How a Chow Yun-fat film inspired the viral 'Chinese Beaver' meme

Ryan General

19 December 2023 at 6:56 pm·2-min read

The "Chinese Beaver" meme, a mashup of Cantonese drama and internet humor, has captivated users online.

What it is: The meme features an animated character, often mistaken for a beaver, delivering an emotional speech in Cantonese. The character has become a part of the "literally me" character meme subcategory, which is a representation of emotions one can't quite articulate.

pic.twitter.com/acHzi2NIsv
— dmaiel (@DamielBernaldo) November 17, 2023
Trending on NextShark: Filipino American nurse wins $41 million retaliation lawsuit against Kaiser

Origin story: The animation comes from a 2022 Bilibili video by B Teaches Animation, inspired by a scene in the classic 1986 Hong Kong action film "A Better Tomorrow." The cinematic masterpiece, directed by John Woo, was Chow Yun-fat's breakout role in the Hong Kong film industry.

Trending on NextShark: Manila crowned world's top city destination for 2023

The meme recently gained traction on TikTok and X, where millions of users have been captivated by the dramatic speech and the character's expressive face.

Decoding the dialogue: Voiced by Chow, the speech reveals a profound plea for action against escalating triad violence. The character expresses frustration at losing power in the criminal underworld and passionately declares his determination to reclaim what's rightfully his.

Trending on NextShark: She survived the Vietnam War. Now she's won 'Squid Game'

idk what bro said but i felt that https://t.co/KimwXapEkJ
— juju 💰 (@ayeejuju) November 19, 2023

Meme magic: The humor lies in the disconnect between the character's passionate Cantonese speech and the Western viewers' cluelessness about its content. It has spawned variations, including another animation of the character in a different scene and even English-dubbed versions.

this is the first i’ve heard it dubbed, mf was spitting real shi and we all laughed at him💔 pic.twitter.com/dUgl1A4HDW
— ₭ma🧣 (@KmaFr_) November 29, 2023
Trending on NextShark: Watch: Japanese man who spent $16K to become a 'dog' meets real dog

The sequel pic.twitter.com/kXDiaq1Hra
— Axy 🇦🇲 (@notaxyy) November 19, 2023

Download the NextShark App:

Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!

HuffPost UK
Trevor Phillips Destroys Nigel Farage With One Devastating Question
The Reform UK leader rejected the accusation that his party is a home for racists.
The Telegraph
‘I’m not going to buy electric again – it’s the worst car I’ve ever had’
Ray Bestwick bought an electric car last May in the hope of hassle-free motoring.
The Independent
‘Stanley Johnson caused our flight to be cancelled’ – claim from passengers on BA plane diverted to Heathrow
Exclusive: At one stage airport police were summoned to deal with an altercation, passengers say
Manchester Evening News
The nine Man United players leaving today as Erik ten Hag begins summer transfer plan
With the end of the club's financial year, there is the inevitable goodbyes as players see their contracts expire
Bournemouth Echo UK
UK to be hit by second heatwave in a matter of days from Mediterranean airstream
The UK is set for a second heatwave this summer as weather forecasters suggest Mediterranean airstream will bring hot weather.
OK! Magazine
Amanda Holden proudly poses with lookalike daughter Lexi, 18, as she finishes A-levels
Amanda Holden's lookalike daughter Lexi, 18, has finished her A-levels, with the Britain's Got Talent judge proudly gushing over her 'brilliant, funny, resilient and all grown up' child
Manchester Evening News
Footage shows out-of-control XL Bully being chased by armed cops before being shot dead following horror attack on woman
GMP said the dog had to be destroyed 'as the last possible option'
The Telegraph
Old, rich and living on benefits: welcome to the state pension capital of Britain
East Preston feels an unlikely stronghold of benefits dependency. The genteel village on the West Sussex coast might be the closest thing that Britain has to a moneyed pensioner utopia.
OK! Magazine
Carol McGiffin's blunt 4-word statement on friends Ruth and Eamonn split
Former Loose Woman Carol McGiffin has opened up with her true thoughts about Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes' split - two people she is friends with and admits she 'loves' equally
CNN
Russia wants to confront NATO but dares not fight it on the battlefield – so it’s waging a hybrid war instead
When someone tried – and failed – to burn down a bus garage in Prague earlier this month, the unsuccessful arson attack didn’t draw much attention. Until, that is, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala revealed it was “very likely” that Moscow was behind it.
Manchester Evening News
'I gave up Diet Coke for a month and I couldn't believe how it transformed my life'
Paul Turner was stunned by the results
The Telegraph
Prince Harry award challenged by family of war hero
The decision to give the Duke of Sussex a sports award named after an American war hero killed in Afghanistan has been criticised by the soldier’s mother.
News Shopper
Busy London station CLOSED with major police presence and cordons in place
A busy central London train station has been closed, with a major police presence at the scene.
The Guardian
London Pride: Sadiq Khan leads 32,000 marchers through capital
Annual LBGTQ+ celebration takes place with march between Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square
The Independent
Led by Donkeys interrupt Nigel Farage speech by lowering huge Putin banner
Nigel Farage was initially unaware that the Russian president was on the poster, with the words ‘I heart Nigel’ written below
FTW Outdoors
‘Ever vigilant’ elephant stamps out threat to calf at watering hole
Dramatic footage captured in India shows "what maternal instinct is all about” as crocodile limps away empty-handed.
Hello!
Gary Lineker's pristine £4m London home where he welcomed two refugees
Inside Gary Lineker's house: The former Match of the Day star lives in Banes, London and shares his home with his four sons George, Harry, Tobias and Angus, as well as refugees.
The Telegraph
Can Asda’s new ‘cut-throat’ owners succeed where the Issa brothers failed?
Customers arriving at Asda’s Bournemouth superstore this month would have been forgiven for immediately turning around and going home.
OK! Magazine
BBC Breakfast's Charlie Stayt forced to apologise live on air after broadcast blunder
BBC Breakfast face a huge broadcast blunder on Saturday morning's show and long-standing host Charlie Stayt was forced to apologise to viewers for the sound mishap
The Telegraph
Donald Trump is going to turn Starmer’s Britain into an international laughing stock
Grandfather Robert Blackstock, a retired engineer from Nottinghamshire, became the “Brenda from Bristol” of this election campaign when he asked Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer during Wednesday night’s TV debate: “Are you two really the best we’ve got to be the next prime minister of our great country?”

Latest stories