The Chinese animated film Niu Lai has gained unexpected popularity in reverse, due to its crude animation models and fairly absurd plotline. According to data from the Taopiaopiao app, as of approximately 1:30 PM on August 15, its total box office revenue (including pre-sales) had reached 298,000 yuan, with a single-day haul of 148,000 yuan for that day.

The film's opening day on August 5 brought in a mere 3,420 yuan, but its revenue has surged dramatically today. The film's release notice indicates a total runtime of 86 minutes, with its selling point being a national-style, cute, and healing route, and it was entirely hand-drawn using traditional Chinese ink-wash style techniques. However, many viewers who have seen the film report that the most detailed element appears to be the promotional poster.

Multiple attempts by reporters to contact the director for an interview went unanswered. The film's distributor, in an interview, mentioned that the director is a friend and acquaintance, and when they saw the final cut, they advised him not to release it, but he insisted on doing so. "He worked hard to make it, so we just helped him get it into theaters," the distributor said.

In response to online skepticism about how such an "abstract" film could secure a theatrical release, the distributor clarified that the director handled the approval process himself, obtained a public screening permit, and followed standard industry procedures to secure a theatrical release. The film initially had a few hundred screenings nationwide.

According to the China Film Administration's public records, the public screening certificate for Niu Lai is numbered Dianshen Dong Zi [2024] No. 33.