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A Modern Adaptation of Nezha Into an Anti-American and Anti-Corruption Message
封神演義 (Fēngshén Yǎnyì, or “Investiture of the Gods”) is a 16th-century Chinese novel set in the Zhou and Shang Dynasties, revolving around Chinese mythology, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
“Investiture of the Gods”
The story is set in a world that is divided into immortal and mortal realms, where Daoism is responsible for priests, immortals, and deities. The weakening of the Shang Dynasty and the corrupt nature of King Zhòu (the last ruler of Shang) loses the Heaven’s favor. The issue of the Mandate of Heaven leads to a war between the Shang Dynasty and the new Zhou Dynasty because of Heaven giving Jiāng Zǐyá the mission of overthrowing the Shang Dynasty.
Nézhā (or Third Lotus Prince) is birthed into this time period, having the destiny of assisting the Zhou Dynasty in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty. At the age of 7, Nézhā kills Prince Áo Bǐng (the son of the Dragon King of the East Sea) and angers the Dragon King of the East Sea. The danger that Nézhā caused to his family prompts him to cuts open his abdomen and flesh as a sacrifice to repay his debt for his troubles. He is reborn as an immortal and is trained by Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén to wield magic weapons and powers. Eventually, Nézhā helps Jiang Ziya’s forces in the war against the Shang Dynasty, fighting off demons and immortals who support the corrupt government. One of the prominent characters he fights is Shēn Gōngbào who convinces the people to oppose the Zhou Dynasty. At the end of the novel Nézhā is given the divine command of becoming a martial deity (Marshal of the Central Altar) because of the reorganization of Heaven after the fall of the Shang Dynasty.
The story of Nézhā is very well known in China, with modern adaptations of the story becoming mainstream. One prime example is the animated movie series Ne Zha and Ne Zha 2 which features Nézhā as the main character.
Ne Zha 2
Featured in 2025, Ne Zha 2 adapts the story of Nézhā into a modernized piece that embodies modern Chinese radical ideas—diverging from the actual story of Nézhā. However, like many of the common themes of Chinese stories, Ne Zha 2 communicates the justification of rebellion against corrupt elites. These themes appear in the “Journey to the West” where Monkey disobeys the disorganized/corrupt Heaven and in “Investiture of the Gods” where Heaven sets up a rebellion against the corrupt Shang Dynasty.
The origins of Nézhā in the movies diverge from the actual story, rewriting the story to how Nézhā was birthed with the fate to die within three years to heavenly lightning. The relationship between Áo Bǐng and Nézhā develops as a friendship, putting them as allies against Áo Guāng and the Daoist Chan sect. Instead of the journey following the overthrow of the Shang Dynasty, the movie follows Nézhā and Áo Bǐng journey to protect Chentang (Nézhā’s birth town) from Áo Guāng and to complete trials to become immortal. However, Áo Guāng is actually framed by the Daoist Chan sect, as the immortals and priests seek to keep their immortality and power.
Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption
The long history of corruption in Chinese Dynasties influences many stories to have anti-corrupt ideas that justify people’s rebellion against a corrupt government. Ne Zha 2 develops this theme by displaying the corruption of the Daoist Chan sect, a heavenly sect consisting of immortals and Daoist priests. Similarly to the “Investiture of the Gods,” the “good” figures in heaven are revealed to have immoral intentions, validating Ne Zha’s fight against the Chan sect. Ne Zha 2 keeping the original themes of the “Investiture of the Gods” displays the government’s attempt at developing anti-corruption mindsets.
The exposure of a heavenly immortal, Wuliang, as a corrupt official in the Chan sect, highlights how “good” and high ranking officials can be corrupt. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promotes the behavior of exposing and rebelling against these individuals; thus, the reason why Ne Zha 2 shifts the original story from just rebelling against the heavenly sect to exposing the corrupt nature of heaven and rebelling against its desires. The support of these ideas are seen in multiple modernizations of Chinese stories, such as the Journey to the West, which is changed to promote this rebellious behavior—a representation of the CCP’s revolution. Furthermore, by connecting the Chinese concept of how corruption is punished by fate—Heaven’s order to overthrow the Shang Dynasty—influences people to actively stop themselves from committing corrupt acts. The themes in Ne Zha 2 legitimizes the CCP through promoting behaviors that follow an anti-corrupt mindset: punishment of corruption and exposing corruption.
Anti-American
The development of anti-corruption in Ne Zha 2 contributes to the anti-American themes present throughout the show. The heavenly-sect symbolizes America, building a negative image of the democratic government as a corrupt and power-hungry institution. The divergence from the portrayal of Chinese Dynasties being corrupt to modern imperial governments—America in this case—displays the growth of Chinese nationalism and influence of the Chinese government.
Instances of the heavenly-sect displays subtle imagery that resembles American values. The Jade Palace in Ne Zha 2 looks very similar to the U.S. Pentagon, and the Jade Pass has a symbol that looks similar to the American passport. The representation of the heavenly-sect as the American government displays America as an imperialist country that seeks to maintain power. The movie follows Nézhā going through multiple trials to obtain immortality—something that the heavenly-sect already has—correlating to China’s attempt at being at the top of the global division of labor system which the U.S. runs.
Nézhā being born from the demon orb leads to discrimination because of his fate of being “evil,” however, his transformation at the end of the movie makes him the leader of the resistance against heaven. Similarly, due to China’s communist government, many countries dislike the country’s values, as the world norm is to follow free market and democratic values. However, Ne Zha 2 attempts to break this norm, showcasing how Nézhā, a demon-born, actually leads the way rather than a corrupt institution. Therefore, Nézhā plays the role of symbolizing China as the actual hero of the story that leads the developing countries rather than the U.S. who claims they’re the “light/heaven” of the world.
With anti-corruption and anti-American themes being present in Ne Zha 2, ancient Chinese stories are modernized as pieces of propaganda for current governments and ideals. The story of Nézhā is modernized to display the dynamics of the global world, posing as propaganda for the CCP and its superiority over democratic institutions.
