The 'Year Hare Affair' Long March spin-off arrives October 27 with 12 episodes

On October 27, Year Hare Affair: The Long March premieres, a 12-episode animated micro-drama commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Red Army's Long March victory. The announcement came on October 22, the anniversary date, from producer Chengdu Xingyue Chenshi Cultural Development Co., Ltd.

The series is a spin-off of Year Hare Affair, the franchise created by Lin Chao (known as Ma She) that personifies countries and historical events with animals. This time, the story focuses on the period from the 1929 Gutian Conference to the meeting of the Red Army's three main forces in 1936.

The approach is what stands out. Instead of an epic narrative of battles and speeches, the spin-off turns its lens on ordinary characters: a newly surrendered soldier, a communications operator, an underground liaison agent, and a lost Red Army soldier. The idea is to tell the Long March through small lives, not big names.

An AI-assisted 'Made in Chengdu' production

The project is handled by Xingyue Dongman and Xue Ronghua, two studios under the Xingyue Chenshi umbrella. Lin Chao directs personally, with Wang Lei as executive producer and general coordinator.

The production uses artificial intelligence in several phases: storyboard design, image generation, and final retouching. According to the official statement, AI lets creators refine narrative details and expand visual imagination, combining the texture of traditional animation with the audiovisual capabilities of generative AI.

The result, they say, is a visual language that mixes historical weight with an aesthetic aimed at young audiences. The series is the only work from Sichuan province selected in the first support batch of the National Radio and Television Administration's 'Five Projects' plan for quality micro-dramas.

Beyond the screen

The premiere comes with a series of community actions under the slogan 'Retrace the Long March.' The producer will organize visits to war veterans and free screenings of the spin-off in local communities, aiming to bring the story to audiences who don't normally consume this kind of content.

Wang Lei and Lin Chao share a clear expectation for the series: that the public not only remembers the historical events, but understands why faith, the people, and unity were the foundation of the Long March victory.

The micro-drama will launch simultaneously across all platforms on October 27. Will you give this AI-assisted historical spin-off a chance? Tell us in the comments if this kind of production catches your attention.