10 best Chinese anime (Donghua) ranked

Chinese anime, or donghua (动画), has spent the last half-decade evolving from a niche curiosity into one of the most spellbinding and action-packed mediums for those who love animation. While its Japanese counterpart still dominates the conversation, donghua studios, backed by companies like Tencent and Bilibili, blend cutting-edge computer graphics, traditional art styles, and fantasy storytelling rooted in Chinese mythology to develop some of the most thrilling worlds in animation.

Donghua isn't inherently different from anime, but you might notice key differences in tone. Some of the best Chinese series often depict immortal politics, cultivation epics (fantasy fiction rooted in Buddhist concepts of strengthening mind and body), and worlds that feel like entire mapped cosmologies rather than generic story backdrops. Shows like Heaven Official’s Blessing and The King’s Avatar drop you into systems of power, history, and belief that unfold over hundreds of years, giving way to small snapshots of Chinese culture, beliefs, and history.

As more titles find international distribution and anime fans grow curious about animation from outside of Japan, the barrier to entry for donghua is disappearing fast. Whether you’re looking for high-stakes action, slow-burn romance, or intricate worldbuilding, the best donghua listed below prove the medium can look and feel just as extraordinary as anime — and perhaps even better.

10 Swallowed Star

Based on the sci-fi web novel of the same name, Swallowed Star focuses on protagonist Luo Feng in his attempt to become one of the most powerful warriors in the post-apocalypse of 2056. It focuses initially on life on Earth following the devastation of a virus that mutated everything it touched into horrible monsters. The surviving humans live in shielded strongholds, relying on both advanced technologies and so-called human warriors to protect them from the dangerous monsters above the ground.

Swallowed Star highlights Feng’s journey to becoming all-powerful in order to protect the Earth against incredible monsters, but eventually evolves into an interstellar conflict. It evokes the cosmic scale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Dragon Ball Z, putting on full display vast interstellar deities and advanced technologies rendered in beautiful 3D animation.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

9 The King’s Avatar

Image: Tencent

The King’s Avatar might look a lot like Sword Art Online and Overlord, and that's for good reason. Like those Japanese series, The King's Avatar similarly drops you into a digital video game-focused narrative with RPG and multiplayer elements. Ye Xiu is a top-tier in the in-universe MMORPG Glory, but after refusing to participate in commercial brand endorsements, he'ss forced to retire from the game and start anew.

Anyone who’s spent thousands of hours playing World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 14 can tell you that beginning a fresh save file is anything but easy. However, Ye’s decade-long knowledge of the MMORPG offers him a surprising upper hand with his new character, Lord Grim, and his self-made weapon, the Thousand Chance Umbrella. The question remains: Can Ye reach the same level as the legendary pro player he once was, or far surpass it?

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

8 Scissor Seven

If you’re looking for something a little lighthearted and fun, Scissor Seven is the donghua for you. It’s set on Chicken Island and follows the adventures of an amnesiac quasi-assassin named Wu Liuqi, more commonly known as Seven. In order to pay off mounting medical debts and learn more about his past, Seven works as a low-ranking assassin in the midst of a power struggle between the Xuanwu and the Stan Countries.

Little does Seven know his past as the ruthless Shadow Killer is slowly creeping up to haunt him, even as he begins to find some semblance of a new life. Five seasons in, Scissor Seven feels like a humorous, action-filled thrillride that will never let up — and with season six currently in development, now is the perfect time to get all caught up in this legendary donghua.

Where to watch: Netflix

7 Lord of Mysteries

Based on the web novel of the same name, Lord of Mysteries is a detective story like no other. It centers on Zhou Mingrui, a software engineer from China who mysteriously transmigrates into the body of the Victorian-era figure known as Klein Morett. In his new form, Klein starts a "Tarot Club" to gain information on the strange world he’s now in, an alternate 20th-century Europe filled with “Beyonders,” individuals with supernatural abilities gained from potions.

It helps that Lord of Mysteries feels cut from the same cloth as Bloodborne, but adds an extra layer of steampunk to the mix that makes it stand out. It’s a fascinating spin on the Japanese isekai, focusing on an underlying mystery told through evil cults and ancient gods, blending Lovecraftian horror with Chinese mythology in intriguing ways.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

6 The Richest Man in the Game

Realistic looks into the world of video game development are rare to come by in fiction, best exemplified by shows like Mythic Quest and Players. But China’s The Richest Man in the Game explores the same industry by poking fun at the business side of gaming. At the center is Pei Qian, a game developer whose consistent aim to make terrible games somehow results in total magic, making him a celebrated yet reluctant business mogul.

The main hitch is the wealth conversion system that hangs over the world of this donghua, where for every 100 yuan in profit, Pei only receives one yuan. To amass incredible wealth, Pei intentionally sets out to create high-risk games that are terrible to play, yet they keep becoming massive hits, sending his company, Tengda, into the big leagues.

The Richest Man in the Game, based on Qingshan Quzui’s novel of the same name, is a lighthearted and fun 16-episode show fueled by hilarity and a rich love for gaming culture.

Where to watch: Rakuten Viki

5 Link Click

Image: bilibili/BeDream

Link Click quickly became a standout hit upon its debut in 2021, largely owing to its original narrative about two men using their special abilities to help clients fix past regrets. The story centers on Cheng Xiaoshi, who can enter photos at will and possess the photographer’s body; and Lu Guang, who serves as Cheng’s spotter in managing the timeline and tracking major events while his friend resides in the photo. Together, the duo alter the past to fix the mistakes made by their various clients.

However, the past doesn’t take too kindly to being changed, as most timey-wimey sci-fi stories tend to depict. For Cheng and Lu, this conflict spins out into a darker mystery that unfurls in the background, just out of sight. The consequences of their work at the Time Photo Studio might prove more devastating than threatening their own lives, but could even unspool the entire timeline if left unchecked.

The first part of Season 3 of Link Click begins airing in July, with part two expected to release sometime in 2027.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

4 Flavors of Youth

Our memories can take us far and wide and overtake you at a moment's notice thanks to a nostalgic smell or song. Flavors of Youth puts these emotions to animation, exploring the art of nostalgia through three beautifully crafted stories set in different cities, offering tight yet emotionally-gripping escapes into the niche history and rich culture of China.

Flavors of Youth is a slow burn, a Chinese slice-of-life tale that feels as enchanting as it does familiar. Instead of capturing just one quaint memory, the movie instead follows three very distinct emotions that flow from the childhood roots of food, clothing, and transportation. We all have these bright spots, warm memories of our youth that creep in every so often. Flavors of Youth captures them so brilliantly with incredible animation and music to boot.

Where to watch:Netflix

3 Fog Hill of Five Elements

Image: Samsara Studio

Many donghua leverage Chinese mythological characters as elements within the narrative, but few highlight the actual truths behind those mythologies quite like Fog Hill of Five Elements. Wenren Yixuan, the fire wielder among the five elemental guardians tasked with keeping monstrous demons at bay in Fog Hill, releases the Qilin from the sacred seal in an attempt to save the life of his mother and friend. In so doing, he creates a bloodbath of monsters seeking to fully destroy the seal, and eventually falls into conflict with the other elemental guardians.

If the story of Fog Hill of Five Elements doesn’t pull you in, the animation quality most certainly will. Directed by Lin Hun and produced by Samsara Studio, this Donghua puts to shame some of the best anime in the industry, with many citing it as on par with (or even better than) Mob Psycho 100.

Where to watch: bilibili

2 Super Cube

Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball Z; Japanese anime is known for its swath of action-packed icons, offering god-like characters that wrestle with evil in remarkable animation quality. While China might not have the same breadth of Shonen titles as Japan, it does have Super Cube, one of the most action-packed and beautifully animated donghua in the industry.

After acquiring a mysterious cube that grants him cosmic abilities, the once-ordinary high schooler Wang Xiaoxiu swiftly evolves into a hero as he battles dangerous and supernatural forces to save his crush. It’s not just the intense action that makes Super Cube stand out, but also the comedy baked into that action as Wang and the Cube exchange hilarious quips with one another in the middle of intense battles.

There’s even a crossover between Super Cube and Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 through work by Nian41, a legendary animator who developed some of the most intense fight scenes on both projects.

Where to watch:iQIYI

1 The Legend of Hei

More akin to a Ghibli film than a donghua, the Legend of Hei is a raw introspection on nature and humanity told through the context of Chinese mythological characters. The two Legend of Hei movies act as prequels to the 2011 webtoon, The Legend of Luo Xiaohei, aptly following the young cat spirit in the throes of a major conflict between spirits and humans. At the heart of the adventure is this touching bond shared between Wuxian and Hei that grows over time, all while Wuxian teaches Hei vital life lessons.

The narrative is not only beautifully crafted, it's also aided by some seriously talented animation work, which is only expanded upon in the 2025 sequel. The Legend of Hei series is one of the most enchanting donghua you’ll find, blending these intense and insanely well-choreographed fight sequences with a delightfully ambitious thematic core on coexistence and environmental impact.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll