For those who know the original tale:
In the classic story, Nezha fights the Dragon King’s son, Ao Bing, tears out his tendons, and later commits suicide to save his family. He is resurrected by his master, Taiyi Zhenren, with a lotus root body.
In Nezha Reborn, those events are referenced as a "previous cycle." Yunxiang experiences nightmares of drowning and red ribbons—visual echoes of Nezha’s death. The film suggests that Nezha has been reincarnated countless times across history, and this 1920s-steampunk version is just the latest.
The film also introduces Dr. Xu (Taiyi Zhenren), who is no longer a fat, jovial immortal but a cynical alcoholic engineer. Princess Iron Fan (from Journey to the West) makes a cameo as a gangster boss. These easter eggs reward mythology buffs while not confusing newcomers.
Set 3,000 years after the original Nezha legend, the film reimagines the story in Donghai City, a steampunk/cyberpunk metropolis inspired by 1930s Shanghai. The protagonist is Li Yunxiang, a rebellious young motorcycle racer who discovers he is the modern reincarnation of Nezha. As his divine powers awaken, he finds himself hunted by Ao Bing (dragon prince, now a ruthless tycoon) and the powerful Dragon Clan, who still seek revenge for Nezha’s past defiance. With the help of a mysterious doctor and his own growing strength, Li Yunxiang must embrace his fiery destiny to save his city and family. New Gods- Nezha Reborn -2021- -ENG Chinese- N...
Worth watching for viewers interested in bold mythic reworkings and stylized animation; expect a visually driven, thematically layered ride that prioritizes spectacle and character transformation over exhaustive exposition.
On Netflix (where it streams internationally), Nezha Reborn gained a cult following. Western critics praised its originality, comparing it to Into the Spider-Verse for its bold color palettes and to Arcane for its gritty atmosphere. Many English viewers, unfamiliar with Investiture of the Gods, were still able to enjoy it as a standalone underdog story. The English dub (featuring actors like Ron Yuan) helped accessibility. For those who know the original tale: In
The film opens in Donghai City, a sprawling metropolis ruled by corrupt oligarchs, triads, and colonial-era technology—think The Legend of Korra meets Blade Runner with a Taoist twist. We meet Li Yunxiang, a poor motorcycle courier who scrapes by delivering mysterious packages for the De family, the city’s de facto rulers. Yunxiang is cocky, hot-headed, and surprisingly strong—traits that echo the original Nezha, who was born with superhuman powers.
Unbeknownst to him, Yunxiang carries the reincarnated spirit of Nezha: a primordial demon-god sealed within a reincarnation pearl. As the story unfolds, he discovers that the De family is controlled by a dragon clan—the same dragons Nezha defeated three thousand years ago. Their patriarch, Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, now rules Donghai as an industrial tycoon, using a mystical mechanical construct to drain the city’s life force. Set 3,000 years after the original Nezha legend,
With the help of a rogue doctor (a reincarnated Taiyi Zhenren in steampunk goggles) and a young woman named Kasha (a descendant of the dragon clan seeking redemption), Yunxiang learns to control his fire-tipped lance, his Wind Fire Wheels, and his ultimate form: the three-headed, six-armed avatar of Nezha. The climax sees a spectacular battle across the skyscrapers of Donghai, where Yunxiang must choose between saving himself or burning down the corrupt system that enslaves the poor.
The keyword includes "...N..." which likely stands for "New Gods" or "Nezha". But what exactly is the New Gods series?
It is an ambitious cinematic universe by Light Chaser Animation, intended to deconstruct and reboot classic Chinese myths in modern or futuristic settings. Each film explores a different deity from the Investiture of the Gods:
Unlike the 2019 Ne Zha (which stayed closer to ancient Chinese settings), New Gods unapologetically embraces Western genre tropes—film noir, dieselpunk machinery, and anti-hero arcs—and fuses them with Taoist cosmology.