Deep Sea (深海; Shēnhǎi) is a Chinese-animated fantasy film written and directed by Tian Xiaopeng (Monkey King: Hero Is Back). It was released in China on January 22, 2023.

Shenxiu is a young girl who misses her mother after the latter divorced from Shenxiu's father. While going on a cruise with her new family, she falls into the ocean and discovers a fantastical restaurant run by operated by walruses and otters and managed by eccentric owner Nanhe. Working with them may be Shenxiu’s best chance at being able to see her mother again.

Tropes

• Adventures in Comaland: What the journey in the Deep Sea Restaurant ultimately ended up being for Shenxiu. After falling off the cruise ship, she was rescued by the guy who was selling the book about the Deep Sea Restaurant and she ended up imagining her fantastical journey while being barely conscious and waiting for a boat to rescue her, with said guy ending up being Nanhe in that dream.
• Awesome Underwater World: The second half of the film has the restaurant travel to the eye of the Deep Sea and the journey is accompanied by the colorful aquatic scenery and creatures.
• Creative Closing Credits: The first half of the closing credits are accompanied by live-action footage of a person reading through the book on the Deep Sea Restaurant.
• Eating Shoes: While trying to get rid of Shenxiu for attempting to take away the Hyjinx, Nanhe throws his shoe at her which ends up in a customer’s meal. He then tries to pass it off as an actual ingredient and eats it in front of that customer, though he spits it out once away from that customer.
• Medium Blending: Nanhe’s fancified account of his battle with The Red Phantom that he tells to the crew is done with 2D animation.
• Milking the Giant Cow: Nanhe is a highly eccentric restaurant owner and is prone to making grandiose gestures, especially when it comes to trying to convince customers to eat something.
• Nightmare Sequence: The film opens with Shenxiu having a nightmare where she’s trying to find her mother during a snowstorm. By the time Shenxiu finds her, she turns into a mass of darkness and Shenxiu ends up being consumed by The Red Phantom. She has this nightmare again midway through the film.
• The Oner: The scene where Shenxiu navigates the kitchen of the restaurant to try and get the pot that the Hyjinx and ending up in the dining area is done in a single continuous take that’s roughly two minutes.
• The Place: The film is named for the Deep Sea Restaurant where most of the story takes place.
• Playful Otter: The restaurant has plenty of otters working there who take a liking towards Shenxiu and maintain a cheery disposition while at work.
• Semiaquatic Species Sailor: The navigator of the Deep Sea Restaurant is a walrus and he has the sailor cap to go with it.
• Sub Story: The Deep Sea Restaurant is set inside a submarine and is where the majority of the story takes place.
• Troubled Backstory Flashback: Upon arriving at the eye of the Deep Sea while trying to find Nanhe, Shenxiu sees her life after her mother left and how much things have fallen apart since then.