The best Donghua Chinese series for beginners

Key recommendations

• Donghua in China, like anime, features various styles of storytelling and animation.
• Link Click explores the manipulation of time in a unique way in the supernatural genre.
• God Troubles Me is a relaxed donghua with sitcom vibes, perfect for new fans.

Anime has been an important part of the entertainment world for centuries. With each new series, there's always something fresh that takes the entire anime scene to the next level, raising what some might call “the standard.” While most people think of Japan when they hear “anime,” that's no longer the case, especially with certain anime becoming super popular thanks to Korean manhwa. Solo leveling and Noblesse.

There is one type of animation that doesn't get as much love as anime usually does, even though it has some of the best stories and most amazing animation out there – donghua. Donghua is basically anime that originates from China and usually features Chinese culture and traditions. Although similar to anime in many aspects, donghua come in a variety of styles and concepts, sometimes making it even more diverse in terms of animation and storytelling.

7 Link Click

Supernatural mystery with a very sentimental undertone

Link Click is a 2021 supernatural mystery donghua that stands out for having one of the most unique premises on this list. What makes it so different, not just from other donghua, but from most anime, is how it deals with classic supernatural tropes like time travel and parapsychology in a fresh, non-generic way. The story follows two friends who run a shop called Time Photo Studio, where they take photos from customers and essentially enter them to complete a specific task that the customer requests.

The main characters, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, have strange abilities related to manipulating time and altering reality. Cheng Xiaoshi can travel back in time by inserting a photo and possessing someone's body in it, while Lu Guang has the power to read the photo and accurately predict events that will occur within 12 hours of it being taken. Together, they use these skills to help people work through their regrets and find closure.

6 Realm of the Soul

Donghua 3D with heavy martial arts and Isekai themes

Donghua can be classified as a bunch of Chinese animated series, but they aren't strictly classified as anime either – mainly because they aren't always in 2D. In fact, some of the most popular donghua right now are 2.5D or fully 3D animated, breaking the mold of what “normal” anime usually looks like. Realm of the Soul is a 2018 donghua based on a web novel, which can be considered an outstanding example of such a series, given that it is made entirely in 3D animation rather than the conventional 2D.

Realm of the Soul is an isekai story that revolves around traditional Chinese martial arts. It follows the journey of a man who loses his life after gaining forbidden knowledge, which inevitably leads to punishment and death. After acting on his impulses and doing the unimaginable, he takes his own life, believing he has lived enough. But instead of finding peace, he reincarnates into a strange new world, inhabiting the body of a 6-year-old child with the power to control supernatural beings known as spirits.

5 The Immortal King's Daily Life

Comedy action with an inherently outdated main character

The Immortal King's Daily Life is a 2020 donghua that changes its narrative from being just action to incorporating comedy and slice-of-life elements. It follows the story of Wang Ling, a seemingly normal 16-year-old high school student whose biggest challenge at the moment is – well, high school. While this is mostly true, Wang Ling has a little secret that makes him different from ordinary students: he is practically invincible, with powers far beyond anyone's understanding.

At only six years old, he was able to defeat the demon king, and his powers have grown stronger since then. But even with all his unbeatable power and being the reincarnation of the universe's most powerful being, his biggest problem and only thorn in his side is high school – which is apparently harder than any legendary feat he's done before .

4 Spiritpact

Supernatural action with a BL subplot

Spiritpact is a 2016 donghua based on a manhua of the same name that extensively incorporates spirit mastery themes into its premise – like many other major donghuas. It follows the story of two unlikely people brought together by unexpected circumstances whose survival depends on each other.

Tu Keika is a seemingly ordinary man with a seemingly ordinary life. He is not very financially stable and spends most of his time on part-time jobs to earn as much money as possible. But then, as if things couldn't get any worse, he dies in an accident and returns as a ghost. Then he meets an exorcist who offers him a deal – he will keep you safe from humans and in return you must help him deal with the spirits.

3 Avatar of the King

A real-life story that follows the journey of a disillusioned professional gamer

Anime that focuses on video games tends to go for the whole isekai theme where the main character is transported into the game world – think supreme lord, No game, no lifeand Sword Art Online. This is the usual route. But what's less common is a story about the main character staying in the real world and going through an esports journey instead.

Avatar of the King it is unique in that way. It is a 2017 donghua based on the web novel of the same name, and there is no fantasy twist to be absorbed into the game world. Instead, it's all about an esports player's fall from grace and his quest to make a comeback, starting from scratch in the wildly popular online game Glory.

2 The swallowed star

Action, Sci-Fi, Martial Arts with hardcore animation

For those looking for a very hardcore donghua that focuses heavily on action and sci-fi, The swallowed star could be a very solid choice. It's a 2020 3D donghua set in a very futuristic post-apocalyptic world with physically advanced humans and gigantic monsters on the loose. But like most Donghua, The swallowed star keeps martial arts at the heart of its story despite the sci-fi background.

The show follows the story of Luo Feng, a newly graduated high school student who wants to become a warrior in their world full of calamities. Their world has been struck by a virus known as the RR virus, which kills humans and turns other living forms into violently mutated creatures. These warriors are the only line of defense humans have against the mutant creatures, and Luo Feng is prepared to give his life to become a part of them. What he doesn't realize is that he might be even more important in the grand scheme of things than he realizes.

1 God troubles me

A slice of life comedy with strong sitcom vibes

God troubles me is a 2019 donghua that is perfect for new donghua fans, mostly because of how relaxed and fun it is. Even if it leans heavily into a fantasy plot, nothing feels overly complex or difficult to follow. It's basically a slice-of-life comedy featuring three totally unexpected characters who find themselves in a strange life situation – sort of like a sitcom.

The story focuses on Su Moting, a half-monster, half-god, who only has the human traits of both parents. Her very inhuman humans, wanting her to become more self-sufficient, decide to kick her out so she can hopefully learn some independence. This begins her journey as an independent person, which leads her to live with two even stranger roommates: an introverted cat monster and a super dramatic god who seriously lacks social awareness.