00:00China has seen an impressive boom in its Donghua, Chinese animation, in recent years.
00:06Series such as M.O. Daozhou Shur and Link click appear on global streaming platforms,
00:11attracting audiences beyond Asia. Fans praise the technical quality of these productions,
00:17which blend traditional Chinese aesthetics with cutting-edge 3D animation.
00:22Below we review the 10 most notable Chinese works, with a summary of their plot,
00:27the studio responsible, their popularity, and unique features.
00:31The Legend of Hei is a 2019 animated film directed by M.T.J.J., Ping Zhang, and produced by Joy Pictures.
00:40It is a prequel to the series The Legend of Luo Xiaohi, which recounts the adventures of the cat spirit Luo Xiaohi.
00:47After the destruction of his home, Xiaohi wanders in search of refuge,
00:52facing both humans and other spirits who distrust humanity.
00:56This feature film was made entirely with traditional 2D animation,
01:00resulting in a very striking visual style, even compared to that of Studio Ghibli.
01:06Its emotional story and environmental themes made it very popular in China.
01:11It grossed approximately $48.5 million at the box office,
01:16a high figure for Chinese animated film.
01:18HMCH, Hangzhou Huimi Cartoon,
01:21Studio participated in the production, backing its reputation for quality.
01:26The Legend of Hei stands out for its careful aesthetics and narrative sensitivity,
01:31earning positive reviews both in China and abroad.
01:35M.O. Dao Zushu is a Donghua series, 2018-2021,
01:40based on the best-selling novel by M.O. Xiangtongxiao.
01:43The plot follows the demonic cultivator Wei Wuxian,
01:47who was killed and then revived 13 years later in the body of another character,
01:53M.O. Xuanyu.
01:54Wei Wuxian will take advantage of this second chance
01:57to unravel the dark secrets that led to the destruction of his sect.
02:02This xinxia combines mystery, supernatural adventure, and touches of humor.
02:07Produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and B.C. Mei Pictures,
02:12the series stands out for its high-quality animation.
02:15It has been particularly praised for how it blends an elegant traditional Chinese style
02:19with detailed 3D animation techniques,
02:22achieving perfect visual harmony.
02:25In terms of popularity, M.O. Dao Zushu broke records.
02:29The first season surpassed 1 billion views on Chinese platforms,
02:33with a rating of 8.9 on the Dubon network,
02:36comparable to major Japanese anime.
02:39The second season surpassed this figure with a 9.3 on Dubon,
02:43cementing its status as a phenomenon.
02:46The success was such that it became one of the most highly-rated series globally,
02:50gaining international fans thanks to its charismatic characters and intense narrative.
02:55The King's Avatar is a Dong-wa series released in 2017,
03:00based on a popular web novel by Hudailon.
03:03The story centers on Yishio,
03:04a prodigious professional esports player specializing in the online video game glory.
03:10After being kicked off his team,
03:12Yishio is forced to start from scratch working in an internet cafe.
03:16Without losing his passion,
03:18he creates a new character in glory and sets out to return to the top of the game.
03:23Produced by Tencent,
03:24with animators from G.Sime and Colored Pencil,
03:27this series combines action with the competitive world of video games.
03:31It was pioneering in that it was designed as a promotional tool for Tencent,
03:37including references to real games such as Honor of Kings.
03:41The series received a massive response.
03:43Its first episode on YouTube exceeded 3 million views,
03:47and on Chinese platforms,
03:49Billy Billy and Tencent Video.
03:51It accumulated more than 120 million views.
03:55This huge interest reflects the popularity of the King's Avatar,
03:59which led to the production of sequels and a spin-off feature film for the glory.
04:04In addition,
04:04its technical quality and portrayal of the gaming world won it fans outside China,
04:10especially when Crunchyroll released the official translation of its first seasons.
04:15Link Click is a science fiction thriller released in 2021.
04:19The series was written and directed by Li Haolang,
04:23produced mainly by Studio Land with help from Hailiners Animation League.
04:27Its plot revolves around Chung Xiaoshir and Lu Guang,
04:30two young people who run a very special photography studio.
04:34Using old photographs,
04:36Chung travels back in time to the exact moment the photo was taken,
04:40assuming the identity of its original photographer.
04:43He relives the memories of that moment to help his clients correct past mistakes,
04:48on the condition that he does not change the original story.
04:52The series combines mystery and supernatural elements,
04:56exploring the impact of small gestures over time.
04:59Link Click stood out for its emotional storytelling and fluid animation.
05:03It was very well received both in China and internationally.
05:07It aired on Bilibili, Funimation, and Crunchyroll.
05:11At the studio level,
05:12the project consolidated Studio Land,
05:15founded by Li Haolang himself,
05:17as a name to watch in Chinese animation.
05:20In short,
05:21Link Click stands out for its innovative time travel mechanics,
05:24and for being an emotional thriller with detailed art.
05:28Scissor 7,
05:29also known as Killer 7,
05:31is a comedy-in-action series released in 2018.
05:34Created by He Xiaofeng,
05:36it was animated by a Cher Fun Studio in collaboration with AHA Entertainment.
05:42The plot follows Seven,
05:43an amnesiac assassin who works as a contract hairdresser.
05:48Equipped with his immortal scissors and a carefree attitude,
05:51Seven takes on assassination jobs that are as absurd as they are humorous.
05:55The series stands out for its irreverent tone and its mix of martial arts and comic gags.
06:01It has been a pioneer in the international market.
06:04Scissor 7 was the first Chinese animated series to premiere as a Netflix original,
06:102020,
06:11which increased its global reach.
06:13Although we do not have official audience figures,
06:16word of mouth and good reviews,
06:18including nominations at international festivals,
06:21confirm its popularity.
06:22According to its own description,
06:24is a wuxia comedy dong-wa.
06:27In short,
06:28Scissor 7 shines for its distinctive visual style
06:31and for breaking stereotypes,
06:33turning assassination missions into crazy,
06:36heartfelt parodies.
06:38The Daily Life of the Immortal King
06:39is a series based on a novel by Ku Shuan,
06:42broadcast since 2020.
06:45Hailin'er's Animation League
06:46led the animation of the first season,
06:49with subsequent seasons by other studios,
06:51and the Bilibili platform is its main producer and distributor.
06:55The story tells the life of Wang Ling,
06:58a prodigious cultivator who,
07:00since childhood,
07:02has been advancing two levels every two years.
07:05At 16,
07:06he is practically invincible,
07:08but his biggest challenge is leading a normal high school life.
07:11The Daily Life of an Immortal King mixes
07:14xinxia action with everyday humor.
07:17Its success is partly due to its light tone
07:19and the identification with typical teenage problems,
07:23friendships,
07:24studies,
07:25brought into a magical context.
07:26It was very popular on streaming platforms.
07:30It premiered on Billy Billy,
07:31has been available on Netflix since June 2021,
07:35and Crunchyroll even produced an English dub in 2022.
07:38The series stands out for its colorful animation
07:41and its amusing contrast between the omnipotent protagonist
07:45and his mundane situations.
07:47As the references note,
07:49being a genius at cultivation
07:50doesn't make school life easy for Wang Ling,
07:53a hook that has captivated thousands of viewers.
07:56Soul Land is an action fantasy dong-wa
07:59based on a famous novel by Tang Jia San Xiao.
08:02The series follows Tang San,
08:04a young man from a martial clan
08:06who possesses two unique martial souls.
08:09Throughout the story,
08:11Tang San must grow up in a world
08:12where battles depend not only on strength,
08:15but also on strategy.
08:17In fact,
08:18one analysis highlights that Soul Land
08:20rethinks the purpose of its combat.
08:23Fights become puzzles where teamwork
08:24and intelligence often outweigh brute force.
08:28The series was produced by Tencent Animation
08:30and has multiple seasons, 2018 to 2023.
08:35It became a massive hit in China,
08:37attracting millions of viewers
08:39and contributing to the rise
08:41of the digital wuxia genre.
08:43Its characters,
08:43the Seven Demons of Shrek team,
08:46and creative power system
08:47won legions of fans.
08:49Soul Land is especially valued
08:51for its intelligent storytelling.
08:53As one review describes,
08:55characters win or lose,
08:57not because they are stronger,
08:59but because they are better at adapting
09:01or working as a team.
09:03This tactical approach
09:04sets it apart within the genre
09:06and has helped the saga,
09:08including subsequent adaptations
09:09in video games,
09:11become hugely popular
09:12both in China and abroad.
09:14Big Fish and Begonia
09:15is an epic fantasy animated film
09:17released in 2016,
09:20directed by Liang Xian and Zhang Chun.
09:23It was the first collaboration
09:24between Chinese studio B&T,
09:27Beijing and Light,
09:27and South Korean studio Studio Mir.
09:30The plot is inspired
09:31by Chinese mythology.
09:33Chun, a young girl
09:35in a mystical underwater kingdom,
09:37transforms herself
09:38into a red dolphin
09:39to experience the human world
09:41for a week.
09:42There she meets a boy
09:43who dies rescuing her
09:45during a storm.
09:46Devastated,
09:47Chun negotiates
09:48to bring the young man
09:49back to life,
09:51triggering events
09:51that link both worlds
09:53in a sacrifice
09:54of lives and loves.
09:55This film stood out
09:57for its beautiful
09:58hand-drawn animation
09:59with stylistic influences
10:01reminiscent of
10:02studio Ghibli films.
10:04In China,
10:05it grossed around
10:06$85.7 million,
10:08a remarkable success
10:10for a domestic animation.
10:12In addition to its visual appeal,
10:14the film stood out
10:15for its emotional story
10:16of love and sacrifice
10:18and for blending
10:19classic elements
10:20of Chinese culture,
10:21giant fish,
10:22ancestral rituals,
10:23into a modern animation.
10:26Its quality earned
10:27an international distribution,
10:29Netflix and theaters,
10:30and recognition
10:31as one of the great works
10:32of recent Chinese
10:33animated cinema.
10:35N'Zha is a 2019
10:36animated fantasy comedy film
10:39directed by Jiaozi.
10:40The film revisits
10:41the famous mythical character
10:43from Investiture of the Gods,
10:45reimagining him
10:46as a demonic child
10:47banished by fate.
10:49In the plot,
10:50little N'Zha is born
10:51with the destructive powers
10:53of a demonic orb,
10:54causing his people
10:55to reject him.
10:56Despite his curse,
10:58N'Zha struggles
10:59to become a hero
11:00instead of a villain,
11:01facing prophecies
11:02of destruction.
11:03It was produced
11:04by Qingdu Coco Cartoon,
11:06director Jiaozi's
11:07own studio.
11:09The film was
11:09a box office phenomenon.
11:11With a modest budget
11:12of $22 million,
11:14it grossed about
11:15$742.7 million,
11:18becoming the highest
11:19grossing animated film
11:20in China to date.
11:22It was also the first
11:23Chinese animation
11:24to be released
11:24in IMAX format
11:25and broke local
11:27box office records.
11:28It stood out
11:29for its high-quality
11:303D animation,
11:31irreverent humor,
11:33and positive message.
11:35Even someone marked
11:35by an evil destiny
11:37can choose their own path.
11:39In short,
11:40N'Zha combines
11:41Chinese mythology
11:42with modern entertainment,
11:43cementing its reputation
11:44as a classic
11:45of contemporary
11:46Chinese animation.
11:48Heaven Official's Blessing
11:49is a Donghua series
11:50released in 2020,
11:52adapted from another novel
11:53by M.O.
11:55Xiangtongxiao.
11:56The story follows
11:57Xie Lien,
11:58a former prince
11:59turned unfortunate god,
12:01and his mysterious companion,
12:03the powerful
12:04ghost Hua Cheng.
12:05After multiple rises
12:06and falls,
12:08Xie Lien forms
12:09a relationship
12:10with Hua Cheng
12:11full of supernatural
12:12adventures
12:13and romantic drama.
12:14The tone mixes
12:15comedy,
12:16BL romance,
12:17and epic fantasy.
12:18Production.
12:20The first season
12:20was animated
12:21by Hailiners Animation League
12:23and the second
12:24by Red Dog Culture House,
12:25under the supervision
12:26of Billy Billy
12:27as the main producer.
12:29It has been very well received
12:30for its detailed animation
12:32and emotional narrative.
12:34Although there are
12:35no official audience figures,
12:37it was distributed
12:37on Billy Billy
12:38and then on Crunchyroll
12:40and Funimation,
12:41gaining thousands
12:42of subscribers
12:43for its mystical atmosphere.
12:45A brief synopsis
12:46says that
12:46eight centuries
12:47after his fall,
12:49Xie Lien ascends
12:50to heaven
12:50for the third time
12:51and meets
12:52a mysterious ghost king
12:53who has been watching him
12:54for a long time.
12:56Fans highlight
12:56the polished animation
12:58and the chemistry
12:59between the main characters.
13:01Overall,
13:01Heaven Official's Blessing
13:02closes our list
13:03with a very popular anime
13:05among fans of
13:06Shinsha
13:07and fantasy romance
13:08in China.
13:09These were the ten
13:10most notable
13:11Chinese productions,
13:12each with its own magic.
13:14Which one would you like
13:15to see first?
13:16Leave us your opinion
13:17in the comments.
13:18Don't forget to subscribe
13:19for more content
13:20on anime
13:21and animation worldwide.
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