The Legend of Hei is a gorgeous and heartfelt Chinese animated film directed by Zhang Ping, better known by his pen name MTJJ, that was released in China in 2019. The film became available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD in 2021, and made its Crunchyroll debut in the spring of 2023. The Legend of Hei is a prequel to a flash animation that was initially created by MTJJ back in 2011, which then received a graphic novel adaptation in 2015.

The Legend of Hei follows Luo Xiao-Hei, a cat spirit who is forced to wander the world when his home forest is destroyed by humans. After being saved by another spirit by the name of Fengxi, Xiao-Hei travels back with him to meet a group of like-minded beings. However, their shelter is soon attacked by a powerful human called Wuxian who ends up bringing Xiao-Hei along with him on his travels. Despite initially trying to escape from Wuxian, Xiao-Hei soon discovers there's more to learn about human beings. When Fengxi and his crew pursue Wuxian and Xiao-Hei, the latter has to make a decision about whose side he'll remain on.

The Legend of Hei is Actually a Prequel

As previously mentioned, The Legend of Hei is a prequel developed for the animated series The Legend of Luo Xiao-Hei, the animated series that the film was based on, has forty episodes to date and focuses on the tale of Luo Xiao-Hei after he is injured while stealing an artifact. He is saved by a young girl named Luo Xiaobai and the two of them become good friends and begin adventuring together.

The Legend of Hei Takes Place in A Beautiful World In Need of Balance

Much like films by Studio Ghibli, The Legend of Hei presents a fantastical world filled with nature, wonder, and magic. Thematically, it coasts along larger topics surrounding nature and environmentalism, especially regarding the misplaced spirits who are forced from their homes due to human interference. The core dilemma of this film is presented in the struggle for coexistence between humanity and the spirits of this world. In the modern world, spirits have been pushed out of the life that they knew because of humans, and are either forced to adapt or hide away. As things are, it doesn't feel like balance or coexistence.

Due to the destruction brought by humans in his past, Fengxi regards humanity with a certain bitterness that leads him to enact a plan which involves stealing Luo Xiao-Hei's unique abilities. While he never intended to hurt Xiao-Hei at first, his desire to achieve his goal had driven him to the point that he was willing to kill a fellow spirit to succeed. In the end, he does show regret for his actions. The connection built between Xiao-Hei and his human mentor, Wuxian, is the beginning of a bridge meant to bridge the gap between humans and spirits. With a lovely 2D animation style and delightful character designs that will immediately charm viewers, The Legend of Hei is a must-watch for animated film lovers everywhere.

The Legend of Hei is available for purchase on DVD and Blu-ray, and can also be streamed in English or the original Chinese dub on Crunchyroll.