If fate is a mountain, Then I will split it

Ne Zha movies (2019 and 2025) appreciation sideblog. Please be patient, as I can't speak Chinese.

[i-make-the-choice]

INTRO

Hello, welcome! I'm Struki. 🪷

This side blog will mainly contain artworks, fan edits, reblogs, analysis and news about the Ne Zha movie saga (2019, 2025, 20??) written and directed by Jiaozi.

Occasionally, I will post original content such as my own reflections.

Please be patient, as I'm from Europe and I don’t speak nor understand Chinese. At all.

Thank you and have fun! ❤️‍🔥

ＮＡＶＩＧＡＴＩＯＮ

Masterlists - collections of the best posts (coming soon)

[i-make-the-choice]

Today I learned:

An epic novel and its legacy: Investiture Of The Gods

Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi, 封神演義) is a Chinese novel from the Ming Dynasty. It is a cornerstone of Chinese culture and a leading example of the "gods and demons" (shenmo) literary genre.

While authorship is usually credited to Xu Zhonglin (died in 1560), the plot centers on the supernatural war between the fading Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) and the rising Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE).

The result is a massive epic that blends Chinese mythology with history, spiritual elements from Chinese folklore, Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism... and so much more. Throughout the book, a vast cast of deities, spirits, and immortals take sides in the conflict, using magic and legendary weapons.

Introducing the Fengshen Cinematic Universe

A poster released in 2020 for Lunar New Year, featuring characters of the two films + some characters of the movie Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015). Apparently, a prequel to the film (titled Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven) is currently in development.

The 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods serves as the 'source code' for countless creative works. Recently, however, two major cinematic projects have been woven into this single shared multiverse: the Ne Zha saga (2019–2025) and Jiang Ziya (2020). While these productions take significant creative liberties, they are built entirely upon the world-building established centuries ago.

In fact, Ne Zha 2 is the third installment of the 'Fengshen Cinematic Universe' (FCU) — China’s direct answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Much like its Western counterpart, the FCU draws from a massive roster of 'superheroes' that are deeply embedded in Chinese culture and folklore. The intended audience have known the basic plot for literally centuries! The narrative style used for this multiuniverse is called Xianxia - a type of fantasy based on Daoist philosophy and its recurring themes, such as martial arts, physical and spiritual training (cultivation), cosmic balance, fighting injustice, defying fate.

As of now (I'm writing in summer 2026), the FCU is currently seeing incredible success, primarily driven by its blockbuster animated franchise. However, their highly ambitious live-action trilogy, Creation of the Gods, expands, with the third installment expected to close out the series (possibly in 2027).

Here I add the trailer of the first movie:

Finally, following the major commercial performance of the second film, director Jiaozi (Yang Yu) has confirmed that Ne Zha 3 is officially in active development.

[xielianhua]

Zhang Zining cosplays Ne Zha's Ao Bing

[murmurmm00mm]

i like this movie

[juuxzi]

🔥🏍️ vs 🐎❄️

[finalbum]

[mintcururu]

ㅤ✦ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ⠀  ﾟ。 ◜ ʚ 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀 ɞ ° ◞ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ   ♡ㅤ𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀﹕ ne zha, ao bing,                               ao guang & ao run ㅤㅤ   ♡ㅤ𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲﹕   Ne Zha 2 (Honor of Kings) ㅤ    

[blov01]

🔥🧊🧊

[i-make-the-choice]

Honor of Kings x Ne Zha 2 Collaboration (launched on April 29, 2026 in China). Will probably launch globally soon, at the end of the year.

I would LOVE a game inspired by the Ne Zha cinematic universe... this is the closest thing, for now ❤️‍🔥

[i-make-the-choice]

Today I learned:

Yāoguai, the Chinese spirits/demons

Yāoguài (妖怪) is a broad, diverse class of creatures in Chinese mythology. They can be anything non-human (usually animals, but also plants... even inanimate objects!).

Although the term yaoguai is commonly translated to English as "demon" it is important to note that not all of them are evil; malevolent or morally grey entities are typically called guai (怪 - "strange monster"), gui (鬼 - "spectre or ghost") or mó (魔 - "demon", closer to the Western sense).

So... what define 'yaoguai'?

Setting them apart from other type of monsters, is the possession of supernatural powers; These abilities—like shapeshifting or mind control— usually defy the natural and heavenly order.

Essentially, yaoguai are animals or objects that "level up" by absorbing enough life energy (called Qi - 氣 - pronounced 'chi') to become intelligent, magical beings. This accumulation of energy is sometimes achieved through Daoist practices - like training and meditation -although some of the yaoguai are just created by other reasons, for example misfortune and by "accidents" in nature.

They often strive for immortality: if they succeed in their goal, without becoming malevolent, they can even become divine beings, similar to deities.

Is Ne Zha a Yaoguai?

Definitely not in the classic myth, in which he is a reincarnated deity.

However, in the Jiaozi's 2019 film, Ne Zha is surely considered a yaoguai, although his true nature is far more complex: he is the living vessel of the Mo Wan (魔丸, Demon Orb or Demon Pill), a primordial celestial artifact containing the chaotic, destructive energy of the universe. This cosmic burden technically makes him a "cursed" demon baby right from birth.

Nevertheless, his status as a Yaoguai makes him feared by the villagers, driving the story's core conflict of the first movie: nature vs. nurture.

In fact, while yaoguai are not usually evil in the sense Western demons are, they are usually considered weird, untrustworthy and potentially dangerous, tending to exert a baleful influence on mankind.

Moreover, they are associated with erratic behavior, bewilderment, and with disaster or misfortune: I'm sure all these features were taken into consideration when the animated studio defined Ne Zha's character design, expressions and personality.

Finally, yaoguai are often depicted as predatory creatures who seek to consume or to drain the life force of other living beings.

The purpose in consuming human beings is often to obtain immortality or achieve godlike power, but sometimes it is attributed to simple hunger.

edit: I added a picture of the Yaksha, to make the point stronger!

Fun fact: 'Yaksha' is a category of deities/natural spirits from Hindu and Buddhist mythologies; however, in Chinese contexts or fantasy games, it is frequently categorized as a type of yaoguai.

edit 2: Correction - rather than labeling gui and guai as evil, it is more accurate to describe their alignment as either malevolent or morally grey. I also took a helpful comment to heart and highlighted what Ne Zha really is, compared to what the villagers claim he is.

[hanfugallery]

chinese hanfu inspired by nezha哪吒 by 野发是什么发

[i-make-the-choice]

Amazing work! ❤️‍🔥 the details on this are incredibile (like on chest and hips area)

[countandra]

mask [SHEN GONGBAO, NE ZHA]

[stansilverart]

First picture of my Ao Guang Cosplay!

Pic and edit by @runaway-robin 💞🫶🏻

[blov01]

"'Nervous?' This word doesn't exist in young master's dictionary."

[httpwanning]

申小豹

[yushirosblog]

The fact they included this moment in both movies is just amazing. Gotta be one of my favorite moments between the two.

[peskygirl13]

I'm watching Ne Zha 2019 for the first time. I'm about halfway through, and 90% of me watching this movie is just me feeling SO maternal toward Ne Zha.

HE'S JUST A BABY! 😭

LOOK AT HIM! 😢

He just wanted friends and for people to come to his birthday party 💔

[i-make-the-choice]

I love this little review because it precisely describes the sentiment I grappled with throughout the first film.

Many years ago, I too was a reactive, angry child. Much like Ne Zha, there were good intentions from the start, but I lacked the tools to execute them properly, and the mood was quite volatile. My journey was about learning to channel my emotions constructively.

I hope he will find more friends in the future. 🌸

[golzybladedee]

Still thinking about them