Ne Zha 2 Is Great, but This 94%-Rated Chinese Film Beats Ghibli at Its Own Game
This Chinese masterpiece rivals Ghibli with breathtaking animation, deep folklore, and emotional storytelling.
These days, original 2D animation is worth its weight in gold. These kinds of ambitious projects always generate buzz well before their premiere, sparking inevitable parallels and debates among fans.
When it comes to Asian fairy tale animation, the creations of Studio Ghibli have become an invariable benchmark of quality. Every new work is immediately analyzed to see what the creators have borrowed from Hayao Miyazaki and his team.
Big Fish & Begonia suffered the same fate. And it must be said that all comparisons are fair, but this Chinese project even rivals the famous studio's works in its visual beauty.
What Is Big Fish & Begonia About?
Beyond our reality there is another world inhabited by gods, spirits and magical creatures. At the age of sixteen, they turn into red dolphins and come to Earth, to the great ocean, for a week.
They are strictly forbidden to contact humans, but Chun, the daughter of the goddess of nature, breaks the ban and falls in love with a young fisherman.
During a terrible storm, the young man saves Chun from the nets and dies in the process. Chun embarks on a dangerous adventure to save the soul of her beloved.
The Film Was More Than Ten Years in the Making
Big Fish & Begonia is a movie with a difficult fate, a real long-term project. Work on it began in 2004 and was constantly frozen due to lack of funding.
Thanks to numerous sponsors, the fairy tale finally made it to the big screen, causing a sensation and delighting viewers.
Big Fish & Begonia Is One of the Most Strikingly Beautiful Animated Movies You'll Ever See
First of all, it is an incredibly beautiful animated film. Dizzying backgrounds, fantastic scenes with flying fish, dragons and magical whirlpools – almost every frame can be printed out and hung on the wall.
Few movies since Spirited Away have delivered such a breathtaking whirlwind of fantasy. Chinese folklore also plays a part – the character design and plot are largely based on myths and folktales.
Where to Watch Big Fish & Begonia?
Big Fish & Begonia is like an open sea – it's beautiful, inexplicably mysterious, and you could easily drown in it. This movie is definitely worth watching – it's a true work of art.
Big Fish & Begonia is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
