Product Info

Studio

Light Chaser Animation Studios

Director

Ji Zhao

Genre

Action, Animation, Fantasy

Rated

NA

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Jan 20, 2023

Film Length

2h 7m

Purchase From

New Gods: Yang Jian is the latest entry in the New Gods series from Light Chaser Animation. This film was inspired by another Chinese mythic figure, Yang Jian (also known as Erlang Shen). The movie’s visuals and storyline are interesting, but it stumbles a bit and loses the audience’s attention until partway into the film.

The movie takes place twelve years after Yang Jian, a god, imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain. Having lost most of his godlike powers as a result, he now lives as a penniless bounty hunter until a mysterious woman hires him to find Chenxiang, a young boy who is actually Yang’s nephew. However, Chenxiang is on a quest in search of the magical lotus lantern that will free his mother from the mountain. By doing so, the phoenixes that dwell inside will also be free, bringing catastrophe to the world. Yang Jian will have to confront the past while encountering dangerous foes who are also looking for the mystical lantern.

A Mystery Wonderland

The New Gods: Yang Jian world is filled with fantastical mythical creatures. The audience will see beings such as dragons, a dog that can eat flames and turn into a human girl, and humanoids that live among mortals. Landscapes and cities all exist on floating islands, so people travel on airships of all sizes. Shrines and many other Chinese-inspired structures and landscapes cover these fantasy realms as well.

Additionally, things get wilder as the film progresses. Some warriors can summon large, humanoid creatures with their godlike powers during battle. Think of it like Sasuke Uchiha’s susanoo power in the popular anime series, Naruto. It becomes a giant slugfest, putting the audience on the edge of their seats. Overall, it’s a fascinating setting for the audience to experience.

Starting From Ground Zero

At the start of the film, the audience is shown a short prelude about a prolonged war where gods and humans joined forces against demons and monsters. After the war, the gods returned to their place. That’s it. The film doesn’t spend too much time on it and seems to rely on the audience having some knowledge of Chinese mythology to understand its importance. When you finish the film, the connection between the movie’s story and the prelude is still confusing. This sequence honestly might have been better spent setting up characters and plot points more relevant to the story.

For example, in the latter half of the movie, the concept of mothers and sons suddenly has significance. It’s not hinted at in dialogue or in actions in the first half at all, so its emphasis later on feels like it comes out of nowhere. It’s not the last time the audience is left scrambling for answers either. To avoid spoilers, specific places and characters won’t be mentioned. Let’s just say that better setup early on really would’ve made the third act far more impactful.

Crew Who?

After the prelude, the film transitions to the present day where Yang Jian is playing his harmonica on his personal flying ship with his bounty hunting comrades. Jian, as the leader, appears unmotivated when it comes to taking on new jobs in order to pay for their ship’s fuel and to put food on the table. Still, even if it’s just for a small amount of money, they need to work.

After taking on a job from the mysterious woman, less time is spent on Jian’s bounty hunting comrades. Although they do reappear for a few scenes later on, their presence is almost unnecessary. It’s unfortunate because viewers will become attached to them after watching their introductory hunt. Questions about the crew’s backstory are mostly unanswered as well. For example, there’s a little girl aboard the ship who can turn into a dog. What’s going on there? Honestly, seeing the bounty hunting team together is reminiscent of another popular anime series, Cowboy Bebop. It would have made for a more interesting story seeing semi-powerful Jian and his crew working together to find Jian’s nephew. Instead, the film focuses solely on Jian and his nephew. The film might as well not emphasize these characters so much in the beginning if they’re not going to play significant roles in the story.

There’s certainly no shortage of antagonistic forces for Jian to go up against either, so he could use the help. From Chengxiang himself to rival bounty hunters and more, there are lots of characters to get to know. Some receive much more development than others, but no one gets as much focus as Jian and his nephew.

Back to the story, the details are vague up until you are about thirty minutes in. Jian’s past is explained by a talking monkey who has a vendetta and looks to embarrass him in front of an audience at a tavern. Later, Jian runs into Chenxiang and lets him go on purpose, not knowing at that time that he was his long-lost nephew. You’ll see more of their past begin to unfold up until the very end of the film, and it works well. It just takes awhile to get there.

Watching the film with subtitles makes it easier to understand and follow the storyline compared with the dubbed version. However, they appear and disappear quickly. If you’re used to watching anime with subtitles, the text in this film goes slightly faster. If you think that’s a chore, you’ll want to watch the dub. It’s fine once you get used to it, though.

Various Styles of Animation

The 3D animation style used in the film is done quite well, making use of various styles depending on the scene. In more comical ones, like when a fight breaks out, the 3D models become more exaggerated in their movements, such as jaws moving farther when punched or eyes bulging out. Unfortunately, there are some areas where textures don’t come in and look flat. This is more noticeable in scenes with crowds. On the other hand, the wind effects and how the sunset changes the appearance of characters and land look great.

There is also a sequence where Jian is trapped in a scroll. Instead of generic 3D animation in this environment, brushstrokes replace the clean outlines, and the colors are watered down. Even better, the brushstroke lines constantly change even if a character hardly moves. It’s simply a cool effect. Additionally, the wanted posters in the film also use calligraphy that animates, adding more style to this fantasy world.

Speaking of style, the film makes use of Jian’s harmonica in various spots, both as part of the action and the score. It gives a western feel to this eastern production. It’s reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop in that way, though not nearly as memorable. Outside of the wind instrument itself, the movie mostly uses instrumental pieces, usually soft. At the climax of large-scale battles, the music is more tense with its orchestration. There is also an in-story vocal performance by a character partway through the film that is both melancholic and beautiful at the same time. The film has a few different musical styles, but they do come together.

The Final Split

The story of Yang Jiang and his nephew as told in New Gods: Yang Jian is worth a look. Its fascinating setting and appealing visuals will entice the audience, but some narrative elements aren’t as fully developed as they could be and can lead to some confusion. Still, the experience remains a unique one—imperfect but impressive, just like the gods themselves.

An early screening provided for this review. Visit the official website for theater release times.