Although the tale of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is well known to most Chinese, it is surprising that a cartoon movie using the same storyline can still be so touching.

The Butterfly Lovers - Leon & Jo, a 95-minute film based on the ancient Chinese folklore of Liang and Zhu, occupies a place similar to Romeo and Juliet in western literature.

Jo (Zhu), a young woman, leaves home and attends school by pretending to be a man. In ancient China, women were not permitted to attend school. She meets Leon (Liang) and falls in love. The two secretly plan their wedding, but instead she is forced to marry another man, and Leon dies of grief.