哪吒之魔童闹海
Ne Zha 2
Two souls, one body and the biggest hit in the history of animated cinema
Synopsis
Struck down by lightning at the end of the first film, Nezha and Ao Bing are left with only their souls. Taiyi Zhenren tries to rebuild their bodies using a lotus flower, but the procedure goes wrong.
Forced to share Nezha's body, the two friends must pass a series of trials to obtain the elixir that will restore Ao Bing's form. Along the way they face demons and dragons, and uncover a conspiracy at the very top of the heavens.
Directed by Jiaozi and produced by Chengdu Coco Cartoon and Enlight Pictures, the film was released in China on 29 January 2025, during Chinese New Year. An English-dubbed version followed on 22 August 2025.
World
The film draws on the mythology of the Investiture of the Gods (封神演义): Chan sect immortals, demons, the dragons of the four seas and the people of Chentang Pass make up a world where the heavenly order is not as just as it claims.
Power system
The characters embody mythological forces: the Demon Pill and the Spirit Pearl, Nezha's divine weapons, the dragons' ice magic and the immortals' arts. The fights play on these contrasts on a scale rarely seen in animation.
Reception & popularity
With over $2.2 billion in box-office receipts, Ne Zha 2 is the highest-grossing animated film in history and the first to pass $2 billion. It scored 8.4 on Douban and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
My take
Ne Zha 2 earns its triumph: the animation is breathtaking, the action scenes surpass most Western productions, and Nezha's irreverent humour still works.
The film is long and dense, and some mythological references will escape newcomers. But the emotion of the Nezha / Ao Bing duo carries everything.
Who is it for?A must-see, even if you don't know donghua: it is the best way into Chinese animation on the big screen.
Main characters
More character profiles are coming.
Adaptations
This franchise also exists in other formats — each with its own pacing and audience.
Trivia
- More than 4,000 people across 138 animation studios worked on the film.
- Michelle Yeoh voices Lady Yin, Nezha's mother, in the English version.
- Enlight Pictures has confirmed that Ne Zha 3 is in development, on a production schedule of several years.
If you liked…
More donghua to discover after Ne Zha 2: same author or same genres.
