Dayu haitang (2016)

A 16-year-old girl travels to the human world in the form of a dolphin and forms a connection with a human boy.

Directors:

Xuan Liang (as Liang Xuan), Chun Zhang (as Zhang Chun)

Writers:

Daniel Chuba, Xuan Liang (story by)

Stars:

Guanlin Ji, Shangqing Su, Timmy Xu

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Guanlin Ji	...	Chun (voice)
Shangqing Su	...	Qiu (voice)
Timmy Xu	...	Kun (voice)
Shulan Pan	...	Chun, old age (voice)
Yuanyuan Zhang	...	Feng (voice) (as Yuanyuan Xang)
Jiu'er	...	Kun's Sister (voice)
Lifang Xue	...	Chun's Father (Shu) (voice)
Jie Zhang	...	Chisong Zi (voice)
Xiaoyu Liu	...	Leizu (voice)
Zhongyang Baomu	...	Goumang (voice)
Yu Cheng	...	Tingmu (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
JB Blanc	...	Lingpo (voice) (as John White)
Johnny Yong Bosch	...	Qiu (voice)
Greg Chun	...	Houtu / Chun's Father (Shu) / Chisong Zi (voice)
Cam Clarke	...	Zhurong (voice)

Storyline

It is a world within our world, yet unseen by any human, and the beings here control time and tide and the changing of the seasons. On the day Chun turns sixteen, she is transformed into a dolphin to explore the human world. She is rescued from a vortex by a human boy at the cost of his own life. Chun is so moved by the boy's kindness and courage that she decides to give him life again. But to do this, she must protect the boy's soul, a tiny fish, and nurture it to grow. Through adventure and sacrifice, love grows, yet now she must release him back to the sea, back to life in the human world.

---

Plot Keywords:

scene during end credits | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Funimation Films [United States] Official site

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin English

Release Date:

8 July 2016 (China)

Also Known As:

Da Hai

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Box Office

Budget:

CNY 30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

CNY 227,871,000 (China), 15 July 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

B&T, Huoerguosi ENLIGHT MEDIA, Studio Mir

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Xuan Liang and Chun Zhang's directorial film debut.

---

Quotes

Lingpo: What brings you to the Island of Souls?
Chun: There's a soul I'm looking for: the soul of a human boy
Lingpo: What time was it he died?
Chun: It was two days before the wheat harvest.
Lingpo: You need to be sure of the date. Otherwise you're searching for a needle in a haystack. So many die every day.
Chun: I'm sure. It was my birthday.
Lingpo: I know what you're trying to do, girl, and it goes against the laws of nature!
Chun: I don't care. I've got to save him!
Lingpo: The punishment is harsh for those who defy nature, no matter who you are, so ...
[...]

---

Soundtracks

Big fish
by Shen, Zhou

User Reviews

A Milestone of Chinese Animation

I have not watched a film made in China for quite a long time even if I am Chinese myself. Our film industry still has a long way to go. However, I am deeply impressed by the creative story and the perfect combination of 2D and 3D animation of DaYuHaiTang, and I personally consider the film as a revolutionary art piece.

Through the story, the film emphasize the relationship of our life and our dreams. It encourages us to stick to what we eager for, to what we believe, even when the environment is against us. In the movie, Kun is the symbol of our dreams. It grows, it flies, and its life is tightly related to the one who raises it. We are born to achieve something, if the goal in our life isn't achieved eventually, our life is meaningless. Be brave and go ahead, that's what the film wants to teach us.

The movie contains many Chinese traditional elements, which has seldom been seen before. I am also glad to see that Chinese animation has finally started to focus on how to move audience emotionally. However, there are many shortcomings as well. The film has a good story, but it failed to tell it well. The plot goes too fast at the beginning, and too slow at the end. Besides, a lot of redundant words can be found during conversations. Maybe the film crew should do something about that in their next movie.

The film did a great job, but it's the audience in the cinema that let me down. I was shocked to see many people laughing mockingly at the characters at some meaningful scenes just because it seems funny to them. Some people are even insulting the film and the characters on the Internet as well. In my opinion, whether a film is good or not, it is an art piece, and it is the result of the film crew's diligence and creativity. We should talk about the strong points and drawbacks of the film objectively, not insulting it without thinking deeply. The poor moral quality of the audience can be seen in those rude remarks. The Chinese animation industry is developing rapidly, it's the audience ability to appreciate films that failed to keep up.