罗小黑战记
The Legend of Luo Xiaohei
A little cat spirit, two clashing worlds and a family to find
Synopsis
Luo Xiaohei is a cat spirit able to take human form. In the web series, he is taken in in the countryside by a young girl, Luo Xiaobai, and shares tender, funny adventures with her family on the border between the human world and the spirit world.
The films tell what came before: the destruction of his native forest, his meeting with the spirit Fengxi and then with Wuxian, the human executor who becomes his master, and his place in a world where spirits and humans coexist under the watch of the Hall (会馆).
Created by MTJJ and his studio HMCH, the web series has been published on Bilibili since 17 March 2011. Two feature films followed in 2019 and 2025, and a new arc, Xueqian Pian (学前篇), arrives on Bilibili on 30 October 2026.
World
In contemporary China, spirits live hidden among humans. The Hall (会馆), a network of branches across the country, oversees their coexistence and employs executors to settle conflicts. Many spirits have lost their lands to urbanisation, fuelling tension and resentment.
Power system
Spirits master elements or abilities of their own: metal, plants, teleportation, healing. Some rare powers, like Luo Xiaohei's "domain", are coveted by all. The very fluid, inventive fight choreography is the franchise's visual signature.
Reception & popularity
The first film grossed around 315 million yuan and was released in Japan with a dub featuring Kana Hanazawa and Mamoru Miyano. The second, released in July 2025, passed 500 million yuan and scored 8.6 on Douban, the highest rating for a Chinese theatrical film that year.
My take
The Legend of Luo Xiaohei is the ultimate anti-cultivation saga: no realms to climb, just a little cat looking for his place. The 2D animation, exceptionally fluid in its fights, recalls the best of Japanese animation without ever copying it.
The slow production is frustrating, and the viewing order between the web series and the films can be confusing. But both films are among the most beautiful in recent Chinese animation, and the new 2026 arc is excellent news.
Who is it for?Watch it if you love Ghibli films, found-family stories and polished 2D animation. Start with the first film.
Main characters
More character profiles are coming.
Adaptations
This franchise also exists in other formats — each with its own pacing and audience.
Trivia
- MTJJ, whose real name is Zhang Ping, started the web series almost single-handedly, with episodes five to eleven minutes long.
- Because HMCH is a small studio, the web series moves slowly: the new 2026 arc comes four years after the end of the previous one, Zhongsheng zhi Men (众生之门).
- The first film is actually a prequel to the web series, which is why many Western viewers discovered the world out of order.
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