A lot of anime fans are unaware of the existence of donghua. It'svery similar toanime, except it’s made in China and almost always dubbed in Mandarin. Initially, donghua were released only for the consumption of Chinese audiences. With the increasing popularity of certain donghua in international markets, more shows started getting their own English subs.
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Many donghua can easily be found on YouTube where they’ve been subbed by fans. For those who are new to this world, here aresome must-watch titles that are sure to create more donghua fans.
Updated onAugust6th, 2021, by Rich Keller:Japan is no longer the only place where anime-style work is created. Along with genre-inspired series made in the United States, China has its own form. In fact, since 2006, the country's government has encouraged the creation ofdonghuato establish a national identity— though some of the titles mentioned in this list might not be what they had in mind.
15 To Be Hero's Lead Is A Character Literally In The Toilet
Thisdonghua, co-created by Japanese and Chinese animators, contains a most unique superhero origin story. The main protagonist, Uncle, is a handsome single father and toilet designer. When sucked down a privy, he returns as someone with superhuman powers.
Unfortunately, he's also transformed, coming back with a completely different face and body. Through the rest ofTo Be Hero, he deals with his change and the need to save Earth from catastrophe.
14 Yaoguai Mingdan (Monster List) Features Someone Who Sees Creatures
Feng Xi is a college student who fancies the most beautiful girl at his school, Su Jiuer. However, the makings of a romantic comedy stop there. ForYaoguai Mingdan (translated as Monster List) is about all types of good and bad creatures, most of them seen by Feng.
On top of this, the girl he fawns over is actually a foxy spirit. Together, they go beyond the university grounds to save the world.
In the alternate universe of thisdonghua, humans& demons live in harmony. The latter rule the night while the former work the days. However, some humans have begun to stay awake at night. This causes clamor in the demon community.
Enter the censorates— Wangpai Yushi in particular. She and her partner make one of the teams that helps mediate difficulties between humans and demons. Sometimes it's done through communication. In other instances, Wangpai isn't abashed at using some violence to calm things down.
12 Shuangsheng Lingtan (Twins Spirit Investigators) Is ForParanormal Fans
Fans of Japanese supernatural anime shouldn't have a problem settling intoTwins Spirit Investigators. It features twin brothers,Sun Xiaotu and Sun Xiaohu, who are paranormal investigators. All seems normal, at least to people who investigate the supernatural until they're given a complex case.
From there, the brother's investigation goes deeper. Eventually, they discover the cases they've previously dealt with are interconnected to a bigger threat.
11 Shi Xiong (Zombie Brother) Features The Fun Side Of Zombies
Bai Xiaofei is an ordinary 23-year-old who lives in H City. Unfortunately, he's the only normal thing there. After the contamination of their water supply by ancient dead bodies, the rest of the population has become zombies.
Zombie Brotherisn't likeThe Walking Dead. In a meta sort of way, Bai is familiar with them because he's shown watching that very show. Thus, he doesn't freak out too much when he kills his first zombie three minutes into the first episode.
10 Dongguo Xiaojie Steps Into The Unknown To Save Her Mother
This shoujo(female-oriented anime) revolves around a girl named Dongguo Xiaojie, who lives with her very sick mother. The source of her illness is unknown, forcing this brave young girl to set out on an impossible journey to find a cure. Her sworn brother (not blood-related) Mo Zixuan decides to accompany her on her journey.
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On the way,Dongguo meets many unique people. One of which is a mysterious young man called Life's Hardship. Together,the trio forms an unlikelygroup that setsonward to their journey, each with a different end goal in mind.
9 Quanzhi Gaoshou Focuses On An MMORPG Player
Fans of MMORPGs are sure to enjoy this one. Ye Xiu is the top player of the game called Glory.Unfortunately,his management cheats him out of his contract. Instead, they let a newer, and visibly less experienced, player use his official game account.
Ye holds his head high and bows out of his forced retirement gracefully. Then, he dedicates himself to Glory by starting anew.As he moves forward, hemeetsdifferent types of players.He joins with some and defeats others. Yealso learns the hard way that regaining histop position isn’tas easy as he assumed it would be.
8 Meng Qi Shi Shen Is About A Body Swap In Time
This isekai(fantasy)rom-com has a female as its protagonist— something extremely rare. The talented cook Ye Jiayao suddenly finds herself transported back in time to Imperial China. No less, inthe body of a typical damsel in distress, Ye Jinxuan. The girl is kidnapped for ransom. Jiayao has nothing but her wits, her stubbornness, and hercooking talents to get out of an extremely dicey situation.
Meng Qi Shi Shen is one visually stunning donghua, especiallyevery time a meal is prepared onscreen. A good dose of comedy, lack of any angst, and a strong female lead are what make this show a treat to watch.
7 Xiao Lu He Xiao Lan (Beryl And Sapphire) Traverses The Multiverse
Ateight minutes per episode, one would think not much can be established, plot-wise, in this anime.Yet, this is where Beryl and Sapphire prove everyone wrong. While it’s composed of many mini-arcs, it has a fewplotlines as well.
Essentially, the series literally shows Berly and Sapphireon different worlds. In each, they have different dynamics between themselves. Yet, in absolutely each world, irrespective of their ages, jobs, or duties, the two eventually become extremely close to each other. This show is a must-watch for those looking to binge on a light-hearted and feel-good series.
6 Zhen Hun Jie (Rakshasa Street) Focuses On A World Of Evil Spirits
Fans of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood are sure to enjoy this one. This donghua takes place in a sort of purgatory where spirits and humanspeacefully co-exist. Rakshasa Street hasthree main characters: Two brothers who live in the purgatory and Xia Ling, a young girl who accidentally finds herself there as well.
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The story focuses primarily on the struggles of the orphaned brothers that had to fight to get to where they are. It also puts equal focus on the struggles of Ling in this realm. She soon realizes all is not as it seems.
5 Ling Qi (Spiritpact) Pairs A Human With A Spirit
Tanmoku Ki is an extremely powerful exorcist with a lot of enemies. He decides to make goofy young Keika his spirit shadow. Keika’s presence helps Ki become stronger while allowing Keika to maintain his connection with the human world.
Ling Qi’s highlightis definitely the constant bickering between the pair. Both are extremely strong and stubborn individuals. In a way, their relationship is akin to that of Tom and Jerry. However, they also hold strong feelings for each other and are ready to put their lives at risk to save the other.
4 Aishen Qiaokeli-ing... (Cupid's Chocolates) Reveals A Boy& His Harem
This haremis quite different from most. College student Haoyi accidentallyeats a magic cake. As a result, some extremely beautiful and intelligent girls fall instantly in love with him. His troubles begin with the most popular girl, Zitong, publicly declaring thatshe's pregnant with his child. Thingsget more and more complicated (and funny) with each passing day.
The best part aboutthe harem inCupid's Chocolatesis the female characters aren’t mere caricatures. They have genuinely likable qualities. Plus, the womenspend a lot of time bonding and building each other up instead of tearing each other down.
3 Quanzhi Fashi Transports A Teenager Into A World Of Magic
Those who enjoy watching over-powered protagonists beat thecrud out of everyone are sure to enjoy Quanzhi Fashi. The story is about Mo Fan. He wakes up one fine day to a world where magic has become the norm. The more powers one has the higher their status in society.
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As luck would have it, Mo is aone-in-a-billionperson who holdsa pair of elemental magics within himself.However,these new powers bring a new set of enemies. Mo Fan learns quickly enough that brute force isn’t always the answer, so he uses his intelligence instead.
2 Huyao Shao Hongniang (Fox Spirit Matchmaker) Is Based In A World Of Matchmakers
More popularly known as Fox Spirit Matchmakers, this donghuapresents a world where matchmakers help demons reunite with their one true loves. In turn, they remember what it was like when they were human.
Two young individuals, the Daoist monk Haku Gesshou and the constantly bullied Suusu, work together as Fox Spirit Matchmakers. With both of them carrying their own heavy burdens, each works hard to fight with powerful spirits while, at the same time, bonding closely with each other.
1 Da Yu Hai Tang (Big Fish & Begonia) Is About Redemption
Slice of life lovers will surely enjoy this movie. This tale revolves around the life of a naïve little spirit named Chun. She sets her heart tobring a kind young boy from the human world back to her spirit realm. Her one action brings about catastrophic changesand forces her to make some extremely difficult choices.
This donghua is a beautifully spun tale ofhow some of the best-intentioned actions in the short termcause suffering to many in the long term. Bonus points for the beautifully drawn sceneryand hauntingly beautiful score in Big Fish & Begonia.
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