Giving a soul to a voice

Walking through the narrow lanes between old factory buildings at M50 Creative Park in Shanghai's Putuo district, voice actress Lyu Yanting finds the same quiet focus she seeks in her creative work.

Here, in this space of quiet transformation, she finds the same focus she brings to the recording booth, where her voice transforms into Nezha, the soul of Ne Zha and Ne Zha 2.

With her distinctive husky tone — fans call it a "little smoky voice" — Lyu gave Nezha a vivid soul. For her, voice acting is not only about technical delivery but also creating a living, breathing presence that allows audiences to sense emotion and personality through sound alone.

At 38, Lyu balances her work as a voice actress with teaching as a professor at Sichuan Film and Television University. Alongside her creative career, she shares her experience with students, aiming to cultivate more young talent and support the growth of China's film and animation industry.

Lyu's journey began in the lecture halls of a broadcasting program, where she first discovered the world of professional dubbing — giving voices to films, dramas and advertisements. "I quickly fell in love with it," she recalls. "Through the microphone, I can express every emotional detail. It's pure communication — just voice and feeling."

When she joined the faculty of Sichuan Film and Television University in 2009, she began researching and teaching voice acting techniques. At first, she saw voice work as secondary to visuals — serving documentaries or commercials. But as China's cultural industries expanded, she found that sound began to take center stage.

"Now we have animation, games, audio dramas — all kinds of creative forms where voices lead the storytelling," she says. "When there's no image, or when the sound alone must shape a character, every vocal detail matters."

That belief took shape when Lyu voiced Nezha in the 2019 animated blockbuster Ne Zha. The film became a national phenomenon and her performance turned the rebellious mythological figure into a modern cultural icon.

By the time the sequel arrived in 2025, her voice had become inseparable from the character. "The director wanted not just a voice, but a personality," she recalls. "Even in Nezha's quietest lines, there's a complex emotional world behind them."

Lyu says she relates to the character's persistence and independence. "Nezha insists on doing what he believes is right. I think that's something we share."

To capture the character's emotion, she gives everything in the studio. "If you just shout, it won't move people," she says. "You need to put real feeling into it. That's how you connect, how you get 'in sync' with the audience."

Her performance resonated deeply with millions of viewers who saw themselves in Nezha's defiance and self-discovery.

For Lyu, success is measured less by fame than by the progress of her students. "When they tell me they've been recognized at work, or landed a new project, that gives me the greatest sense of achievement," she says. "Their growth keeps me going."

As a teacher, she stays closely connected to the industry. "I need to understand what's happening on the front line," she says. "Only then can I bring that insight back to the classroom and help students adapt more quickly after graduation."

She hopes to bridge the gap between education and employment. "If I can help shorten that distance," she says, "then I've done something meaningful."

Reflecting on the film's success, Lyu sees it as part of a broader story — one about cultural confidence. "The film's achievements show that we Chinese people have deep faith in our own culture," she says. "We have the strength to carry our stories forward, and I hope they continue to reach the world."

From the quiet studios tucked behind the factory walls of Putuo's M50 Creative Park to the charged atmosphere of the recording booth, Lyu continues to lend her voice — not just to her characters, but to a new generation of storytellers giving Chinese animation its sound, spirit, and soul.