China Huace Film & Television Co. Ltd., the creators behind the 2D animated program Naughty Elfin aims to create innovative animation that captures the imagination of audiences in China, and the rest of the Southeast Asian region.

The animation, which won in the category of Best 2D Animated Program at the 25th Asian Television Awards, has been lauded for its creativity and innovation. Xu Sia, the General Manager of Huace Animation, China Huace Film & Television Co. Ltd., said that a lot of effort has been put into the story and design of Naughty Elfin. Using elements such as clay and origami cloth, the General Manager said, “We like to tell different stories in more ways with various elements included. In the end, I think what is most important for us as creators is to always have a child-like innocence.” 

China’s evolving animation industry and its global appeal

Naughty Elfin is distributed on platforms such as iQiyi, Youkou, and Tencent, as well as satellite television and stations in China. With its wide reach, the award-winning animation has spawned IP such as backpacks and candies that appeal to children. Xu Sia said that Huace aims to create good animation and they have organized several activities in relation to the cartoon to increase influence among children. 

Speaking on the current state of the animation industry in Asia, Xu Sia believes that Japanese animation has been well-developed for quite some time. China has done a good job and has kept up with the pace in developing new animation. The General Manager noted that they want to develop more animation to keep up with the changing times and to make good art and be the best in Asia.

Elaborating on how China is keeping up with the times in terms of animation, Xu Sia cited as an example the animation called Uproar in Heaven, a Chinese donghua feature film directed by Wan Lalming. The award-winning animation drew influence from Peking opera traditions, in terms of animation and drums and percussion accompaniment used in the film. However, after this period, Xu Sia said that China was a step behind in the industry. The period produced very good animations, particularly, by the state-owned Shanghai Animation Film Studio. He added, “With a policy of opening up and reform which was the only way of making production animation, it did not fit with the time.” 

Currently, more companies and small studios are coming up. Xu Sia added, “They have a very good sense and ideas for making animations. We think that in the future, they will create better content and animation.” 

What’s next for Huace?

Xu Sia shared that Huace has been working on an animation with UK-based Entertainment One Company for the brand-new kids’ animated series Ninja Express. The animation will have a global distribution and will also be broadcast in China. The General Manager said, “We think this is very good content with great quality, and we hope that children worldwide will appreciate this animation.” 

As China’s biggest producer of TV dramas, Huace has the determination of the overall arrangement in TV dramas, film, artists, agency, and animation. The company’s slogan of “sticking to the best content to show the world a new vision of China,” Huace has a commitment to children that their work can help encourage them to grow up and give them strength.

Watch out for more interviews with past Asian Television Awards winners with our coverage of the Asian Television Awards Alumni Spotlight.