Beyond ACG: Hit 'white cat detective' leaps from animation to stage

Ancient China, detective stories, political intrigue and a cat. Intriguing, right? These elements shape the Chinese animated series "White Cat Legend." It follows a mysterious white cat named Li Bing, who leads the Court of Judicial Review in uncovering conspiracies and solving extraordinary cases.

Since its release in 2020, the animation has garnered widespread acclaim. Two seasons have been launched so far, accumulating over 3.5 billion views across all platforms. Now, its rich heritage is leaping the musical stage.

The story unfolds in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), one of the most influential periods in Chinese history.

"We keep as many of the traditional elements that we can … but we don't want it to seem like a museum," David Swan, director of the musical "White Cat Legend," told CGTN. "We take the historical elements and we pay tribute to them, but we try to add a more modern feeling to it. So, it can feel exciting to our current audience."

A big cat on stage

The main character, Li Bing, is the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review. His main duties include handling cases and catching criminals. For certain reasons, he must take medicine; otherwise, he will turn into a big white cat.

In the animation, Li Bing doesn't have a human form. His human and cat forms are one. How to portray the "white cat detective" on stage became the first and most difficult question.

"If we used a cat headpiece, it would hinder the actor's facial expressions and emotional delivery," said Mu Fangran, producer of the musical. "The best solution is a classic theatrical form – puppetry."

The production team incorporated details and elements inspired by creatures from Chinese mythology to make the cat puppetry more spirited.

Animation + musicals = endless possibilities

Although performed by human actors, some cat-like behaviors are retained. Bai Zhuoming, one of the actors who plays Li Bing, said it's difficult to bring some iconic expressions from the animation to the stage.

"Li Bing is usually calm, composed, and very good at hiding his thoughts. But his colleagues often tease him with weird gifts, and he shows those speechless reactions," said the actor. "So I did some research on the movements that deliver the same meaning as those in the animation."

Bai, who has had experience portraying another animated character, said songs give audiences greater imaginative space.

"Actions that may seem unrealistic in animation can appear natural in a musical number," he said, adding that they still follow realism in regular dialogue scenes.

Swan noted that the nature of animation lies in dramatic scenes, while musical theater specializes in heightening drama through music.

"We can't express it through drawing as they do in the animation, so we express it through music," said the director. "Possibilities are endless for this marriage of these two art forms."

"China has many great stories that can be adapted, for example, the mythologies passed down from our ancestors still carry universal values today. We can learn from them, and they may even benefit the next generation," Bai added.

An ambition of young Chinese creators

"When we first started the project, we intentionally sought ways of expression rooted in the Chinese cultural context. In both dialogue and audiovisual style, we hoped to show elements of Chinese characteristics," said Bian Xi, producer of the animated series "White Cat Legend."

She noted that many core creators behind China's animations were born in the 1980s and 1990s.

"Many have this ambition, wanting to create content that represents their own country," said Bian. "We hoped that not only Chinese audiences, but international audiences would see this."

In terms of adaptation, Bian believes that a production cannot be limited to animation alone.

"We hope that in different fields … more people will adapt it, and more people will participate in it. This brings greater value to the work itself," she said.

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Guo Meiping

Graphic designer: Liu Shaozhen