We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for a young American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

White Snake (2019): Amp Wong & Zhao Ji, directors

What’s it about?

White Snake is a “prequel” to one of China’s four great folktales, which has gone by many names over the years but is most commonly known simply as the legend of the white snake. In a nutshell, the legend is a love story between a human man and an immortal (the eponymous white snake) who has taken a woman’s form. There’s a lot more to it than that, obviously, and the legend has been adapted dozens of times into TV shows, films, songs, operas, and plays. In truth, almost everyone in China knows the story. It’s a bit like Romeo and Juliet; even if you haven’t read (or seen) it, you know what it’s about.

So White Snake is set before the legend begins and the two lovers meet. Even though they meet in the movie. But it all makes sense in the end.

The story centers on human Xuan who meets and saves Blanca (or “Little White” in the Chinese). Xuan is from a snake-catching village – the people there have been tasked with catching snakes for the emperor, who is convinced that eating them will give him immortality. Blanca is a snake demon sent to avenge their own kind, but she promptly loses her memory and falls in love with Xuan. But she can still control her magical powers.

Together, they go on an adventure to reclaim her memories, defeat the emperor’s evil general, and convince Blanca’s best friend/lover Verta (or “Little Green”) that Xuan truly wants to help.

Along the way, there’s a cute talking dog, huge scary serpents, plenty of magical wuxia action, and some breathtakingly beautiful settings.

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

White Snake was conceived as a “prequel” to one of the most well-known legends of Chinese folklore. Set in China “500 years ago” and produced by Chinese studio Light Chaser Animation, the film is obviously steeped in Chinese culture and history.

Storywise, you don’t NEED to know the Chinese legend of the white snake since the movie takes a LOT of liberties with the source material. (If you’re interested, the basic story is here.) This is supposed to be a prequel to the legend and, indeed, the only time the film directly ties into that story is the final scene, which is the beginning of the legend.

If you’re acquainted with the legend, however, your enjoyment of the film will be enhanced and you’ll pick up on a few nods and references to the classic story throughout, but they’re mostly just “Easter eggs.” You won’t miss anything important if you go into this blind. The film gives you everything you need to know to understand what’s happening… and why.

The new Shout Factory Blu-ray release has both the original Mandarin audio (with English subtitles) and an English dub, which is actually surprisingly good.

The following pictures are my own from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China: where much of the original legend of the white snake takes place. Portions of White Snake also take place here, though it is never named in the film.

Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou, an important setting in the legend

View of West Lake from Leifeng Pagoda, where the two lovers first meet

Inside Leifeng Pagoda is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous panorama with scenes from the original legend

Will my kids like it? Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

Like the legend it’s based on, White Snake is – at its core – a love story. But this prequel has been updated with plenty of action, demons, and modern sensibilities. If your kids would enjoy watching people go on an adventure and battle giant snakes with magic (and frankly, who wouldn’t?), then they’ll enjoy the film.

As far as objectionable content goes, there’s a scene where Blanca and Xuan… ahem, consummate their relationship. Nothing of note is shown on screen, but Blanca strips down and you see her entire bare back, and not much is left to the imagination. It’s pretty obvious what’s happening.

And if you’re a closed-minded a-hole who can’t bear the thought of same-sex relationships, it’s heavily implied that the relationship between Blanca and her “sister,” Verta, is romantic. In fact, it’s not really subtext. It’s text. But this relationship also has its roots in the original legend, and they’re immortal snake demons, so if that bothers you, then that’s totally on you.

Will I like it?

It’s a stunning piece of animation. The backgrounds and environments are just flat-out gorgeous. If you simply watch the backgrounds, you’ll be entranced for 99 minutes. The designs for the snakes and demons are also pretty spectacular. The humans are a notch below animation we’ve come to expect from studios such as Pixar, but for a Chinese production (if you’ve seen any Chinese animation before, you know it’s not necessarily noted for its quality), White Snake is a truly astonishing leap forward.

How can I see it?

GKIDS and Shout Factory recently released a Blu-ray edition of the film, which includes a few bonus features, the most worthwhile being the interviews with codirector Zhao Ji, but there are also trailers, storyboard clips, a music video, and a Q&A at GKIDS’s Animation is Film Festival. It’s available from all the usual outlets, including Amazon.

Final word?

Yes. My final word is yes. Obviously, we’re huge fans of animation around here, and we’re also big proponents of animation from countries that don’t typically receive many accolades for the art form. White Snake is a remarkable technical achievement for a Chinese studio, and the story and acting are also quite good. It’s the cliched “fresh take on a classic,” but it succeeds. Highly recommended.