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Watch the animated film Little Melon for free and discover the heartwarming scenes familiar to many Vietnamese families
Báo Tuổi Trẻ
25/08/2026
12:28
Two years after "Grandma's Cookie Box" captured the audience's attention, a group of young graduates from Van Lang University has returned with a new series titled "Dua Nho" (Little Melon), available for free on YouTube.
Khung cảnh rất quen thuộc ở nhiều gia đình Việt Nam trong phim hoạt hình Dưa Nhỏ - Ảnh: NSX
Starting as a 3D animation project, the creators of "Grandma's Cookie Box" never imagined their journey would go this far. "Grandma's Cookie Box" revolves around a young boy named Dua Nho and his quest to battle spring-rider monsters to win a "legendary" box of cookies. The skillful creation and integration of familiar, nostalgic details resonated deeply with audiences, leaving a beautiful memory for what began as a student project.
Following its release, the film won the Bronze Prize in the Digital Animation Category at TISDC 2025—one of the world's largest international design competitions for students—and also received a consolation prize at the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City Short Film Festival in the Animation category.
Now, audiences will meet Dua Nho again in a new series of the same name, for which "Grandma's Cookie Box" serves as a prequel. The series continues to follow the adventures of Dua Nho, a mischievous preschooler who loves to explore the world around him.
Watching the film, audiences will encounter many Vietnamese cultural elements such as encaustic cement tiles, peacock-patterned fabric chair cushions, floor mats covered in children's toys, a cozy and nostalgic living room space, and the warm, familiar image of a grandmother.
In addition to the iconic conical hat (nón lá) and homemade armor painted with the Vietnamese flag, Dua Nho wears a blue and white preschool uniform underneath—a classic design familiar to most Vietnamese children of the past, making it easy for viewers to relate and reminisce about their own childhoods.
Duong Binh Phuong Nhi, a member of the production crew, shared that the uniform Dua Nho wears is embroidered with the name "Ba Mien Preschool" (Three Regions Preschool), symbolizing a desire to connect the entire country. This reflects the production team, whose members hail from different regions of Vietnam, united by a shared spirit of connection, dedication, and creativity in building the world of Dua Nho.
Xoay quanh nhân vật Dưa Nhỏ, phim mang đến những câu chuyện gần gũi, vui nhộn và những bài học nhỏ về cuộc sống - Ảnh: NSX
What the crew desires most is to create high-quality 3D animated films that are "made in Vietnam," produced by Vietnamese people for generations of Vietnamese audiences. While the team for "Grandma's Cookie Box" consisted of only three people—Huynh Phong, Ngoc Tan, and Phuong Nhi—the team for "Dua Nho" has grown to 10 members.
Currently, the team aims to develop "Dua Nho" into a strong intellectual property (IP) for Vietnamese animation. The four episodes of "Dua Nho" will be released sequentially on the "Dua Nho Official" YouTube channel, with the first episode premiering at 8:00 PM on August 22nd. "In this first episode, every detail regarding Dua Nho's daily life and habits is crafted in an adorable and vivid way, making anyone feel a sense of familiarity, as if they are seeing a reflection of themselves," the crew revealed.
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