The belief that every object has a spirit is quite common in many Indigenous and Asiatic cultures, and to see them parley in The Umbrella Fairy (伞少女), this English transliteration of the literal Umbrella Girl is much more poetic and attention grabbing. Even though I think of them as pixies more so than as children of Xiwangmu, that’s because I have a love for all things faerie in the Celtic sense of the word.
It’s possible that this idea is alluded to, though I would want to read the original source material to find out. Although this film begins with a humorous set piece about how cute these entities are, there’s also a more heartfelt existential piece to explain why some of them are what they are, especially if they’re attached to an instrument of war.
This original tale explores what keeps two souls from the same world together. Both are born from a single piece of jade, which was purposely carved into two halves: One half became part of a parasol and the other is a sword ornament. But when the owner of the weapon is gone, presumably slain in battle, these “sisters” still get to live on. As a result, the world of Cloudhaven finally achieved peace.
And as for where relics of this past war get stored, they can either be buried or taken to a storehouse. Instead, people bring them to the Hall of Relics located somewhere in the misty mountains of China. And for those fairies who live in them, they can enjoy life at the fortress of solitude, so they can live out their remaining days like Smurfs.
When Princess Jingzhe (Li Shimeng) arrives to leave her prized Imperial Umbrella here along with the Black jade Sword, I’m sure she was aware of the two entities that exist within. Apparently, the two entities had a crucial role during the great conflict, but when their owners died, they needed to be placed into stasis. Qingdai lives in the parasol and Wanggui in the blade. When the former represents peace and the other war, the performances by Nie Xiying and Liu Xiaoyu perfect. They effectively convey the sense of ever loving, despite being opposites.
The Umbrella Fairy is a sweet tale which reveals how close they are; and if one is needed to keep the other in check. Their bond with their masters is special, and technically, that’s not needed. Although I wasn’t sure about the role Mo Yang (GU Jiangshan), the caretaker, has. It seems he and Qundai have some kind of platonic relationship going on. She requires his help if this young sprite is to find jiějiě (sister). She’s flown the coop, which can spell trouble for the kingdom.
When I first read this film’s pitch, I immediately thought of Lightchaser Animation’s White Snake (movie review). Although both works share a similar DNA in some aspects, what’s presented here is very different in its approach to understanding sisterhood. It’s heartwarming, and the animation is spectacular. The decision to use a hand-drawn style over CGI in this film is a great choice and it helps make the story sparkle.
For anyone interested in reading the original tale, the e-book “San Shao Nv Meng Tan” may still be available. With 1.89 billion views, I’m sure some archive will have it. Writer ZUO Xiaoling and artist WEI Yin, who published this work back in 2018 on NetEase Comics, are surely happy with the adaptation.
4 Stars out of 5
The Umbrella Fairy Movie Trailer
