Zombie Brother

Zombie Brother, known in China as Shishi Hiongdi, began as a popular webcomic series written and illustrated by Yu Jia in 2011. The story, which blends horror, comedy, and social commentary, follows an ordinary man navigating a post-apocalyptic landscape triggered by a water-borne virus. Its rapid rise in popularity on the Tencent Comics platform led to its development into a Chinese original net animation (ONA), produced by L² Studio, which premiered in 2013.

The animation style adopted by L² Studio sought to balance the visceral, grotesque character designs of the source material with the fast-paced, irreverent humor typical of early 2010s internet culture. Upon its release, the series became a landmark project for the Chinese animation industry, serving as one of the first major web-based series to demonstrate the viability of adult-oriented animated content. It was received as a refreshing departure from traditional domestic animation, praised for its unique narrative tone and its willingness to tackle darker themes within a serialized digital format.