. To enjoy more shorts, click here. Which one is your favorite?

Find more posts: Animation, Short Film, To Watch