Best Chinese Donghua Series for Beginners

Key takeaways

• China’s Donghua, like anime, offers diverse styles of storytelling and animation.

• Link Click explores the manipulation of time in a unique way within the supernatural genre.

• God Troubles Me is a laid-back donghua with comedy vibes, perfect for new fans.

Anime has been a big part of the entertainment world for years. With every new series, there is always something new 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 now that certain anime become super popular thanks to Korean manhwa like Solo leveling and Nobility.

There’s 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 comes from China and generally features Chinese culture and traditions. While similar to anime in many ways, donghua comes in a variety of styles and concepts, sometimes making it even more diverse in terms of animation and storytelling.

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Click on the link

Supernatural mystery with a very sentimental background

Click on the link 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 only from other donghua but also from most anime, is how it handles classic supernatural tropes like time travel and parapsychology in a fresh, non-generic way. The story follows two friends who run a store called Time Photo Studio, where they take photos of customers and essentially walk into them to complete a specific task requested by said customer.

The main characters, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, have strange abilities linked to time manipulation and reality alteration. Cheng Xiaoshi can travel back in time by entering a photograph and possessing someone’s body in it, while Lu Guang has the power to read the photo and predict the exact events that will occur within 12 hours of the time it was taken. . Together, they use these skills to help people resolve their regrets and find closure.

6

land of the soul

Donghua 3D with intense martial arts and Isekai themes

Donghua can be classified as a group of Chinese animated series, but they are not strictly classified as anime either, mainly because they are not always in 2D. In fact, some of the most popular donghua right now are animated in 2.5D or fully 3D, breaking the mold of what “regular” anime usually looks like. land of the soul is a 2018 donghua based on a web novel, which can be considered a leading example of such a series, considering the fact that it is completely made in 3D animation instead of conventional 2D.

land 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 obtaining forbidden knowledge, something that inevitably leads to punishment and death. After acting on his impulses and doing the unimaginable, he takes his own life, thinking he has lived long enough. But instead of finding peace, he is reincarnated into a strange new world, inhabiting the body of a 6-year-old boy with the power to control supernatural beings known as spirits.

5

The daily life of the Immortal King

Action comedy with an inherently overpowered main character

The daily life of the Immortal King is a 2020 donghua that changes its narrative from being solely action to incorporating some slice-of-life and comedy elements. It follows the story of Wang Ling, a seemingly normal 16-year-old high school student whose biggest challenge right now is… well, high school. While that is largely true, Wang Ling has a little secret that sets him apart from the average student: he is practically invincible, with powers far beyond anyone’s understanding.

At just six years old, he managed to defeat the demon king, and his powers have only gotten stronger since then. But, even with all his unbeatable strength and being the reincarnation of the most powerful being in the universe, his biggest problem and the only thorn in his side is high school, which is apparently more difficult than any legendary feat he has performed before.

4

Spiritual Covenant

Supernatural action with a BL subplot

Spiritual Covenant is a 2016 donghua based on a manhua of the same name that extensively incorporates themes of spiritual mastery 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.

You Keika is a seemingly normal man with a seemingly normal life. He is not very financially stable and spends most of his time working 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 spirit. That’s when he meets an exorcist who offers him a deal: he will keep you safe from humans and in exchange, you will have to help him deal with the spirits.

3

The king’s avatar

A real-life story that follows the journey of a disgraced professional player

Anime that focuses on video games tends to lean towards the isekai theme, where the main character is transported into the game world. Mister, Without play there is no lifeand sword art online. That is the usual route. But what’s less common is a story about the main character staying in the real world and going on an esports journey instead.

The king’s avatar It is unique in that sense. It’s a 2017 donghua based on the web novel of the same name, and there’s no fantastic twist from being sucked into the game world. Instead, it’s about an esports player’s fall from grace and his effort to make a comeback, starting from scratch in the popular online game Glory.

2

swallowed star

Action, science fiction and martial arts with intense animation

For those looking for a very hardcore donghua that focuses mainly on action and sci-fi, 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 giant monsters on the loose. But, like most Donghua, swallowed star keeps martial arts at the center of its story despite the science fiction background.

The show follows the story of Luo Feng, a recently graduated high school student who wishes to become a warrior in his calamity-plagued world. Their world has been affected by a virus known as the RR virus that kills humans and turns other life forms into violently mutated creatures. These warriors are the only line of defense humans have against the mutated creatures and Luo Feng is willing to give his life to become a part of them. What you don’t realize is that you might be even more important in the grand scheme of things than you think.

1

God worries me

A slice of life comedy with strong sitcom vibes

God worries me is a 2019 donghua that is perfect for new donghua fans, especially because of how relaxed and fun it is. Although it leans heavily toward a fantasy plot, nothing seems too 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 centers on Su Moting, a half-monster, half-god who only retains the human traits of both parents. Her parents, who aren’t human, want her to become more self-sufficient and 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.