Ne Zha 2 is finally streaming on HBO Max — and it’s a must-watch

Ne Zha 2 is one of the best animated movies I’ve seen in 2025. Yes, that includes anime like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man Movie — Reze Arc, and yes, even KPop Demon Hunters and all the other nominations for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globe Awards. It was initially released in China on January 29 to coincide with the Lunar New Year, and it was a certified hit, grossing more than $2.2 billion worldwide on an $80 million budget. Ne Zha 2 is the highest-grossing animated and non-English-language film of all time, the first animated film to surpass $2 billion, and the top-grossing release of 2025, ranking fifth on the all-time box-office chart. And yet, as 2025 draws to a close, the movie feels somewhat overlooked outside of its native China.