Many made-in-Vietnam cartoons produced by both state and private film studios are still regularly released on digital platforms. They are also featured at cinemas during summer programmes, holidays, and the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, to entertain children, which only include limited to short animated films or series that had been shown online.
Most animation films which have been screened at Vietnamese cinemas are produced by the major players covered in animation markets, such as those from the US and Japan.
The commercial release of the Vietnamese cartoon ‘Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island’ is an important milestone, marking the transformation of Vietnamese animation from targeting online and television products to cinemagoers.
The film is a product of Vietnamese animation studio Sconnect, which has many years of experience in producing animated films on online platforms, such as the animated series Wolfoo, Clay Mixer, and Luka. Sconnect’s films have earned billions of online views on YouTube.
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The success of the cartoon is the result of three years of hard work from the production team in every step, from scriptwriting and illustration to animation and sound design. (Photo: vietnamnet.vn) |
Wolfoo, a YouTube children’s animated web series, has become a close friend of millions of Vietnamese children.
The series follows Wolfoo, a male wolf living on a hill in a small village with his parents and sisters, Lucy and Jenny.
In 2022, Wolfoo animation was certified by the Applied Research Institute of Education Sciences under the Vietnam Psycho – Pedagogical Association, meeting the standard for the effective application of modern educational methods for children aged 3-8 years old.
During its first premiere, ‘Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island’ was screened in cinema chains nationwide such as CGV, Galaxy, Lotte, and the National Cinema Centre, receiving great attention and positive feedback from cinemagoers, particularly families with children.
The cartoon follows Wolfoo’s adventure into a fantasy world, during which he and his friends face difficulties from bad guys, and must work together to overcome challenges and learn valuable lessons about friendship and life.
Ngo Thuy, a mother of two children from Hoang Mai District, Hanoi, said that she was surprised to learn that the cartoon was a product created by a Vietnamese studio because its sound and effects made her think it was a US film. She shared that she had an interesting time watching the film with her children.
On social networks, the film has also received praise from many celebrities, technological experts, film writers, and educators. Most comments agreed that it is time well-spent for parents to watch this Vietnamese animation in the cinema.
A representative of the cartoon’s production team said, that they are very proud to contribute to bringing Vietnamese animation closer to viewers.
The success of the less-than-two-hour cartoon is the result of three years of hard work and tremendous effort from the production team in every step, from scriptwriting and illustration to animation and sound design.
The public appreciation for ‘Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island’ as well as the cartoon series in general by Sconnect, has not only marked a milestone in developing the Vietnamese animation industry but also changed the viewers’ stereotypes of Vietnamese products.
The success of the cartoon has motivated Wolfoo's creators to work harder to produce more animated films, which can compete with those produced by foreign studios and win the hearts of both domestic and international viewers.
