Japanese hit Your Name is among the top 10 of China's 2016 box-office charts of animated films. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Meanwhile, though China has a growing population of young people speaking English, the Mandarin versions of foreign films still draw families with young children.

And, here, Kung Fu Panda 3 stole the show. With one-third of its content crafted in China, the Sino-US coproduction had a very good Mandarin version. The characters' mouths were reanimated so they didn't seem off when speaking Chinese. The version cost a lot money and took a lot of time.

Separately, the past year also saw a breakout of Japanese imports.

Among the 11 Japanese titles released across China, nine were animated productions.

Your Name, taking the third spot, was directed by Japan's fast-rising animator Makoto Shinkai.

While the rise of animated titles is a bright spot in the lackluster Chinese film market, it's a bittersweet pill for homegrown animators.

While the films' box-office performance shows that the country is increasingly interested in cartoons, it also indicates a big challenge from powerful foreign players.

Only two domestic films, Big Fish & Begonia and Boonie Bears III, were in the top 10 list, in the fourth and ninth spots, respectively.