Donghua anime is basically 3d and more realistic version adopted by chinese anime studios. Personally, after watching a huge number of Donghua anime, I have narrowed down the best of the best in the following list. And there are no now tier or low quality donghua in this list. It is based on my personal views along with the popularity, and support received.

I will keep updating this list so, you might want to bookmark. Before we start the list, let me tell you about the factors that made me rank these Chinese Donghua Anime series. They are but not limited to:

• Quality of animation.
• Quality of sound effects.
• Story and cinematics.
• Hero leveling methods.
• Cultivation methods.
• Fight scenes.
• World building.
• Quality of villains.
• Romance level.

A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality

A mortal’s jouney is not your typical donghue anime. It is a story of a mortal boy who belongs to a very lower class. The donghua is an adoptation of a popular cultivation novel by Wang Yu. And it is way too long. Get this, the donghua already have over 150 episodes and it is expected to finish in 2040.

Protagonist, Han Li doesn’t have a talent in cultivation. However, he relies on his intellegence, patience, and hard work. He faces deadly battles, backstabs, and enemies far above his cultivation level. I love this donghua because how a weak man is transfomed into a major powerhouse steadily. He faces deadly battles, backstabs, and enemies far above his cultivation level.

Also, I find the animation quality, music, romance, enocunters, the leveling, and beatiful natural scenes quite pleasing. Full credit to Wang Yu for crafting such a rich world and unforgettable characters, and to Bilibili Studio for translating that vision into a visual masterpiece.

Lastly, the story hookes you very fast, and I’m sure once your start you crave for more. If I go into the details, it will only spoil your fun, but trust me it is worth every second of your screen time. You can watch A Mortal’s Journey FREE here by Made By BiliBili YouTube channel.

Immortality [Yong Sheng]

I know you might be thinking, why am I ranking Immortality this high? The answer is its peak level story. Imagine a salve whose father and his father before him, all died as slaves. And before his father died he said, ”it is better to be a beggar than a servant.” The emotions, the resilience, and the shear will of the protagonist got me hooked.

Immortality/Yong Sheng is based on the light novel Eternal Life. The protagonist is Fang Han who is gifted with golden elixir and a mystical dragon talisman by his master before his death. So, far there are 4 seasons, and fans are excited how the story will unfold next.

My only concern in this donghua anime is that the studios are draging unecessary scenes way too long, and the actual story moves at a snail’s pace. Many fans on Reddit have shown this concern as well.

The animation quality is good since Bilibili Studio is behind this master piece. Similarly, the simple nature of cultivation is also a plus point. Furthermore, the romance, the character building, the power mechanics, and world building is also top-notch. I don’t want to spoil much, but the cliffhangers in this donghua will keep you on your toes.

You can watch Immortality Free here by YouTube Channel Made BY BiliBili.

Battle Through The Heavens

Who doesn’t know BTTH? It is perhaps the most fast paced action donghua with top-notch animations, fights, and storyline. Battle through the heavens is based on the light novel of the same name by Tiancan Tudou. It is animated by Shanghai Motion Magic and produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures. So far it has around 150+ episodes excluding reunion and sideline episodes ( I don’t like them though!).

The protagonist is Xiao Yan, who is initially a genius but falls from grace due to some mysterious circumstances. (cannot reveal here otherwise it will spoil your fun) Due to losing his cultivation progress his fiancee decides to call off the wedding. It fuels him into rage and the story of him becoming the strongest of them all begins here.

The high intensity battles in the battle through the heavens are some of the best even animated for donghuas. The later romances coupled with betrayals, revenge, and other interesting plots the story hookes you very quickly. The good news is it will end in one or two years because the story is already in its final phase.

You can watch Battle Though the Heavens here for FREE by Yuewen Animation English YouTube channel.

Swallowed Star

I don’t know why the donghua Swallowed star is discussed very rare. This one is a gem with a mix of cultivation, tech, space exploration, and much more. You will not find a similar donghua anime anywhere else. The world building is so awesome, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger as the story progresses.

The animation quality is extremely well done, and so is the music & sound effects. The protagonist Luo Feng is your normal guy with a shear will to strive for a better world. At the start the Earth is is a post-appocalytic state with only a few superpowers remaining to fight against beasts, and mutated monsters.

After watching a few episodes you’ll think that the ‘god of war’ title is at the peak of cultivation. Guess again, in the huge expanse of the universe they are mere ‘nothing.’ Infact, the highest cultivation levels on Earth are the lowest of the lowest in most planents.

I can not even scratch the surface of the whole world building, and power levels in the Swallowed Star. And I don’t want to spoil. So, let’s leave it at that for now. The only think this one lack is the romantic side, as it doesn’t focus much on the relationships of the protagonist. May be he is one woman type of guy.

Swallowed Star anime donghua series is adopted from a web novel by I Eat Tomatoes (wao, me too) and is produced by Sparkly Key Animation Studio. If you have not watched it yet, you can do so for FREE on YouTube by Anime Box.

Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

If you’re a fan of sci-fi cultivation world donghuas like Swallowed star, you are also going to love this one. Set in a world infested with demonic alien beasts, humans constantly struggle against them. The protagonist is a gifted, and talented weapon refiner whose dream is to become the best.

Humans in this world have psychic powers which greatly enhance their physical, and cultivation powers. The basic theme of power scaling is the level of your spiritual roots. Li Yao, the protagonist fails to hit the bottle neck at first but one day his body is attacked by a thousand years old cultivator/refiner from another dimension who tries to control his body, and being.

Naturally, the old cultivator fails, but his thousands of years of refining memories are stored in Li Yao’s mind. He starts getting even better at refining, and scores highest in the school selection competitions. I don’t want to spoil this one for you so, judge it for yourself. It is available on YouTube for FREE.

Lastly, I believe this donghua has the potential to hit the top lists. So, far only a single season is available to watch. I hope they continue it soon.

The Legend of Yang Chen

The donghua Legend of Yan Chen has 40 episodes so far, and only one season. The run time is over 4 hours if you decide to binge it. The story follows the protagonist Yan Chen who gets injured in mountains and come across a legendary figure who replaces his Tao Soul (the main power system of the donghua) by a unique Ten Thousand Tao Souls. After being ridiculed for many years the legendary figure suddenly wakes up inside his body and tells him all about it.

The story itself is quiet entertaining so, I am putting this one in this list. However, the animation quality is quiet mediocre, but hopefully in the next seasons they will improve it. The power scaling system in The Legent of Yan Chen is top-notch. The protagonist is a kind fellow who never gives up, and has decided to become the strongest in the cultivation world.

Spy x Sect

Another donghua with a system. Yes, if you’re familiar with the Korean system manhwas, than the mention of a system is not new to you. It start like Matrix, a world dominated by AI which have taken 100% control of the current world. The humans are not more than sleeping energy cells for the AI.

The protagonist Cheng Ning is a modern coding genius who tried thousands of times to get rid of the AI Skynet but failed after so many times. Later, he is destroyed nd somehow finds himself in a cultivation world with a supreme millennial system. It is also an AI powered system which gives him supreme powers, treasures, and level-ups.

He finds himself filling the shoes of the most powerful sect’s master. The sect is Dragon Seeking Sect, which is the most powerful, except when he becomes the master the sect is filled with undercover agents who all have their own agendas and schemes.

In Spy X Sect, there are other people with systems (not as powerful and reliable as our protagonist’s). It is a fun donghua to watch if you are into cultivation donghuas. The animation quality is quite good, and the story is also good enough to keep watching.

Martial Universe

Martial Universe is a cultivation donghua, and so far it has 60 episodes spanning over 5 seasons. It also has its ups and downs, but believe me, if you start watching, it can get you hooked pretty quickly. The storyline is amazing, and the animation gets better with each season.

The latest addition is season 5 of Martial Universe, which was released recently, and the protagonist is becoming more and more powerful with each episode. I don’t want to spoil it for you guys, but here is a quick review.

Due to an unusual encounter, Lin Dong is lucky enough to get a stone seal that has mysterious properties of comprehending martial arts and leveling him up quickly. Soon he becomes the center of attention and seeks to become stronger to get revenge.

The protagonist of Martial Universe, Lin Dong, is a genius in mind but is often overlooked, mainly because of his father, who lost in a clan duel, and as a result, their family was stripped away from the Lin Clan (one of the four major clans of their dynasty). They became a mere branch family and a laughingstock for many.

To get his family back to the main clan and take revenge for his father’s humiliation, Lin Dong sets on the path of cultivation with the help of a demonic spirit (another spoiler). His journey is filled with numerous fights, struggles, and pain.

So far, this donghua has not disappointed fans and is ongoing. You can watch it for FREE on YouTube as well. The subs are pretty decent, and again—the animation gets better with each season.

Ten Thousand Worlds

With over 30 hours of watch time available Ten Thousand Worlds follows the story of Lin Feng in a cultivation world. He inherits a rare treasure, and a phoenix bloodline which enables him to grow faster than most characters in the donghua.

The animation quality of this donghua is average, but the storyline makes up for it. The cultivation in this world is based on martial souls which are with the cultivator from birth. Lin Feng’s cultivation is stolen by his fiancée during his awakening ceremony, and he vows to get revenge.

There are other major twists, adventures, and turns in this donghua that keep the viewers stuck to the screens. Although the surrounding environments are not that grand, but the battles are portrayed beautifully. I am sure if you give this donghua a chance you’ll enjoy it.

Wu Geng Ji

Wu Geng Ji is not your typical donghua where the protagonist is spoon fed powers after every few episodes. It is gritty, serious, and way too exciting. After a few hours into it, I’m sure you will be hooked. It is based on Feng Shen which is already a popular manhua.

The protagonist Wu Geng is initially a spoiled prince but in his early years he witness the historical battle of his father, and uncle against the so called gods of this world. Later after along struggles, and hardships he leads the largest battle against them to avenge his father, and complete his dream of a free world.

Personally, I think they could have done better with animation, and a bit on the story. Still, it is definitely worth watching. Let me know if you like this donghua recommendation.

The Destiny Ruler – Tianming Da Zhuzai

Another Chinese anime (Donghua) with a system! Yes, systems are the ultimate cheat, giving the protagonist an immense edge. In this case, our hero, Li Wannian, can resurrect himself immediately after death.

The concept is fascinating and highly entertaining—especially the hero’s progress. Initially, he belongs to a minor righteous sect called the Jinyi Sect. He is a very low-level cultivator with almost zero talent. One day, an envoy from a demonic sect begins chasing him and his friends through the wilderness. In an attempt to save them, Li Wannian awakens his system.

In short, after each death, he receives “Martyr’s Points.” The more dramatic the death, the more points he earns. He can use these points to level up his cultivation techniques. He can also choose the time and place of his respawn, giving him another hidden advantage over his foes.

The Donghua, “Destiny’s Ruler,” has fairly good animation quality and sound effects and is quite enjoyable. I believe you’ll be hooked right from the first episode. Watch The Destiny Ruler for FREE here!

My Thoughts on Binge Worthy Donghua Anime List

I compiled and wrote this list after watching all of the above donghua anime series. If you are hooked by them, I think you’ll forget movies, and other form of entertainment. All of them are available on YouTube for Free. And if you’re an impatient one – you can always subscribe their chanels, and watch them as they are released.

I love how these donghua anime series follow the cultivation sequences of the main characters. Also, their animation level, battle scenes, sounds, everything is top-notch. If you’re new to my blog, please subscibe, and don’t forget to bookmark this blog post since I will be updating it regularly. Till, next time!!!

FAQs

1. What makes A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality unique?

It focuses on a talentless mortal’s rise through intelligence and perseverance rather than innate power, with stunning natural landscapes and strategic cultivation spanning 150+ episodes.

2. Where can I watch these donghua legally?

All are free on YouTube: BTTH on Tencent Video, Swallowed Star on Sparkly Key’s channel, others on Bilibili. Also, Bilibili regularly updates their YouTube channels.

3. Why does Immortality (Yong Sheng) feel slow-paced?

Its deliberate pacing builds emotional weight around Fang Han’s journey from slavery, but some fans critique extended scenes.

4. How does BTTH’s animation elevate fight scenes?

Shanghai Motion Magic uses dynamic 3D choreography for Xiao Yan’s flame battles, making clashes like “Dou Zun vs. Hall of Souls” visually explosive.

5. Is Swallowed Star suitable for sci-fi fans?

Absolutely! It blends cultivation with space tech, mechas, and cosmic-level threats beyond Earth’s “God of War” tier.

6. Which donghua has the best romance?

BTTH leads with Xiao Yan’s complex relationships, while A Mortal’s Journey offers subtle, grounded romantic subplots.

7. Will Immortality get more seasons?

Yes! Season 5 is confirmed after Fang Han’s dragon talisman power-up in Season 4’s cliffhanger.

8. Why is Han Li (A Mortal’s Journey) relatable?

He wins through preparation and wit—like using poison traps against stronger foes—avoiding typical “chosen one” tropes.

9. Does Swallowed Star downplay romance?

Luo Feng prioritizes humanity’s survival over relationships, focusing on brotherhood and cosmic exploration. So, yh, it kind of does.

10. When will BTTH end?

Late 2025 or in 2026, as Xiao Yan’s final battle against Hun Tiandi unfolds in Season 6. As of know he is already at Dao Zun stage 9.

11. Which villain stands out most?

Hun Tian—of battle through the heavens. If you read the novels, you’ll know what Hall of Souls or Hun Clan has been up to. I don’t want to spoil.

12. Are these donghua faithful to their novels?

BTTH and Swallowed Star follow key arcs closely; A Mortal’s Journey streamlines but keeps Han Li’s cunning intact.

13. What’s the best entry point for newcomers?

BTTH: Its fast pacing and epic fights (like the Three-Year Agreement duel) hook viewers instantly.

14. How does Swallowed Star expand its world?

Earth’s beast wars are just chapter one—later seasons introduce alien civilizations and universe-tier cultivation.

15. Why watch A Mortal’s Journey despite its length?

Its patient storytelling pays off with profound themes: “True power isn’t inherited—it’s earned through resilience.”