Choosing your first work from an unfamiliar world can become easier if you begin with a question about your taste: do you prefer mystery, comedy, competition or adventure? That question gives us a practical route into donghua, or Chinese animation, through conflicts we can understand and characters we can care about from the outset.
Our criterion here is a clear entry point into the story and the ability to follow it without reading its original material or already knowing the terminology of power levels and immortality. Some works may require attention to the details of their game or world, but they give viewers a clear goal through which to follow events.
Our selection comprises five series and one film. We present them without ranking them, identifying the starting point we suggest for each experience.
LINK CLICK: If You Like Small Details Turning Into Big Questions
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a photo studio, using their abilities to enter their clients' photographs and fulfil their requests. A photograph opens a window onto an earlier situation, but getting close to its subjects' lives carries risks beyond obtaining a piece of information.
We recommend LINK CLICK to viewers who enjoy suspense tied to tangible human problems. Its entry point is a small shop and a specific request; through them, the story begins expanding its questions about what happened, what the characters know and what they can do with that knowledge.
Photography also gives the idea an easily imagined starting point: a still moment with an entire life hidden behind it. We think this brings the fantasy closer to viewers, even as its consequences become more complicated. Caring about what happened to people remains a way of following the supernatural element.
Start with the first episode of season one and let the story determine the order in which information is discovered. It suits viewers comfortable with tension and painful subjects, as it contains violence and themes involving loss and suicide.
The Legend of Hei: An Adventure You Can Begin With a Single Film
Xiao Hei, a spirit who can take the form of a cat, loses his forest home when it is destroyed. He begins looking for a new place and encounters spirits and humans with differing attitudes towards the world changing around them.
We choose the 2019 film The Legend of Hei for anyone seeking an entry point for a single evening. Its connection with viewers begins with a clear need: finding a home and people who can be trusted. That need helps us follow the characters and abilities Hei discovers on his journey.
For us, this entry point is appealing because discovering the world is connected with developing a sense of belonging. The main character encounters different sides and tries to understand the place he might occupy among them. Curiosity about the fantasy becomes connected with concern for a creature who has lost his home.
We recommend it to fans of adventures combining nature, friendship and supernatural abilities. The film itself is our suggested starting point; you can watch it without first following the episodic series associated with its world.
Scissor Seven: A Barber With Scissors and Problems Bigger Than His Skills
Seven, who has lost his memory, tries to earn money through assassination jobs, using his barber shop as a cover. The assignments do not go as he intends, however, leaving room for comedy and clashes while his past identity remains an open question.
Scissor Seven offers an easy beginning to grasp: someone needs money and chooses a job he cannot perform as well as he should. You can follow and enjoy that contradiction, then gradually discover the wider relationships and conflicts surrounding him.
We include it for viewers who enjoy absurdity alongside combat. The scissors connect an everyday occupation with a dangerous assignment and give the character a distinctive means of movement and confrontation. The short early episodes also offer a chance to get to know its tone without a lengthy commitment before deciding whether to continue.
Start with season one and expect the question of his past to share the story with the comedy. Despite its comic tone, it deals with assassination and violence, which affects its suitability for younger viewers.
The King’s Avatar: Returning to Competition With the Experience of a Player Who Knows His Craft
Ye Xiu, one of the leading professionals in a competitive online game, is forced to leave his club. He later works in an internet café and returns to the game with a new account, retaining years of experience and a desire to regain his standing.
We mean the animated series that began in 2017. We recommend it to viewers who enjoy stories of competition, particularly when the protagonist is an experienced figure forced to rebuild his path.
This situation helps us understand the central stakes even before grasping the game's details: Ye Xiu knows the field he loves, but must prove his ability under new circumstances. As we keep watching, understanding the tools, skills and choices becomes part of understanding the confrontations.
We see it as a suitable entry point for anyone who enjoys planning, improving performance and following the effect of experience on results. It may require greater concentration than the comedy selections, especially if team-based online games are far from your interests.
Begin with season one of the animated version; it introduces the character, the circumstances of his return and the foundation on which the competition is built.
God Troubles Me: Fantasy Amid the Confusion of Everyday Life
Su Moting's family pushes their daughter towards independence, and her circumstances lead her to meet a divine being and a cat demon. An unsettled shared life begins for the trio in a world where supernatural creatures mingle with contemporary society.
What makes God Troubles Me suitable for this list is its reliance on a situation that can quickly be understood: a young woman faces independence in unexpected company. The fantasy elements come through an everyday relationship and the complications of living together, giving viewers an entry point through the characters before expanding the world's background.
We recommend it to viewers who like comedy, unusual situations and companionship developing between different characters. Its early episodes, running approximately eleven minutes, help you try its rhythm and see whether its tone suits you.
It can be a good beginning for anyone seeking relatively light viewing in the time available between daily commitments. Starting with season one is best for discovering the encounter that brings the characters together and the nature of their relationship.
Blades of the Guardians: An Escort Assignment Opens a Road Into Conspiracies
The mercenary Dao Ma travels through desert regions and accepts an escort assignment to the capital, Chang'an. The road, however, draws him into a conflict combining pursuit, political interests and betrayal.
We choose the animated version of Blades of the Guardians for fans of swordplay and dangerous journeys. The assignment gives the story a clear direction: there is a destination to reach, with obstacles and other parties making the mission harder to complete.
This structure helps new viewers follow the immediate danger before getting to know the forces intervening in the journey. We think the mission offers an entry point into the world: understanding what Dao Ma needs to accomplish comes before grasping every political relationship surrounding him.
Start with season one and pay attention to names and alliances as the conflict expands. We recommend it to viewers seeking action and intrigue with a rougher tone, who are comfortable with killing and violent combat as part of the adventure.
Choose the Beginning That Matches Your Taste
Our first choice for mystery lovers is LINK CLICK, while The Legend of Hei offers an opportunity to try a film before committing to a series.
If comedy is closer to your taste, try Scissor Seven for absurd situations accompanied by combat, or God Troubles Me for fantasy intertwined with everyday life. For viewers drawn to competition and developing skills, we recommend The King’s Avatar, while Blades of the Guardians suits fans of swords, pursuits and conspiracies.
For a practical start, choose one work in a genre you already enjoy. The film offers a complete experience in one evening, while the opening episodes of the series give you a chance to test your connection with the characters and the story's rhythm before deciding what you want to continue watching.
All lists and recommendations