The Chinese animated feature "Niu Lai" has opened to a Douban score of 5.9, according to IT之家. The film has grossed over 27 million yuan at the box office as of Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
IT之家 reports that the movie's rough production quality has paradoxically driven a surge in viewership. The outlet attributes the film's popularity to its noticeably unpolished animation, which has sparked curiosity among audiences rather than deterring them.
The Douban rating of 5.9 places the film below the typical threshold for critical success on the platform, where scores above 7.0 are generally considered favorable. Despite this lukewarm reception from critics and early viewers, the box office figures suggest that the film's reputation for technical flaws has become a talking point that attracts attention.
IT之家's coverage highlights a notable trend: negative buzz around production values can sometimes translate into commercial interest. The film's performance raises questions about how much audiences weigh technical polish versus other factors when choosing what to watch.
The situation also reflects broader dynamics in China's animation market, where independent productions often compete with higher-budget studio releases. Whether "Niu Lai" can sustain its momentum or will fade as word-of-mouth spreads remains to be seen, according to the report's framing.
Observers will be watching whether the film's box office trajectory continues to climb or stabilizes in the coming weeks. The case offers a data point for how online ratings and production quality interact with audience behavior in the current Chinese film landscape.
