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Year Hare Affair | |
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那年那兔那些事 | |
Genre | Historical, comedy |
Author | Lin Chao |
Publisher | Sina Weibo |
Original run | 13 June 2011 – present |
Year Hare Affair (Chinese :那年那兔那些事(儿); lit.'Those stories of that rabbit that happened in those years') is a Chinese webcomic and media franchise by Lin Chao (林超), initially under the pen name "逆光飞行" (Pinyin: Nìguāng Fēixíng, lit. "flight against the light"). The comic uses anthropomorphic animals as an allegory for nations and sovereign states to represent 20th and 21st century political, military, and diplomatic events.
An animated adaptation of the series started airing in Douban in March 2015 and a free-to-play strategy video game based on it was released on iOS and Android in July 2015.
Nations / Sovereign states | Appearance | Reasons and source of the appearance |
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People's Republic of China (or Chinese Communist Party) | Hare | Hares are herbivorous animals that are usually considered cute, docile and populous, as well as being "harmless to humans and animals alike" (Chinese :人畜无害), but can still inflict nasty bites and kicks when irritated, representing the People's Republic of China's traditionally not so aggressive foreign policies, but can still pack a heavy punch when required. Another explanation for it is that the Chinese words for "comrade" and "rabbit/hare" sound very similar when pronounced with a Shanghainese accent, as famously coined by crosstalk comedian Jiang Kun during the 1980s. The Hare normally prefers to act friendly and moe in front of others and is obsessed with working the fields harvesting carrots and earning "small money", but when provoked into fighting often wields a cleaver and a brick in each hand while emitting a hellish black aura, and later learns to "plant mushrooms" and build "water cabinets". When extremely enraged, the Hare dons a green dinosaur suit and becomes a Godzilla-like monster that breathes fire. |
Republic of China in all its forms (minus Communist) | Baldhead | Based on the (absence of) hair of Chiang Kai-shek. In Standard Chinese the words "baldhead" (秃子 tūzi) and "Hare" (兔子 tùzi) are near-homophones, which also represent the complexity of Cross-Strait relations. |
Hong Kong Democrats | Cockroach | Based on the slur used by Hong Kong police against Anti-ELAB Protestors. Some big wig cockroaches such as HSBC executives have a yellow sticker on a front leg. |
Qing dynasty and Manchukuo | Pigtail | Based on the queues which is the Manchu hairstyle of the Qing dynasty. (辫子 biànzi). |
United States | Bald eagle | Bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America. [1] |
Soviet Union | Brown bear | Bear is a common national personification for Russia and the USSR starting from the Russian Empire. The Soviet bear has a symbol — the hammer and sickle of Communism — on his stomach, which later becomes more like a character, "父", meaning "father" in Chinese. |
Russia | Brown bear | To differentiate from Soviet Union, this bear has a character "大" ("big" in Chinese, or "eldest" when describing age order of siblings) on his stomach, meaning that he is the "eldest son" of the USSR. The hair refers to "毛子" ("hairy ones", referring to the comparatively higher body hair count in Caucasians), a common northern Chinese nickname for Russians (and all East Slavs by extension). |
Ukraine | Brown bear | To differentiate from Russia, this bear has a number "2" on his stomach, meaning that he is the "second son" of the USSR. |
Belarus | Brown bear | To differentiate from Russia, this bear has a number "3" on his stomach, meaning that he is the "third son" of the USSR. |
Japan | Poussin (insists on being addressed as Crane) | The crane is an important part of the Japanese culture, and the fact that the green pheasant is Japan's official national bird. However, they are mocked as a poussin in canon. |
South Korea | stick with a M1 helmet | Bangzi is an ethnic slur by Chinese people towards Korean. To differentiate with North Korea, a US-style combat helmet is added to the appearance of South Korea. |
North Korea | stick with a military skicap | To differentiate with South Korea, a Communist-style red star cap is added to the appearance of North Korea. |
Various Southeast Asian countries: Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines | Snub-nosed monkey | In Chinese, monkey is a racist term used to describe Southeast Asians. [2] [ better source needed ] |
Pakistan | Markhor | Markhor is commonly seen in Pakistan and the national animal. In the animation the Markhor is called Ba Ba Yang ("Pak Goat") and sometimes nicknamed "Little Ba" by the Hare. [3] |
India | White elephant | White elephant is commonly seen in India as an important part of Hindu mythology. In the animation the author chooses it rather than the bull which is sacred in Hindu to represent India because bull has already been used to represent the UK.[ citation needed ] |
United Kingdom | Bull | "John Bull" is a national personification of England and the United Kingdom in general. |
France | Gallic rooster | Gallic rooster is an unofficial national symbol of France. |
Cuba | Crocodile | Based on the shape of the country |
Germany | cat | The Tiger I/II heavy tanks and the Jagdtiger series tank destroyers are the most famous German armoured fighting vehicles from the Second World War, [4] so in the comic Germany was at first a tiger called "Hans". But since both East and West Germany had been restricted in military strength after World War II, the "big cat" have been "tamed" and "downsized" to "small cats". |
Various African countries in: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Tanzania, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea | Hippopotamus | Hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in Sub-Saharan Africa generally stereotyped as being simple-witted and clumsy. [5] Both in the comic and the animation, nearly all African countries mentioned are represented by hippopotamus, except for the Ugandan junta regime under Idi Amin. Also, "Colonel Ka the Hippo" sometimes symbolizes Muammar Gaddafi himself other than the country. Sudan and South Sudan only appear in the end of Episode 3, Season 2 of the animation. |
Uganda | Duck | "Uncle Crazy Duck" is, in fact, the nickname of Idi Amin Dada among Chinese netizens. He wears a hippopotamus fursuit with loose screws on the head, meaning that his brain is "different" from other Africans. In the animation, Uncle Crazy Duck shouts "Banana!" during speeches like the Minions. |
Various Arab world countries: Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pahlavi Iran | Camel | Camel is commonly seen and used as transportation in the arid, desert Middle East and Central Asia. Both in the comic and the animation, nearly all mentioned Arabic countries are represented by camels, but they have different appearance — Afghan camel wears a scarf and is bearded; Saudi (and other Gulf nations by extension) camel wears a scarf and many diamonds; Iraqi camel under the Saddam Hussein regime wears a military beret; and Iranian camel during the Pahlavi dynasty has a crown on his head. |
Post-revolution Iran | Lion | Lion is the symbol of ancient Iran and the Persian Empire. The religious reform of Ruhollah Khomeini made the shia-majority Iran quite different from its sunni Arabic neighbours, and so the author chooses the symbol of ancient Persia to represent it. |
Character | Avatar | Reasons and source of the appearance |
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Lin Chao (author) | Dragon | "Twiny snake" (Chinese :麻蛇) is one of the author's online nickname, and comes in the form of a small green dragon with a pair of yellow antlers. The author is often violently beaten up by other characters for inappropriately awkward straight man talks, and frequently threatened by the Hare to be cooked into a pasty soup — a running in-joke about the author's notoriety of often delaying the periodic updates of the comic series. The Chinese characters for "update" (更) and "paste" (羹) are homophones both pronouncing Gēng, causing the series' fans to create a parodic light poetry: "if the Snake doesn't update, make [him into] a snake paste (Chinese :麻蛇不更麻蛇羹)." |
Lin Chao's wife | Snail Fairy | Lin Chao's girlfriend (whom he married later) was often used as an excuse when he failed to update the comics on time, so an avatar is created as a recurrent cameo character who is a homemaker for the author, like in the Chinese legend of the Snail Fairy. |
Director of the animated cartoon | Tree | "Two Tree" (Chinese :二树) is the online username of the director/producer of the comics' animated series, so an avatar is created as a cameo character. |
Suning.com | Lion | Suning.com is a sponsor of the animated series, and its mascot is a lion. |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2017) |
A free-to-play strategy role-playing video game based on the webcomic, was released on iOS and Android on 15 July 2015. The player controls one of three factions: Hare, Bald Eagle and Bear. [6]
Hare (Chinese:我兔; lit.'Our rabbit') is now used as Internet slang referring to China. [7]
The historical vision, provided in first two seasons of Year Hare Affair, came under heavy criticism in an overview on the Russian website South China Insight, especially Sino-Soviet relations. Though it is admitted that relations with Russia "occupy a leading place" in reflecting of Chinese history, but with a "complete disregard for historical facts", such as Soviet involvement in the Chinese Communist Party's foundation and the Red Army's liberation of Manchuria from Japanese forces. It was also noted that the Sino-Vietnamese War has been completely left behind. [8]
Oiwan Lam of Global Voices Online finds racism in portraying the African as a hippopotamus, which she considers "a lazy and stupid animal". In that regard, "China's aid for Africa has also been simplified as a last resort because 'the first world refused to play with us'". [9]
The second and third season received 8.6 and 8.4 points out of 10 on Douban. [10]
As of September 2024, Vietnam maintains diplomatic relationships with 191 UN member states, State of Palestine and Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. In 2011 the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, at the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, released an official statement about Vietnam's foreign policy and a section of the statement stated: "Vietnam is a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the international community, actively taking part in international and regional cooperation processes. Deepen, stabilize and sustain established international relations. Develop relations with countries and territories in the world, as well as international organizations, while showing: respect for each other's independence; sovereignty and territorial integrity; non-interference in each other's international affairs; non-use or threat of force; settlement of disagreements and disputes by means of peaceful negotiations; mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit."
The rabbit is the fourth in the twelve-year periodic sequence (cycle) of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 卯. the element Wood in Wuxing theory and within Traditional Chinese medicine the Liver Yin and the emotions and virtues of kindness and hope.
The Sino-Soviet split was the gradual worsening of relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War. This was primarily caused by doctrinal divergences that arose from their different interpretations and practical applications of Marxism–Leninism, as influenced by their respective geopolitics during the Cold War of 1947–1991. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sino-Soviet debates about the interpretation of orthodox Marxism became specific disputes about the Soviet Union's policies of national de-Stalinization and international peaceful coexistence with the Western Bloc, which Chinese leader Mao Zedong decried as revisionism. Against that ideological background, China took a belligerent stance towards the Western world, and publicly rejected the Soviet Union's policy of peaceful coexistence between the Western Bloc and Eastern Bloc. In addition, Beijing resented the Soviet Union's growing ties with India due to factors such as the Sino-Indian border dispute, and Moscow feared that Mao was too nonchalant about the horrors of nuclear warfare.
The Chinese Eastern Railway or CER, is the historical name for a railway system in Northeast China.
The Sino-Vietnamese War was a brief conflict that occurred in early 1979 between China and Vietnam. China launched an offensive ostensibly in response to Vietnam's invasion and occupation of Cambodia in 1978, which ended the rule of the Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge. The conflict lasted for about a month, with China withdrawing its troops in March 1979.
The Sino-Soviet border conflict was a seven-month undeclared military conflict between the Soviet Union and China in 1969, following the Sino-Soviet split. The most serious border clash, which brought the world's two largest socialist states to the brink of war, occurred near Damansky (Zhenbao) Island on the Ussuri (Wusuli) River in Manchuria. Clashes also took place in Xinjiang.
The Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance, or Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance for short, was a bilateral treaty of alliance, collective security, aid and cooperation concluded between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on February 14, 1950. It superseded the previous Sino-Soviet treaty signed by the Kuomintang government.
Prior to the 17th century, China and Russia were on opposite ends of Siberia, which was populated by independent nomads. By about 1640 Russian settlers had traversed most of Siberia and founded settlements in the Amur River basin. From 1652 to 1689, China's armies drove the Russian settlers out, but after 1689, China and Russia made peace and established trade agreements.
The Sino-Soviet conflict of 1929 was an armed conflict between the Soviet Union and the Chinese warlord Zhang Xueliang of the Republic of China over the Chinese Eastern Railway.
Sino-Soviet relations, or China–Soviet Union relations, refers to the diplomatic relationship between China and the various forms of Soviet Power which emerged from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to 1991, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
The Moon rabbit or Moon hare is a mythical figure in both East Asian and indigenous American folklore, based on interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare. In East Asian mythology, the rabbit is seen as pounding with a mortar and pestle, but the contents of the mortar differ among Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese folklore. In Chinese folklore, the rabbit is often portrayed as a companion of the Moon goddess Chang'e, constantly pounding the elixir of life for her and some show the making of cakes or rice cakes; but in Japanese and Korean versions, the rabbit is pounding the ingredients for mochi or tteok or some other type of rice cakes; in the Vietnamese version, the Moon rabbit often appears with Hằng Nga and Chú Cuội, and like the Chinese version, the Vietnamese Moon rabbit also pounding the elixir of immortality in the mortar. In some Chinese versions, the rabbit pounds medicine for the mortals and some include making of mooncakes. Moon folklore from certain Amerindian cultures of North America also has rabbit themes and characters.
Russia–Vietnam relations date back formally to 30 January 1950, when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established an embassy to North Vietnam. The Soviet Union was one of the first countries in the world to recognize and formally establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, laying the foundations for strong and cooperative friendship between the two countries.
Relations between Vietnam and China had been extensive for a couple of millennia, with Northern Vietnam especially under heavy Sinosphere influence during historical times. Despite their Sinospheric and socialist background, centuries of conquest by modern China's imperial predecessor as well as modern-day tensions have made relations wary. The People's Republic of China (PRC) ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) assisted North Vietnam and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) during the Vietnam War whilst the Taiwan-based Republic of China (ROC) was allied with South Vietnam.
The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. The zodiac is very important in traditional Chinese culture and exists as a reflection of Chinese philosophy and culture. Chinese folkways held that one's personality is related to the attributes of their zodiac animal. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Gaoli bangzi is a Chinese slang term, with a long history of being used as an ethnic slur for Koreans. The term gaoli (高麗) refers to the ancient Korean dynasty Goryeo, while bangzi (棒子) means 'Stick'. It is used synonymously with han bangzi (韓棒子) or simply bangzi (棒子).
Anti-Vietnamese sentiment involves hostility or hatred that is directed towards Vietnamese people, or the state of Vietnam. This may be due to negative perceptions created by historical tensions, ethnic negative perceptions, wars, or xenophobic sentiments that emerged from the event of refugee Vietnamese. National or regional discrimination can also occur.
In political science, triangular diplomacy is a foreign policy of the United States, developed during the Vietnam War (1955–1975) by Henry Kissinger, as a means to manage relations between the contesting communist powers, the Soviet Union and China. Connecting heavily with the correlating policy of linkage, the policy was intended to exploit the ongoing rivalry between the two Communist powers, as a means to strengthen American hegemony and diplomatic interest.
Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union underwent significant change from 1969 to 1991, from open conflict to bitter détente to diplomatic partners by 1989. Relations between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dated back to the founding of the CCP in Shanghai in 1921, a meeting conducted under the supervision of the Communist International. The Soviets remained cautious partners with the rising CCP throughout the 22 years of the Chinese Civil War, and the USSR was the first nation to recognize the People's Republic of China in 1949. The following year saw the signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty and founding of the Sino-Soviet alliance as well as the beginning of a decade of economic cooperation between the two nations.
Shijie Zhishi is a bimonthly semi-official foreign affairs magazine which has been in circulation since 1934 based in Beijing, China. From time to time the magazine was used as a propaganda publication by the state particularly during the Cold War. It is one of the long-running periodicals in China. It is published by World Affairs Press.