Film Name: 喜羊羊与灰太狼之牛气冲天 / Pleasant Goat And Big Big Wolf
With an investment of 6 million yuan, it has now miraculously grossed over 30 million yuan at the box office. The debut film of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf has not only become the talk of the town and the new darling of domestic animation, but even made it onto the coveted “News Broadcast”—truly soaring to new heights this winter as the Year of the Ox approaches. Yet amid this box office frenzy, we ought to step back and examine why Pleasant Goat has surged to prominence—and what exactly audiences are paying 30 million yuan to consume.
Movie tickets are meant to be bought for the film’s content, yet this is rarely the case. It’s common knowledge that Zhang Yimou’s films often lack compelling plots, so why do they consistently break box office records? People are buying into Zhang Yimou himself, the fashion and trends he represents, the shared talking points among peers, or even the fear of being left out if everyone else has seen it but you. They are definitely not buying the film itself. The same applies to Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. Audiences buying tickets for this film are purchasing the adorable character that has taken root in people’s hearts over three years, a blanket endorsement of this domestic animated series, and the excitement of its long-awaited feature film adaptation. The actual content is secondary to box office success. This explains why some commentators say the film’s success was not accidental but predestined. Conversely, “Storm Rider,” also backed by Shanghai Media Group with a higher budget and more polished production, lacks the market appeal of Pleasant Goat. The reason is the same: a film’s box office success rarely stems solely from the film itself, but from all the historical conditions surrounding it beforehand.
Therefore, it’s necessary to summarize the characteristics of the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf animation.
I’m baffled why anyone would compare this film to Japan’s “Stormy Night.” Beyond both being wolf-and-sheep animations, they share almost no common ground. Thematically, “Stormy Night” delves deeper into exploring tolerance between different groups, while “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf” is a lighthearted New Year’s comedy (though some scenes aren’t exactly light or cheerful). Visually, “Stormy Night” features meticulously crafted characters, rendering both wolves and sheep with a fluffy, furry texture reminiscent of fur-raising techniques. In contrast, Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf retains the series’ signature lively, adorable chibi-style designs, highly adaptable for merchandise. The most significant difference lies in their origins: “Stormy Night” is a standalone film with no preceding animated series, games, or influential comics to build its foundation, whereas Pleasant Goat has over 400 TV episodes and has sold more than 15 million books.
For the story of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, I find it more comparable to the classic animations “Tom and Jerry” and “Doraemon.” A fundamental conflict in Pleasant Goat’s plot mirrors the cat-and-mouse dynamic between natural enemies. Yet, in the animated world, the stronger species never catches the weaker one—just as Tom never catches Jerry, Big Big Wolf never gets to eat the fat sheep. However, unlike “Tom and Jerry,” the plot of Pleasant Goat is not driven by the wolf and sheep engaging in highly theatrical and comedic action sequences. Scenes of chasing prey are neither common nor central to the story. Instead, the wolf and the sheep village engage in a series of amusing battles using various gadgets and inventions. This mirrors the template of “Doraemon” for showcasing imagination. Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf essentially plays out a “Tom and Jerry”-style game using Doraemon-esque gadgets. It seamlessly blends the characteristics of both franchises.
Merging two classics together may be the ingenious creative spark behind the Pleasant Goat story, but it simultaneously loses the most brilliant aspects of each original work. It loses the dazzling brilliance of the action sequences in Tom and Jerry. In fact, the characters’ movements in Pleasant Goat are relatively stiff, with smaller ranges and less exaggeration—routine actions reminiscent of Flash animations that require little extra imagination. Moreover, it sacrifices the textual depth of Doraemon. While borrowing various inventions and gadgets to fulfill certain game-like functions, it completely abandons the underlying ethical and humanistic reflections that these tools might otherwise evoke. Of course, we cannot conclude that losing the brilliance of action sequences and narrative depth makes Pleasant Goat a poor production. On the contrary, Pleasant Goat has skillfully built upon the shoulders of animation classics to forge its own magic—a remarkable achievement in itself.
In character design, Pleasant Goat faithfully embodies the three essentials of adorable imagery: “round, plump, and Q.” Pleasant Goat is saturated with rounded elements, and neither the numerous lambs nor Grey Wolf are tall and slender—they are solidly built. Combined with a Q aesthetic—where Q refers to a larger head-to-body ratio (typically 1:7 or 1:8 for humans, handsome characters often feature 1:9 or even 1:10 ratios, while adorable characters typically have 1:2 or 1:1 ratios—such designs effortlessly capture viewers’ hearts. Regarding color selection, Mei Yangyang, representing the female lead, was given pink—psychologically the most favored color among girls. Xi Yangyang, representing the male lead, was given blue—the most favored color among boys. Fei Yangyang, to emphasize his fiery and energetic traits, was given a brownish-yellow hue, as tanned skin often conveys a particularly healthy and sunny vibe. The series also masterfully employs naming conventions, exhaustively utilizing Chinese words containing the homophonic “yangyang” (羊羊), making them highly memorable. Voice acting reaches near-peak domestic animation standards, with Zhang Lin’s passionate portrayal of Grey Wolf leaving an especially indelible impression. Overall, Pleasant Goat’s character design and branding achieve unprecedented clarity and success.
In narrative theory, “flat characters” possess only one or a few traits, while “round characters” embody contradictory and conflicting qualities. Forster once stated: “A round character must be novel in a convincing way, while a flat character can only be effective in creating humor.” Chinese animation often features too many “flat characters” and too few “round characters.” This may stem from the guiding principle in literary theory of creating archetypal figures: Nezha and Sun Wukong are forever upright and incorruptible; Huluwa and Black Cat Police Chief perpetually vanquish villains. Positive characters are often overly idealized and flawless, lacking any character imperfections, which creates a sense of unreality and distance. Simultaneously, negative characters perpetrate every conceivable evil without a shred of kindness, significantly diminishing their credibility and novelty. Works like “Storm Rider” are intended for adult audiences and require more “round characters,” yet we haven’t seen them here. However, for children’s series like Pleasant Goat, which prioritize humor and comedy, the prevalence of “flat characters” actually makes their personalities more distinct and vivid, significantly enhancing the appeal. It can be said that Pleasant Goat skillfully circumvents the common weakness in Chinese animation—the scarcity of well-developed, multidimensional characters—through precise audience targeting and plot design.
These are some of the defining characteristics and strengths of the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf animated series. The combined effect of these elements has earned it the affection of countless children and even gained recognition from many young adults and adults. It is precisely on this foundation that the Pleasant Goat films have achieved such remarkable box office appeal.
However, regarding the animated film “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf” itself, I believe there is still considerable room for improvement. For instance:
The emotional transitions in the film are too abrupt and somewhat contrived. As a comedy, emotional shifts between joy and sorrow should be kept to a minimum. Yet, “Bullish” features numerous tragic scenes, such as the death of Dongdongqiang’s parents, Red Wolf’s heartbreak upon seeing Gray Wolf devoured, Peng Qiaqia’s thirst for revenge, and Happy Sheep’s “sacrifice.” This deliberate pursuit of pathos for its own sake starkly contrasts with the original Happy Lamb and Gray Wolf stories, making it feel quite jarring.
The logic is inconsistent. Don’t assume that because it’s a kids’ movie, logic can be neglected. Watching it live, some plot points clearly left the children confused. For instance, when Gray Wolf first arrives at Sheep Village, there’s no prior explanation that he ate the shrinking pill. So when the little lambs step over him, everyone was left scratching their heads. Additionally, when Pleasant Sheep neutralizes Gray Wolf’s tank attack using shrinking potion, the potion sprayed from the sky only shrinks the tank itself. It doesn’t affect the white or black soldier cows, prompting many observant children to question this inconsistency.
Furthermore, from the perspective of character continuity in animated series, Red Wolf’s portrayal falls short. Firstly, her debut in a purple robe diverges significantly from her signature red color. Secondly, her overwhelming grief upon seeing Grey Wolf devoured by Peng Qiaqia seems inconsistent with the Red Wolf we know.
Regardless, Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf’s creation of a box office phenomenon in Chinese animation is undeniable. The lesson here is that “success comes from consistent effort.” Given the current state of scriptwriting and production capabilities in Chinese animation, it’s unrealistic to expect ideal box office results from an entirely new story, world-building, or character lineup—as demonstrated by “Thru the Moebius Strip.” Conversely, achieving strong box office results with a familiar story, established world, and well-known characters is also difficult without the prior market validation and groundwork laid by a popular animated series. “Storm Rider” and “Happy Stuff” exemplify this challenge. First, create beloved characters, then package them with suitable storylines. Expand their recognition and influence through television animation platforms, and finally adapt them into animated films. Even if the content isn’t exceptionally outstanding, it can still achieve strong box office results.
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