乘風破浪的小哪吒，會將“封神宇宙”帶向何方？
How time flies. Summer vacation is approaching.
時間過得好快，又快到一年暑假時。
I still remember when the dark horse animated feature Ne Zha singlehandedly created the market for summer movies. With a stunning box office take of up to 5 billion yuan, Ne Zha has become the second highest-grossing film of all time in the Chinese mainland, lifting up the morale of domestic animators.
記得去年此時，《哪吒之魔童降世》以一己之力托起整個暑期檔，累計票房約50億，位居內地影史第二位，也讓中國動畫人振奮不已。
But this year, China's cinemas have been shuttered for nearly five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
今年由於疫情影響，全國電影院已“停擺”近五個月。
Although there are no new releases, new films are still being produced. A few days ago, a new movie about Ne Zha, who varies looks in different works but has been deemed as the most popular character in the so-called "Fengshen universe", has stirred enthusiasm among fans.
雖然沒有新片上映，但江湖中總有着新片的蹤跡。前幾天，“封神宇宙”中顏值起伏不定、但人氣度最高的哪吒又一次攪動了影迷的熱情。
France's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the equivalent to the Oscars in animation circles, released a three-minute clip of the new animated film New Gods: Nezha Reborn.
素有“動畫圈奧斯卡”美譽的法國昂西國際動畫電影節，曝光了動畫新片《哪吒重生》的三分鐘宣傳片。
But the titular character is quite a surprise.
這次的“哪吒”，有點讓人大跌眼鏡。
In all previous adaptations — whether film, TV drama or animated series — Ne Zha, also known as Nezha, is a person who later transforms into a celestial being. But in the new film, Nezha is sort of like a spirit who merges with Li Yunxiang, an ordinary young man. When Li is caught in danger and forced to use his powers, Nezha's spirit — who is depicted with three heads and six arms while riding on two fire-burning wheels — appears on his back.
在以往所有的影視劇或動畫片中，哪吒是實實在在的一個人，後來又成了實實在在的一個仙，是有本體的。而在新片裏，“哪吒”只有虛無縹緲的元神，附在一個名叫李雲祥的普通人身上。當這個普通人身處險境、被迫施展超凡力量時，三頭六臂腳踏風火輪的哪吒以元神的形象在其背後現身。
The new film is not a sequel to Ne Zha. Actually, the films are produced by two different studios. According to available reports, Nezha Reborn started preparation work in 2016, so it's clear the new story produced by Light Chaser Animation Studio was conceived independent of the runaway hit.
這部新片和《哪吒之魔童降世》其實並無關係，並不是續集，是兩套班底。據目前披露的信息來看，《哪吒重生》是追光動畫從2016年開始籌備。所以，從一開始，這版“哪吒”早早走上了一條另類劇本路。
Light Chaser's last animated film was White Snake, inspired by the ancient folklore tale The Legend of the White Snake. The original story is of a snake that transforms into a beautiful woman who marries a handsome young man, but their love tragically stirs a disaster that threatens many lives, who are trapped in the floods in Jinshan Temple. But the film, set 500 years earlier than when the original story takes place, uses little of the original tale.
追光的上一部動畫片是《白蛇：緣起》，也是借了“白蛇傳”這個古老民間傳說的殼，拍了一部跟白素貞、許仙乃至水淹金山寺沒什麼關係的片子，因爲“緣起”的設定是“白蛇傳”故事發生的五百年前。
Somewhat exemplifying the studio's continuous interest in such a narrative style, Nezha Reborn is set 3,000 years after Nezha's original story takes place in the ancient novel The Investiture of the Gods, which is set on the eve of the collapse of the Shang Dynasty.
而《哪吒重生》則把步子邁得更大，是《封神演義》中所描述的殷商末年的三千年後。
In the trailer, audiences can see Nezha's new "incarnation" in a cyberpunk-style modern city with his short-haired girlfriend, who looks a bit like Alita, the hero of James Cameron's Alita: Battle Angel (I guessed the two characters' relationship from the trailer).
故事發生在一個賽博朋克式的現代城市裏，哪吒“轉世”的李雲祥，似乎有了個“阿麗塔”般有明豔短髮的女友（這些都是靠看片花猜的)。
A bit like Batman, Li faces off against evil forces alone to guard the order and peace of the city. The scenes are reminiscent of America's superhero tales.
從片花看，李雲祥有點像蝙蝠俠，在一個秩序混沌的城市裏，以一己之力守護一方安寧。總之，畫面不太中國，有點美漫的超級英雄範兒。
Unfortunately, most netizens are not satisfied with the new film.
預告片出來後，網上反饋並不理想。
From Little Door Gods to Tea Pets to Cats and Peachtopia and White Snake, I believe Light Chaser is an ambitious studio which excels in animation technique, but it has yet to hit the mark in storytelling.
從《小門神》到《阿唐奇遇》到《貓與桃花源》，再到《白蛇：緣起》，我個人感覺，追光是一家有野心、有技術，但在敘事功力上卻欠點火候的動畫公司。
The studio's distinctive style is formed through Chinese culture and mythology, and instilling Chinese aesthetics into stories. So I feel a bit sad that its new film is making such a wild turn and using more elements from Western culture. But I might be wrong as I have yet to see the entire feature.
追光最大的特色，是溯源中國文化和中國神話，將中國韻味和風情融入故事之中。這次，卻偏偏避己之長，反而取法西方，有些可惜了。但目前僅僅憑藉幾分鐘的片花，恐怕還很難預測，這樣的“求新”之舉是否別有驚喜。
For generations of Chinese, Ne Zha and his legend has been etched in their minds over centuries.
哪吒鬧海，是千百年來國人共有的文化記憶。
But Ne Zha's image has also evolved. In the original Ming Dynasty novel The Investiture of the Gods, Ne Zha is not perfect, and is even a violent and naughty child.
明代小說《封神演義》裏的那個哪吒，並不完美，甚至算得上一個暴力傾向嚴重的“熊孩子”。
The 1979 classic animated feature Prince Nezha's Triumph Against Dragon King turned Ne Zha into an adorable hero.
1979年的經典動畫《哪吒鬧海》重塑哪吒，讓他成了可敬的小英雄。
Ne Zha, the 2019 smash hit, re-examines the title character with modern values, making him more relatable to today's viewers. "My life is not controlled by the heaven, but in my hands", the film's most famous quote, has resonated with many young viewers who wish to pursue their dreams.
2019年的《哪吒之魔童降世》則給了哪吒現代性，一句“我命由我不由天”，擊中了無數有志青年的心。
With the animated film Legend of Deification and director Wuershan's Fengshen Trilogy, the Fengshen stories — both adapted from Fengshen or The Investiture of the Gods — will be the most likely Chinese counterpart to the US superhero cinematic universe. But how should such a franchise be made to hook both Chinese and Western audiences?
隨着動畫片《姜子牙》和烏爾善導演的《封神三部曲》也將陸續出來，“封神系列”最有可能成就中國的超級英雄宇宙。但問題就在於：這條路該怎麼闖，纔對得住中國人的胃口，也能勾起西方觀衆的興趣？
A hero who is depicted to have conquered the raging sea in myths, Ne Zha is seemingly now shouldering a heavier responsibility.
乘風破浪的小哪吒，你還真是任重道遠啊！
