Legendary duo charms new age

Homegrown superheroes Wukong and Nezha steal the spotlight at animation festival, Xu Fan reports.

Clad in an exquisite suit of armor and carrying a long staff over his shoulder, the "Destined One" — the protagonist warrior tasked to revive Monkey King in the blockbuster game Black Myth: Wukong — strides into a crowd.

Alongside nine fellow "warriors "and "villains" from the game, one of China's most popular action role-play games in the global market, this special team quickly caused a sensation, drawing screams from fans and surrounded by smartphones and cameras at the 21st China International Cartoon and Animation Festival.

As one of the country's largest and most popular animation events, the five-day festival concluded earlier this month in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, drawing over 3,000 industry insiders from 2,573 companies and organizations across 42 countries and regions.