Ne Zha: The Devil Child Stirs Up the Sea

哪吒之魔童闹海

Fantasy Action

Rating

8.4 / 10

Year

2025

Director

饺子

Status

Completed

Views

Cast

吕艳婷囧森瑟夫瀚墨陈浩绿绮张珈铭

Synopsis

After six years, director Jiaozi brings the sequel to Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child. Following the heavenly tribulation, Ne Zha and Ao Bing's souls are preserved, but their physical bodies are on the verge of dissipating. Taiyi Zhenren uses the Seven-Colored Lotus to reshape their bodies, only to encounter numerous obstacles.

Overview

Ne Zha 2 is the sequel to the domestic animated film Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child, directed by Jiaozi. The film was released in mainland China on the first day of the Chinese New Year in 2025, with a Douban score of 8.4 based on over one million reviews.

The film continues the theme of "my fate is my own," evolving from one person defying destiny in the first installment to a group of people defying fate in the second. Whether in terms of story conception, character depth exploration, world-building, or thematic expression, it once again proves what it means to be the pinnacle of domestic animated films.

Plot

After the heavenly tribulation, the souls of Ne Zha and Ao Bing are preserved, but their physical bodies are on the verge of dissipating. Taiyi Zhenren plans to use the Seven-Color Lotus to reshape their bodies. However, numerous difficulties arise during the process, and the fates of Ne Zha and Ao Bing are once again drawn into a greater turmoil.

The conflict between the Dragon Clan and the Heavenly Court intensifies further. The Four Dragon Kings gather, stirring up monstrous waves. While confronting his own destiny, Ne Zha must also re-examine his complex relationship with Ao Bing.

Voice Cast

Character	Voice Actor	Description
Ne Zha	Lü Yanting	Protagonist, the reincarnation of the Demon Pill as a young hero
Ao Bing	Jiong Sen Se Fu	Dragon Clan prince, both friend and foe to Ne Zha
Taiyi Zhenren	Han Mo	Ne Zha's master
Li Jing	Chen Hao	Ne Zha's father
Lady Yin	Lü Qi	Ne Zha's mother
Shen Gongbao	Zhang Jiaming	Antagonist

Box Office Performance

Ne Zha 2 set multiple box office records after its release.

On its 22nd day of release, it surpassed Inside Out 2 ($1.699 billion) to become the highest-grossing animated film globally. As of its mainland China release end on June 30, 2025, its total global box office exceeded 15.9 billion RMB, with mainland China's total reaching 15.446 billion RMB, entering the global top ten box office rankings.

During the 2025 Spring Festival season, the film stood out with an impressive Douban opening score of 8.5, becoming the box office champion of the Spring Festival period.

Production Background

Director Jiaozi previously achieved over 5 billion RMB in box office with Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child released in 2019, ranking among the top in Chinese film box office history. Six years later, Jiaozi returned with the sequel, once again raising the ceiling for domestic animated films.

The theme of "my fate is my own, not heaven's" from the first film was further elevated in the sequel. From one person defying destiny to a group defying fate, the film's thematic scope has become even grander.

Cultural Impact

After Ne Zha 2 surpassed 11.8 billion RMB in box office, it injected a strong boost into China's film market, catering, and entertainment consumption markets. The film's success is not only reflected in its box office but also in its promotion of further development in China's animation industry.

The film's Douban score of 8.4, based on over one million reviews, surpasses 95% of animated films, demonstrating its widespread recognition among audiences.