The Evolution of Dragon Imagery in Chinese Animation: From the 'Chinese Animation School' to Television Animation

The Evolution of Dragon Imagery in Chinese Animation: From the 'Chinese Animation School' to Television Animation

This article explores the development of dragon imagery in Chinese animation, examining the characteristics and significance of dragon portrayal in two distinct periods: the 'Chinese Animation School' (1957-1999) and the television animation era. It delves into the themes of inheritance, criticism, anthropomorphism, and changing societal contexts.

1. The Period of the 'Chinese Animation School'

The first phase of dragon image development in animation (1957-1999) spans nearly 40 years, starting with the rise of the 'Chinese Animation School' in the 1950s and the establishment of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It ends with the decline of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio and the revival of original Chinese TV animation at the end of the 20th century.

Unlike the noble and positive meanings of dragon culture in history, the dragon image in animated films during this period exhibits two major characteristics: the coexistence of inheritance and criticism, and the dichotomous role characteristics of clear good and evil, non-black and white.

The first animated film in Chinese animation history featuring a dragon as the main character was the puppet animation 'Carving the Dragon' in 1959. This short film won the Silver Award at the 2nd Bucharest International Puppet Film Festival in Romania in 1960. Its subject matter was derived from folklore of the Bai ethnic group, incorporating the cultural connotation of the Chinese idiom 'adding the finishing touch with a stroke of a dragon,' telling the story of the struggle between the laboring people of ethnic minorities and an evil pig dragon.

Subsequent works such as 'Dragon Tooth Star,' 'The Fantastic Tales of the Heavenly Books,' and 'The Twelve Zodiac Signs' were mostly adapted from folk stories. For example, 'Dragon Tooth Star' draws inspiration from the Miao ethnic group's legend of 'repairing the sky with dragon teeth,' 'The Fantastic Tales of the Heavenly Books' is adapted from the Ming Dynasty novel 'The Legend of the White Snake,' and 'The Twelve Zodiac Signs' originates from the ancient theory of heavenly stems and earthly branches in Chinese astrology. In these films, the dragon image serves as both the subject of storytelling and a symbol of traditional culture, embodying profound cultural heritage behind it. It represents the 'inheritance' of dragon culture in the historical context.

On the other hand, the dragon king image adapted from the Ming and Qing Dynasty novels 'Journey to the West' and 'Fengshen Yanyi' mostly appears as a negative image of selfishness, greed, and cunningness. For example, in 'Havoc in Heaven,' the East Sea Dragon King betrays Sun Wukong and reports him to the Heavenly Court. In 'Nezha Conquers the Dragon King,' the Four Seas Dragon King deceives and exploits the people, ignoring their suffering and displaying corruption and ugliness. Compared to the original works, these dragon king characters are portrayed in a more flat, one-dimensional, and generalized manner, with clear good and evil characteristics.

Since the 'dragon' in ancient mythology is an allusion to feudalism, imperial power, and royal authority, the appearance of numerous unforgivable antagonistic dragon images in animated films during this period can be seen as a caricature and derogation of feudal dragon mythology in the early days of the founding of New China. The dragon kings in the aforementioned animations continue the combination of dragons and royal power in the feudal era, focusing on fierce criticism, aiming to promote the spirit of rebellion, freedom, and justice in the new era. It represents the 'criticism' of dragon culture in the social context.

2. The Television Animation Period

During the television animation period, the dragon image exhibited tendencies of anthropomorphism, equal rights, and deconstruction. In the late 1990s, the Chinese animation industry entered a downturn, with the market dominated by foreign animations and a severe loss of animation talents. The 'Chinese Animation School' explored the path of market-oriented transformation in the face of these challenges.

In 1999, the 52-episode animated series 'Journey to the West' was born. This version of the animation adaptation is closest to the original story. The film added more modern and everyday elements and details, showcasing the changes in family and people's ideological concepts in the new era.

In the new century, the central government introduced a series of preferential policies to support and encourage domestic animation creation, aiming to promote the recovery of the domestic animation market. During this period, films such as 'The Legend of Nezha' (2003), 'China Boy' (2006), and 'The Monkey King' (2010) shaped characters with distinct personalities such as Little Dragon Girl and Little White Dragon. In most of these films, the dragon image appears as a reliable 'assistant' and an intimate 'companion' to the protagonist. The (new) 'Journey to the West' (2010) incorporated a large number of popular elements in its adaptation. The film broke the sales record of Japanese animated films at the Cannes International TV Festival and won the Animation Gold Award at the South Africa International Film Festival, becoming a classic work of Chinese animation that successfully entered the international mainstream market.

Compared to animated films, the dragon mythology in the television era has three main new characteristics. Firstly, the transformation of the dragon image into anthropomorphism. In the 1999 version of 'Journey to the West,' the dragon kings' appearance changed from the traditional symbol of the East with the color blue to a skin color closer to human skin, and their sharp claws transformed into human fingers, which aligns better with the aesthetic preferences of modern audiences. Secondly, the emergence of dragon female characters. Dragon mothers and dragon girls appeared on the screen for the first time in the 1999 'Journey to the West,' as well as characters like the Little Dragon Girl in 'The Legend of Nezha' and the Little Dragon Sister in the (new) 'Journey to the West,' indicating a trend of gender diversity in dragon characters in animation. Thirdly, the disappearance of dragon antagonists. In the period of animated films, the dragon, as a representative of feudal forces, had distinct class connotations. However, since the turn of the new century, the old class contradictions have dissolved, and the criticism of dragon antagonist images has been alleviated.