The film grossed 249 million yuan ($34.11 million) at the box office and is hailed by some industry insiders as a groundbreaking piece for focusing on the grassroots level, a theme that Chinese animation had rarely explored before.
The trend of animation works revolving around mythological characters in ancient China became successful and then prevailed.
From Sun's perspective, the protagonist resembles wild grass, possessing an enduring life force and the ability to flourish in tough environments.
Now, after a three-year hiatus, the sequel returned to domestic theaters on Dec 14, continuing the inspirational yet thorny journey of Liu, whose nickname is Ajuan.
