'White Snake: Afloat' reshapes traditional myths, explores Chinese romance

Light Chaser Animation, a leading Chinese animation production team, has just announced that it would extend the theatrical run of its annual feature "White Snake: Afloat" from October 10 to November 10.

The animation, released on the traditional Qixi Festival, known as Chinese Valentine's Day, on August 10 this year, tells a well-known Chinese love story. Its current box office is 424 million yuan (US$60 million).

In the animated film, Bai Suzhen, or Blanca, is a thousand-year-old white snake spirit who transformed into a beautiful young woman to repay a life-saving debt. Along with her sister Verta, the green snake, she finds and marries Xu Xian, a gentle doctor and the reincarnation of her benefactor, in Hangzhou during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). However, their brief happiness ended with the intervention of a monk named Fahai, who imprisoned the White Snake under a pagoda by the West Lake. In despair, Xu became a monk, and their son would later grow up to become a top scholar to free his mother.

Founded in 2013, Light Chaser Animation recognized the necessity of embracing traditional Chinese cultural IPs to establish and distinguish their brand. In 2016, they decided to start with the well-known legend of the White Snake. However, they told a completely new story, setting the events of the White Snake legend five hundred years earlier and recounting the poignant love story between Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian's previous incarnation, A Xuan. This work premiered in January 2019.

In July 2021, the second installment of the "White Snake" series chronicled Verta, who, overcoming numerous challenges, ventured to the modern West Lake in search of her sister.

The 2024 release of "White Snake: Afloat" marks the culmination of this eight-year journey. Unlike the previous two animations, which narrated entirely new stories, this one offers a fresh perspective on the centuries-old legend to captivate the modern audience.

Drawing inspiration from fine traditional culture

In "White Snake: Afloat," Hangzhou is depicted as bustling and vibrant.

Details abound in the animation. Co-director Li Jiakai said the production team had purchased replicas of Song painting scrolls to study and integrate the most lifelike elements.

Even the Song Dynasty dishes on the dining table were meticulously researched. Li noted that the team consulted numerous Song records and even remade the dishes from scratch.

However, elements from the refined traditional culture extend far beyond these examples.

In an effort to save Xu, Blanca travels to the Kunlun Mountains to gather immortal herbs. The magic incense burner used to send her off is modeled after the burner unearthed from the tomb of a Han Dynasty (202 B.C. to 220 A.D.) prince, evoking a classical Oriental fantasy.

The narrative flow of the work begins and ends with the Lantern Festival, weaving through traditional festivals such as the Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Double Ninth Festival.

"The cycle of festivals symbolizes the passage of time, reflecting the unique Chinese perception of time. Such settings also allow the audience to feel the festive atmosphere of the Song Dynasty," co-director Chan Kin Hi told Xinhua.

The scenes where Xu gently covers a sleeping Blanca with a garment and later, when they meet in the rain, Blanca carries an umbrella for him reflect Light Chaser's understanding and interpretation of Chinese-style romance. Chan believes such love embodies the most fundamental emotional values of the Chinese.

Resonating with audiences worldwide

"From its inception, Light Chaser Animation has established a clear mission: 'a Chinese team creating Chinese stories for Chinese audiences,' and it aspires to create world-class animated films rooted in Chinese culture," said Yu Zhou, CEO of Light Chaser.

"We hope to utilize the artistic and technical power of animated films to bring China's rich traditional narratives to life," he added.

The White Snake series has achieved international success. The 2019 release ranked the second most popular animated film of the year in Japan.

Its sequel, White Snake 2, launched globally on Netflix in 10 languages, became the third most-watched foreign-language film, with over 40 million viewers worldwide.

For many years, driven by a passion for Chinese history and culture, Japanese manga artist Shichimi Rou has created a series of manga works set in the Chinese history. She also watched the 2019 release of White Snake.

"I was really impressed. The heroine's black hair was as beautiful as an ink painting, and it reminded me of traditional Chinese paintings. Also, the power of the action scenes, the composition of the screen, and the color scheme are all wonderful," she said.

"I expected a tragic ending, but seeing the characters reunite on the Broken Bridge across time made me so happy," she said, adding that she appreciates such beautiful, sad, thrilling, and gentle work.

Notably, the legend of White Snake shares a deep connection with the rise of Japan's animation industry.

In 1958, Toei Animation released Japan's first color anime feature film, "The White Snake Enchantress."

"The characters' shapes and comical movements are reminiscent of Disney animation." Shichimi Rou noted that it also reminds her of shadow puppets and Chinese paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).

Yu disclosed that discussions are underway for the overseas distribution of "White Snake: Afloat."

Before and beyond 'white snake'

Currently, Light Chaser Animation releases a new work each year. Yu revealed the team is working on other works that transform China's classical literary masterpieces into animated films.

"Light Chaser is committed to producing animated films that uphold our rich traditional culture while reflecting the spirit of our times. The future of Chinese animation is promising. On one hand, we have a long history and a rich traditional culture, which are inexhaustible treasures for creativity. On the other hand, China's animation film market is enormous, appealing to audiences of all ages," Yu told Xinhua.

Since 2019, Chinese mythological heroes such as Nezha and Sun Wukong as well as historical figures like poet Li Bai have continually appeared in Light Chaser's animated works.

Yu said their stories are timeless, and Light Chaser preserves their characteristics, which are also blended with contemporary aesthetics and values to resonate with audiences nowadays.

In the early 1990s, the Taiwanese TV production "New Legend of Madame White Snake" aired across the Strait. Angie Chiu and Cecilia Yip's portrayals of the White Snake and Xu Xian became unforgettable classics for many in China.

The ending song of "White Snake: Afloat" is "A Thousand Years of Waiting," the theme song from this popular TV series, performed by Chiu and Yip.

Both directors, who watched "The New Legend of Madame White Snake" in their youth, now contribute to the legacy they adored.

"We grew up with Chiu and Yip telling us the story of the White Snake, and now we pass it on to the next generation. Perhaps in the future, a new team will take up this baton to continue telling the tale of the White Snake, a beautiful story of love in the Chinese tradition, worthy of being sung forever," said Li.