Ne Zha 2 is one of the best animated films I've seen in 2025. Yes, this includes anime such as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle And Film “Chainsaw Man” — Reze Arkaand yes, even K-Pop Demon Hunters and all other nominations Best Animated Film at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. It was originally released in China on January 29 to coincide with the Lunar New Year and became a certified hit, grossing over $2.2 billion worldwide against a budget of $80 million. Ne Zha 2 It is the highest-grossing non-English-language animated film of all time, the first animated film to exceed $2 billion, and the highest-grossing release of 2025, ranking fifth. all-time box office chart. And yet, as 2025 comes to a close, the film seems to be somewhat ignored outside its native China.
WITH Ne Zha 2With the English dub distributed by A24 arriving on HBO Max on December 20, now is the perfect time to watch the iconic animated film that examines Chinese mythology with the same reverence and explosiveness as Dragon Ballwhile delivering heartfelt emotional lessons, often right in the middle of the most sophomoric crude jokes imaginable.
Ne Zha 2 doubles down on the emotional core that comprised its 2019 predecessor. Ne Zha resonate, creating epic, world-shaking battles around intimate fears of loss, failure and love. Writer and director Jiao Zi continues the story of demon boy Ne Zha and dragon warrior Ao Bing, whose bonds of friendship are tested by impossible choices when gods, dragons, and former allies collide. When Ao Bing once again gives his life to protect Ne Zha's home, Ne Zha absorbs his friend's spirit and embarks on a dangerous quest to restore his body, turning the film's colossal encounters into expressions of sadness, anger, faith and the desperate need to protect those we love.
One of the things I like Ne Zha 2 how intentional is this based on themes from the original film. Instead of stopping when the protagonist learns to accept himself, the sequel pushes him toward complete self-ownership, requiring him to accept every flaw, strength, and contradiction without compromise. Nie Zha and the first film's villain Shen Gongbao came to the same truth through different routes: it is better to live honestly than to become what others expect. Gongbao eventually learns to live by his principles, and Nie Zha realizes that he never needed to be anyone but himself. Accordingly, the film's real villain thrives on hypocrisy and lies, emphasizing that truth is stronger than pretense. Even Jiao Zi's unapologetic use of crude humor feels purposeful, reflecting Ne Zha's journey to fully embrace who he is.
The film is also a visually arresting spectacle, featuring full-on photorealistic CGI and eclectic battles that at times rival Dragon Ball Zemotional intensity. The choreography is incredible and could rival the best anime fights of 2025. Ne Zha 2 proves that computer graphics has evolved into an art form of its own, capable of capturing detailed movement in a way that only this technology can.
Despite the action and heavy subject matter, this is still a PG-13 film with humor aimed at children, with enough crude jokes to make noble aristocrats laugh. The film includes jokes about boogers and poop, a boy who drinks a cauldron of disgusting stew, then vomits and then drinks again, and scenes of pompous aristocrats daintily drinking glasses of urine-infused water. World-shaking battles and body humor must collide, but it all coincides with Ne Zha accepting himself for who he is, a demon child with a fiery temper and a crude sense of humor.
Ne Zha 2 it's an achievement in filmmaking, and that's before we even talk about all the accolades and box office receipts. But somehow it got lost in the shuffle of a landmark year for animation: the year when Demon Slayer beat Superman at the cash register, Zootopia 2 broken release recordsAnd K-Pop Demon Hunters became the largest animated IP With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Be sure to check Ne Zha 2 for the holiday season. If you haven't seen the first movie yet, it's also available on HBO Max and streaming for free on Tubi.
