As animated productions continue to expand its reach globally, new players enter the game with fresh new concepts and incredible animation. Giving the Japanese animation industry a run for its money, China has recently become one of the most popular producers of animation, known specifically as donghua.
Donghua are a bit different from Japanese anime. They run at an average of 10-15 minutes per episode. The voices and accents are also distinct, with words sounding like tongue twisters. However, they are worth the watch and can be easily adaptable to the audience. Some of these animated shows exceeded their popularity worldwide, selling merchandise and even getting live-action adaptations. With unique plots and fresh charm, here are some best Chinese animated TV-series that are worth watching:
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8 Wo De Tian Jie Nuyou/ My Cultivator Girlfriend
Tencent Animation & Comics, KJJ Animation
In ancient times, cultivation was a method of preserving one’s internal energy to gain supernatural abilities. However, in modern times, cultivation has become a completely different practice with many modern risks. A young and unqualified security guard, Ma Ying Xiong, learns this the hard way when he saves the life of a young female cultivator, accidentally kick-starting his own cultivation process.
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Adapted from the web novel by Dao Rui Si, this show is a romance fantasy produced by Big Firebird Cultural Media. Considered one of the earliest works in the romance genre in popular Chinese animation, Wo De Tian Jie Nuyou takes the classic romantic-comedy clichés and turns them into entertaining bits of rom-com. Each character comes with their own intriguing origins and abilities, which allows the audience to connect with them easily. The music is also very catchy, with hints of romance and fun.
There are a total of 15 episodes, each having a time frame of 13 minutes. This can be great for those who are looking forward to watching something short, but alluring.
7 Ling Qi/Spiritpact
Tencent Animation and comics
Yang Jing Hua works part-time to try and bring himself out of poverty. After coming across a strange exorcist, Xi Duan Mu, Jing Hua gets into an accident and becomes a spirit. Duan Mu offers Jing Hua protection from humans and in return, Jing Hua will have to become his spirit shadow, keeping him safe and guarded at all times.
Adapted from the BL web novel by Ping Zi, this action-packed fantasy series is directed by Li Hao Ling. Featuring a heavy plot, it strives to create humorous and light-hearted situations through the personalities of its protagonists, making it an easy watch, especially for fans of the boys love genre.
6 Quanzhi Fashi/Full-Time Magister
Tencent Penguin Pictures, China Literature LimitedShanghai Foch Film and TV Culture Investment
High school student, Mo Fan, is the son of a poor labor worker and the older step-brother of a wheelchair-bound sister. Despite these disadvantages, he dreams of attending a magic school to become a magician and repay his father for his hard work. It’s up to Mo Fan to harness not only the powerful fire element within him, but also face off against powerful enemies.
Adapted from the web novel by the author Chaos, Quanzhi Fashi is an action-fantasy crossover. It is set in an alternate reality, where magic prevails over science. This is the perfect series for those who love a good underdog story, completely unfamiliar surroundings, heart-warming side characters, and a lovely soundtrack.
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5 Lan Mo De Hua/ Lan Mo’s Flower
Colored Pencil AnimationBilibili
Lan Mo is an unpopular girl wanting to catch the attention of her childhood friend and crush, Liu Yi Feng. With a magical hair clip from a mysterious trinket shop, she transforms into a beautiful and attractive young lady. She needs to hide this clip from her admirers and a stranger named Xia An. Especially when her possession of the hair clip may turn out to be more than just a coincidence.
Created by Colored-Pencil Animation Design Studio, this show features sweet romance with a mix of fantasy. While predominantly a lovely tale of sweet and young love, Lan Mo De Huadoesn’t shy away from tackling important issues, like body-shaming and self-esteem issues, giving viewers an insightful watching experience.
4 Quan Zhi Gao Shou/ The King’s Avatar
Tencent VideoBilibili
Ye Xiu, known as the “Battle God,” is a powerful soldier in the online game ‘Glory’. However, circumstances force him to retire from the team and leave his gaming career behind, leading him to work at a nearby internet café. When Glory launches a new server, he involves himself in the game once more using a new character named “Lord Grim.”
However, starting a new team from scratch presents numerous challenges. Along with unconventionally talented new comrades, Ye Xiu once again dedicates himself to climbing the top of Glory’s leader boards.
Adapted from the award-winning web novel by Hu Die Lan, this youth-centric e-sports show was produced by Chinese internet mogul Tencent. Quan Zhi Gao Shou is widely regarded as the donghua that paved the road for the worldwide recognition of Chinese animation. Due to its immense popularity, it soon turned into a live-action adaptation in 2019, starring Yang Yang and Jiang Shu Ying.
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3 Mo Dao Zu Shi/ Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
Tencent Video
Wei Wu Xian is a cultivator who experiments with the forbidden Mo Dao (demonic path) while trying to achieve the highest state of immortality, called Xian. His rise to power is accompanied by destruction, but his reign comes to an end when there are enemies looking to kill him and take his throne.
Thirteen years later, Wei Wu Xian is reincarnated in the body of an eccentric young man and is reunited with Lan Wang Ji, a former classmate. This marks the beginning of the bond between these two men, who are on a mission to uncover the hidden mysteries of the spiritual realm, fight other cultivators and even demons.
Adapted from the hit BL web novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, this adventure-fantasy show was produced by Tencent. Due to its immense nationwide popularity, the show was adapted into a live-action version starring famous idol actors Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo. It made headlines worldwide and became a household name in the genre of fantasy.
2 Zhen Hun Jie/ Rakshasa Street
YoukuBilibili
Xia Ling is a college student looking for a job. After an accident where she is the only survivor, many unfortunate events start occurring around her. To make it worse, Xia Ling ends up in a street called Rakshasa, a bridge between the human realm and hell, where evil spirits are kept until they serve their punishment. This street is guarded by two brothers, Cao Yan Bing and Cao Xuan Liang, who are tasked with creating order in the world between realms. Xia Ling has to learn to cooperate with her guardian spirits in order to survive this deadly fate and return to her world.
Adapted from the ongoing web novel by Xu Chen, this action-adventure show is directed by Lu Heng Yu. There are many reasons to watch this series. It starts slow and gradually becomes more interesting with each episode. The backstory of each character comes with a tear-jerking origin; the music is addictive, and the fight scenes are incredible to watch.
Rakshasa Street is divided into 24 episodes, each lasting 13 minutes. It was later adapted into the 2017 live-action version, starring An Yue Xi and Jiro Wang.
1 Shiguang Dai Li Ren/ Link Click
bilibiliFunimation
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and a thousand secrets. What if there was a way to access the memories and talk to the people at the same time as when a photo was taken? This is possible through a small shop called, Time Photo Studio. This store is run by three friends: Lu Guang, Qiao Ling, and Cheng Xiao Shi.
Xiao Shi and Lu Guang have an incredible power that allows them to enter photographs brought in by clients. In exchange for money, they grant their wish to change the past or extract any information from that time. While Xiao Shi possesses the body of the photographer in the picture, Lu Guang sees the past and future from outside it. However, every jump comes with a great risk. One wrong move, and they could alter the future of the person who took the picture, and put countless other people at risk, too.
Created in a joint collaboration between Bilibili and BeDream, this time-travel show is one of its kind. Each episode is filled with a heartbreaking or happy story that is sure to move the audience. With a stunning art style, original plot that showcases time travel through photography, addicting cinematic soundtrack, and two complex, yet extremely likable main characters, Link Click is a high-rated masterpiece that could easily compete with most of the popular animated series.
