Warning: This review contains spoilers.
Animated films have taken the world by storm this summer. Films like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns and KPop Demon Hunters are box office and streaming hits and have made global headlines. Likewise, animated films are thriving in China, with Ne Zha 2 becoming the highest-grossing film of any kind in China’s box office history. Another domestic box office hit this summer was Director Shui Yu’s Nobody (浪浪山小妖怪). Just within three weeks of its debut, the film accumulated a total of $138.5M (or 997M RMB) in box office sales, making it the highest-grossing 2D-animated film release of all time in China.
At the 2025 Animation is Film festival in October, Nobody made its US premiere. From its beautiful animation to an engaging story that takes a familiar concept and adds a unique spin on it, the film delivers lighthearted fun.
The story follows four “Yao,” animals with supernatural powers that allow them to essentially act as humans do. A group of misfit Yaos—a pig, a toad, a weasel, and an ape—are all from different walks of life, but they share one thing in common: they’re lost causes with no hopes for the future. Pig has tried and failed to find a job within the King’s Cave even with his childhood friend Toad’s help, and his failure accidentally leads to Toad’s banishment from the community as well. Weasel relies on tricking those leaving offerings at a grave to survive, and Ape has such severe social anxiety that he hides alone in a cave all day.
The quartet hears of the monk, Tan Sanzang, and his crew—Monkey King Sun Wukong, pig Zhu Bajie, and the monk Sha Wujing—and their quest to reach the West to find the sacred scrolls. For them, the retrieval of the scrolls would mean immortality. On this journey, there are countless Yao trying to hunt them, as a bite of Tan Sanzang’s meat would also grant immortality. No one has succeeded, however, due to the Monkey King’s strength. Inspired, they devise a plan to impersonate Tan Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Their goal? To find the sacred scrolls for themselves and achieve immortality.
The four Yao find themselves on their own journey to the West, and it’s one that’s filled with chaos, humor, and some self discovery along the way. Ape finds confidence in his own voice, shouting proudly that he is the Money King by the end of the film. Weasel learns to find peace in his thoughts and in the quiet. Toad learns to care for others even if it means sacrificing his own needs, and Pig learns what it means to lead and to care for friends and family. Together, they learn what it means to support each other, and what it means to be heroes.
The film is filled with funny moments right from the get-go, setting the tone for its lighthearted nature. Pig, Toad, Weasel, and Ape are naively innocent, but they are genuine, kind, and caring at heart. Though their journey began based on a lie and for selfish reasons, by the end of the film, they find themselves making the ultimate sacrifice to protect innocent young lives. Even with all the silly antics throughout the film, it wraps up beautifully in a way that tugs on heartstrings.
While many of today’s animated films focus on realism or advanced technological techniques, Nobody was created completely in 2D. As Journey to the West is such a classic tale, choosing to make this film in the 2D animation seemed to call back to the original story and its timelessness. Additionally, having simpler character designs and landscapes allowed for audiences to really focus on the dialogue and story instead.
Nobody stands out because of its heartfelt storytelling, charming simplicity, and emotional depth. By blending humor, nostalgia, and a fresh take on a beloved classic, the film resonates with audiences of all ages, as evidenced by its domestic box office success.
