Transborder Assemblage: <i>The Legend of Hei</i> in Japan

Abstract This essay contributes to discussions of the transborder flows of Chinese cinema by examining the distribution, exhibition, and reception of the animated film The Legend of Hei (2019) in the Japanese market. Building on insights from Asian animation studies while shifting the empirical focus to a relatively underexplored area – the transnational circulation of Chinese animation in Japan – I argue that the case of The Legend of Hei demonstrates how contemporary Asian animation not only crosses national boundaries but also generates new transborder connections and imaginaries that extend beyond individual works. After tracing the film’s trajectory of success in Japan through secondary sources, I analyze two key dimensions of its transnational flow using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative content analysis: (1) the role of social media and electronic word-of-mouth among anime industry professionals in Japan, and (2) audience reception as expressed in reviews on a user-generated film review site. Analytically, I contend that the case of The Legend of Hei is best understood not as a linear, unidirectional transfer from China as origin to Japan as destination, but as a transborder assemblage of contingent, open-ended processes shaped by diverse actors and practices. Methodologically, I suggest the utility of mixed-method, multi-sited research designs for mapping such heterogeneous assemblages.