Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is a Chinese animated anime-influenced television series created by animation director Leo Huang and produced by Creative Power Entertaining. The show is about a group of goats living on the Green Green Grassland and a clumsy wolf who wants to eat them.
The cartoon became enormously popular with Chinese schoolchildren after its debut in 2005. Cashing in on the cartoon's success, the producer made an animated feature film in 2009. It generated a box office revenue of 79 million yuan (approx. US $11.5 million) during Chinese New Year that year. It is aired on over 40 local TV stations, including Zhejiang Television, CCTV and Aniworld Satellite Television, Hong Kong's TVB and Taiwan's Momo Kids. The show was also aired in India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and North America. As of 2011, an English dub has been aired in Taiwan. In 2010, Disney gained the license to broadcast the show on their Disney Channels. Alpha terminated the contract with Disney before the expiration date in September 2016 at the expense of US$2 million, thus Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf has had nothing to do with Disney since then.
Toon Express Group, a subsidiary of Alpha Animation and a Creative Power Entertaining's sister company, owns the copyrights to the characters.
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf had 510 episodes when it premiered (2005–2007). After it became moderately successful, Creative Power Entertaining created more than 2,000 episodes, including 60 exclusive Olympics episodes in 2008 and an addition of 20 more episodes to the first season in 2009.
The first season was made using Adobe Flash, an obsolete video player.
In January 2009, its first movie Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf – The Super Adventure was launched in China. Based on the 530-episode television series, The Super Adventure stars the same characters but in a very different scenario with the goats joining forces with their old nemesis, Wolffy, to defeat their common archenemy – bacteria. It broke the domestic box office record for a Chinese animated film, collecting 30 million yuan (US$4.39 million) during its opening weekend. On the first day of release alone, the movie made 8 million yuan. According to Beijing News, the weekend's revenue was well ahead of the previous record holder for domestic animation, Storm Rider Clash of the Evils – the adaptation of the Storm Riders comic brought in 25 million Yuan in two weeks when it was released the previous summer.
Describing the Pleasant Goat movie as a "dark horse", Zhao Jun, general manager of China Film South Cinema Circuit Co. Ltd., predicted the film would make at least 60 million yuan in total box office revenue. A manager of the Beijing-based Stellar International Cineplex said the movie theatre's biggest hall, which had been scheduled to screen Red Cliff II, was reassigned to show Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: The Super Adventure in order to meet popular demand.
In 2010, a second movie, Desert Trek: The Adventure of the Lost Totem, was released. One of the original tracks in the movie, "Left hands and Right hands" (Chinese: 左手右手), was sung by Yang Peiyi, who had previously sung at the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony.
In 2010, Creative Power Entertaining Corporation (CPE) said that it had reached a television license broadcast agreement with Disney affiliate Buena Vista to air its products. With this deal, the popular Chinese cartoon show for children will be aired on Disney channels in 52 countries and regions and in more than 10 different languages, marking a milestone for China's animation industry.
The third movie, Moon Castle: The Space Adventure was launched in 2011. The fourth movie Mission Incredible: Adventures on the Dragon's Trail followed in 2012. The fourth film reached the highest box office of the film series at 167.619 million yuan.
The fifth film, in 2013, was The Mythical Ark: Adventures in Love & Happiness, the sixth film in 2014 Meet the Pegasus, and the seventh film in 2015 Amazing Pleasant Goat. All seven movies are themed on the Chinese zodiac of the year in which it was released, and incorporate the zodiac animal in their Chinese names; the animals, sequentially, are the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, and goat. In addition, all movies were released in the month of January, around Chinese New Year. With the box office revenue of each film decreasing and Amazing Pleasant Goat only reaching 67.815 million yuan, CPE decided to slow down the yearly release. The ninth film, titled Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf 3D Movie, is expected to release in 2023.
Two live-action animated films of the series, titled I Love Wolffy and I Love Wolffy 2 respectively, were also released but neither reached a box office of 80 million yuan. A third live-action animated film is not planned.
Investment banker Francis Leung, who planned to buy Toon Express Group, expressed the potential to make Pleasant Goat a television show that would, as stated by The Wall Street Journal, "parallel the popularity of Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty".
In the year 3010 on the fictional Goat Calendar, the ancestor of the goat clan, Ruan Mianmian (or Old Mandy), arrives at Green Green Grassland to escape the wolves. The goats built a tall iron gate outside their village and called it 'Goat Village'. This leaves the wolves to try and break in any way they can. One day, a wolf suggests that they exercise until they are thin enough to squeeze through the bars. With this strategy, the wolf ancestor, Wu Dalang (Fitter), manages to get through, only to die after swallowing a huge rock covered in wool, mistaking it for a big sheep. After this incident, the wolves learned not to make the goats of Green Green Grassland angry, for there will be consequences.
503 years later in the year 3513, the descendant of Wu Dalang, Wolffy, moves to the opposite of the river separating the forest and the Goat Village with his wife Wolnie. Wolffy demonstrates poor hunting ability and is scorned, being regarded as not a proper wolf. They move there in hope of finding a way to eat the goats, as tales told by ancestors say that the goats there are the best and tastiest.
The goats live in the Green Green Grassland happily. The main characters are depicted as school-aged goats that attend school under the tutelage of Slowy, the village elder. Weslie and his friends are portrayed as playful primary school kids, each of whom has his/her own unique characteristic. Tibbie is a fashionable young female goat who is always worrying about her looks and esteem. Sparky is a young male goat who likes to work out; he has a crush on Tibbie. Paddi is a cute male goat who likes to relax. Paddi is one of the most popular characters in the series. There are many other young, anonymous goats, as well as their teacher Slowy, an old goat referred to as the "Village Chief", who is a scientist and develops machines to protect their school. He is slower than a snail and uses a walking stick.
Wolffy and Wolnie live in a castle far from the village and are constantly trying to hunt the goats for food. However, the goats in this time are intelligent and powered with technology. Each episode, Wolffy concocts a plan to catch the goats. Among the goat students, a smart male goat named Weslie always finds a way to ruin Wolffy's plans and save the goats. With the effort of Weslie and his friends, Wolffy never captures any goats. At the end of each episode, Wolffy always promises to come back, each time shouting his catchphrase: 'Darn goats! I will definitely come back again!'
The conflict between Wolffy and Weslie never ends. Although Wolffy fails all the time, he never gives up. While he is mean to the goats, he is a nice and timid husband to Wolnie and a great dad to his son, Wilie. Wolnie is somewhat impatient and enjoys making her husband do all the work. She rarely tries to catch the goats herself (failing every time as well), but always yells at her husband. She likes fashion, is fixated on eating goats, and loves to hit Wolffy with her frying pan. Despite this fact, deep down Wolnie still loves her husband.
Happy or Weslie (喜羊羊; Xǐ Yángyáng; 'Happy Sheep')
Slowy (慢羊羊; Màn Yángyáng; 'Slow Sheep')
Lazy, Lance or Paddi (懒羊羊; Lǎn Yángyáng; 'Lazy Sheep')
Mae, Beauty or Tibbie (美羊羊; Měi Yángyáng; 'Beautiful Sheep')
Fray, Fitty or Sparky (沸羊羊; Fèi Yángyáng; 'Boiling Sheep')
Rany, Genting or Jonie (暖羊羊; Nuǎn Yángyáng; 'Warm Sheep')
Stacy (花羊羊; Huā Yángyáng; 'Flower Goat')
Old Mandy (软绵绵; Ruǎnmiánmián; 'Soft Goat')
Smarc (智羊羊; Zhiyangyang; 'Smart Goat')
Lily (丽羊羊; Lìyángyáng)
Han (韩羊羊; Hān Yángyáng; 'Han Goat')
Wolffy (Chinese: 灰太狼; pinyin: Huī Tàiláng; 'Grey Wolf')
Wolnie (Chinese: 红太狼; pinyin: Hóng Tàiláng; 'Red Wolf')
Howie or Wilie (Chinese: 小灰灰; pinyin: Xiǎo Huīhuī; 'Little Grey')
Huang Tailang (Chinese: 黄太狼; pinyin: Huáng Tàiláng; 'Yellow Wolf')
Hei Tailang (Chinese: 黑太狼; pinyin: Hēi Tàiláng; 'Black Wolf')
Jay (Chinese: 蕉太狼; pinyin: Jiāo Tàiláng; 'Banana Wolf')
Xiang Tailang (Chinese: 香太狼; pinyin: Xiāng Tàiláng; 'Fragrant Wolf')
Wu Dalang (Chinese: 武大狼; pinyin: Wǔ Dàláng; 'Martial Wolf')
Crazy Brother or Jolly (Chinese: 潇洒哥; pinyin: Xiāosǎ Gē; 'Cool Bro')
Black Commander, Darky or Darton (Chinese: 黑大帅; pinyin: Hēi Dàshuài)
Big Humphrey (Chinese: 包包大人; pinyin: Bāobāo Dàrén)
Tiger (Chinese: 泰哥; pinyin: Tài Gē; 'Ti Bro')
Flat-beak Allen (Chinese: 扁嘴伦; pinyin: Biǎn Zuǐlún; 'Flat-mouth Lun')
- 喜喜 (Xǐxǐ, "Happy" or "Joy")
- 美美 (Měiměi, "Fuzzy" or "Tibtib")
- 蛋蛋 (Dàndan, "Egg" or "Eggy")
- 打打 (Dǎdǎ, "Hittie")
- 暖暖 (Nuǎnnuǎn, "Warmy" or "Jojo")
The series was made into eight animated films and two live-action animated films.
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Memory Thief, 2009
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Three Wishes, 2010
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Wilie's Wish, 2012
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: A Wonderful Musical Journey, 2013
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Dance Your Dream, 2016
As of 2011, according to investment banker Francis Leung, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, over 75 cable and satellite television stations in Mainland China broadcast Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. A few episodes of this show had formerly aired in India on Hungama TV dubbed in Hindi as Kya Bakra Hai ("What a Goat").
- 2019, August 21: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: The Annual Top Ten Animation intellectual Property of Commercial Value
- 2018, July 4: Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Finding Treasures: NRTA 2018Q1 Excellent Chinese Television Animation
- 2018, April 19: Pleasant Goat Fun Class: NRTA 2017 Excellent Chinese Television Animation
- 2017, August 16: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: The Annual Top Ten Animation intellectual Property of Commercial Value
- 2017, April 15: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf — Amazing Pleasant Goat: Outstanding Script Award for 2015–2016 Chinese Animated Films
- 2016: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Best Animated TV Series of CCG EXPO
- 2013, April 24: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Mission Incredible: Adventures on the Dragon's Trail: Animated Film Golden Cup in the 9th "Golden Monkey King" Award Competition 2013.
- 2013, October: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Joys of Seasons: "Five-One Project" Award
- 2011: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: The Best Animation Brand Award of Chinese Culture and Art
- 2010: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Golden Award (Animation) of WIPO Copyright
- 2010: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: The Best Chinese Animation, 16th Magnolia Award
- 2009: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: The Super Adventure: The 13th Huabiao Excellent Animation Award
- 2008, July 5: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of Guangdong channels' "The 2007 Grand Prize for Outstanding Domestically Produced Animated Cartoon"
- 2008, June 13: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of "14th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Award" – "Animation Silver Award"
- 2008, Jan 19: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of "The 4th Annual JinLong Prize for Original Cartoon Animation 2007" – "Mainland China, Hong-Kong, Macau and Taiwan The Best Creative Animation of the Year Award"
- 2007, Nov 5: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of "The 2005 National Children's Programming Excellence in Merchandises and Animation Awards" – "Grand Prize for Outstanding Domestically Produced Animated Cartoon"
- 2007, June 15: Cartoon Express The Hong Kong Recipient of "The 2007 National Consumer's Most Popular Brand Grand Prize"
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf Guangdong Privately Operated Film and Television Enterprise Award, "Outstanding Television Animated Cartoon Program Award" for 2001–2005
- 2005 Outstanding China Animation Award – "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (1–40 episodes)
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf The show's leading character, "Pleasant Goat" was honored with Southern Children's Channel's "2005 the Most Popular Cartoon Award" and "The Annual Character Image Grand Prize"
- 2006, December 11: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of "China academy Awards" – "Technique in Animation Award"
- 2006, December 11: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of "China academy Awards" – "The Outstanding Works in Animation Award"
- Certificate of "National Animation Industry Base": by Issued Guangdong Administration of Radio, Film and TV, 2006
- 2006, June:Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Recipient of "The 23rd Chinese Television Golden Eagle Awards" – "Nomination for Image Arts Design Award"
- 2006, April 24: The Guangdong Province Bureau for Broadcast Award for Creativity for Television Movie, The Professional Association 2001–2005, consists of Guangdong privately operated film and television enterprises awarded "The Animated Television Cartoon Production Award" for Guangdong Province film and television programs 2001–2005
- ^ Chinese: 喜羊羊与灰太狼; pinyin: Xǐ Yángyáng yǔ Huī Tàiláng; lit. 'Pleasant Goat and Big Grey Wolf'
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