10 Best-Animated Chinese Anime, Ranked
Chinese anime , or Donghua, has come a long way in recent years. What was once full of modest, experimental projects has now grown into a booming industry filled with exquisite art and fluid animation. While Japanese anime has been all the rage for years, China has continued to produce shows that are not only visually pleasing, but are also rich in terms of story and culture. These shows and movies often blend traditional Chinese forms with modern styles of animation to produce a new visual style that does not exist anywhere else in the highly competitive world of animation.
From historical epics and romantic fantasies to supernatural thrillers and surreal comedies, these donghua prove that quality animation isn't limited by geography. While some donghua still fly under the radar internationally, a growing number, like Scissor Seven and Fog Hill of Five Elements , have earned praise for their stunning visuals and high production values. These donghua bring their stories to life with an artistic skill that rivals the best of Japanese anime.
White Cat Legend Blends Comedy With Ancient Chinese Art Styles
A Mystery Wrapped in Ink Wash Art
At first glance, White Cat Legend seems to be a lighthearted detective series with cute animals, but the series is a visual gem with a rich Chinese cultural background. The animation is inspired by traditional ink-wash paintings, with the scenes realistically resembling ancient scrolls brought to life as animation. The backgrounds are filled with brushstrokes and water textures, and characters move in an elegant motion that fits the historical Tang Dynasty setting .
The donghua follows Li Bai, a noble and stoic white cat who works as an official investigating odd cases alongside a misfit team. The visual storytelling is enhanced by the show's careful use of shadows and subtle facial animation. Each episode combines humor with historical intrigue, and the animation adapts smoothly to both tones. While not as flashy as other action-heavy series, White Cat Legend is a beautiful example of how style and substance can work hand in hand.
The Founder of Diabolism Pairs Magical Combat With Fluid, Expressive Animation
Wuxia Swordplay Meets Beautiful Direction
The Founder of Diabolism , also known as Mo Dao Zu Shi , is a landmark in Chinese animation. This series helped raise the global profile of Chinese animation. The animation weaves traditional ink styles into smooth modern motion to perfectly balance the past and present. From the opening credits to the final scene, the visual storytelling is nothing short of breathtaking .
The donghua’s battle scenes use flowing swordplay and glowing energy effects that feel like traditional wuxia stories brought to life. The series is just as impressive during its quiet moments. The animation captures the slightest gestures to tell more than words ever could. The Founder of Diabolism set a new standard for fantasy donghua and remains one of the most artistically refined animated series to come out of China.
The King’s Avatar Nails Digital Choreography And Fluid Team Fights
MMO Action That Feels Like Real Combat
The King’s Avatar is all about the world of professional gaming , but the series treats digital battles with the same respect as epic martial arts duels. The story follows a top-tier gamer who returns to the professional scene with a new team. The animation shines most during in-game scenes, where avatars clash in beautifully choreographed fights that mimic real combat . Each character’s class has a distinct fighting style, and the animators ensure everything looks dynamic.
Outside the game, the donghua doesn’t slack either. The facial animation and gestures feel natural and expressive. The blend of physical realism and digital stylization gives The King’s Avatar a unique visual identity. It’s a love letter to e-sports and MMO culture that makes virtual battles feel thrilling and grounded.
Link Click Keeps The Visuals Just As Tight as The Plot
Time Travel Has Never Looked So Sharp
Link Click isn't just one of the most popular donghua in recent years, it’s also one of the most finely animated. The show follows two young men who can enter photographs and relive the moments within to solve mysteries. This unique premise is complemented by visually-led storytelling that's both chic and emotionally perceptive. The use of color, camera angles and movement is deliberate and razor-sharp, and every episode feels like a live-action film .
The standout scenes are often the ones where time slows down: a character’s footstep or a panicked sprint becomes a deeply cinematic moment thanks to the crisp animation and sharp editing. The donghua uses modern techniques like dynamic framing and fluid transitions to reflect shifts between the past and present.
Scissor Seven Proves Stylized Animation Can Still Be Spectacular
Low-Budget Looks With High-Quality Comedy Action
Scissor Seven is a strange and wonderful donghua that turns its quirky animation style into a strength. The series follows a hairdresser-turned-assassin with memory loss and psychic abilities, and while the animation might seem simple at first glance, it becomes surprisingly rich. The animation doesn’t try to be realistic or polished. Instead, it embraces a rough, expressive style that shifts smoothly between slapstick comedy and explosive action. It’s a rare donghua that can use its “low-budget” look as a strength rather than a weakness .
When fights happen, the series switches styles on the fly, mixing 2D, 3D and surreal visual effects. Emotional moments are given weight with changes in lighting and color that match the tone perfectly. While the donghua is quite underrated and doesn’t have the polished sheen of big-budget animated shows, Scissor Seven proves that creative direction can go a long way.
Heaven Official’s Blessing Uses Elegance To Enhance Every Motion
This Donghua Has Graceful Action and Gorgeous Backgrounds
Heaven Official’s Blessing is a visual love story. The donghua follows the fallen god Xie Lian and his mysterious partner Hua Cheng as they try to live in a world of divine politics and supernatural intrigue. The animation is refined and packed with tiny but expressive details that give the setting a dreamlike quality. Every interaction and scene is drawn with care. The backgrounds are filled with delicate detail.
The action scenes in Heaven Official’s Blessing are more graceful than explosive. The animation also captures emotional hints with subtle shifts in posture and expression . Lighting plays a big role as well, using soft glows and color shifts to control the mood. Every visual choice supports the story’s romantic and melancholic tone. Heaven Official’s Blessing isn’t just well-animated, it’s made to bring out the story’s emotional and spiritual depth.
Fog Hill of Five Elements Uses Stunning 2d Visuals To Bring Ancient Legends to Life
Hand-Drawn Fire That Blows Everything Away
There aren’t many series in the world that look like Fog Hill of Five Elements . The miniseries took years to produce, and every frame proves why. The show features a world where humans and elemental creatures coexist, and the guardians of the elements must protect the balance. The donghua uses hand-drawn animation with dynamic brushstrokes and glowing colors, creating visuals that feel both ancient and modern.
Fog Hill of Five Elements brings Chinese mythology to life, showing off some of the best 2D action sequences ever made in donghua . Character motion is incredibly fluid, blending raw strength with elegance. The donghua is short , but its impact is huge. Fog Hill of Five Elements proves that traditional hand-drawn techniques still have the power to leave audiences breathless.
Big Fish & Begonia Stunned Audiences With Its Rich Visuals
The Film Gave Myth and Magic in Every Frame
Big Fish & Begonia is one of the most beautifully animated films ever made, not just in China, but anywhere. The donghua was released in 2016 after being in production for over a decade. The film tells the tale of Chun, a magical girl from an underwater world who sacrifices all she has to rescue a human boy. The story blends Daoist philosophy and traditional Chinese mythology, but it’s the animation that leaves the deepest impression .
Every frame is carefully hand-drawn with an incredible attention to detail. The character designs are expressive, and the backgrounds often resemble moving paintings, rich with color and cultural symbolism. Big Fish & Begonia is a visual poem that elevates Chinese animation to new artistic heights .
Wings of the World Uses 3D Animation To Recreate China’s Most Legendary Battles
Historical Battles Done With Epic Flair
Wings of the World stands out for its very ambitious use of 3D animation. Rather than go for a more stylized take on fictional characters or fantasy creatures, the story dives deep into China’s military history and brings ancient warfare to life. The animation is surprisingly fluid for 3D, with detailed models and well-directed battle scenes that use sweeping camera angles to capture the chaos of war .
Unlike many shows that struggle with 3D models, this donghua embraces them, polishing textures and adding cinematic lighting to make each battle feel alive. The use of camera sweeps and battlefield layouts gives viewers the feeling of watching an epic historical film. While the series may not focus on magic or fantasy, its dedication to historical accuracy and tactical action gives Wings of the World a unique place in the donghua landscape.
The Daily Life of the Immortal King Goes All Out When It Comes to Animation
High-End Action-Comedy with Incredible Animation
The Daily Life of the Immortal King might look like another school-based fantasy comedy at first, but it quickly proves it’s anything but average . The donghua follows Wang Ling, a high schooler with godlike powers trying to keep a low profile. That setup could easily be played for laughs alone, but this donghua takes its action scenes seriously and animates them with top-tier quality .
The Daily Life of the Immortal King blends absurd humor with high-end action visuals, proving that great animation can be both funny and jaw-dropping at the same time. The animation style adapts based on mood, switching to comedic exaggeration in funny scenes, then snapping back to slick visuals when the fights begin. Its use of camera movement and lighting gives battles a cinematic weight, and the animation only improves as the series goes on.
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