After a decade in decline, the domestic cartoon filmmaking industry is beginning to stir as overseas productions continue to swamp the local market. Xu Wei with the Shanghai Daily reports on signs of a renaissance in Chinese animated movies.

Following the success of Monkey King -- Uproar in Heaven,  Nezha Conquers the Dragon King and Calabash Brothers, Chinese lovers of cartoon films have been waiting a long time to applaud the next made-in-China animation hit.

It seems that it has not been easy for China's current crop of animators and cartoon filmmakers to keep their heads above the flood of overseas cartoons that have swamped the home market since the early 1990s. Chinese teenagers can name dozens of Japanese cartoon characters but not too many of their Chinese equivalents.

So where are China's animation filmmakers? Will they be able to find a way to break through?

Some of the answers may lie in two upcoming cartoon TV serials, both based on China's rich culture and history -- Illustrating China and Happy 'Lun Yu' (The Analects of Confucius)."

"Chinese cartoonists should return to their traditional roots in search of inspiration rather than imitate the foreign styles," says Ding Jianfei, general manager of Shanghai City Animation Co Ltd, the producer of the two serials.

Ding doesn't conceal his concern that more and more Chinese children are fascinated by "Ultraman," "Crayon Shinchan," "Garfield" and "Spider-Man" but have little idea of their own culture.

"In effect, some cartoon images are not good for kids - they are uttering rude but easy-to-remember slang expressions and they teach Chinese kids ways to misbehave," he says. "The situation facing domestic cartoonists is quite urgent."

However, the two serials may be just the start of a rejuvenation of Chinese cartooning.

Illustrating China is considered as the country's first history documentary cartoon. It covers the 5,000-year history of China - from remote antiquity to the revolution of 1911 which marked the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"The last thing in the world we want to do is to make the serial a starchy or preaching work," Ding says. "If done that way, the basic charm and fun of a cartoon would be quickly lost. The project is a challenge for us."

The production team for Illustrating China is now busy gathering historical materials and shooting landscapes at renowned sites such as the Imperial Palace and the Summer Palace in Beijing and the Dunhuang Grottoes near the Old Silk Road in Gansu Province. After processing, the images will become part of the series.

"We feel that we have a strong responsibility to offer our young generation a clear picture of the nation as a whole, including its science, philosophy, art, literature ... and whatever," Ding says.

The investment for the 150-episode project is between 30 million and 40 million yuan (between US$3.6 million and US$4.8 million) and a total of 60 designers will start work next month. The project is expected to take at least 30 months to complete.

Compared with the history documentary, the 52-episode Happy 'Lun Yu' has a smaller budget of about 1 million yuan and it seems to be a more light-hearted entertainment.

Xiao Bu Dian, a naughty but clever boy, runs into a lot of problems at school. Each time he becomes depressed and upset, Confucius breaks through the barrier of time to encourage and inspire him through his golden adages.

The first half of 26 episodes of Happy 'Lun Yu' is scheduled to start screening on Shanghai TV channels during the next Lunar New Year holiday.

Despite the high cost of making animated films - as much as 12,000 yuan per minute - Ding agrees that it is more important to recognize the need and importance of having made-in-China cartoon productions.

"Last year, China produced 29,000 minutes of animation in total, while the market demand was about 268,000 minutes," Ding says.

In that sense, insiders believe there's a promising future for China's cartoon industry.

"We hope to bring back the glorious age of Chinese animation from the 1950s to the 1980s with the support of government and the public," says Dr Liu Haibo who teaches film art at Shanghai University.

In recent years, China's central government has issued a series of regulations covering the domestic cartoon industry, including a stipulation that the volume of imported animated films should not exceed 40 percent of the total broadcasting time and only domestic animations can be shown between 5pm and 9pm on cartoon channels.

"Plus, the government also supports and sponsors more academic and business exchanges in this field, such as China International Animation Festival and Exposition (which was held in Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province last month)," Dr Liu says. "Nobody can afford to neglect the big business opportunities involved in Chinese cartooning."

Surprisingly, around 70 percent of the profits from a successful cartoon film comes from spin-offs such as DVDs, toys, stationery and T-shirts.

In Japan, where the animation industry is much more mature, it is one of the pillars of the economy. But in China, a lot of challenges remain to be overcome before there can be a return to "the golden age."

One problem is the current production mode. Unlike the cartoon industry in Japan and the United States, artistic creation in China is usually not a business operation. This means China's cartoon industry, without a systematic and efficient marketing organization or business orientation, can not quickly respond to market demands.

Piracy, a shortage of funding and a drain of talent are other major obstacles the domestic industry has to overcome.

"We do not need cartoonists who are adept only at copying foreign styles," Ding says. "They should be creative and sharp-witted about international markets and familiar with modern lifestyles and culture."

However, in the eyes of many animation fans, the key problem lies in the quality of the local cartoon works themselves.

"Foreign productions are far more entertaining and original," says Jia Yijing, a 20-something cartoon fan. "Even the background music is beautiful. Compared with the monotonous and dull images of some domestic cartoons, the handsome iconic characters in Slam Dunk (a Japanese cartoon hit) are more charming and alluring."

Chen Qinian, 11, says he loves Disney's Shrek, Japan's Doraemon and Chibi Maruko Chan best. But he doesn't mention any domestic cartoon images.

"They are not funny at all," Chen says with a frown. "What's more, I am really fed up with some of the works that are always teaching you either to do something or not to do something."

Avoiding portrayals of the problems faced by growth is another important reason why foreign cartoons are so popular in China.

"Unlike domestic cartoons, overseas works usually cover varied and 'sensational' subjects, including young love on campuses, heroic fights and even some violent conflicts or contests," explains Ding. "They focus on adolescent exuberance and encourage dreams and imagination in the young."

And it's not only children who are the targets of the cartoon industry. As market demand increases, the animators and studios are also eying the lucrative adult market.

According to Jin Guoping, director of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, animation should be created for different age groups. Although youngsters and children are the major consumers of animated series for television, some Disney blockbusters, such as The Lion King and Finding Nemo, were made for teenagers and adults -- or even the whole family.

"Adults have distinctive memories of childhood and fairy tales," Jin says. "The two classics of our studio in the 1960s and the 1970s -- Monkey King and Nezha Conquers the Dragon King are still highly popular in today's VCD and DVD market."

(Shanghai Daily July 13, 2005)