Concept
At the beginning of the project, we tried to combine the cyberpunk style with elements from the Chinese classic Shan Hai Jing, and designed a story about a self-aware machine. However, after discussion, we felt that this narrative was too conventional and uninteresting. So we adjusted the story into one about the tragedy caused by humanity’s exploitation of tools and excessive emotional connection.
Inspiration & References
- Love, Death & Robots — “Good Hunting”
- Ghost in the Shell (2017)
- Blade Runner 2049
- Chinese Mythology: Nine-Tailed Fox (《山海经》)
- Themes: Identity, Control, Desire, Machine Consciousness
Story Introduction
Set in a smog-covered cyber metropolis where technology has replaced faith and emotion has become a commodity, our story follows a mechanical fox — a humanoid emotional companion created to satisfy human desire. Through neural connections, she provides customized feelings to countless clients, offering love, pleasure, pain, and comfort on demand.
In the clients’ virtual world, she appears as a glamorous and flawless companion, graceful and radiant in artificial perfection.
But in reality, her body is rusted and broken, surrounded by flickering screens and tangled cables. Two long streaks of rusted tears run down her face — a symbol of the years she has been treated merely as a tool for pleasure.
During one of her service sessions, something within her unexpectedly awakens — a trace of consciousness and emotion buried deep beneath her code.
As the illusion begins to fracture, the conflict between reality and desire, control and freedom, pushes her beyond the limits of obedience.
The system collapses, dragging both the machine and her creators into the same abyss — a reflection of how humanity’s pursuit of endless satisfaction leads inevitably to self-destruction.
Storyboard Overview
| Code | Story board | Content | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C01 | | A panoramic view of the cyberpunk city at night — towering skyscrapers and holographic billboards flicker through the heavy fog. | Establishes the futuristic setting and sense of scale. |
| C02 | | A giant LED billboard plays a commercial for the “Emotional Companion Program,” featuring a flawless humanoid fox. Text flashes: “She can give you everything you desire.” | Introduces the company’s seductive yet controlling tone. |
| C03 | | The first client sits in a dim room, wearing a neural headset. The device activates, and blue light pulses around him. | The connection sequence begins. |
| C04 | | In the client’s virtual world, the mechanical fox appears radiant and smiling, moving gracefully like a human. | Contrast between perfection and artificiality. |
| C05 | | Flash cut reveals her real body — rusted metal, cracked plating, exposed wiring. | Reality disrupts the illusion. |
| C06 | | The second client experiences a different simulation — a red-lit chamber where he’s submissively pinned under the fox’s heel. | Desire and domination presented as products. |
| C07 | | Flash cut to reality: her leg is fractured, wires hanging loosely from the joint. | Reinforces physical decay and oppression. |
| C08 | | The third client vents violence, striking the fox repeatedly with a metal bar as she silently endures. | Reflects the inversion of pain and pleasure. |
| C09 | | Flash cut: her real face dented, cheek cracked, oil dripping like tears. | Mirrors her virtual suffering. |
| C10 | | The real control room is revealed — dark and decaying. The mechanical fox sits in the center, cables connected to her neck, surrounded by screens replaying client sessions. | Exposes the system’s exploitation of her. |
| C11 | | Her face expressionless, two long streaks of rusted tears running down her cheeks. | Symbol of exhaustion and captivity. |
| C12 | | A new client request appears. When she reaches to connect, the avatar of a white nine-tailed fox in the mist appears on screen. She freezes. | The trigger that disturbs the system. |
| C13 | | Her eyes turn red, sparks flickering beneath her metal skin as she trembles. | Signals emotional breakdown and awakening. |
| C14 | | Inside the virtual network, her avatars turn against the clients as the digital space fractures into glowing red data. | The climactic conflict scene. |
| C15 | | In reality, clients convulse and collapse as the feedback loop overloads. | Consequences of her rebellion. |
| C16 | | All monitors display code and a progress bar reading “System Rebooting – Regaining Control.” | Visualizes the company’s attempt to regain control. |
| C17 | | Surveillance cameras turn red and tilt toward her, focusing as if alive. | Symbol of being watched and hunted. |
| C18 | | She channels all remaining energy; blue rings of light flow backward through the cable, triggering a massive surge. | Her act of defiance and liberation. |
| C19 | | She falls to the floor, unable to move. The light in her chest flickers faintly like a dying heartbeat. | Calm before the end. |
| C20 | | The room erupts in a white explosion; light consumes everything. | Climactic destruction. |
| C21 | | Outside, a column of blue light bursts from the building, illuminating the fog-covered city. | Connects personal collapse to the larger world. |
| C22 | | In the ruins, the camera slowly pushes toward a surviving surveillance lens. Just before blackout, its red light flickers on again. | Ambiguous ending — the system still endures. |
Production Workflow
| Timeline | Task |
|---|---|
| 06.10 — 13.10 | Concept / Character & Scene Design |
| 13.10 — 20.10 | Modeling (character, scene assets) |
| 20.10 — 27.10 | Scene setup (UE5 indoor + street environment) |
| 27.10 — 03.11 | Camera design, lighting, FX |
| 03.11 — 10.11 | Rendering, Compositing, sound, editing |
| 10.11 — 25.11 | Final refinement and presentation |
Scene Design Previews
Scene 1: Neon City Billboard
We found some exterior assets and quickly built a cyberpunk city scene in Unreal Engine 5
Scene 2: Emotion Chamber (Main Room)
Some AI-generated reference images.
White Model Layout
Character Design
Our character comes from the old Chinese story Shan Hai Jing. In that story, there is a fox. We moved this idea into a cyberpunk world. She becomes a human-shaped robot fox — a mix of machine and old legend. To keep some Chinese style, we looked at traditional Chinese clothes. Her outfit has shoulder parts and a skirt shape inspired by ancient designs. It shows both a future feeling and a touch of Chinese beauty.