Yang Tianxiang
Li Yunxiang (voice)
Overview
While living as an ordinary deliveryman and motor racing fan, Nezha encounters old nemeses and must rediscover his powers to protect his loved ones.
Cast
11 people
Reviews
5 min readRebirth as a Motorcycle Roars Through Neon Hell
I didn’t expect a Chinese animated film about a reincarnated demigod to feel like it was born in the same alley as Akira and Blade Runner, but here we are. New Gods: Nezha Reborn drops the mythological figure of Nezha—a trickster child-god from the Ming Dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods—into a cyberpunk-infused metropolis called Donghai, where neon signs bleed into the rain and motorcycles scream through elevated highways like mechanical dragons.
The film’s opening shot is a stunner: a close-up of a spinning wheel, rubber kissing asphalt, before the camera pulls back to reveal a delivery driver hunched over his bike, weaving through traffic with the reckless grace of a man who doesn’t yet know he’s a god. It’s a visual metaphor so obvious it should collapse under its own weight, but the film sells it with sheer kinetic energy.
By the time the first fight scene erupts in a nightclub, the motorcycle isn’t just a vehicle—it’s an extension of Nezha’s body, a weapon, a symbol of his fractured identity.
The director, Zhao Ji, isn’t just retelling an old story; he’s gutting it and stitching it back together with the DNA of modern urban fantasy. The Nezha of legend is a fiery, rebellious figure, often at odds with his father and the celestial bureaucracy. Here, he’s reincarnated as Li Yunxiang, a 20-something orphan working a dead-end job as a courier, his divine past buried under layers of mundane frustration.
The film’s central tension isn’t just about rediscovering his powers—it’s about what it means to be a god in a world that has no use for gods. Donghai is a city of skyscrapers and slums, where the wealthy live in floating penthouses and the poor scavenge in the shadows. It’s a place where the old myths are either forgotten or commodified, repackaged as tourist attractions and corporate logos.
Nezha’s struggle isn’t just against his ancient enemies; it’s against the erasure of meaning itself.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of New Gods: Nezha Reborn: A Modern Myth Reimagined
New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021) isn’t just another animated film—it’s a bold reimagining of a Chinese legend that’s been passed down for centuries. Directed by Zhao Ji, the movie breathes new life into the mythological figure Nezha, blending cutting-edge 3D animation with a fresh, urban twist. But what went into making this fantasy-action spectacle? latestnetflix.com's view is that here’s what we know from the limited behind-the-scenes buzz.
A Legend Reborn: The Creative Vision
The film serves as a modern reinterpretation of Nezha, a character from the Ming dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods. Unlike traditional adaptations, New Gods: Nezha Reborn transplants the myth into a cyberpunk-inspired world, where gods and mortals clash in a high-tech dystopia 
. Director Zhao Ji and writer Mu Chuan aimed to balance the weight of Chinese folklore with contemporary storytelling, though details on their creative process remain scarce.
The 116-minute runtime suggests a tight narrative focus, likely streamlining the myth’s complex origins into a more accessible, action-driven plot . The film’s genre blend—animation, action, and fantasy—positions it as a bridge between classic mythology and modern blockbuster appeal.
Voice Cast and Character Secrets
While the film’s visuals have drawn praise, the voice cast has stayed relatively low-key. Yang Tianxiang, Zhang He, and Xuan Xiaoming lead the ensemble, but specifics about their roles or recording sessions haven’t surfaced in the available evidence . Rumors suggest the cast brought a mix of dramatic gravitas and comedic timing to the project, though without confirmed quotes or interviews, these claims remain unconfirmed.
One intriguing detail: the film’s original title, Xīn shén bǎng: Nézhā chóngshēng, hints at a deeper thematic focus on rebirth and transformation—key elements of Nezha’s myth . Whether the voice actors leaned into this theme or added their own flair is unclear, but the final product’s 6.6/10 rating on SensCritique suggests a polarizing reception .
Netflix’s Role and Release Hype
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_FvK9FUG2I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-xj_lI7IHY
New Gods: Nezha Reborn found a global audience through Netflix, which released multiple trailers to build anticipation. The platform’s involvement likely helped the film reach beyond China’s borders, though its performance metrics (viewership numbers, critical reception outside China) remain undisclosed .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ZNvDp-bzU
Trailers teased a visually striking world, with neon-lit cityscapes and high-octane action sequences. Some fans even dissected the trailers frame-by-frame, including a reversed version that sparked wild theories about hidden symbolism . However, without official commentary, these interpretations remain speculative.
The Verdict: A Bold but Divisive Experiment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WriiM0aUBA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vpK2ACzaBk
The film’s reception has been mixed. While its animation and world-building have earned praise, some viewers found the modern setting jarring compared to traditional Nezha tales . The 6.6/10 rating on SensCritique reflects this divide, with nearly 400 votes casting it as a solid but not groundbreaking effort .
Behind-the-scenes details are frustratingly thin—no word on production challenges, budget, or deleted scenes. For now, New Gods: Nezha Reborn stands as a testament to Zhao Ji’s ambition, even if its creative risks didn’t universally land.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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