In recent years Chinese Animated series have made a huge impact on the entertainment industry. Donghua refers to Chinese Animated series and movies. Donghua are becoming more and more popular with every passing day. The culturally rich and the fantastic stories from China are stealing the hearts of people from everywhere. Many shows helped popularize the Chinese Style to the rest of the world. There are countless good Chinese series with exciting stories and characters. However, only the best can make the list. So, here is the list of 20 Best Chinese Donghua.
Best Chinese Donghua: Ace Censorate
Starting the best Chinese donghua list is Ace Censorate a supernatural donghua that came out in 2014. The show consists of short episodes, which are extremely fun to watch. The story takes place in an alternate universe with demons and humans. After many years the humans and demons have finally adjusted to each other and are living together in harmony. Humans are active during the daytime while the demons come out at night. However, the timid balance between both communities soon begins to falter. The story follows Wangpai Yushi, a censorate assigned to broker peace between the two parties.
Shi Xiong – Zombie Brother
Zombie Apocalypse stories are very underrated. They showcase people in their most vulnerable situations. The stakes are high as people avoid death and infection and fight to survive. The next donghua on the list is Zombie Brother. It is the action-packed story of XiaoFei, a simple guy living in H City. The residents of his city begin turning into zombies after drinking from the contaminated water. Now, the protagonist must fight his way out of his zombie city to reach his girlfriend, Wei.
The Daily Life Of The Immortal King
The daily life of Immortal King is based on the Chinese novels by Kuxuan. A donghua adaptation of the adventure series came out in January 2020. The series successfully aired two seasons and is scheduled for the third season. It is a slice of life, fantasy series that surrounds Wang Ling. He is a mighty wizard who defeats a strong demon at just the age of six. The young prodigy grows up as one of the best wizards. However, now sixteen years old, he must finally face his fears. He must fight his way through high school as an ordinary teenager.
Best Chinese Donghua: Monster List
Next on the list of Best Chinese Donghua is Monster List. Monster List narrates the story of Feng Xi. The young college student was leading a normal life until he met the beautiful Su Jiuer. Feng is shocked to learn that he can see spirits. From a tree demon to a minor goddess, he is the only one who can see them all. In addition, he also discovers that his crush Su Jiuer is, in fact, a fox spirit. Together he and his crush mediate between humans and spirits and save the world. So, they team up with the other spirits to fight and save the world.
Beryl And Sapphire
Beryl and Sapphire is one of the most known romance donghua. It is based on the famous manhua by Ocarina. Beryl and Sapphire are the two leads of the story. Through the series, the couple is placed in various situations. While some of these stories continue in other episodes. Most of the stories are short and work as stand-alone episodes. The episodes range from funny to thought-provoking to emotional. The ever-changing stories help the audience to see their beloved characters in different scenarios. For example, in some stories, Beryl is a robot, in other stories, he is the Demon King. So, in the series, the couple goes from lovers to high school crushes, rivals, back to lovers, and so on.
The King’s Avatar
The King’s Avatar is based on the famous web novel of the same name. The sports series came out in April 2017. The story follows Ye Xiu, a pro esports player from China. He is considered one of the top players of the game Glory. Furthermore, his unique gameplay has awarded him the ‘Battle God’ title. However, he resigns from the game after realizing he is being used for many marketing projects. So, he begins working as a night-shift manager in Happy Internet Cafe. Where he meets the owner, who happens to be his friend. Motivated once again, he starts the game as a fresh player.
Best Chinese Donghua: Spiritpact
Next on the list of Best Chinese Donghua is Spiritpact. The series first debuted as a web manhua in Tencent Comics. Later, an animation adaptation came out in January 2017. The fantasy series follows You Keika and Tanmoku Ki. You is a broke orphan who comes across Ki fighting an evil spirit. However, the meeting does not end well as You get into an accident and dies. Ki, a powerful exorcist, goes to the spirit and asks him to form a pact. Thus, You forms a pact with Ki and becomes his spirit shadow. The two then grow on to become the strongest spirit and human duo globally.
Twin Spirit Detectives
Twin Spirit Detectives is the best choice for paranormal donghua fans. The animated adaptation of the series came out in August 2016. The series is based on the manhua by Jiao Ran. The story follows the twins Xiaotu and Xiaohu, who set up a business specifically to deal with supernatural occurrences. The story follows the brothers investigating the bizarre incidents that challenge their skills. Soon the brothers find more than what they bargained for and end up in various problems. However, they keep working on the cases to uncover the truth.
The Outcast
The Outcast is based on the Chinese Web Comic by Dong Man Tang. The story follows Chou Soran, an average high school student whose life changes drastically after an incident. While visiting the grave of his grandfather, he gets attacked by zombies. A mysterious knife-wielding girl comes and saves him. She tells him to stand up for himself and leaves. To his surprise, he finds out that the girl is his classmate. From then on, his life becomes a magnet for all supernatural casualties. As mysterious people with magical powers keep bumping into him.
Best Chinese Donghua: Rakshasa Street
Rakshasa Street is a supernatural action series that aired in April 2016. The funny show is known for its well-written episodes and silly humor. The many similarities with the Japanese Shonen Series, many fans have expressed their love towards it. The infamous Rakshasa Street is a gateway between the human and spirit world. The protagonist of the series is Xia Ling, an ambitious architecture graduate. A chance encounter with a fortune-teller leads her to Rakshasa street. Where she is taken under the wing of General Cao Yanbing. Under his training, she discovers many new things about herself and the spirit world.
Silver Guardian
Silver Guardian is an action fantasy donghua by Emon Studios. The adventure story follows Suigin, a high school gamer who gets teleported to a game to save his friend Rei. Sugin first meets her when she saves him from drowning. Later he realizes that she is the daughter of his favorite game developer. Suigin also finds out that she is his long-time online gaming friend. After some kidnappers take Rei away, the game pulls the hero into it. Now Suigin must defeat the game to save his friend.
Die Now
Die Now is a mystery series that came out in November 2014. The suspense show is famous for being the best Chinese donghua in the sci-fi genre. The story is set in the future in the Cerebrum Universe. It starts with Xiachi, a young high schooler searching for his missing girlfriend. He is shocked to realize that her entire existence was wiped away from the rest of the world. During his search, he uncovers many underground organizations that threaten intergalactic peace. In addition, the young detective must solve many riddles and puzzles to move forward in his search.
Best Chinese Donghua: Fox Spirit Matchmaker
Next on the list of Best Donghua is Fox Spirit Matchmaker. As spirits are immortal and humans mortal, a match between them was always complicated. While the spirit lives on, the humans die and reincarnate with no memory of their past lives. However, a spirit matchmaker can help humans access their previous life memories, which helps them connect to their loved spirits again. The protagonist of the story is a fox spirit Susu who wants to become a spirit matchmaker. Together with a human Bai Yuechu, Susu struggles to reunite separated couples.
Grandmaster Of Demonic Cultivation
The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is one of the most popular danmei series in China. The award-winning donghua helped popularise Chinese animation to the rest of the world. The story follows arch enemies Wei Wuxian of the Wen Clan and Lan Wangji, a cultivator who later fall for each other. Wei is known for creating the Demonic path. However, he gets betrayed by his student, who helps rival clans kill Wei. Thirteen years later, a young boy sacrifices himself to summon Wei. Now, Wei, in the body of the rejected boy, must work together with his nemesis Lan to discover the mysterious murders that are happening everywhere.
Ling Long: Incarnation
Ling long: Incarnation, also known as Spirit Cage and Ling Cage, is a post-apocalyptic CGI donghua. It is set in the flying city of Lighthouse. The lighthouse houses the survivors of a monster attack that destroyed most of the population on Earth. These survivors are trained not to show their emotions, which would trigger another monster attack. Among these survivors are Mark and Ran, who are part of the scavenger team. Despite having strong feelings for each other, the two cannot show affection as it is prohibited.
Best Chinese Donghua: Scissor Seven
Scissor Seven, also known as Killer Seven, is a funny donghua about a young amnesiac boy Seven. Seven is famous for his intimidating looks and telekinetic abilities. He runs a barbershop to pay off his debt. Though he is not very good at his work, he uses his shape-shifting abilities to hunt down assassins or go on secret missions. However, he is not good at that line of work either. Throughout the series, Seven tries to discover who he is and recollect his memories. The action-comedy is a must-watch for donghua fans who want some light-hearted fun.
Full-Time Magister
Quanzhi Fashi, also known as the Full-time magister, is a donghua series from 2016. The action fantasy series is based on the novel of the same name. The story follows high schooler Mo Fan who suddenly appears in a land with magic. However, the new world is eerily the same as his previous world. A prestigious institute accepts Mo Fan. However, his family conditions make him a target for bullying in the institution. Despite the hardships, he manages to access both fire and lightning power. Which is a very rare case for a mage. The rest of the story follows his unexpected journey.
Link Click
Link Click is a donghua series by Studio LAN that released in April 2021. Bilibili and Funimation streamed the twelve episodes of the show. The supernatural action series climbed the ranks of best Chinese donghua due to its unique story. The story follows a store called ‘Time Phot Studio’. Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, two ordinary-looking men with supernatural abilities run the store. The two men possess the unique abilities to enter photos. They use their abilities to perfect their work and increase customer satisfaction. However, trouble comes knocking at their door.
Best Chinese Donghua: No Doubt In Us
No Doubt in Us is a classic body-swap romance story. The series follows the story of Emperor Li Jie and Eu-funh the Empress. The Emperor is confident and intelligent, while the Empress is famous for her brute strength and excellent military strategies. After the newly married couple swap bodies, they uncover the various treacheries and plots to harm them. Using body-swapping as an advantage, they handle all the new threats and obstacles thrown their way. During this, the couple begins to understand each other and fall deeply for each other.
Heaven Official’s Blessing
Heaven Official’s Blessing is a series that took the world by storm. The hit series is based on a novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. The series quickly gained fame for its well-written story and beautiful characters. The story follows the story of Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. The heaven demotes Xie Lian, a former crown prince, two times. During his third time ascending heaven, he meets the fearsome Ghost King, Hua Cheng. As their bond grows stronger, the handsome god uncovers his deep connections with the ghost king. The story is full with beautiful art and plot twists to keep the audience entertained.
With this, we conclude the best Chinese Donghua list. So, what did you think of the list? Did any show excite your interest? Will you give Chinese donghua a try? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Stay tuned for more fun lists like this.