China will produce an anime series about Karl Marx which focuses on his life and time. The cartoon series is backed by Beijing, and it will be shown on a Chinese video streaming website.
The anime series was titled "The Leader," and it will be broadcast by Bilibili.com "soon," according to the company's Weibo. It will recount the story of the German philosopher, historian, sociologist, economist, political theorist, journalist, and socialist revolutionary, the South China Morning Post reported.
The company didn't reveal the number of episodes of the series and when it would be released, but the social media post indicated it had been produced to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth. The co-author of the "Communist Manifesto" was born in May 1818 and he developed political theories that continue driving force for the ruling party in China up to this day.
The producers of the anime series are Central Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Engineering Office, the Propaganda Department of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Party Committee, Inner Mongolia; Weiming Culture Media, animation company Dongmantan, the official media People's Network, and the Communist Youth League Central Propaganda Department.
Aside from covering his economic and political theories, the series will also show Marx's relationship with Jenny von Westphalen, whom he married in 1843 and had seven children, his friendship with Friedrich Engels, as well as his contributions to class struggle and the revolutionary movement.
Marx was described as a great man standing upright between heaven and earth. The ideological system he established awakened all sleeping proletariat throughout the world. He was also said to be an ordinary man of flesh and blood, and his love for von Westphalen and friendship with Engels were legendary.
Bilibili released the trailer of the anime series, and it has been viewed by about 10,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon with 14,000 people following it. But, despite efforts to produce the series, some internet users were not impressed with the outcome. The majority of the people said the three main characters in the cartoon were too good looking to be true.
One particular user also observed that Marx's handwriting was much neater in the series compared in real life. Another user also asked if young people were allowed to cosplay Marx, or whether he can participate in competitions for cartoon characters.
Meanwhile, in May, President Xi Jinping said in a speech that China's Communist Party is "totally correct" sticking with the German philosopher's theory, describing him as the greatest thinker of modern time.
