茗记

A story about friendship and budding emotions, depicting the awakening feelings of an ordinary middle school student in a small Chinese city during the 1990s. It strives to use modern production techniques to showcase the unique era-specific imprints of Chinese towns and the people living within them. In September 2008, "茗记" won the China Regional Special Award at Japan's 2008 TBS Digicon6 Animation Competition; in September 2008, it received the 2008 Fifth Golden Dragon Award for Best Animated Short Film; in October 2008, it was honored with the Best Chinese Television Program Award at the China Changzhou International Animation Competition; in October 2008, it also earned the Short Film Bronze Award and Best Director Award at the Chinese University Students Original Animation Competition. The short film was released on the online video platform YOUKU on May 1, where it quickly gained widespread popularity, garnering tens of thousands of views within days. Online animation enthusiasts hailed it as "the highest quality Chinese original animation." Soon after, fans established the "茗记" Baidu forum, created several fan QQ groups and circles, and occasionally, out-of-town friends even visited the studio directly. On July 16, 2008, CCTV-6 contacted the team to produce a feature on "茗记," providing a detailed introduction to its production process and team. In 2008, "茗记" secured four domestic awards and one international award.