‘Plump Blossom’ filmmaker defends AI use, dismisses being ‘pro-Chinese’

Rossana Hwang said the team is an independent production and could not afford “enormous sets, hundreds of animators, or huge visual effects teams.”

The Filipino director of “Plump Blossom” is defending the animated movie amid online criticism over its AI use and Chinese setting.

Rossana Hwang, who also wrote and produced the Filipino-made film, said AI was only a tool in the creative and production process—not the storyteller.

“AI did not decide to tell the story of Ruo Hua, Princess Plump Blossom,” she said at a press conference. “It did not decide whom she will love, what she would fight for, or what she would ultimately be willing to sacrifice. Those were human choices.”

Hwang noted that all voice acting in the film was done by Filipino voice actors, including Candice Tan as the protagonist princess.

For Hwang, the use of AI also comes down to resources. As an independent production, she said the team could not afford “enormous sets, hundreds of animators, or huge visual effects teams.”

She said AI helped cut production costs by about 50%, giving the team more room to create a world that might otherwise have been beyond its reach.

Hwang said new technology can give Filipino storytellers the “opportunity to create worlds and tell stories that might previously have been beyond [their] reach.”

As for the film’s Chinese setting, Hwang pushed back against claims that it is “pro-Chinese,” amid concerns tied to the West Philippine Sea. She pointed out that the story centers on a princess and her journey.

Hwang urged the public to watch the movie first before criticizing it. “Watch it, question it, and decide for yourself because AI may help us create the images, but the human being must still have a story worth telling,” she said.

Set during the fictional Huang Dynasty, “Plump Blossom” follows Princess Ruo Hua on her journey of “friendship, courage, and self-discovery.” It is scheduled for a Philippine theatrical release on Sept. 23, in line with the Mid-Autumn Festival season.

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