The odyssey continues

"We want to create good-quality animations that attract an audience of different age groups and stand the test of time, breaking the stereotype that animation is for children only," he says.

Wu Linfan, vice-president of the animation studio, agrees.

"We've tried our best for over three years to make this brainchild. For each scene, we watched dozens of times to adjust repeatedly," Wu says.

Wu understands that there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes. He says in character setting, the team concentrated mainly on each role's temperament, rather than just appearance. They also put great efforts in transforming the descriptive words in the novel into visual verisimilitude.

He believes it's also an opportunity to boost the development of China's animation industry, with the influence of the world-renowned science fiction trilogy.

According to Ruan, the major animation studios in China have greatly improved technology and process management in recent years, with a steady increase in production and industrialization levels.

"Thanks to the popularity of guochao, or 'China chic', that features fashionable designs mixed with traditional cultural elements, and the country's preferential policies to boost animation, the industry has been developing rapidly, with the prospect to keep pace with overseas counterparts," Ruan says.

Zhou Lihua contributed to this story.