THE WIND GUARDIANS

Publicity poster for The Wind Guardians aka Feng Yu Zhou (© Kuo Liu/Beijing Joy Leader Culture Communication Co./Hua Qing Chuan Qi Technology Co./ 华青传奇/北京若森数字科技有限公司/渠荷文化等 – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

On 10 July 2020, I watched on YouTube with English subtitles an indescribably beautiful Chinese animated movie directed by Kuo Liu and originally released in 2018 but which was entirely new to me. Entitled The Wind Guardians in English (its Chinese title is Feng Yu Zhou) and almost 1 hr 45 min long, it has an exceedingly detailed, complicated plot that revolves around Lang Ming, a blind village boy living in Xiaoyanggang with his mother Mei, who grows up to be something of a trickster in order to survive but has always harboured a dream to become a Shalen (sacred guardian) that his long-lost father told him in childhood he could indeed be.

One day Lang Ming discovers and inadvertently swallows a gold spinning top (as you do), and soon afterwards he encounters a mysterious young woman who is seeking that selfsame top, and whom he dubs Little Goblin. At the same time, he inexplicably gains his sight, and returns in joy to his village in order to tell his mother the good news, but the village is empty, their house is destroyed, and his mother is nowhere to be found. Instead, Lang Ming is confronted by a ferocious dragon demon (a Rakshasa) but manages to escape, meeting up with Little Goblin again, who promises to find his mother for him if he gives her the top (once it has - ahem - found its way out of his body by the usual means!).

And so they set out on a series of hair-raising adventures, culminating in an evil sorcerer's release of Tao Tie, an ancient gargantuan fiery monster that threatens to destroy Lang Ming's village and everywhere else too - a monster so powerful that not even the entire company of Shalens can thwart it. But then something truly extraordinary happens... And an equally extraordinary discovery is made concerning Lang Ming's mother.

Indeed, the closing credits contain the following very telling line: "This film presents a tribute to our parents, because their care and protection for us is like the brilliant sunshine for our lives". Moreover, at its world premiere in Beijing its director Kuo Liu stated that this movie is "a love letter to parents," and that it presents "the Chinese-style mother-and-son relationship. Chinese people don't always say 'I love you' every day. But whenever you have needs, I will sacrifice for you, even my life”.

In 2019 at the Golden Rooster Awards (China's equivalent of the USA's Academy Awards and the UK's BAFTAs). The Wind Guardians very deservedly won the Golden Rooster for Best Animated Feature (it was also voted Best Animated Feature at the 2018 Hainan International Film Festival). And at the 2018 Macau International Movie Festival, it was actually nominated for the Best Film award. Certainly, the animation is absolutely spectacular in this splendorous movie's action sequences and gorgeously exquisite in its pastoral ones in a way that is unrivalled by any Western animated film that I have ever seen (and I've seen plenty!).

But don't take my word for it, watch The Wind Guardians for yourself for free like I did on YouTube (click here) while it is still there, or at least watch this beautiful official trailer for it (sorry, no English subtitles), to give you a taste of the visual and emotional delights that await you.

Lastly: I'd very much like to purchase this awesome animated movie on DVD, but so far I have been unable to discover it anywhere in this format. Consequently, if anyone can point me in the right direction to finding The Wind Guardians on DVD (with English subtitles, but any Region will be fine, as I have a multi-Region DVD player), I'd greatly appreciate it – thanks very much!

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