Several chapters ago, it was mentioned that various TV stations were creating patriotic animations to celebrate this year's National Day, following CCTV's lead. Starting this month, these animations have been gradually released.
Given that National Day is still a bit away, the sheer number of similar projects meant not all could air in October. Smaller TV stations decided to air their projects earlier to attract some viewership and build momentum.
The first to premiere was "King of Espionage" on Pineapple TV, boasting a billion-yuan investment, making it the highest-budget spy animation to date. As soon as it aired, it went viral across the internet.
However, the reception was not what Pineapple TV had anticipated.
"King of Espionage" tells the story of underground workers during the War of Resistance. The official synopsis describes the tale of Zhang Erhe, a wealthy young man, and Yu Xin, a female comrade, who are ordered to infiltrate enemy lines to assassinate enemy leaders, eliminate traitors, and gather intelligence, becoming legendary spies in the process. It sounded thrilling and inspiring.
Yet, when it actually aired, viewers quickly realized it was nothing like they expected.
In the first episode, the underground organization in Taiyuan is almost entirely wiped out due to a traitor. The higher-ups send newcomers Zhang Erhe and Yu Xin to support them. The Japanese decide to publicly execute the remaining underground workers who haven't surrendered to lure out other members.
At this point, the plot became nonsensical. Zhang Erhe wants to rescue them, planning a prison break. But as a spy, how could he possibly stage a rescue? The enemy has far more people than he does.
Yu Xin, an experienced underground worker, repeatedly warns against this, but Zhang Erhe, the hot-blooded rookie, pretends to comply but secretly plans the rescue. Using his family's wealth, he acquires large quantities of C4 explosives and a Barrett sniper rifle.
What's more ridiculous is that the C4 and Barrett are somehow available during the war period. Zhang Erhe plants the C4 the night before the execution. During the execution, he detonates the explosives, killing all the enemies. He then snipes the guards, saving the underground workers.
Yu Xin, who originally came to witness the execution, runs up to help rescue the workers after the explosion. The subsequent episodes are equally absurd, portraying Zhang Erhe as recklessly brave and lucky, with frequent scenes of him smoking cigars and slicking back his hair.
Only a few episodes in, the show was heavily criticized online, with its Douban rating dropping to 2.6. Many users even manipulated software to rate it zero. The director and scriptwriter, who initially defended the show, were bombarded with criticism, almost leading them to delete their social media accounts.
The backlash against "King of Espionage" was so severe that viewers felt it insulted the sacrifices of real underground workers during the war. These workers faced execution with smiles, not out of fearlessness, but because they believed their deaths had meaning.
Following numerous complaints, "King of Espionage" was pulled from airing.
While the controversy surrounding "King of Espionage" persisted, other similar shows also premiered but didn't fare much better, though they weren't as heavily criticized.
Eventually, viewers noticed that only CCTV and Ren's projects hadn't aired yet. Soon, both announced their premiere dates, with Ren's show set to compete directly against CCTV.
A rumor spread that Ren's project had initially been considered but ultimately rejected by CCTV. This gossip stirred public interest, especially since both shows would air at the same time.
Some media outlets, eager for a story, highlighted the rivalry between Dragonfly Company and Picca Comics, suggesting this competition was a revenge move by Picca for past grievances with Dragonfly. These speculative reports combined some truth with fabrication, creating a believable narrative that drew in curious viewers.
The supposed rivalry promised an exciting underdog story: Picca Comics versus the industry giant, Dragonfly Company. The idea of an underdog challenging the big players intrigued many.
Ren acknowledged that this rumor was his doing. He had spread it to generate buzz and draw attention to his project, hoping to compete with Dragonfly and gain viewership.
Ren didn't aim to overshadow CCTV but wanted to challenge Dragonfly while capitalizing on the publicity. He believed this strategy would attract viewers curious about both shows, leading them to compare the two. Even if his project didn't outperform Dragonfly's, it would still garner significant attention.
He reasoned that if his project, a smaller-budget production compared to Dragonfly's, managed to capture interest and perform well, it would be a win. And even if it didn't, the exposure alone was valuable.
In the end, Ren's plan was a calculated risk with potential for high reward, leveraging the rivalry narrative to boost his project's visibility and success.
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On October 1st, Daniel watched the National Day parade on TV. Seeing the various weapons and jets leaving contrails in the sky, he felt incredibly excited. Last century, the China had been ravaged by war, yet in such a short time, it had caught up with the world's great powers. The sight of these weapons and the thought of the current peaceful life filled him with pride, making him want to tell the world, "I'm from the China!"
However, thinking back to the recent patriotic animations made by other TV stations, Daniel felt disgusted. These productions were poorly made, seemingly thinking that animation needed to be over-the-top and action-packed, which led to many of them failing miserably.
But today, two significant works were airing: one from CCTV and the other from the Porter. Daniel felt torn. He wanted to watch the Porter's work, but he had his doubts. Patriotic education themes are notoriously difficult to handle, often being hard to get right. The Porter, known for youth comics, might struggle with such a serious subject. CCTV, known for its reliability, chose Dragonfly's production, leaving the Porter out. Could this mean the Porter's work had similar issues to the failed "King of Espionage"?
Daniel's guess was partially correct. CCTV chose Dragonfly partly due to its reliable human character design, finding the Porter's childish art style unsuitable for their vision.
"Forget it, I'll watch the Porter's work..." After much hesitation, Daniel decided to give the Porter's animation a chance. As a top fan, he felt obligated to support, even if the animation turned out subpar. Besides, he trusted in the Porter's creative abilities and past successes.
Soon, the Porter's animation began. "In a distant part of the universe, there was a beautiful blue star. On this star was a place called Flower Garden House, where Generals Yan and Huang first unified the region. Over many, many years..." Daniel was puzzled by the childish art style. It seemed too cute and simple, not fitting the serious theme he expected. Other viewers shared his concerns online, wondering if the Porter was targeting a child audience.
Yet, as the story progressed, the tone shifted. The history of the China unfolded, leading up to a hundred years of humiliation. Depicted as animals, the invaders playing chess in the palace divided the land. A bear representing the fighting nation and other animal characters made viewers laugh at first.
But the humor quickly turned into a gut-wrenching sadness when they saw the rabbit with a five-pointed star on its head, symbolizing the China. Watching the rabbit cry struck a chord with the viewers, making them realize the depth of the story.
"Do you feel like living in shame? Then let's resist together!" The rabbit and the bald eagle, despite despising each other, united against the foreign invaders. This marked the beginning of the War of Resistance.
As the rabbit and the eagle threw bricks at each other, a sudden attack by the braided chicken (a symbol of the enemy) turned the tables, escalating into the anti-Japanese war.
Viewers watched as the rabbit and the eagle, representing the China's factions, were repeatedly bombed yet kept getting up to fight. Despite the simplistic animation, the scenes were moving, making many viewers tear up.
"I can't believe I'm getting emotional over a cartoon with such a childish style."
"You're not alone. This animation might look childish, but the content is powerful."
"I'm a grown man, and this has me hooked."
Online comments reflected the growing appreciation for the animation. Despite its art style, the content struck a deep emotional chord.
As the war continued, the story showed the rabbit and the eagle's struggle. Just as the enemy prepared another devastating attack, the eagle summoned the American eagle, which dropped a bomb, creating a mushroom cloud.
"That's how it should be! A mushroom cloud to send them to the sky!"
"It was the Americans who defeated the enemy and saved the China."
"Shut up! If it weren't for our martyrs holding off the enemy, do you think it would've ended so easily?"
"That's right. Listening to those marketing lies won't make you a historian."
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