Film Name: 濟公之降龍降世 / Master Ji Gong
Today we’ll discuss the film “Master Ji Gong.”
Title: Master Ji Gong (2021).
This time, domestic animation turns its lens to the widely recognized figure of Ji Gong.
In this film, Ji Gong is depicted as the Dragon-Subduing Arhat. During his battle against the demonic Golden-Winged Great Eagle, he sacrifices his divine form to be reborn as a human—the young boy Li Xiuyuan.
Destined to confront the Golden-Winged Great Eagle, who terrorizes the mortal realm, he ultimately becomes the compassionate Ji Gong who saves humanity.
Ji Gong was a historical figure who lived from 1148 to 1209. Born Li Xiuyuan, he was known by his monastic name Daoji, nicknamed the Mad Monk Ji, and also called Yueyin Liuguang.
Born into a distinguished family, he entered monastic life after his family’s decline. A profoundly learned and virtuous monk, he was recognized as the 50th Patriarch of Chan Buddhism and the 6th Patriarch of the Yangqi School. His writings include the 10-volume “Jianfeng Discourses.”
Later artistic adaptations incorporating Buddhist monasteries and reincarnations of Arhats are fictional embellishments.
My introduction to Ji Gong came through the 1985 TV series “Ji Gong,” starring You Benchang from Taizhou. The novel “The Complete Biography of Ji Gong” I read as a child offered a relatively comprehensive portrayal of him.
Comparing this to the animated film “Master Ji Gong,” you’ll find the animation lacks the TV series’ charm and the novel’s aesthetic appeal.
The narrative of “Master Ji Gong” remains largely flat throughout. Watching it feels like driving across a vast grassland—occasionally bumping over small potholes, yet lacking any truly captivating peaks or valleys.
Setting aside the unremarkable animation quality, the film’s plot is undeniably too mundane, even bordering on tedious.
Storytelling is the most crucial element of any film. Like TV dramas and novels, the plot is the foundation upon which everything else rests; acting and visual effects are merely embellishments.
In “Master Ji Gong,” the main characters lack a journey from low point to triumph. Supporting characters are overly functional, and the logic behind all characters’ actions is inconsistent—no one over ten years old could decipher their motives.
“Master Ji Gong” touts itself as a “masterpiece of domestic animation” polished over five years, subtly positioning itself as a rival to “Nezha: Birth of the Demon.”
Yet the moment you see the film, you realize all this hype is nonsense. The story fails to capture the essence of the Ji Gong character, instead fixating on superficial imitations of “Ne Zha” to create a hybrid that resembles neither.
The characters in the film engage in lively back-and-forth fights, appearing to blend seamlessly with the masses. In reality, they remain utterly detached from the people, treating them with condescension and mockery.
Li Xiuyuan becomes a brat for no apparent reason, acting like a seven- or eight-year-old troublemaker. Were it not for his golden body shielding him, things would likely have ended badly.
His seemingly strict yet loving parents spoil him to death, never disciplining him. If not for Li Maochun’s general’s title, one might think they’re intellectually challenged.
The villains appear formidable at first, but after much bluster, they prove utterly inept in combat, their true colors exposed by a series of resounding slaps.
“Incarnation” is not “reincarnation.” One character different, yet the meanings are worlds apart.
What the film actually portrays is a max-level veteran player disguised as a newbie.
Li Xiuyuan’s behavior is that of a typical Song Dynasty brat—troublemaking without cause, lacking any genuine growth. His teenage appearance is merely a shell; the true entity within is the Dragon-Subduing Arhat. He only needs to rip off his clothes and transform for battle at critical moments, leaving no room for genuine growth.
Li Xiuyuan’s transformations stem not from witnessing villagers in peril sparking his sense of duty, nor from his family’s sacrifices leading him to reform. Instead, it’s simply that the time is up, and the max-level veteran wants to stretch his legs.
A copycat work invites ridicule,
A flawed script ruins Ji Gong.
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