Top Secret Studio SG

Remember Niu Lai? If not, here’s the 10-second recap: it’s an extremely rough-looking Chinese animated movie made over five years by director Xin Yumeng and his mother. It earned only around RMB 7,000 in its first nine days — then people started buying tickets specifically to see how bad it really was.

And somehow, the joke is still getting bigger. 🐮

By August 21, Niu Lai had reportedly reached around RMB 36.9 million at the box office. A viral rumor that it was about to disappear from cinemas also proved false, and screenings continued around China.

At this point, going to Niu Lai barely resembles normal moviegoing. Young audiences have turned screenings into collective meme sessions, while stock-market fans have adopted “Niu Lai” as a lucky “the bull market is coming” phrase. 📈

Then the brands arrived. Around 50 brand accounts reportedly joined the meme, with Mixue making Xue Lai, Yili making Nai Lai, Joyoung making Dou Lai, Want Want making Wang Lai, and even KFC producing its own chicken-themed version — all deliberately copying the movie’s stiff movement and low-poly aesthetic.

But the mood around Niu Lai has also changed. Plenty of viewers joke that however rough it looks, they would still rather watch something visibly handmade than “AI slop.” Others say they bought tickets after learning that a mother and son spent five years making it together, largely on their own.

Maybe that’s why the joke has lasted. Somewhere underneath all the memes is a surprisingly simple message for ordinary people with slightly unreasonable dreams: make the thing anyway. Don’t overthink whether you’re ready, polished or properly funded. Five years later, your weird little cow might somehow find its audience. 🥹

Tonight, took a turn in the audience as he watched and perform at : Hollywood. No stranger to a fashion show either, the .bighitofficial star dressed in a look that could have easily appeared on the runway. See more of his evening ensemble at the link in bio.

(소녀시대) - Run Devil Run

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