Legendary duo charms new age

Clad in an exquisite suit of armor and carrying a long staff over his shoulder, the "Destined One" — the protagonist warrior tasked to revive Monkey King in the blockbuster game Black Myth: Wukong — strides into a crowd.

Alongside nine fellow "warriors "and "villains" from the game, one of China's most popular action role-play games in the global market, this special team quickly caused a sensation, drawing screams from fans and surrounded by smartphones and cameras at the 21st China International Cartoon and Animation Festival.

As one of the country's largest and most popular animation events, the five-day festival concluded earlier this month in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, drawing over 3,000 industry insiders from 2,573 companies and organizations across 42 countries and regions.

Wang Hanyi, a 28-year-old former restaurant owner from Northeast China's Liaoning province, cosplays the Destined One — a character resembling the Monkey King. Now living with his wife in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Wang began portraying the character last September, drawn in by the game's stunning visual effects and its intriguing, thought-provoking storyline.