In the early 70s, Shaw Brothers pays tribute to Nezha / Na Cha, the Chinese protection deity
of the same name from the ancient epic, Fengshen Yanyi, with two separate films based on the character. Released a year apart, both films chronicles Na Cha's adventures in two separate timelines.
Na Cha and the Seven Devils (released 1973) is a fantasy movie directed by Japanese FX-maestro, Tetsuya Yamanouchi, after Shaw Brothers hit gold with their previous venture in FX efforts, as shown in The Monkey Goes West quadrilogy.
Serving as a prequel of sorts, Na Cha is depicted as a child living in heaven, son of the Jade Emperor's warlord, General Li Jin. One day, while slacking off during his duties guarding the enchanted, forbidden Magical Peach Tree, curiousity got the better of Na Cha, who decides to help himself to a few of the peaches. Taking eight peaches from the tree, eating one grants him super strength, but when caught red-handed by his father, Na Cha ends up unintentionally dropping the other seven from the heavens to the surface of earth, where they're then eaten by seven giant beasts: a fox, a dragon, an ape, a frog, a horse, a rat, and an eagle. In order to redeem himself, Na Cha is banished to earth to recapture the seven beasts.
The follow-up effort, Na Cha the Great (released 1974), the character is now envisioned as a mortal (apparently after completing his deeds from the first movie, he's forgiven of his mistake... but must continue living as a human). Directed by long-time Shaw Brothers producer Chang Cheh, Alexander Fu Sheng assumes the titular role, and is a spunky, headstrong young man who is training to be a warrior. Humans now co-exist with gods and dragons, but when Aoguang, an unruly Dragon Prince tries crossing boundaries into the human world, Na Cha retaliates by fighting Aoguang's men, and ends up killing Aoguang's lieutenants in self-defense. Aoguang demands for Na Cha to be sacrificed in order to appease the Dragon Gods, and only one man stands between a war breaking out between mortals and deities.
See also Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, an animated version of the story released later in 1979, and Ne Zha, a modern-day CG version released in 2019.
Na Cha and the Seven Devils (1973) contain examples of:
- Adaptational Modesty: While incarnations of Na Cha as a kid usually shows him fighting almost naked with nothing but a silk scarf, this version have him fully clothed.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Na Cha arrives just in time to assist Yang Jian fight three of the devils, allowing for a Back-to-Back Badasses moment.
- Does Not Know His Own Strength: Na Cha gains his immense powers after eating from the enchanted peach tree his father forbids him from touching. Suddenly feeling himself surging with energy, Na Cha decides to test his strength by punching a nearby tree - and end up splitting said tree into half, splitting all the way to the ground, and for the floor to break apart as well, inadvertently leading to a mini-earthquake.
- Dragon Rider: Na Cha battles a fire-breathing Chinese dragon at one point, and rides on it after defeating it.
- Evil Laugh: The seven devils, upon gaining their powers, all transform into human forms for the first time while laughing all the way. They tend to gloat a lot, too, whenever they're in human forms.
- Forbidden Fruit: A literal example with the Magical Peach Tree, which Na Cha is assigned to protect with his life. Being a curious kid, he naturally screws over his duties when he decides to nibble on one of those peaches...
- Giant Flyer: The Eagle, before consuming the magical peach, starts off as a roc-sized behemoth. Thanks to consuming the fruit he can now shift alternately between human and giant roc form.
- Gotta Catch Them All: The seven magical peaches have unintentionally spawned the seven devils, and Na Cha is tasked with capturing or killing all seven of them.
- I Am a Humanitarian: The Eagle and the Rat enjoys feasting on humans.
- In a Single Bound: Na Cha can leap long distances just by jumping, as does the Monkey and the Frog.
- Kid Hero: Na Cha in this version, who is a kid training to be a warrior.
- Kidnapping Bird of Prey: The Eagle morphs himself into giant eagle form at one point to kidnap a child with his talons.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: In the final battle, Na Cha reveals the true extent of his powers when he spawns six extra arms from behind his back, each wielding a different weapon◊. This is exactly how Na Cha is depicted in the myths, by the way.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The film's plot is kicked off by Na Cha, deciding to help himself to some of the peaches, which his father explicitly forbids him to do, and in the process unintentionally spilling seven of those peaches from the heavens to the surface of earth. Those seven are then consumed by seven gigantic wild animals... of course, there's still the question of why would anyone entrust the duty of guarding a magical, superpower-granting tree to a prepubescant kid.
- Oh, Crap!: On the hero, when Na Cha's father finds out he just ate from the magical peach tree, and again on the same character when he finds out he's "punished" by being exiled to earth and hunting down the seven devils spawned from the seven peaches he spilled onto earth.
- Recursive Ammo: One of Na Cha's weapons is a throwing knife that splits into a dozen smaller knives in mid-air after being flung.
- Rodents of Unusual Size: The rat, before consuming the peach, is a giant rodent.
- Rule of Seven: There are seven devils Na Cha need to defeat.
- Super-Strength: The first and most basic ability granted by the magic peach after being eaten. Na Cha in particular becomes strong enough to split the ground by punching it's surface.
- Uplifted Animal: The Seven Devils used to be ordinary - if somewhat exceptionally huge - wild animals, before Na Cha accidentally dropped the seven magical peaches onto earth. These peaches are found by the animals, who then consumes them and ends up gaining sentience.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The seven devils can shift between animal and human forms at will.
Na Cha The Great (1974) contain examples of:
- Alien Blood: Aoguang's soldiers, being sea creatures by nature transformed into human warriors, bleeds blue blood.
- Alternate Continuity: This film and the above Na Cha film are from separate continuities and is not related in any way, nor do they reference each other, despite being produced from the same studios.
- Back from the Dead: And Came Back Strong, to boot: after Na Cha's sacrifice, he becomes a half-human and half-god with all kinds of supernatural powers.
- Driven to Suicide: Part of Na Cha's backstory from becoming a half-mortal and half-god, when he's forced to commit Seppuku to appease the Dragon gods.
- Fire-Breathing Weapon: True to its name, Na Cha's Firetip Spear can eject flames◊ from it's pointed tip.
- Half-Human Hybrid: After his resurrection, Na Cha went from a complete human to a half-human, half-god hybrid, with his natural fighting skills backed up by the magical Fire Wheels granting him ability of flight, together with invulnerability and all sorts of supernatural skills.
- High-Pressure Blood: From Prince Aoguang's soldiers, after being slain. Although they bleed blue instead of red.
- Mercury's Wings: The Fire Wheels, which are winged artifacts Na Cha can step on and grant him the powers of flight.
- Prongs of Poseidon: The river demon uses a trident in his fight against Na Cha, but still gets his butt whooped by the latter who only needs his trusty metal hoop as a weapon.
- Mr. Fanservice: Na Cha is the one role featuring the handsome Alexander Fu in the least amount of clothing. Even his red tunic expose his chest and stomach.
- Public Execution: As punishment for opposing the Dragon lord of the East Sea, Na Cha is forced to commit Seppuku to prevent a war between gods and mortals from breaking out. Thankfully he gets better.
- Red Is Heroic: As seen with Na Cha's default outfit (also applies to Na Cha and the Seven Devils), his red tunic which he frequently wears, notably in his final fight.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Na Cha fights barechested in most of his scenes, allowing Alexander Fu Sheng to expose his pecs.
