Film Name: 羅小黑戰記2 / The Legend of Hei 2
It has been nearly six years since the release of the last “The Legend of Hei” feature film, and a lot has happened in the meantime… But as a viewer, my biggest impression is that it has “faded into obscurity.” The series has not been updated for a long time, and the official account only posts seasonal posters.
However, upon seeing the final quality of “The Legend of Hei 2,” any lingering frustration has vanished: this is an animated film with virtually no weaknesses, achieving everything it set out to do with exceptional quality.
The best witness is the child who watched the film with me—as someone who is increasingly difficult to persuade to go to the cinema, whose attention span is growing shorter, and who is unlikely to become my regular movie companion in the future, this time she not only expressed a willingness to watch the film beforehand but also sat through the entire film quietly. During the screening, there were moments of laughter, exclamations of surprise, and even some thoughtful reflection—a stark contrast to her reactions to many purely entertaining animated films in the past. I suppose that’s what you call a complete conquest.
Of course, looking back now, “The Legend of Hei 2” does have some minor flaws, but under the powerful visual presentation and excellent thematic discourse, they all seem insignificant.
[Friendly reminder: The following text contains spoilers.]
When reviewing animated films, I always tend to start by discussing the visuals and audiovisual aspects, after all, animation is primarily a visual art form. However, “The Legend of Hei 2” deserves special praise because it is one of the few outstanding examples of 2D animation today.
Compared to character design and background art, the film’s most impressive aspect this time around is the meticulous production and stunning results of the action sequences, particularly the two scenes featuring Lu Ye and Xiao Hei.
One of the highlights is the aerial battle that has been teased in the trailers.
The scene begins with the antagonist seemingly moving slowly but steadily, manipulating the Bone Dragon to control the passenger aircraft. As the battle unfolds, the focus shifts from the drafty cabin to the more spacious exterior of the aircraft. The key elements and environmental factors that can influence the outcome are now limited to the aircraft’s exterior and the fragments of the Bone Dragon, creating a highly immersive sense of “spatial pressure.”
Later, Lu Ye, Xiao Hei, and Jia Yi assist in the emergency landing, showcasing the work’s imaginative world-building. The scene primarily features the Golden Spirit System (controlled by Xiao Hei, with Lu Ye commanding and dividing), supplemented by the Earth Spirit System, and enhanced with moderate demon spirit transformations (even the crew members are still guessing whether it’s an owl or a bat by the end of the film), resulting in a rich visual experience.
As for the smooth, fluid movements and appropriately exaggerated flexibility in this scene, there’s no need to say more—it’s one of the signature strengths of the Luo Xiaohui series.
The other scene is the final battle at the abandoned steel plant.
This segment is well-structured with distinct layers and focuses: first, Lu Ye overwhelmingly dominates the enemies, but once the opponents activate the Locking Array, the battle becomes evenly matched. When Ling Yao and Xiao Hei join the fight, each side launches a counterattack. Then Xiao Hei unlocks his spatial abilities, initially gaining the upper hand before being overwhelmed. Ultimately, under Lu Ye’s power surge, he teams up with Xiao Hei to defeat Ling Yao.
This climactic scene fully showcases the strengths of the Luo Xiaohui series’ art style and combat style, featuring elemental advantages and counters, characters maneuvering according to their unique traits, and that intense, explosive anime-style flair—it’s truly thrilling.
It’s worth noting that the film’s comedic moments are highly consistent with the action sequences. For example, Lu Ye despises Jia Yi’s earth-type trash, the opponent’s explanation of the Lock Gold Array’s characteristics is mocked, and when Xiao Hei’s uniform transforms into an infinite demon, the beating is so enjoyable that Lu Ye even filmed a video of it. Combined with the everyday life of Xiao Hei and the infinite demon, this comedic effect is maximized.
However, the comedic style and dialogue of “The Legend of Hei 2” inherit the clean, sophisticated, yet slightly detached humor of the anime series and the previous film. Those who enjoy it will love it, while others may not resonate with it.
Nevertheless, I believe this is a distinctive feature of the Luo Xiahei series, and even if one is indifferent to it, it should not be regarded as a flaw.
Next, let’s talk about the theme of “The Legend of Hei 2.” To be honest, the extraordinary performance of the script is what surprised me the most about this film.
The issues explored in the film are consistent with those in the previous film, namely, “how humans and demons should coexist and how to deal with and resolve inevitable conflicts,” but they have been upgraded in a systematic and layered manner.
In the first film, the wild demons represented by Feng Xi attempted to restore balance through individual strength, employing methods akin to terrorist attacks. In this sequel, it is the institutional demons led by Ling Yao who seek to exacerbate the contradictions and distrust between demons and humans, aiming to “preemptively ignite war” to establish a new world order.
The elders of the Demon Spirit Hall genuinely consider the survival of the demons, though their approaches differ.
The mainstream opinion and current policies advocate actively integrating into human society and learning from humans, believing that demons must learn to coexist harmoniously with humans. They also assert that “to achieve coexistence, the strong must take the initiative.” Meanwhile, there are those like Chi Nian who firmly believe in the inherent differences between humans and demons and that demons should rule over humans, as well as Ling Yao, who has shifted her perspective and become an activist.
In this atmosphere, infinite identities and behaviors are particularly worth pondering.
Although Infinite is human, his combat power rivals that of any demon king (or even surpasses it). As an ultimate being, he willingly adheres to all the rules of the Demon Spirit Hall, which serves as an excellent example and deterrent for all demons who advocate the law of the jungle.
Upon learning he was a suspect in the attack on the Ryuseki Hall, Infinite voluntarily cooperated with house arrest, adopting a humble posture. Yet when Chi Nian gathered a large number of Level 1 Enforcers to escalate the conflict into war, Infinite timely demonstrated his power, refusing to be bound by the moral dilemma of “good people should point guns at others.”
Speaking of which, the “showdown” between Wuxian and Nezha at the ancient teleportation gate was a masterclass in political maneuvering and social etiquette. Nezha trusted Wuxian but couldn’t openly break the rules, so he publicly demonstrated the costs of imprisoning Wuxian. Meanwhile, Wuxian obstructed Chi Nian’s group while cooperating with Nezha to dismantle the organization, thereby showcasing his unique value in uniting forces.
In the end, Infinite single-handedly defeated a highly modernized powerful army, using sheer force to avert a full-scale war.
Although Infinite achieved “stopping war through war,” Lingyao’s concerns were not resolved but instead grew closer, which is one of the strengths of “The Legend of Hei 2.”
There is no absolute distinction between good and bad in terms of order. The most common form is where the strong dominate the weak. Countries that have accepted the use of weapons are examples of such hegemonic powers. Are there any other options? At this point, I am particularly impressed by the film crew’s portrayal of a minor character—the government official whom Old Pan contacted and passed messages to. He believes in “peaceful coexistence and common development,” and faced with the Demon Spirit Hall (equivalent to the strongest nation), which is far more powerful than his own, he maintains a dignified and unyielding attitude. He also sets aside the suspicion revealed by the younger officials and acts solely based on the Demon Spirit Hall’s credibility. As long as the other party is fair and trustworthy, he will not disrupt the cooperation, embodying the essence of our country’s foreign policy principles.
However, “The Legend of Hei 2” has some minor shortcomings, particularly in the portrayal of character relationships and emotions, which have regressed compared to the previous film… But the film compensates for this through the portrayal of Lu Ye’s past and the contrast between her and Xiao Hei… Therefore, this aspect can be considered neither a success nor a failure.
In summary, I highly recommend “The Legend of Hei 2.” A masterpiece should not be easily overlooked; it deserves to be seen by more people.
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » The Legend of Hei 2 羅小黑戰記2 2025 Film Review: Another masterpiece