School Shock

Lore & Background

The story is set in 2017, where a new generation of arms race has begun and 'Vanguards'—soldiers transformed with nano-weapons—are widely used in military disputes. The heroine, Liuli, a third-generation Vanguard with a bee bionic object, has her life seriously drained from long missions and is about to be retired. In her last 380 days, she receives a final mission to rescue a hostage in a civilian facility, where she discovers the hostage-taker is an ex-pointman demanding the government hand over the 'Son of Eden.' A battle ensues between the two soldiers.

Main characters include Sun Haoxuan, an ordinary high school student who likes repairing machines and collecting discount cards; Liuli, a cold but not cold-blooded Vanguard who uses firearms and the support flying machine 'B.E.E.'; and Baihua, Sun Haoxuan's senior student who is secretly a fifth-generation Vanguard with a mantis bionic object. The series also features organizations such as the China Federation (NPSA) and the U Federation (alluding to the United States), with characters like Li Qiaoen, Zhang Beihai, and President Onyma.

Terminology includes 'Son of Eden,' humans with the ability to control nanoweapons; 'Shengli City,' a city built for monitoring the Children of Eden; and 'Vanguards,' whose bodies are corroded by nanomachines and eventually lose value. The series began airing in China on July 23, 2015, and in Japan on August 15, 2015. Japanese critics described the series as Japanese anime produced in China lacking Chinese creative elements.

Reader's Guide

School Shock holds significance as a pioneering work in Chinese animation, being the first Chinese-made animated series to air simultaneously in China and Japan, marking a milestone in cross-cultural media distribution. Its adaptation from a popular webcomic on the U17 platform illustrates the growing influence of digital comics in driving animation production. The series' reception in Japan, where critics viewed it as Japanese anime produced in China, highlights ongoing debates about cultural identity and creative originality in globalized media. The announcement of a second season in 2020, with six episodes completed that year, indicates continued interest in the franchise. The manhua has been published in Simplified Chinese by a Jilin publisher and in Traditional Chinese by a Hong Kong publisher, extending its reach. The series' legacy lies in its role as a trailblazer for Chinese animation entering international markets, despite mixed critical reception regarding its cultural distinctiveness.

Did You Know?

• School Shock is the first Chinese-made animated series to be broadcast simultaneously in China and Japan.
• The series was originally a sci-fi webcomic on the U17 website before being adapted by Haoliners Animation League.
• Japanese critics described the series as Japanese anime produced in China lacking Chinese creative elements.
• A second season of six episodes was announced and finished production in 2020.