A turning point in Vietnamese cartoon history has been marked with the recent launch of the first three episodes of the cartoon series Monta Trong Dai Ngan Ha Ky Cuc (Monta in a Weird Galaxy).

Characters in the new Vietnamese cartoon series (Photo: kenh14.vn)

The brainchild of 70 painters working at VinTaTa Film Company over six months, the cartoon features the adventures of a monkey named Monta and his friends. The story starts with a naughty action in the kitchen of the Great Chef, which results in the chaotic creation of weird planets. The Great Chef forces Monta to restore the order of the galaxy as it used to be.

The script was based on one titled “The Whale Hunters” by a group of Vietnamese authors with the support of popular playwright Jeffrey Scott.

“The first advantages of the cartoon are the images with eye-catching colours and characters with friendly formations to children,” parent Ha Hoang, who took her children to see to cartoon, told Vietnam News. “The series suits children ages 3 to 10.”

Most of the children at the first trial screening raised their hands when asked “Do you like the cartoon?”

“It’s like a cartoon on the Cartoon Network,” commented 9-year-old Pham Binh.

Researcher Nguyen Thi Minh Thai said this was the first cartoon made in Viet Nam using the international cartoon drawing style.

“This is a huge advance in realising the dream of bringing Vietnamese cartoons to screen in cinemas as a commercial product,” she said.

(Source: VNS/ VNA)