'' NOBODY '' ANIMATION FILM-ART : CHINA'S HONOURS

RECORD BREAKER : '' NOBODY '' by Shanghai Animation Film Studio has become a huge hit this summer.

BEIJING : Following the steps of the blockbuster ' Ne Zha 2 ' , another Chinese animated film has gone viral with its innovative interpretation of ancient Chinese mythologies.

' Nobody ' by Shanghai Animation Film Studio has become a major sleeper hit this summer, having grossed 776 million yuan [ about 08.73 million US dollars ] since its debut on Aug 2, smashing the record for Chinese made 2D animated films, previously held by '' Big Fish & Begonia, '' according to ticketing platform Beacon.

Between last Tuesday and Thursday, it even outperformed the historical movie '' Dead to Rights ,''  which is so far the top grosser in the bustling summer movie-going screen, on daily box office charts.

Industry Tracker Maoyan has projected its total box office to exceed 1.7 billion yuan.

Beyond BOX OFFICE HIT, it is also a critical darling. On Douban, a film review platform known for its stringent ratings, the animation has scored an impressive 8.6, edging out '' Ne Zha 2, '' the most watched and highest-grossing film ever in-China, by 0.3 points.

"Both ' Ne Zha 2' and ' Nobody' are excellent. The former features grand special effects, while the later in storytelling ", a movie-goer surnamed Cao told Xinhua.

Based on the Chinese classic novel ' Journey to the West ' written in the Ming Dynasty [ 1368- 1644 ], the film does not focus on the original protagonist - the mighty Monkey King.

Instead, it spotlights the countless puny yaoguai [ Chinese monsters ] that appear in the novel.

In the film, a group of four low-level yaoguai : a boar, a toad, an ape and a weasel - decide to embark on their journey to the west by dressing up as the team of Monk Tang and Monkey King.

The journey sees the impostors save human villagers from evil yaoguai and be eventually remembered by other nameless, ordinary people as great heroes.

'' The film puts contemporary themes into nameless minor yaoguai that the original work never developed, ultimately crafting a new story with modern relevance,'' said Chen Liaoyu, producer of ' Nobody.'

The World Students Society thanks Xinhua.