Cantonese in Other Cultures – Jackie Chan Adventures

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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Jackie Chan Adventures: Jade, Jackie, and Uncle (from left to right)

Cantonese in Other Cultures is a new segment that points out the existence of Cantonese in other cultures. Today we will be looking at Jackie Chan Adventures, a US cartoon series that aired on the WB from 2000-2005. This animated series revolves around the life of a fictionalized version of the Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan, who portrays an archeologist, and his family, including Uncle (yes, Uncle is his name), who is Jackie’s antique shop owner/master Chi wizard uncle, and Jade, Jackie’s mischievous niece.

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The Chinese Zodiac

The Chan family travel around world collecting the twelve magical talismans (each representing an animal from the Chinese zodiac) to protect everyone from the criminal organization, The Dark Hand, and other “forces of darkness.”

One of the main themes in Jackie Chan Adventures is “Magic must defeat Magic.” Thus, we often hear Uncle, the master Chi wizard, chanting the incantation “Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao” (妖魔鬼怪快啲走, literally meaning “Spirits, demons, ghosts, monsters, quickly leave.”) throughout the series. The video below is a commercial that aired during the cartoons tenure featuring Uncle. Be sure to listen carefully at the very beginning of the video. Enjoy!