A young boy from the human world, Kun drowns saving a red dolphin, who is none other than Chun. His soul becomes a little fish that Chun raises in secret.
Personality
Generous and brave, he gives his life without hesitation to save an unknown animal. In fish form, he stays attached to Chun.
Powers & abilities
In fish form he grows at a prodigious rate, until he becomes a giant fish able to return to the sea.
History
His death and rebirth as a fish trigger the whole plot. His forbidden presence in the world below upsets the balance between the two worlds.
Relationships
Chun is the one who raises him and wants to bring him back. Qiu first sees him as a threat to Chun.
Key moments
- Rescuing the red dolphin.
- His rebirth as a little fish.
- His transformation into a giant fish.
In the adaptations
The film gives him a mostly symbolic presence, as a fish, which makes him a character apart.
Did you know?
- His name comes from the Zhuangzi, which describes a giant fish named Kun able to turn into a bird.
- The Zhuangzi's opening line, "In the northern ocean there is a fish called Kun", inspires the whole film.
Our take
Kun is the film's symbolic heart, a being passing between two worlds. His transformation into a great fish is one of Chinese animation's most beautiful images.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan