Ruthless Blade is an epic Chinese animated short with razor-sharp visuals
Briefly

Chinese animation, or donghua, has gained traction in recent years. Titles like 'Legend of Hei' have received acclaim, paving the way for more opportunities. 'Ruthless Blade,' a short from the anthology series Capsules, showcases this rising trend. Directed by Bo Zhang, this visually stunning piece features Eleven, an anthropomorphic tiger, confronting a masked warrior. The animation's artistry blends 3D techniques with 2D textures, enriched by themes of past and present reflected in an epigraph from Siegfried Sassoon. Released by Bilibili on YouTube, 'Ruthless Blade' exemplifies the depth and beauty emerging from the world of Chinese animation.
The animation in Ruthless Blade is gobsmackingly gorgeous, to say nothing of the short's character designs and art direction.
Ruthless Blade grapples with some surprisingly potent themes within its runtime, opening with an epigraph excerpt of Siegfried Sassoon's "In Me, Past, Present, Future Meet."
The time is ripe for Chinese animators to seize on this opportunity and for global audiences to embrace what they have to bring to the medium.
Eleven reawakens to long-dormant memories of his past, unearthing a stunning revelation about the true nature of his fight for survival.
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