SALES are soaring for merchandise from the Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” which recently became the sole Asian film listed in the world’s top 25 highest-grossing films of all time. As of yesterday, the film’s box office has surpassed 9 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion), making it a top player in global animated films and sparking a frenzy of merchandise purchases.

Merchandise frenzy

“Ne Zha 2” has collaborated with 12 brands, including nine for toys or creative cultural products. Pop Mart’s “Ne Zha 2” toys in blind boxes are priced at 69 yuan each, but second-hand markets have seen the merchandise selling at several times their original price, with “hard to find Ne Zha toys” becoming a hot topic on social media platforms. With a blind box, you can’t see which toy figure is inside until you open it, so it’s a fun surprise.

Currently, Pop Mart’s “Ne Zha 2” toy blind boxes sold out across multiple channels, and the shipping period for earlier purchases has been postponed to June 30. The company immediately revised its production plan to restock supply, according to a representative from the company, adding that “Ne Zha 2” is rooted in a classic Chinese tale, and its box-office success naturally boosts demand for merchandise, strengthening fans’ emotional attachment to the characters.

Meanwhile, sales of other products, such as limited-edition cards and badges, have also skyrocketed since the movie’s release. “Ne Zha 2”-themed card sets from other brands are selling for over 140 yuan per box, according to Global Times.

Xue Yiran, a middle school student in Beijing, said that after watching “Ne Zha 2” during the Spring Festival holiday, she was eager to purchase its merchandise. “I bought a blind box at a Pop Mart store, which was really crowded. Later I ordered ‘Ne Zha 2’-themed cards on Taobao. The prices are a bit high for a student, but I’m willing to pay for that,” Xue said.

Racing to produce merch

In Xiangtan, Central China’s Hunan Province, Hunan Sunny and Sandy Toy Manufacturing Co. is operating at full capacity to meet a tidal wave of demand for toys authorized by “Ne Zha 2.”

Yang Zhenlin, assistant to the company’s chairman, said the first batch of toys in blind boxes supplied to a chain of snack stores sold out before Spring Festival. More than 450,000 sets of toys had been sold as of Monday through livestreaming on Douyin, with revenue reaching 30 million yuan. That ranks first on the platform’s board game and collectibles category, he said.

The company is also negotiating to get authorized for two more characters from the film and intends to start producing those toys as well, he said. “We expected that the toys would be popular based on the success of the first movie of the franchise, but the popularity of ‘Ne Zha 2’ has far exceeded our expectations,” Yang said. “We think it will be even more popular in the coming months, with sales revenue of related products reaching 200 million yuan for the year.”

The movie is expected to be a large-scale hit in overseas markets as well, so the company is preparing to sell the toys abroad, including in Southeast Asia, Japan, North America, and Europe.

Guangdong Henglitai Crafts in Dongguan produces collectible cards, refrigerator magnets, and badges authorized by “Ne Zha 2.” When the company resumed operations after the Spring Festival holiday Feb. 7, its client FunCrazy, a cooperation brand of the film, placed an order for over 1 million sets of merchandise.

“We didn’t expect such a frenzy of purchases for ‘Ne Zha 2’ merchandise,” said Chen Qi, general manager of Henglitai Crafts. “We are also concurrently working on designing new styles of such items to meet the growing market demand. The success of ‘Ne Zha 2’ proves that Chinese animation can completely rival that of Japanese and American giants,” he said.

The company plans to collaborate with brand partners to develop more peripheral characters while exploring new techniques such as metal sculpting and dynamic lighting effects. “A combination of high-quality content and manufacturing capability is the key to breaking new ground in merchandise. Our acrylic colored paper utilizes a silver spring fine flash technique, presenting the dynamic effects of movie scenes under different lighting conditions,” he said.

Li Baochuan, an expert in cartoon history at Hangzhou Normal University, said that derivative products are more than just merchandise. For the younger generation, they represent identity and a form of social currency. The remarkable sales success of the “Ne Zha 2” products has also sent a positive signal to the industry, Li said.

Playful controversy

Meanwhile, several cities across China are now vying for the title of Ne Zha’s birthplace, capitalizing on the film’s success to boost tourism. The playful controversy has become a spectacle in itself, with some cities claiming to have “proof” of the character’s origins.

On Feb. 5, tourism and culture authorities in North China’s Tianjin Municipality released a video claiming that Ne Zha was born in the city and went to primary school there. The next day, authorities in East China’s Anhui Province said that images of Ne Zha could be found all over the province’s Guzhen County, with many sculptures and wall paintings of him.

Shortly thereafter, authorities in Yibin, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, announced that Ne Zha was born in its Nanguang Township, and it released a list of cultural sites and landmarks inspired by the character.

Song Yangyang, deputy dean of the Institute for Creative Industries Technology at Renmin University of China, said that competing for cultural ownership of Ne Zha has generated a buzz for these places, ultimately attracting tourists, but he suggested that instead of vying for the title of hometown, enhancing tourism services and promoting other tangible products are more important. (China Daily, Global Times)