A recent promotional video for the anime “ Call Up Girls ” has surprised
netizens, who quickly identified it with the “moe” genre, thanks to the style
of its characters and the vibrant use of pastel colors. What really
took them by surprise was discovering that this project was produced in China
(i.e. it is a donghua), with local animators and voice actresses. Despite
this, many claim that the quality of the animation rivals that of more recent
productions in Japan.
Feedback from the community has been mixed. One user
highlighted that “ the quality of Chinese animation has increased
significantly in recent years ,” wondering if they are innovating
in the process. Another netizen mentioned that “ it seems like they
are too influenced by Japanese anime, but it seems more entertaining .”
Some were surprised by the anime’s title, noting that “ I never
thought I would watch an anime called ‘Call Up Girls .'”
Many also made reference to the influence of the
Japanese style in the production, with comments such as “ this is
like a Chinese version of a Manga Time Kirara anime ” and “ it
seems like they took too many references from Japanese anime ”.
Despite the comments criticizing the lack of originality, others expressed
curiosity about the content, with one user commenting that “ the
setting in Guangzhou seems interesting to me and I definitely want to check it
out ”. However, there were those who pointed out that the series
could be seen as a plagiarism of the Japanese style, stating their wish for
“ Chinese creators to show more originality in their works ”.
However, some Chinese netizens have expressed
skepticism, commenting that although the series is based in a Chinese
school setting, the depiction of student life seems closer to that of a
Japanese anime than to the reality of education in China. Comments
such as “ Is this really a domestic product? ” and
“ We usually say ‘evening classes’ instead of ‘after school’ ”
reflect the perception that the series presents a view of school life that does
not fit the everyday experience of Chinese students.
The general consensus seems to be that although “Call
Up Girls” draws inspiration from Japanese aesthetics, the production has
managed to attract the attention of audiences who are looking forward to seeing
more of this new wave of Chinese anime, and are wondering if there might
eventually be an evolution in their narrative and style that sets them apart
from their Japanese counterparts. With this production, the line
between Japanese and Chinese anime continues to blur, sparking a debate about
the future of the industry and the cultural influences on animation.
Source: Yaraon!
