Flavors of Youth

Flavors of Youth, released in 2018, is an anthology film consisting of three distinct segments—The Rice Noodles, A Little Fashion Show, and Shanghai Love—set across various Chinese cities. The project was conceived as a collaborative effort between the Chinese studio Haoliners Animation and the Japanese studio CoMix Wave Films, known for their work with director Makoto Shinkai. This partnership was intended to bridge contemporary Chinese storytelling with the distinct atmospheric animation style associated with the Japanese industry.

The film was directed by Jiaoshou Yi Xiaoxing, Yoshitaka Takeuchi, and Li Haoling. It aimed to explore universal themes of nostalgia, family, and urban change through the lens of sensory memories like food, clothing, and childhood relationships. Upon its release via Netflix, the anthology was generally received as a poignant, if understated, exploration of modern life, praised for its detailed backgrounds and evocative character designs while being noted for its deliberate, episodic pacing.