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China / Society

China's Five-Year Plan popularized by bizarre cartoon

(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2015-10-28 09:18

In case you missed it, China's hottest topic right now is a cartoon.

The English-dubbed cartoon, published on video-sharing website youku.com, centered the 13th Five-Year Plan, with a clear intention to help vague bureaucratic phrases reach ordinary people.

The video titled "Song of Shisanwu", was unveiled Monday afternoon following China's top leadership meeting to come up with a proposal to map out economic and social targets for the next five years.

China's Five-Year Plan popularized by bizarre cartoon

Screenshot from the video Song of Shisanwu. [Photo/youku.com]

The cartoon, which quickly gathered over 350,000 hits on Youku.com, includes several cartoon characters of different skin colors performing on the top of a van asking the question, 'hey have you guys heard what's going on in China?'.

Then it quickly jumps to the theme – shisanwu, the Chinese equivalent of the 13th Five-Year Plan repeats the chorus, 'if you wanna know what China's gonna do, best pay attention to the Shisanwu'.

In an odd backdrop mixing Chinese president Xi Jinping's image with the Great Wall, and Albert Einstein, lyrics played around with various different English language skills such as rhyming, even if the cost is the elegance of the language.

"And even engineers who deal with poo…", one line reads, in order to rhyme with, "…There's doctors, bankers, and farmers too."

China's Five-Year Plan popularized by bizarre cartoon

Screenshot from the video Song of Shisanwu. [Photo/youku.com]

After answering basic questions of who makes all the plans, how the plans are made, the cartoon didn't forget to praise the government's efforts, saying, "they have to work hard and deliberate."

For the most part, the video received positive comments. Some viewers gave kudos to the melody, while others said it's enlightening.

As expected, credit of this animation was given to Fuxing Lushang Studio, the same low-key producer responsible for the previously viral cartoon titled 'How To Make Leaders'.

China's Five-Year Plan popularized by bizarre cartoon

Screenshot from the video Song of Shisanwu. [Photo/youku.com]

The studio has published 10 videos on youku.com, all related to Xi Jinping or to the government.

Though no other details can be revealed about the mysterious producer, what we do know is that a sequel can be expected.

The cartoon's ending gave some hint, saying, "now it's time to get ready for the 14th Five-Year Plan."

See you in five years?

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