Ne Zha

Ne Zha is a 2019 Chinese animated movie written by Yang Yu.
== Plot ==
A Chaos Pearl, birthed from primordial essences, begins siphoning energies gluttonously. Yuanshi Tianzun dispatches his disciples Taiyi Zhenren and Shen Gongbao to subdue the sentient pearl. Due to its ability to absorb energy, Taiyi and Shen are unable to gain the upper hand. Eventually Tianzun separates the pearl into two opposite components: the Spirit Pearl and the Demon Orb. Tianzun places a heavenly curse upon the Demon Orb: in three years time it will be destroyed by a powerful lightning strike. Tianzun then instructs Taiyi to take the Spirit Pearl to be reincarnated as the third son of Li Jing in the town of Chentangguan, to be named Ne Zha.
Shen conspires to steal the Spirit Pearl and causes the Demon Orb to be placed on the ritual altar instead, causing Li Jing's pregnant wife Lady Yin to give birth to a child, Ne Zha, whose demonic nature is apparent. Taiyi tells them that Ne Zha's fate is sealed: in three years' time the heavenly curse placed upon the Demonic Orb will kill him regardless. Li travels to Heaven with Taiyi in an attempt to plead for Ne Zha's life, but is told the curse is irremovable.
Meanwhile, Shen has brought the stolen Spirit Pearl to the Dragon King. The dragons resent their role as jailers of the Heavenly Court and being confined to a hellish existence on the ocean floor, so the Dragon King infuses the Spirit Pearl into an egg, giving birth to a son, Ao Bing, whom the Dragon King allows Shen to take as a student. It is hoped that through the blessed nature of a dragon born from the Spirit Pearl that dragon kind will be deemed worthy by Heaven, allowing for the ascendance of dragons and other beings in similar positions.
To tame his demonic nature and make him happy, Ne Zha's parents lie to him, telling him he was born of the Spirit Pearl and is destined to be a great demon hunter. Ne Zha studies under Taiyi and acquires great skills. Eventually becoming impatient, the impetuous Ne Zha escapes his confines to hunt demons. While chasing a water demon, he burns down a fishing village. His fight against the demon is joined by Ao Bing, who is eventually defeated, but Ne Zha cleverly overcomes the demon and rescues both Ao Bing and a little girl, and he and Ao Bing become friends. Nevertheless, he is misunderstood by the townsfolk of the destroyed village, and angrily lashes out at the villagers, hurting many of them.
The Li household organizes a lavish birthday party for their son, inviting a nervous town to attend. Shen visits Ne Zha before the party, revealing the truth of his nature to him. Angry and upset, Ne Zha unleashes his true demonic form and nearly kills his father until Ao Bing intervenes. Feeling betrayed, Ne Zha leaves to await his fate.
Li discovers Ao Bing has the Spirit Pearl, and knowing if this is revealed to Tianzun then not only will he be punished, all of dragon kind will be condemned forever, and not wanting to betray his kind, Ao Bing acts on Shen's recommendation of removing all witnesses by burying the town alive under a massive sheet of ice. Meanwhile, Ne Zha learns that while visiting Heaven to plead for his life, his father accepted an enchantment that would allow him to trade his life for Ne Zha's. Moved by his father's sacrifice, Ne Zha returns to the village to stop Ao Bing. Eventually unleashing his full demonic form, Ne Zha defeats Ao Bing, but spares his life for being his only friend.
When the heavenly lightning approaches, Ne Zha surrenders to his fate but is unexpectedly joined by Ao Bing. Linking hands, they unleash the Chaos Pearl's ability to absorb energy. Their mortal bodies prove too weak to contain the full energy of the strike and are destroyed, but with Taiyi's help, they survive by becoming spirits, and the townsfolk kneel before them.
In the mid and post credits scenes, the Dragon King vows vengeance on the citizens of Chentangguan for what happened to Ao Bing, while in an unknown location, Jiang Ziya is introduced.
Category:2019 films
Category:Chinese animated films
Category:Chinese films
Category:Animated films
Category:Fantasy films