How a ‘rough’ and ‘crude’ Chinese cartoon ox went from box office zero to hero

A raw, handcrafted Chinese animation has become an unlikely box-office sensation despite being widely panned by critics and social media users.

Niu Lai, or The Arrival of the Ox, has been criticised for its “rough” and “broken” style and a plot that many viewers found hard to follow.

But the film has generated some of the loudest online discussion in recent days, despite the competition from two Hollywood blockbusters: Christopher Nolan’s epic version of The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New...