Donghua, or Chinese animation, has been absolutely crushing it in 2025 with some of the most visually stunning and narratively ambitious shows we’ve seen yet. While anime still dominates Western conversations, Chinese studios are pushing boundaries with epic fantasy adaptations, innovative storytelling, and animation quality that rivals anything coming out of Japan. These 10 donghua have defined 2025 so far, proving that if you’re only watching anime, you’re missing out on half the conversation.
1. To Be Hero X
Haoliners Animation League brought back this cult favorite in January 2025, and fans of the original’s absurdist humor got exactly what they wanted with even weirder energy this time. The story follows Min, a lazy uncle, whose nephew suddenly appears from another world, dragging him into interdimensional chaos he is completely unprepared for.
You do not need to have seen any previous seasons to enjoy it. The show introduces all the main characters and the world’s rules from scratch, so newcomers can follow along without confusion. To Be Hero X works perfectly on its own, mixing wild toilet humor with surprisingly heartfelt moments. The show sticks to the franchise’s funny, offbeat look while giving the battles more energy, and fans are going crazy on TikTok.
2. Lord of Mysteries
B.C May Pictures adapted Cuttlefish That Loves Diving’s massively popular web novel, and this might be the most ambitious donghua adaptation of 2025. Klein Moretti wakes up in an alternate Victorian-era world and gets caught up in supernatural mysteries involving secret organizations, eldritch powers, and conspiracies that threaten reality itself.
The source material has a devoted fanbase who had sky-high expectations, and somehow, the adaptation delivers with its atmospheric world-building and intricate magic system. The show balances Lovecraftian horror elements with detective work and strategic planning, creating something that feels more mature than typical power fantasy donghua.
3. The Super Cube
In this series, an ordinary boy’s life spirals into chaos after winning a goddess’s heart and gaining a mysterious cube that grants him superpowers. With his newfound strength, he sets out to protect others and take on the darkness closing in around him.
Big Firebird Cultural Media and iQIYI dropped this on March 21, 2025, delivering classic Chinese shounen energy where the hero actually wants to help people instead of just flexing powers. Rescuing his kidnapped girlfriend means battling through strange worlds while dealing with school drama, and somehow, the show makes both feel equally important.
4. The All-devouring Whale: Homecoming
Getting eaten by your own pet is bad enough, but waking up in someone else’s body makes it exponentially worse. Fan Lingxiao, a gifted spirit pet master, gets ambushed and devoured by his whale Kun during a sect competition, only to wake up reincarnated as Liu Fengmang, imprisoned in the White Mansion.
Bilibili and Big Firebird Culture launched this in May 2025, and it’s been breaking the internet ever since with comparisons to Pokémon, but way darker. The wuxia elements mixed with creature taming create something that feels fresh despite borrowing from familiar genres. The animation quality especially shines in action sequences with eye-catching fabric and effects work that rival anything Japan is producing this year.
5. The Laid Off Demon
Adapted from the Unemployment Demon light novel, this might be 2025’s most relatable donghua despite featuring literal demons and heroes. Skyloong and Tencent dropped it on February 5, 2025, turning the entire fantasy genre into a workplace comedy about being overqualified and underpaid. The hook? A powerful demon lord gets impeached from his position and now has to find regular employment to lift his curse and pay off debts, with a broke rookie hero tagging along.
What could’ve been a one-joke premise becomes genuinely funny because the writers understand the soul-crushing experience of job hunting and apply that to magical contexts. The ex-demon king being way too skilled for entry-level adventuring gigs while desperately needing the money hits different when you’ve ever been overqualified for something.
6. Celestial Bonds
After losing her memories from a century-old battle, immortal Tian Quan descends to the mortal world and, alongside her mysterious companion Li Xiao—whose past may be tied to her lost lover—must confront the reborn Mirage Spirit threatening Cangshuo once again.
Thundray and iQIYI released this on June 13, 2025, giving us one of the most visually gorgeous fantasy donghua of the year. Memory loss plots can feel tired, but this one works because Tian Quan’s journey to the mortal world isn’t just about recovering what she lost. The action and adventure elements blend seamlessly with fantasy worldbuilding that feels lived-in rather than exposition-heavy.
At 15 minutes per episode, the pacing stays tight without rushing character moments, proving shorter episodes can deliver just as much impact as full-length ones when the storytelling is this focused and the animation this committed to beauty.
7. Renegade Immortal: Battle of Gods
A film adaptation of the popular Renegade Immortal series, this theatrical release proves donghua can deliver amazing cinematic experiences. BUILD DREAM dropped it on May 30, 2025, and fans of the original series lost their minds over the production values. Wang Lin must save the poisoned Li Muwan while facing powerful enemies and uncovering a millennia-old conspiracy, eventually merging with an Ancient God to battle the Demon Lord.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the 90-minute runtime lets the story breathe without feeling rushed like some theatrical anime adaptations do. Cultivation series live or die on their action choreography, and this movie absolutely delivers with god-tier battles that justify the big screen treatment.
8. The New Chronicles of Extraordinary Beings: Preface
Paying rent with an old house barely works until you accidentally become a universe police officer dealing with supernatural tenants. Hao Ren is a typical young man from a small city barely making ends meet when a strange turn of events makes him a “universe police officer” who must oversee a home inhabited by strange, non-human residents assigned by his enigmatic superiors.
Bilibili released this seven-episode ONA starting July 9, 2025, with each episode running around 15 minutes. Based on the 2014 web novel The Record of Unusual Creatures, the series takes a premise that could’ve been pure comedy and adds genuine mystery as problems develop in the Dream Plane Universe. The landlord-tenant dynamic with aliens creates sitcom energy while cosmic-level threats keep the stakes high.
9. The Legend of Princess Chang-Ge
Animated by Studio BIGBIGSUN and released on February 23, 2025, this Bilibili donghua adapts Xia Da’s acclaimed manhua Chang Ge Xing. The story follows Princess Li Chang-Ge after her father, the emperor, is murdered during a coup. Instead of wallowing in grief, she cuts her hair, disguises herself as a man, and starts plotting her revenge.
Unlike most historical dramas that focus purely on love or action, this one dives deep into politics, strategy, and resilience. Its art direction is stunning, with detailed clothing and soft color palettes that give each scene a painterly vibe.
10. Demon’s Ascension
Demon’s Ascension is a dark fantasy that falls into those rare cultivation stories that aren’t all about flashy power-ups. The donghua follows Liu Ming, a survivor of a brutal island prison who’s thrown into a chaotic world of spirits, sects, and monsters.
The pace starts slow, but that’s what gives it weight. You actually feel Liu Ming’s growth instead of just watching another hero level up. Created by Wonder Cat Animation, Demon’s Ascension succeeded in bringing a darker edge to the xianxia genre while staying weirdly hopeful. Fans online praise it for sticking closer to the source novel and giving side characters meaningful arcs instead of treating them as filler.
