Donghua is also known as Chinese anime, and it has been around for quite some time. If you are interested in finding some anime titles to add to your collection, we’ve covered 25 Chinese anime you should watch in 2024.
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Frankenstein Family
Frankenstein Family is about Tanis and his genetically modified siblings. After their parents were captured, the siblings were sent to a remote island.
While Tanis is the only one who’s not genetically modified, he is tasked with taking care of his four siblings and helping them adapt to society.
His siblings are Snow, a dog-human hybrid; Ashise, a plant-human hybrid; Aisley, a spider-human hybrid; and Suishi, a mind-reader.
With a pretty interesting concept, Frankenstein Family deals with family bonds and their everyday challenges.
Zhen Hun Jie (Rakshasa Street)
Set in a world full of evil spirits, Zhen Hun Jie follows the stories of Xia Ling and Cao Yan Bing as they encounter evil organizations on Rakshasa Street.
That said, Rakshasa Street is the gateway where spirits roam before they are exorcised.
The street is ruled by a general named Cao Yan Bing, who appointed Xia Ling as his companion to defend the city against evil organizations.
Based on the manhua of the same name, the anime offers good content despite the short length of every episode.
Liang Bu Yi
Liang Bu Yi is a 24-episode anime that is a mix of comedy and romance genres with a historical theme.
The anime’s premise revolves around the body switch between the handsome and cold Emperor and the strong and passionate Empress.
Together, they deal with their different lives as they find a way to go back to their original bodies.
Although the anime is tagged as a romance, there is a lot more comedy to offer than the love story between our unlikely protagonists.
Since the anime is set in ancient China, the viewers are in for a lot of hierarchical drama.
Quanzhi Fashi
Quanzhi Fashi is an action and fantasy anime that follows the story of Mo Fan, whose life has forever been changed after waking up to a world where magic has replaced science.
However, in Mo Fan’s new life, he remains the same son of a poor worker and the older step-brother to a crippled sister.
Set in a world where students are taught in magic schools, Mo Fan gets himself admitted to a prestigious magic school where he becomes everyone’s laughingstock.
To everyone's surprise, Mo Fan manages to master two rare elements: fire and lightning!
Despite the average production quality of the anime, Quanzhi Fashi excels in the characterization of the main protagonist, who deviates from the usual main character tropes.
The King's Avatar
The King’s Avatar is perhaps one of the most popular donghuas to ever exist.
With a TV drama of the same name, the show has spawned two seasons and won various awards and nominations, including the Best Serial Animation Award at the 14th China Animation Golden Dragon Award.
The anime follows the story of the genius MMORPG player Ye Xiu, who was formerly known as the Battle God and is the captain of the esports team "Excellent Era".
Unfortunately, Ye Xiu is forced to retire and leave the competitive scene after deciding not to take part in any marketing stunt that would exploit his team.
Later, Ye Xiu reenters the competitive scene under a new in-game name and character to reach the top of the summit.
Beryl and Sapphire
With a unique and interesting concept to boot, Beryl and Sapphire explores the story of the mild-mannered Beryl (aka Green) and the awkward Sapphire (aka Blue) as they interact with one another in different worlds and/or universes.
Set in different storylines, viewers will find themselves smiling and enjoying an unusual experience that only Beryl and Sapphire can offer.
The dynamic between Beryl and Sapphire is so good that viewers will learn to love and appreciate the peculiar duo.
Memory of Chang-an
Memory of Chang-an is a romantic Chinese historically-themed anime. It explores the subject of arranged marriage, politics, and other historical tropes.
The anime centers on Princess Ming Yue and the Emperor’s ninth prince, Li Qiang. The two were forced into an arranged marriage to maintain peace in their kingdoms in Chang’an.
However, things do not go according to plan as Princess Ming Yue has become the subject of controversies in the kingdom.
A Will Eternal
A Will Eternal is a Chinese anime with 52 episodes on its slate. It is one of the longest-running donghuas in existence.
Based on the Xinxia novel of the same name, A Will Eternal follows the story of Bai Xiaochun, an ordinary villager who embarks on a journey to seek immortality.
With the help of an immortal cultivator, Bai Xiaochun was accepted into an unusual place known as the Spirit Stream Sect, in the Ovens.
A Will Eternal is a hilarious anime with a bit of drama here and there. It will keep you engaged throughout and make you want to look forward to another season.
Cooking with Valkyries
Although the anime comes in short episodes, Cooking with Valkyries is a heart-warming and light-hearted anime that features Valkyries cooking alongside other characters.
Produced by Mihoyo, the anime has spawned two seasons available for online streaming.
Although the anime is targeted toward fans of the hit mobile game Honkai Impact, it offers a unique approach to the slice-of-life anime genre.
The anime features wonderful recipes and dishes that ordinary people can afford.
Please Take My Brother Away
Please Take My Brother Away is a slice-of-life comedy anime that will make you laugh out loud with its ridiculous antics and running gags.
The story follows the relatable Shi siblings as they juggle their everyday lives together, whether they are in school or at home.
Although it is a very short series with only three minutes per episode, the anime is a hidden gem among titles that feature sibling relationships.
The anime also has a refreshing take on character designs and animation scenes.
Scissor Seven
Scissor Seven or Cike Wu Liuqi is a Netflix-released anime that follows the amnesiac bounty hunter by night and hairdresser by day, Wu Liuqi.
Armed with his deadly scissor techniques and shape-shifting abilities, Wu Liuqi is a tough and intimidating bounty killer to boot!
However, despite his strong abilities, Wu Liuqi’s assassination attempts always end in disastrous failure.
Together with his feathered friend, Dai Bo, he is on a journey to recover his lost memories.
With humor and fight scenes on par with One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100, Scissor Seven is a definite must-watch!
Spirit Pact
Spirit Pact is a Chinese anime that is a mix of action, boys' love, comedy, and supernatural genres. It is also one of the more familiar donghuas among anime viewers.
With 20 episodes on its slate, Spirit Pact offers sweet humor, beautifully animated action scenes, catchy background music, well-written character development, and unexpected anime parodies.
The anime centers on the story of You Keika as he gets entangled in the world of spirits and exorcists together with Tanmoku Ki. Both of them agreed to a pact together as master and servant.
The Demonic King Who Chases His Wife
The Demonic King Who Chases His Wife is a Chinese anime with a martial arts theme.
It is a combination of action, comedy, drama, romance, and fantasy genres, and explores the ancient scene of martial arts where women assassins exist and concubinage are well-received.
The story follows the renowned assassin Su Lao as she gets transported into ancient China and becomes Su Manor’s good-for-nothing fourth miss.
While the anime’s plot becomes confusing as the episode goes from one event to another, it is still a decent watch for romcom fanatics.
Heaven's Official Blessing
Heaven’s Official Blessing is a Chinese anime that is a mix of action, adventure, supernatural, and boys' love that centers on the Crown Prince of Xian Le, Xie Lan, and his relationship with Hua Cheng, one of the Four Great Calamities and member of the Three Demon Devastations.
If you are looking for something different to watch, then Heaven’s Official Blessing has got you covered with its beautifully animated scenes, well-written adventure story, and high-end visuals that will make you love the characters.
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Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation anime follows the story of the ruthless and former grandmaster, Wei Wu Xian, as he reincarnates into the body of a lunatic who was abandoned and betrayed by his clan.
Soon after, he was taken away by his archenemy, a famous cultivator among clans named Lan Wangji.
The anime is a mix of action, adventure, comedy, supernatural, and boys' love genres with a historical theme. It is an adaptation of the manhua of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.
At the 15th Chinese Animation Award, the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation won the Best Series Animation Award, which was previously bagged by the Chinese anime The King’s Avatar.
A Herbivorous Dragon of 5,000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized
A Herbivorous Dragon of 5,000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized is an adventure comedy anime produced by Studio Lan, the same studio that produced Link Click and To Be Hero.
The fantasy adventure anime follows a 5000-year-old vegan dragon whose peaceful life is disrupted by the arrival of a young girl at his cave.
In exchange for her life, the young girl requests that he fight the Demon Lord. The dragon, on the other hand, is a pacifist with no knowledge of demons! What would become of them?
Zanting! Rang Wo Cha Gonglue
Zanting! Rang Wo Cha Gonglue is a BiliBili and Kung Fu Frog co-production. It is a web anime that debuted as part of the Chinese spring anime season in May 2022.
Regardless of its mediocre promotion, Zanting! Rang Wo Cha Gonglue is a fantastic anime.
This Chinese isekai anime follows office worker Liu Yinuo, who is summoned into the game world one day.
To return to her world, Liu Yinuo must teach the main character, Tian Enya, how to complete the game.
Liu Yinuo is determined to teach Enya and return home, armed with her game skills and knowledge.
Shikong Zhi Xi
Shikong Zhi Xi, also known as Rift, is a Chinese action and fantasy anime. With good sounds, smooth animation, and a few interesting characters, Shikong Zhi Xi is a decent watch.
Monsters of all kinds from the alternate realm began to appear one after the other in a world where unstable energies and an alternate realm had opened a rift in time and space.
To protect the world, a group of gifted individuals is chosen to combat the invading monsters and close the rift.
Busted! Darklord
Another Chinese anime produced by BiliBili, Busted! Darklord, or Xiao Mo Tou Bao Lu La, is an action-adventure and comedy anime that features cross-dressing demons!
Yu Renjie, the Demon Lord's son, finds himself cross-dressing to enter Hero's Academy.
In a world where countless righteous knights are on the lookout for demon cultists, Yu Renjie must blend in with the crowd to obtain the Hero's Certificate and bring legitimacy to their demon clan.
Spare Me, Great Lord!
While Spare Me, Great Lord! is not a perfect anime, it is unique in that it has its own style.
The opening design and artwork for the anime are insanely good. Not only that, but anyone can tell that the people behind it put in a lot of effort to come up with the characters and the premise.
The anime follows high school student Lu Shu, who got involved in a car accident one day. After everyone around him awakens with superpowers, Lu Shu is left to fend for himself.
After all, he can only become stronger by collecting other people's emotions and labeling them. Will Lu Shu be able to protect his sister while also becoming a super-demon?
The Daily Life of the Immortal King
The Daily Life of the Immortal King offers a fresh take on the cultivation genre. It blends the elements of fantasy, slice-of-life, and even comedy.
What happens when an immortal being tries to live a normal school life while concealing his immense powers?
In this Chinese anime, prepare to laugh out loud as Wang Ling tries his best to live a normal life, even though his attempts often lead to hilarious and comedic misunderstandings.
Love Magic Grocery
Love Magic Grocery is marketed as the romantic version of Doraemon. It revolves around a magical store manager named Shu, who solves love problems using various fantasy love props.
On the other hand, there’s Shi Ye, who doesn’t believe in things like love and romance.
Shi Ye and Shu encountered each other, and thus the exciting cat-and-mouse games began.
Who will triumph between Shi Ye and Shu, or will they find love in each other instead?
Close Combat Mage
In Close Combat Mage, Gu Fei is a physical education teacher known for his martial arts prowess.
One day, Gu Fei decided to play an online game, where he accidentally took the class of mage rather than a melee warrior due to his student’s mistake.
Gu Fei wants to make the most of this mistake, so he decides to become a violent close-combat mage instead!
Will Gu Fei be able to survive all the challenges that come before him as a mage?
Spirits in Chinese Brushes
Spirits in Chinese Brushes is a drama and fantasy Chinese anime with an ordinary college student named Luo Zhongxia in the center.
Two thousand years before the present time, one descendant of the Yinyang family decided to turn spirits into brushes for the sake of the future generation.
Luo Zhongxia accidentally obtained one of these brushes, which gave him strange abilities.
Since then, Luo’s life has always been in danger, so he finds ways to return the brush to its rightful owner. Unfortunately, it ain’t easy, as Luo becomes bound with seven more brush spirits!
Link Click
Link Click is one of the more popular Chinese anime to date. It features hot anime guys as protagonists, making the show eye candy for female fans.
The story follows Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang and their work at Time Photo Studio, where they use their superpowers to enter the photos of their various clients one after another.
Of course, each job Cheng and Lu undertake is uncertain, but these two young professionals will do everything to the best of their abilities.
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