The animated movie Ne Zha 2: The Demon Child Conquers the Dragon King (哪吒之魔童闹海) has become a box office sensation, earning 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in China during the New Year period. It has outperformed recent nationalist blockbusters, including The Battle at Lake Changjin (长津湖, 2021), as well as its own predecessor, Ne Zha: The Demon Child is Born (哪吒之魔童降世, 2019).
As of 27 February, Ne Zha 2 had reached $1.92 billion in total sales, making it the highest-grossing animated movie ever globally, surpassing Inside Out 2 (2024).
Readers of RealTime Mandarin will be familiar with the story of Ne Zha, because we introduced it when discussing the fate of an EV brand of the same name, Neta Auto 哪吒汽车, in January.
Ne Zha is a rebellious and powerful child deity from Chinese mythology, as told in the classical novel, Investiture of the Gods (封神演义). In the tale, Ne Zha defies fate, sacrificing himself to make amends before being reborn.
The 2019 animated movie reimagines the tale, portraying Ne Zha as struggling against a cursed fate and ultimately proving he can choose his own destiny. The sequel expands on this, with him battling the Dragon King’s forces.
Beyond the rave reviews and box office success, discussions in China about Ne Zha 2 have shifted from those of 2019. While audiences largely identified with Ne Zha and other protagonists in the first film, a significant portion of viewers have instead resonated with the villainous supporting character, Shēn Gōngbào 申公豹, in the second instalment.
And this is what we’re discussing this week.
Shen Gongbao is a mystical sorcerer from Investiture of the Gods, depicted as wielding a sword and riding a tiger with a white streak on its forehead (白额虎). Ambitious and cunning, Shen often opposes Ne Zha, seeking power and influence but ultimately meeting a tragic fate.
Upvoted reviews of the movie on platforms like Douban reflect this shift in audience empathy for the villain, as opposed to the hero of the story, hinting at how sentiment is changing in China since 2019.
One interpretation of this shift is how some viewers see the Ne Zha character as far removed from ordinary people. Ne Zha is the reincarnation of a sacred stone (灵珠子), born into privilege. Whereas Shen Gongbao was born into the demon clan and had to rely solely on his own hard work, rising to the ranks of the celestial court. But despite his diligence, he was repeatedly suppressed and disregarded.
And it’s this experience of Shen Gongbao which resonates deeply with some viewers:
Born into the demon clan, Shen Gongbao relied on his own diligence and hard work to make his way into the Celestial Court.
However, despite his dedication, he was constantly suppressed and overlooked. This character clearly resonates more with countless working people in today’s China, whose experiences of being treated as a "workhorse" make them deeply relate to his struggles.
出身妖族、一路依靠自己勤奋努力跻身天庭的申公豹，虽然勤勤恳恳，却始终受到打压漠视。这种设定显然更类似当下无数打工人，类似的 “牛马” 遭遇让打工人感同身受。[1]
"Workhorse" (牛马) was our Phrase of the Year in 2024.
In contrast, Ne Zha is seen as being like a "second-generation official" (官二代)—the child of a powerful government figure who benefits from family connections and privilege.
Shen Gongbao is also compared to a "small-town test taker" (小镇做题家)—a student from a humble background who rises through relentless studying but struggles to integrate at top universities and beyond due to their lower social status:
It can be said that Shen Gongbao’s life mirrors that of a "small-town test taker", which makes this character resonate deeply with many viewers.
The harsh reality is that, just as Shen Gongbao is the beacon of hope within his clan, most small-town test takers are also the pride and honour of their families—after all, gaining admission to a top university is no easy feat for ordinary people.
可以说，申公豹的一生类似小镇做题家，让众多观众心有戚戚。残酷的真相可能是，就像申公豹在家族中已经是希望之光，多数小镇做题家也是家族的骄傲与荣誉，毕竟要考上 985、211 大学对于普通人来说并非轻而易举。
"Small town test taker" (小镇做题家) was one of China’s top internet buzzwords of 2022.
Some fans say Shen Gongbao’s story feels painfully familiar—he is seen as the brightest hope in his community, much like how "small-town test takers" feel. But in the end, he falls short of expectations, not because of a lack of talent, but due to social prejudice, as one commentator explains:
Nezha's life philosophy is "My fate is determined by me, not by heaven," while Shen Gongbao's life can be summed up as "My fate is not determined by me, but only by heaven."
哪吒的人生信条是“我命由我不由天”，申公豹的豹生缩影则是“我命不由我只能由天”。
Many who see the film this way—who are also its core audience—are city-dwelling middle-class viewers. In recent years, this group has faced growing pressure from an economic downturn, falling housing prices, midlife unemployment, and the rising cost of education, all themes we’ve explored before in this newsletter.
Yet, despite these challenges, they’re still willing to spend their hard-earned money on a night at the movies—adding another layer of complexity to the picture.
So, that’s what we’re exploring this week!
🎧 Member Podcast Preview: This week, we dive into the world of expressing empathy in Mandarin. We’ll unpack the subtle differences between “empathy” (共情 gòng qíng) and “resonance” (共鸣 gòng míng), alongside idioms like “to sympathize” (心有戚戚 xīn yǒu qī qī) and “to truly feel what someone else feels” (感同身受 gǎn tóng shēn shòu). Each expression carries a unique nuance—tune in to understand their meanings and learn how to use them naturally in conversation!
Bonus: We did a deep dive in Mandarin on Ne Zha in January. Tune into that story for more.
Favourite Five
1. 共情 gòng qíng
empathy, emotional resonance
文化共情和情感共情也是非常重要的因素 - Cultural empathy and emotional resonance are also very important factors. [1]
Related: similar to “resonance” (共鸣) which we discuss in the RTM Podcast.
2. 感同身受 gǎn tóng shēn shòu
to empathize, to feel the same pain
类似的 “牛马” 遭遇让打工人感同身受 - Their similar experiences of being treated as a workhorse makes the character more relatable. [1]
3. 心有戚戚 xīn yǒu qī qī
to feel a deep connection, to sympathise
申公豹的一生类似小镇做题家，让众多观众心有戚戚 - Shen Gongbao’s life resembles that of a small-town test taker, which strikes a chord with many viewers. [1]
Note: also written as 心有戚戚焉 (xīn yǒu qī qī yān) – "to feel deeply the same way" or "to resonate emotionally with something"
4. 小镇做题家 xiǎo zhèn zuò tí jiā
small-town test taker, academically driven but socially disadvantaged student
《哪吒2》成功之余，不少评论共情反派申公豹，认为他是小镇做题家的隐喻 - Beyond the success of Ne Zha 2, many reviews empathized with the antagonist Shen Gongbao, believing he symbolizes small-town test takers. [1]
More: "Small town test taker" (小镇做题家) was one of China’s top internet buzzwords of 2022.
5. 我命不由我只能由天 wǒ mìng bù yóu wǒ zhǐ néng yóu tiān
my fate is not determined by me, only by heaven
哪吒的人生信条是“我命由我不由天”，申公豹的豹生缩影则是“我命不由我只能由天” - Ne Zha's life philosophy is "My fate is determined by me, not by heaven", while Shen Gongbao's life can be summed up as "My fate is not determined by me, but only by heaven". [3]
Note: this phrase is already a possible contender for our favourite phrases of 2025—watch this space. We explain the origin of this newly coined phrase in tomorrow’s Sinica Phrase of the Week.
Consuming the Conversation
Useful words
6. 爽点 shuǎng diǎn
pleasure point, moment of satisfaction
这类娱乐大片，核心是让观众通过爽点获得愉悦感 - In essence, such blockbusters allow the audience to gain pleasure by supplying moments of satisfaction. [1]
Related:
爽剧 shuǎng jù - gratifying drama, feel-good show
爽文 shuǎng wén - gratifying novel, satisfying read
7. 反派 fǎn pài
antagonist
申公豹帮陈塘关百姓买药的行为，也证明了他是反派，却不是坏人 - The fact that Shen Gongbao helps the people in Chengtangguan get medicine proves that he is the antagonist but not a villain. [3]
8. 打怪 dǎ guài
defeating monsters, fighting enemies
这类故事通常会塑造一个英雄成长历程，讲述其一步步打怪升级的过程 - Such stories usually tell the coming of age of a hero, who defeats antagonists one after another as he grows stronger. [1]
Related:
打怪升级 dǎ guài shēng jí - defeating monsters to level up, progressing through challenges
9. 渺小 miǎo xiǎo
insignificant, small
主角唯独看中了平凡又渺小的 “我” - The protagonist ends up choosing me, who is ordinary and insignificant. [1]
10. 牛马 niú mǎ
workhorse
进了清北才发现，自己起点太低，循规蹈矩只能当个薪水稍微高一点的牛马 - Once he got into a top university did he realise that following the rules can only make him a slightly better-paid workhorse, as he came from a humble background. [3]
11. 软肋 ruǎn lèi
weakness, Achilles' heel
申公豹坏得不彻底，是因为他本性不坏，也因为他有软肋 - Shen Gongbao isn’t completely evil because his nature isn’t bad—and because he has a weakness. [3]
12. 寒门 hán mén
humble background, poor family
他特别像是出身寒门的小镇做题家，家里没什么背景 - He is very much like a small-town test taker from a humble background with no powerful connections. [3]
Three-character phrases
13. 天花板 tiān huā bǎn
ceiling, upper limit
哪吒的起点是申公豹的天花板 - Ne Zha was born with advantages that Shen Gongbao could never reach, no matter how hard he tries. [1]
14. 官二代 guān èr dài
second-generation official, child of a government official
然而，他又不平凡，毕竟他算是 “官二代” - But he is at the same time not ordinary, since he can be counted as the child of an official. [1]
15. 黑手套 hēi shǒu tào
black glove, fixer
申公豹作恶的原因变成了《魔童闹海》中的受上级所迫，充当“黑手套”的角色 - In Ne Zha 2, Shen Gongbao acts evil as he is forced by his superiors to become the "black glove" for them. [2]
Note: can also be translated as “hitman” or “puppet” depending on context.
Related:
脏了手 zāng le shǒu - hands become dirty, involvement in shady dealings
白手套 bái shǒu tào - white glove, frontman for illicit activities
Idioms
16. 寂寂无名 jì jì wú míng
obscure, unknown
普通人也意识到自己可能在电影中更为寂寂无名 - Ordinary people have also come to realize that they might be even more insignificant if they were in the film. [1]
Note: there was heated discussion about this idiom within the editorial team. It’s often written as 籍籍无名 (jí jí wú míng), which is not correct but seems to have become increasingly accepted, used instead of the correct version.
17. 微不足道 wēi bù zú dào
insignificant, trivial
与微不足道的小配角产生共情 - They empathize with the insignificant supporting characters. [1]
18. 微乎其微 wēi hū qí wēi
extremely slim, negligible
在经济下行的时代，平凡人蜕变为主角的概率微乎其微 - In times of economic downturn, it is almost impossible for the ordinary people to become a protagonist. [1]
19. 逆天改命 nì tiān gǎi mìng
defying fate, changing destiny
我们知道他有逆天改命的一战之力 - We know he has the strength to fight against fate and change his destiny. [3]
20. 壮士断腕 zhuàng shì duàn wàn
a warrior cutting off his own arm, making a painful but necessary sacrifice
申公豹面对无量仙翁时，却只有壮士断腕的悲凉 - When facing Wuliang Xianweng, Shen Gongbao could only feel the sorrow of a warrior who is forced to make a painful sacrifice. [3]
Phrases
21. 待宰羔羊 dài zǎi gāo yáng
a lamb to the slaughter, powerless victim
申公豹完成了觉醒，却依然是待宰羔羊 - Shen Gongbao has awakened, yet he remains a powerless lamb to the slaughter. [3]
22. 主角光环 zhǔ jué guāng huán
protagonist’s aura, unfair advantages the protagonist enjoys
为什么曾经代入哪吒视角的观众，现在难以完全共情主角光环 - Why do viewers who once saw the story from Ne Zha’s perspective now find it difficult to fully empathize the character, who enjoys unfair advantages just because he is the protagonist? [1]
23. 奶头乐文化 nǎi tóu lè wén huà
tittytainment
你可以批评地说这是奶头乐文化，或者像电影大师那样诗意地说这是造梦艺术 - You could criticize it as an example of tittytainment, or poetically describe it as the art of dream-making, like a film master would. [1]
24. 中产返贫三件套 zhōng chǎn fǎn pín sān jiàn tào
three financial traps that drives the middle class back into poverty
经济下滑之下，中产阶层的境遇着实有些尴尬，“中产返贫三件套” 之类的说法广为流传 – The middle class has found itself in an awkward position amid economic decline, with phrases like the "three financial traps for the middle class" making the rounds. [1]
Note: This is a variation of a phrase which became popular in 2023: "three-piece set which will ruin the middle class" (中产作死三件套). The three being: high mortgage amid falling housing prices, midlife unemployment, and children’s expensive education.
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