Haolin
Description
Haolin is the professional name of Li Haoling, a Chinese animation director, writer, and producer born in Shanghai on November 9, 1985. After graduating from Donghua University in 2008, he began working in original concept design and storyboards. His directorial debut came in 2013 with the series The Time of Lu, marking his entry into the burgeoning field of online animation.
Li Haoling is best known as the founder of the influential animation studio Haoliners, also known as Shanghai Haijie Culture Communication Co., Ltd., which he established in 2013. Under his leadership, the studio became a dominant force in Chinese animation, producing a significant portion of the country's web series output and expanding with branches in Japan and South Korea. His work often serves as a bridge between the Chinese and Japanese animation industries, overseeing numerous co-productions.
His filmography is extensive, with directorial credits on a wide range of popular series. He has worked on adaptations of existing properties, such as the fantasy series The Legend of Sun Knight and Spirit Pact, as well as high-profile projects like Heaven Official's Blessing. However, he is particularly recognized for his original creations. He wrote and directed the first entry in the To Be Hero franchise, a comedic and surreal series about a father turned into a superhero, which was noted for its distinctive visual style and heartfelt story. The upcoming To Be Hero X, slated for release in April 2025, is another installment in this anthology series, with Li Haoling returning as the creator, writer, and director.
Recurring elements in Li Haoling's work often blend high-concept fantasy or action with character-driven drama. His original series To Be Hero juxtaposed crude humor with emotional themes of parenthood. In his film career, he co-directed the anthology film Flavors of Youth, a collaboration with CoMix Wave Films that explored memory and nostalgia across three Chinese settings. His 2023 series, Fate Swing, continues this pattern of combining supernatural premises with personal storytelling.
Li Haoling's significance to the animation industry extends beyond his directorial projects. As the founder of Haoliners, he built a studio that created a structured pipeline for domestic 2D animation, providing opportunities for young Chinese animators to learn and work on large-scale productions under the rigorous schedules of television animation. His efforts have been central to the growth and professionalization of the original Chinese animation, or donghua, industry, moving it from a niche field to a major content-producing sector.
Li Haoling is best known as the founder of the influential animation studio Haoliners, also known as Shanghai Haijie Culture Communication Co., Ltd., which he established in 2013. Under his leadership, the studio became a dominant force in Chinese animation, producing a significant portion of the country's web series output and expanding with branches in Japan and South Korea. His work often serves as a bridge between the Chinese and Japanese animation industries, overseeing numerous co-productions.
His filmography is extensive, with directorial credits on a wide range of popular series. He has worked on adaptations of existing properties, such as the fantasy series The Legend of Sun Knight and Spirit Pact, as well as high-profile projects like Heaven Official's Blessing. However, he is particularly recognized for his original creations. He wrote and directed the first entry in the To Be Hero franchise, a comedic and surreal series about a father turned into a superhero, which was noted for its distinctive visual style and heartfelt story. The upcoming To Be Hero X, slated for release in April 2025, is another installment in this anthology series, with Li Haoling returning as the creator, writer, and director.
Recurring elements in Li Haoling's work often blend high-concept fantasy or action with character-driven drama. His original series To Be Hero juxtaposed crude humor with emotional themes of parenthood. In his film career, he co-directed the anthology film Flavors of Youth, a collaboration with CoMix Wave Films that explored memory and nostalgia across three Chinese settings. His 2023 series, Fate Swing, continues this pattern of combining supernatural premises with personal storytelling.
Li Haoling's significance to the animation industry extends beyond his directorial projects. As the founder of Haoliners, he built a studio that created a structured pipeline for domestic 2D animation, providing opportunities for young Chinese animators to learn and work on large-scale productions under the rigorous schedules of television animation. His efforts have been central to the growth and professionalization of the original Chinese animation, or donghua, industry, moving it from a niche field to a major content-producing sector.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview