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Best overall: Link Click. It has the clearest hook, the strongest balance of mystery and character drama, and enough escalating time-based consequences to reward a serious binge. For epic fantasy, start with Heaven Official’s Blessing; for comedy-action, choose Scissor Seven; and for pure visual spectacle, watch Fog Hill of Five Elements.
“Chinese anime” is the phrase most English-language viewers search for, but the more precise term is donghua: animation produced in China. Donghua commonly includes Mandarin-language originals and stories drawn from Chinese mythology, web fiction, manhua, historical settings, or contemporary life. This list ranks series and animation universes—not by an official popularity chart, but by a combination of narrative quality, direction and animation, originality, cultural texture, industrial significance, and how rewarding each title is for an English-speaking viewer who can legally find it.
Streaming catalogs change by country and licensing window. Whenever a service is mentioned below, treat it as availability confirmed at research time, not a permanent worldwide guarantee.
Quick guide: which donghua should you watch?
| If you want… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mystery and emotional suspense | Link Click | A photo-based supernatural ability system turns investigations into tense moral and temporal puzzles. |
| Epic fantasy and romance | Heaven Official’s Blessing | Gods, ghosts, political memory, and a central relationship anchor a richly imagined xianxia world. |
| Comedy with sharp action | Scissor Seven | Absurd assassin gags gradually open into a surprisingly serious story about identity and rival factions. |
| Cultivation comedy | The Daily Life of the Immortal King | An overwhelmingly powerful student tries to survive ordinary school life while supernatural threats mount. |
| Esports and tactical competition | The King’s Avatar | A professional gaming comeback story built around strategy, team dynamics, and rivalries. |
| Hand-drawn action spectacle | Fog Hill of Five Elements | Painterly backgrounds, elemental combat, and expressive movement take priority over conventional pacing. |
The 15 best Chinese anime, ranked
1. Link Click — Best overall
Link Click is the most effective first recommendation for viewers who are curious about donghua but do not yet know which genre to try. Its premise is immediately understandable: two operators of a photo studio enter clients’ photographs to investigate cases. The visual rule is simple, but the consequences are not.
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Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang bring opposing temperaments and methods to each case. The photo-based ability system gives the show a built-in procedural structure, while the partnership creates tension that goes beyond solving the week’s mystery. Information about the past, the present, and what the characters are allowed to change becomes increasingly dangerous, giving the series emotional cliffhangers as well as plot twists.
Crunchyroll carries the series in multiple subtitle and dub configurations at research time. A third season has also been officially confirmed for 2026, which makes this an especially timely choice for a current ranking. Check the catalog for your country before starting, since language options and availability can differ.
Best for: mystery, suspense, time manipulation, emotional cliffhangers.
2. Heaven Official’s Blessing — Best epic-fantasy recommendation
Heaven Official’s Blessing combines xianxia mythology, ghost stories, political memory, and a central relationship with unusual international appeal. It follows Xie Lian, a repeatedly demoted crown prince who returns to the mortal realm and becomes entangled with Hua Cheng, a powerful ghost king.
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The first season consists of 11 episodes plus a special, and the second season followed in 2023–24. Crunchyroll carries both seasons with English audio and subtitles at research time. The English novel is also unusually accessible internationally: Seven Seas lists the complete English edition as an eight-volume series, with deluxe hardcover editions through volume eight. Availability, language tracks, and physical editions remain territory-dependent.
Best for: fantasy, danmei romance, gods and ghosts, lush worldbuilding.
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Scissor Seven initially looks like a collection of eccentric assassin jokes. Seven is a bungling, scissor-wielding quasi-assassin trying to recover his memory while rival factions struggle for control. That compact setup gives the show room to be silly, violent, stylish, and unexpectedly heartfelt.
The short-form episodes make it one of the least intimidating entry points on this list. Its graphic visual style and elastic tone are equally important: a joke can lead into a well-choreographed fight, and an apparently disposable character can become part of a larger story about identity, loyalty, and factional conflict.
Netflix classifies it as Chinese-language adult animation. That label is useful for setting expectations, although the show’s accessibility and irreverent humor can make it appealing well beyond viewers who normally seek adult animation. Confirm the rating, subtitles, and local catalog before watching.
Best for: comedy, action, short episodes, eccentric visual style.
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Fog Hill of Five Elements is the pick for viewers who care most about movement, composition, and visual identity. Its hand-drawn action, painterly backgrounds, elemental combat, and ink-wash influence give it a visual vocabulary that does not feel like a simple imitation of Japanese television anime.
The action choreography is the main event. Characters move with unusual force and elasticity, while color, smoke, fire, and brush-like textures make the fights feel closer to animated traditional painting than to standardized digital spectacle. It is a craft-first recommendation: the animation can carry a scene even when the larger narrative is less developed.
The caveat is important. The story is comparatively compact and less complete than the long-form titles ranked above it. Viewers who require a fully resolved, expansive plot may find it slight; viewers who want a concentrated demonstration of what Chinese animation can do with action and atmosphere may consider it essential.
Best for: spectacular action, ink-wash aesthetics, traditional visual influence.
5. The King’s Avatar — Best esports and gaming drama
The King’s Avatar treats professional multiplayer gaming as a serious competitive and workplace environment rather than a backdrop for generic power fantasy. Its central figure, elite player Ye Xiu, is forced into a career reset and must rebuild his position through skill, planning, and team-building.
The series is at its best when it shows how individual talent interacts with a coordinated team. Tactical decisions, rivalries, role specialization, and the pressure of professional competition give the comeback story its momentum. You do not need to be an esports player to follow it, but an interest in strategy and ensemble competition will make its strengths more apparent.
Rank #2
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Crunchyroll maintains an official series page, though the specific seasons and language options available to you should be checked locally.
Best for: esports, competition, tactics, team dynamics.
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6. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation — Best cultivation mystery
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, also known as Mo Dao Zu Shi, combines supernatural investigation, sect politics, reincarnation, moral ambiguity, and a relationship that drives the emotional architecture of the story. It is less interested in a straightforward battle ladder than in the consequences of past decisions and the difficulty of separating justice from reputation.
The cultivation setting provides the scale: sects, spiritual techniques, inherited grudges, and supernatural crimes all connect personal history to wider political conflict. The mystery structure then gives the audience a reason to reconstruct that history alongside the characters.
It is worth distinguishing the animated series from the original novel, the manhua, and the live-action adaptation. They are related versions of the same major property, but they are not interchangeable viewing experiences. Platform support and English editions also vary by territory.
Best for: wuxia and xianxia atmosphere, mystery, tragic history, complex loyalties.
7. The Daily Life of the Immortal King — Best cultivation comedy
The Daily Life of the Immortal King uses an absurd premise to parody and remix cultivation conventions. Wang Ling is a prodigy who defeated a demon king at age six, yet his immediate challenge is to manage school life while supernatural threats continue escalating around him.
The joke is not merely that the protagonist is overpowered. The series repeatedly places an impossible power level inside ordinary teenage routines, creating comic friction between world-ending ability and the social awkwardness of school. It is lighter and easier to binge than many cultivation dramas, while still using the genre’s familiar systems, rivals, and escalating threats.
Crunchyroll’s English-dub rollout had reached the fifth season in January 2026, indicating continuing international platform investment. That does not mean every season or dub is available in every country, so verify the local listing.
Best for: comedy, overpowered protagonists, school fantasy, lighter bingeing.
8. The Legend of Hei — Best folklore-inflected fantasy
The Legend of Hei is a strong choice for viewers who want gentler character work, creature design, and an expressive fantasy world rather than constant power escalation. Its folklore-inflected setting and emotional warmth give it a different rhythm from the cultivation-heavy titles that dominate many donghua lists.
The appeal is atmospheric as much as plot-driven. The characters and creatures occupy a world that feels lived in, and the visual expressiveness lets quiet emotional beats matter. It is an especially useful inclusion because it shows how broad Chinese animation can be: not every notable title is built around sects, immortal powers, or tournament-style battles.
Crunchyroll includes the title in its English-facing donghua guide at research time. The precise version, language options, and local availability should be confirmed before viewing.
Best for: folklore, found family, expressive 2D animation, younger viewers with appropriate guidance.
9. A Will Eternal — Best long-form cultivation comedy-drama
A Will Eternal balances exaggerated comedy with the progression systems, rival sects, emotional reversals, and large-scale fantasy adventure associated with cultivation fiction. Its humor can be broad, but the story also understands why long-form cultivation appeals to viewers: training, setbacks, status changes, alliances, and the gradual expansion of a character’s world.
This is a better choice for viewers who already enjoy cultivation conventions than for someone seeking a concise introduction. The commitment is longer, and the pleasure comes from watching the protagonist’s journey accumulate over time rather than from a single self-contained premise.
English availability is more fragmented than for the most heavily promoted Crunchyroll titles. Check the service, season, subtitles, and territory before committing to a long binge.
Rank #3
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Best for: cultivation progression, slapstick, long-form fantasy adventure.
10. White Cat Legend — Best historical mystery-comedy
White Cat Legend offers a welcome alternative to the dominant battle and cultivation genres. It mixes court intrigue, investigation, a period setting, ensemble comedy, and the unusual energy suggested by its title.
The historical-mystery framework gives the characters reasons to investigate institutions and personalities rather than simply defeat stronger opponents. Its comic timing also makes it a useful choice for viewers who want Chinese setting and atmosphere without committing to a heavily tragic or power-escalating fantasy.
It appears in current English-facing recommendation coverage, but the dossier does not establish a single consistently available international service. Treat it as a title to search by region rather than one with a guaranteed global platform home.
Best for: historical mystery, court settings, ensemble comedy.
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11. Rakshasa Street — Best supernatural action series
Rakshasa Street blends modern urban spaces with guardian spirits, martial conflict, and mythic worldbuilding. That combination makes it a natural recommendation for viewers who enjoy the momentum of shōnen-style supernatural action but want a Chinese cosmological framework.
Its strongest idea is the friction between ordinary contemporary environments and the hidden spiritual order operating behind them. Guardian spirits and martial confrontations give the show immediate action appeal, while the larger mythology supplies a reason to keep exploring the setting.
English platform support is less consistent than for the highest-ranked titles. Verify the season, subtitles, and legal service available in your territory before watching.
Best for: supernatural battles, spirit guardians, urban fantasy.
12. The Outcast — Best modern martial-arts mystery
The Outcast, also known as Hitori no Shita, brings secret societies, martial-arts lineages, paranormal investigation, and inherited power into a contemporary setting. It is a useful bridge between urban supernatural action and the older Chinese storytelling interest in hidden traditions.
The series works best when its modern world begins to reveal a concealed network of disciplines, loyalties, and conspiracies. Viewers who enjoy mysteries involving family history and martial inheritance will find more to engage with than they might expect from a straightforward action premise.
English accessibility is less consistent than for Link Click or Heaven Official’s Blessing. If you continue into later seasons, check that the specific season and English subtitles are legally supported in your country.
Best for: urban supernatural action, martial arts, hidden-world conspiracies.
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TO BE HERO X moves Chinese animation into a superhero and trust-based powers framework rather than relying primarily on ancient fantasy. Its modern setting and anthology-like power concepts give it a distinct place on this list.
The title’s placement reflects a shorter track record and less accumulated franchise history than the established classics above it, not a lack of potential. It is the choice for viewers who want to see donghua testing a contemporary superhero format and are comfortable with a newer work whose long-term reputation is still developing.
Crunchyroll lists it among its featured Chinese animated titles at research time. As with the other entries, regional licensing and language options should be checked directly.
Best for: superheroes, modern settings, anthology-like power concepts, viewers seeking newer work.
Rank #4
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14. The Ravages of Time — Best Three Kingdoms strategy and political complexity
The Ravages of Time is a deep-cut recommendation for viewers who enjoy historical reinterpretation, factional maneuvering, and strategic storytelling. Its Three Kingdoms-inspired framework provides a large political board, but the series expects more patience and contextual attention than the accessible mysteries near the top of this ranking.
This is not the universal beginner choice. Names, alliances, historical echoes, and competing strategies can be difficult to parse if you arrive without familiarity with the period or without a willingness to look up context. For viewers who enjoy political intrigue and calculated factional conflict, however, that density is the attraction rather than a flaw.
Best for: Three Kingdoms-inspired drama, strategy, political intrigue.
15. Cinderella Chef — Best historical romance-comedy comfort watch
Cinderella Chef rounds out the ranking by showing that Chinese animation is not limited to battles, ghosts, and cultivation. Its food-centered premise, historical-romance setting, and lighter tone provide a softer alternative to the darker or more strategically demanding entries above it.
The series is a good reminder that “best Chinese anime” should describe a range of storytelling rather than a single production style. Viewers looking for romance, food, historical fantasy, and a comfort-watch mood may prefer it to a more acclaimed but heavier action title.
Crunchyroll’s English-facing donghua guide includes the title at research time. Confirm local availability and subtitle options before starting.
Best for: romance, food, historical fantasy, lighter viewing.
Choose by mood
- Mystery: Link Click has the strongest combination of a simple supernatural rule, case-based momentum, and increasingly complicated consequences.
- Romance and fantasy: Heaven Official’s Blessing is the clearest choice for gods, ghosts, xianxia mythology, and an emotionally central relationship.
- Comedy: Choose Scissor Seven for short-form assassin comedy with serious action underneath, or The Daily Life of the Immortal King for school-based cultivation parody.
- Cultivation: A Will Eternal is the longer commitment, while The Daily Life of the Immortal King is the lighter and more immediately comic option.
- Esports: The King’s Avatar is the obvious pick for professional gaming, tactics, rivalries, and team dynamics.
- Visual spectacle: Fog Hill of Five Elements is the craft-first choice when hand-drawn movement and painterly design matter more than a fully resolved long-form plot.
- Historical mystery: Try White Cat Legend for court intrigue and ensemble comedy, or The Ravages of Time for much denser political strategy.
- Modern supernatural action: The Outcast and Rakshasa Street bring hidden powers and spirit conflict into contemporary environments.
Buying and collecting Heaven Official’s Blessing
Physical editions are optional, not prerequisites for enjoying the series, and prices, stock, release dates, and regional editions can change. The official English novel is the most meaningful purchase for readers who want the fuller source story: the English series is complete in eight volumes, with deluxe hardcover editions extending through volume eight. Readers who prefer illustrated storytelling can also look for the Heaven Official’s Blessing manhua box set; the official retail catalog lists hardcover manhua volumes and a collector’s box containing six volumes with bonus items.
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What to know before watching donghua
Availability is not universal
Crunchyroll is an important English-facing source for several titles on this list, including Link Click, Heaven Official’s Blessing, The King’s Avatar, The Daily Life of the Immortal King, The Legend of Hei, TO BE HERO X, and Cinderella Chef. Netflix carries Scissor Seven as Chinese-language adult animation. Those catalog facts are useful starting points, not promises that every title, season, dub, or subtitle track is available in every country.
Do not confuse adaptations
Several major donghua are part of larger franchises with novels, manhua, live-action adaptations, or physical releases. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and Heaven Official’s Blessing are particularly easy to encounter in multiple formats. A novel, manhua, animated series, and live-action adaptation may tell related versions of a story while differing in pacing, emphasis, and accessibility. Choose the format you actually want rather than assuming one release replaces all the others.
This is an editorial ranking
The order is not an official popularity ranking, a domestic Chinese chart, or an aggregate of critics’ scores. It reflects the balance of craft, originality, cultural or industrial significance, staying power, and legal English-language accessibility at the time of research. A viewer who values animation above plot may put Fog Hill of Five Elements first; a cultivation specialist may rank A Will Eternal much higher.
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What is the difference between Chinese anime and donghua?
“Chinese anime” is the familiar English search term. “Donghua” is more precise: it generally means animation produced in China, often using Mandarin-language dialogue and stories connected to Chinese mythology, history, web fiction, manhua, or contemporary life.
What is the best Chinese anime for a beginner?
Start with Link Click if you want a mystery, Heaven Official’s Blessing if you want epic fantasy and romance, or Scissor Seven if you prefer comedy-action. Each has a clear premise without requiring extensive knowledge of cultivation or Chinese history.
Where can I legally watch these donghua?
At research time, Crunchyroll carried several of the listed titles and Netflix carried Scissor Seven. Availability varies by country, season, subtitle track, dub, and licensing window, so search the official catalog for your territory rather than relying on a worldwide list.
Is this a popularity ranking?
No. It is an editorial ranking based on narrative quality, animation and direction, originality, cultural or industrial significance, and how rewarding the title is for English-speaking viewers who can legally find it. There is no single universal ranking of the best donghua.
Should I read the Heaven Official’s Blessing novel after watching the donghua?
Yes, if you want the fuller source story and more time with the characters. Seven Seas lists the official English edition as a complete eight-volume series, while the animated series and manhua offer different ways into the same larger property.
The Bottom Line
Start with Link Click for the best all-around introduction to donghua. Then choose according to mood: Heaven Official’s Blessing for epic fantasy, Scissor Seven for comedy-action, The King’s Avatar for esports, The Daily Life of the Immortal King for cultivation comedy, and Fog Hill of Five Elements for animation craft. Check your local legal catalog before watching, because international availability changes.
Quick Recap
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