The Legend of Hei II

The Legend of Hei II
Theatrical release poster
Chinese罗小黑战记2
Directed by
  • MTJJ
  • Gu Jie
Screenplay by
  • MTJJ
  • Gu Jie
  • Fengxishenlei
  • Kexin Peng
Based onThe Legend of Luo Xiaohei
by MTJJ
Produced by
  • Cong Fangbing
  • Cao Zijian
Starring
  • Shan Xin
  • Liu Mingyue
  • Zhu Jing
  • Luan Lisheng
  • Fu Chenyang
  • Yan Ling
CinematographyLiang Shuang
Music bySun Yujing
Production
company
HMCH[1]
Distributed byQianwanjian Media
Release date
  • July 18, 2025 (2025-07-18)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin
Box officeUS$75.5 million[2][3]

The Legend of Hei II (simplified Chinese: 罗小黑战记2; traditional Chinese: 羅小黑戰記2; pinyin: Luóxiǎohēizhànjì2) is a 2025 Chinese animated action adventure film written and directed by MTJJ and Gu Jie.[4] It was released in theaters across China on July 18, 2025.[5] The film is the sequel to The Legend of Hei (2019).[6]

Synopsis

The story takes place before the animated series and after the first movie.[7] Following an attack on the Spirit World, the peace between the spirits and humans is shattered. Evidence points to Wuxian, putting the master and apprentice in danger. Xiaohei and his senior fellow apprentice, Luye, embark on an adventurous journey to uncover the truth, attempting to uncover the hidden hand behind the attack and prevent the outbreak of war between humans and spirits.

Production

Script and setting

The Legend of Hei II was produced by the animation studio Hanmu Chunhua (HMCH).[8] Kexin Peng, who also wrote the previous film, continued to serve as the screenwriter.[9]

The Legend of Hei II's script took about a year and a half to write, starting in 2019. The film inherits and expands the worldview of the previous film, while also introducing new characters and conflicts. The writing process was designed with a balance between new and existing audiences in mind, and the worldview and character relationships were introduced in the opening.[7]

Although the movie is set in a modern background, it also incorporated traditional Chinese culture. The film imaginatively depicts the integration of traditional Chinese spirits into modern society: Nezha enjoys playing video games, while spirits not only use public transportation but also become addicted to their smartphones. One of the two producers, Cao Zijian, mentioned that the clothing and settings in the work were refined through extensive research and on-site investigations to ensure authenticity, all in service of the overall style.[7]

Character designs for Xiaohei, Wuxian, and Nezha continue from the previous film, with only new costumes and adjusted proportions for Xiaohei.[10][11][12] Luye and the elders are new characters.[13] Luye's design was the most difficult in the entire series, with the production team going through over 200 design drafts before finalizing her design.[14] Luye and Xiaohei represent reality and ideals, respectively. Another producer, Cong Fangbing, explained that Luye's design was inspired by the spiritual dilemma of modern people: she appears cold and sometimes harsh, but she is also reserved and possesses a soft heart.[7][15] As a war orphan, Luye, after enduring pain, ultimately chooses to accept Wuxian's help and emerge from the shadows of her past. She also possesses a strong spiritual core.[16] The names of some supporting characters in the film are derived from the nicknames of the production staff.[17]

The Legend of Hei II demonstrates an inclusive stance. It doesn't force moral principles, but rather respects everyone's perspective. Between the whitewashing of a never-to-come war and the brutality of a no-win situation after a war, the team, consisting of Xiaohei and Luye, chose to express the message that "we can maintain peace".[7]

Animation production

The Legend of Hei II was produced using traditional 2D hand-drawn animation, with 3D modeling as an aid. The production cycle lasted six years, with the aircraft combat sequence taking a full year.[9] According to the producers, more than 200,000 hand-drawn genga were used,[18] and there were about 2,400 shots in total.[17] Animation is typically produced using a "one-shot-two" technique (using 12 genga per second in 24p film), but most of the ten action scenes in the film were produced using a "one-shot-one" technique (using 24 genga per second in 24p film), to achieve a smoother and more fluid action.[7]

The Legend of Hei II was created with special consideration for the action design of live-action films and real-world location shooting. For the airplane fighting scenes, an aircraft consultant was hired to show the fighting scenes in a real aircraft flying state.[9] The Cangnan Guild Hall in the film was filmed in Cangnan County, Wenzhou, incorporating the city's elements and the Minnan dialect.[19][20] The Hanmu Hall in the film is based on the production company's name.[17] The Yuedong Guild Hall serves Cantonese-style morning tea. The "Lingkui Town" sign is a homophone of the local dialect for "Lingxi Town (Cangnan County)".[21]

Dubbing

The voice cast for The Legend of Hei II remains the same as the original series. Huang Zhenji, who voiced Diting in the original animated series, is the voice director. To ensure Xiaohei's voice is unique, Shan Xin deliberately avoided using Xiaohei's voice when recording other anime characters. Zhu Jing, the voice actor for Luye, emphasized the need to create a sense of contrast in the voice acting to portray Luye's "stable and powerful exterior, yet soft heart." Liu Mingyue, the voice actor for Wuxian, stated that to portray Xiaohei's emotional bond with Wuxian, he chose to "create a sense of an old father."[22]

The voice acting list is as follows:[23][24]

  • Xiaohei (小黑, Hei for short, Luo Xiaohei in animated series, lit. 'Little Black')
voiced by: Shan Xin (Mandarin); Kana Hanazawa (Japanese)
  • Wuxian (无限, lit. 'Infinity')
voiced by: Liu Mingyue (Mandarin); Mamoru Miyano (Japanese)
  • Luye (鹿野)
voiced by: Zhu Jing (Mandarin)
  • Naza (哪吒, Parody of Nezha)
voiced by: Shan Xin (Mandarin)
  • Lingyao
voiced by: Luan Lisheng (Mandarin)
  • Chinian
voiced by: Fu Chenyang (Mandarin)
voiced by: Yan Ling (Mandarin)
voiced by: Chen Qigang (Mandarin)
  • Xi Muzi
voiced by: Huang Zhenji (Mandarin)
  • Panjing
voiced by: Li Lu (Mandarin)
  • Jiulao
voiced by: Chen Siyu (Mandarin)
  • Zheng Xinyi
voiced by Ren Jingxing (Mandarin)
  • Captain
voiced by: Ren Jingxing (Mandarin)

Release and response

The Legend of Hei II was released in mainland China on July 18, 2025, and was also scheduled to be released in Japan on November 7.[25] In August 2025, it was announced that the film would be released in the United States and Canada theaters by GKIDS on September 5, 2025.[4][1]

The Legend of Hei II has a Douban score of 8.7, making it the highest-scoring Chinese-language animated film in theaters as of 2025.[9][26] China Central Television's entertainment review said that the film maintains and further enhances the series' consistent oriental fantasy. Through a more mature visual expression, the film elevates and integrates Chinese aesthetics with philosophical reflections. It also incorporates traditional Chinese cultural elements into its artistic conception and scenes, presenting them in an innovative way.[27] Sanlian Lifeweek praised the film's action scenes, calling them "the pinnacle of domestic production", and noted that the political dynamics between the spirits and the human elite in the film possessed a realism not previously seen in the series. However, it also questioned the plot's conflict, arguing that the motivations behind the conflict between the spirits and humans were unexplained and merely glossed over as an introduction.[28]

Caixin Media noted that the film's strength lies in its refusal to set the limits of right and wrong, and instead presenting a comprehensive look at each character's perspectives and stances, each influenced by their diverse backgrounds, leaving the judgement to the audience. The film also explicitly hints at a more advanced anti-war narrative: "There are no survivors in war".[29] The Qilu Evening News said that the film goes beyond the positioning of a commercial animation and explores heavy topics such as war, hatred, and trust with gentle yet firm power.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (8 August 2025). "GKIDS Grabs Chinese Animated Elfin Tale 'The Legend of Hei 2'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  2. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (10 August 2025). "China Box Office: 'Dead to Rights' Stays No. 1, 'Dongji Rescue' Bows in Third". Variety. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Luo Xiaohei Zhan Ji 2". ys.endata.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b Tangcay, Jazz (8 August 2025). "GKIDS Acquires North American Distribution Rights to 'The Legend of Hei 2' (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  5. ^ "中文在线：《罗小黑战记2》定档7月18日 IP多元化路径再迈关键一步". 证券时报网 (in Chinese (China)). 15 June 2025. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  6. ^ "The Chinese Web Series 'The Legend of Luo Xiaohei' Is Getting A Feature Spinoff". 2 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f 阿瑞 (26 July 2025). "这个夏天，《罗小黑战记2》治愈了许多成年人". 新周刊. Retrieved 26 July 2025 – via 虎嗅网.
  8. ^ "备案公示查询结果". 国家电影局. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d 张友发 (22 July 2025). "2025国产院线电影最高分，是这样炼成的｜专访《罗小黑战记2》制片人". Jiemian News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  10. ^ MTJJ木头 (27 July 2025). "Xiao Hei has grown up based on the first part..." 微发. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  11. ^ MTJJ木头 (27 July 2025). "_(:з」∠)_Infinite Because there is no change, this time there is only the costume setting~". 微发. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  12. ^ MTJJ木头 (28 July 2025). "_(:з」∠)_Nezha is the same as Wuxian, unchanged..." 微博. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  13. ^ MTJJ木头 (29 July 2025). "_(:з」∠)_The elders are brand new characters..." 微博. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  14. ^ MTJJ木头 (27 July 2025). "Luye's design is the most difficult in the entire series..." 微博. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Luo Xiaohei Returns After Six Years of Hard Work". China.com (in Chinese). 26 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  16. ^ Yaoqin (26 July 2025). "Southern Net Review: Why "Falling in Love with Senior Sister is as Easy as Breathing": A Brief Analysis of the Character Development of "Luye" in "The Legend of Luo Xiaohei 2"". Southern Net (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 27 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  17. ^ a b c 彼方 马小褂 呆尾 小榕 (27 July 2025). 《罗小黑战记2》独家专访：六年磨一剑背后的苦与乐 (podcast) (in Chinese).
  18. ^ 孔小平 (18 July 2025). "日冠！《罗小黑战记2》二维动画美学再攀高峰". 扬子晚报网 (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  19. ^ 李静静; 章靖雯 (18 July 2025). "《罗小黑战记II》苍南元素满满！". 今日苍南 (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  20. ^ 叶锋; 陈盛华 (21 July 2025). "苍南会馆、闽南语叫卖、"领盔镇"路标……超人气动画《罗小黑战记2》满满温州元素". 温州都市报 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via 浙江新闻-浙江在线.
  21. ^ 金然 (21 July 2025). "一只"小黑猫"拿下今年院线华语片最高分，浙江观众有惊喜". 潮新闻 (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  22. ^ 王目雨, ed. (16 July 2025). "用音效打造沉浸世界！《罗小黑战记2》声音特辑". 中国青年网 (in Chinese). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  23. ^ "罗小黑战记2". 猫眼专业版 (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  24. ^ Beijing HMCH Anime Co.,Ltd. "新作映画『羅小黒戦記２』" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  25. ^ "定了！电影《罗小黑战记2》官宣11月登陆日本院线，花泽香菜再度献声小黑". COL Group (Press release) (in Chinese). 17 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  26. ^ "罗小黑战记2 (2025)" (in Chinese). Douban. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  27. ^ 央视网文娱 (21 July 2025). "#央视网文娱评罗小黑战记2#：国产动画跃升的美学范式". Weibo (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  28. ^ 西蒙 (23 July 2025). "暑期档最强黑马，凭什么刷新国漫天花板？". Sanlian Lifeweek (in Chinese). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  29. ^ 张梅婷 (24 July 2025). "《罗小黑战记2》：战争下没有幸存者". Caixin (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  30. ^ 胡婷 (26 July 2025). "观感舒适的"罗小黑"". Qilu Evening News (in Chinese). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
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