西瓜炮

"Watermelon Cannon" is adapted from the folk tale of the same name by Liu Zhengtai, with screenplay by Ling Shu, directed by Jin Xi, cinematography by Zhu Dingyuan, and character design by Qu Jianfang. Produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio in September 1979, the film depicts the story of the "Small Sword Society" child soldiers during the late Qing Dynasty using watermelon sales as a means to fight against their enemies. The character designs in the film feature a strong ethnic style. Drawing inspiration from traditional cultural elements such as unearthed figurines, folk toys, and Peking Opera facial makeup, the creative team employed exaggerated proportions for heads and eyes, resulting in characters that appear ancient, robust, and childlike, with a distinct "puppet-like" charm. This approach achieves an artistic effect where the characters are clearly puppets rather than imitations of real people, yet still feel authentic and true to life.