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Zhonglin Xu

Zhonglin Xu

Writer · Died January 1, 1630, aged 70 · Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China

Xu Zhonglin was a Chinese fantasy novelist who lived during the Ming dynasty. He is best known as the author of the 16th century semi-mythical novel Investiture of the Gods. He was born in Yingtian Prefecture, present-day Nanjing. An original copy of Investiture of the Gods is held in the Japanese Library of the Grand Secretariat, printed by Shu Zaiyang. The second section of the book is inscribed with the words "edited by Xu Zhonglin, the Old Recluse of Mount Zhong." This is likely the source of his possible pseudonym "Zhongshan Yisou", which literally means "a carefree old man living in Mount Zhong". Some say that Xu wrote the novel for a trousseau for his daughter.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
January 1, 1560
Died
January 1, 1630 (aged 70)
From
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
Works as
Writer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 14 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 10% in 30 days

What are Zhonglin Xu's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Animation6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
34%
Self
21%
Power
21%
Bonds
8%
Society
6%
Ideas
6%
Survival
4%
Redemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 9

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 0 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 0 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Thrilling
6
Hopeful
2
Melancholic
2
Cathartic
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Rousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Zhonglin Xu's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Zhonglin Xu's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

14 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.

Career shape

A full career of 14 titles, 11 of them dated from 1969 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Ne Zha 2 (2025)

$2.3B worldwide

Highest rated

Ne Zha 2 (2025)

Midcredits 98th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing14 of 14: 14 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

By decade

1960s1 · crew1970s2 · crew2010s2 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Zhonglin Xu's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 10; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

League of Gods (2016)

67th percentile spread · 45% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Ne Zha 2 (2025)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 45/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Zhonglin Xu's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 22 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Zhonglin Xu work with?

People who share at least 2 of Zhonglin Xu's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Xixing Lu shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers