A Weasel Asking For a Title

2024 Fall

Create an animation in the style of Chinese shadow puppetry, tell a folk story from Northeast China about the weasel seeking a title.

GIF Sets

Drawn Storyboards

Animatic

Character Design

Zhao Qian

Some weasels who cultivate will wear straw hats and speak in human language, asking people they meet, 'Do I look like a human?' If the person responds ’Yes‘, the weasel will succeed, and its cultivation will greatly improve. However, if the answer is 'no' or something else, the weasel will lose decades of cultivation.

Zhao Qian made a living hunting weasels. One time, while hunting in the mountains, he chased a weasel deep into the forest. As night was falling, he found a small cave to spend the night. After darkness set in, Zhao Qian lit a bonfire for warmth. Suddenly, he felt as though someone was watching him. Turning around, he saw a giant human-like shadow on the rock wall behind him. Calming himself down, he realized it was a weasel. 

The weasel wore a straw hat, and just as Zhao Qian was puzzled, the weasel suddenly spoke.

"Do I look like a human?" it asked.
Zhao Qian was too scared to move.
"Do I look like a human?" the weasel asked again.
"Yes, you look like a human!" Zhao Qian blurted out, not knowing what else to say.

The weasel smiled, satisfied with the answer, and turned to leave.

As Zhao Qian began to relax, he noticed that the weasel’s retreating figure increasingly resembled himself. Realizing something, he quickly looked down at his own hands. They were no longer hands but a pair of furry paws.

Weasel

Design Board