Top 20 Chinese Anime (Donghua) to Watch in 2020

The Chinese animation had reached an all-new level last 2019 with NeZha at the vanguard as it keeps on breaking box office records in China while captivated the hearts of millions of viewers from all over the world. Chinese animation or also known as donghua had been on the rise these past few years, all thanks to The King’s Avatar and Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation which both penetrated the mainstream in the global arena. And last year, we had NeZha as well as several other donghua titles that really dominated and make a buzz on the internet and that includes White Snake, The King’s Avatar prequel movie: For the Glory, The Legend of Hei, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Season 2, Psychic Princess, Adorable Food Goddess, and many more. In case, you want to start watching Chinese animation, I would like to recommend our Chinese anime movie starter pack as a short introduction and welcome for you.

Quan Zhi Gao Shou Season 2. First in our list is the donghua that made me a fan of Chinese anime , my favorite Chinese anime of all time, and that is no other than the biggest e-sports donghua of the decade – The King’s Avatar. The first season had set our 2017 on fire and followed by a 3-episode OVA (8^thSeason All-Star Competition) in 2018. A year later, fans are expecting for the 2^nd season to be released in 2019 after the conceptual trailer had been released in April last year. However, we instead get the prequel movie For the Glory which made us cry a river due to the introduction of Su Muqiu, and Ye Xiu’s entrance in the Glory Professional scene despite how disappointing its screenplay is. Just before 2019 ended, we had been treated to a special surprise when The King’s Avatar Season 2 formal trailer had been unveiled. For more info about The King’s Avatar anime season 2, you may check our separate post about it at The King’s Avatar Season 2 Anime – Release Date, Trailers & Updates. 

In the latest announcement by Tencent, The King’s Avatar Season 2 release was scheduled on the 3rd quarter of 2020 (September 25) , thus we can expect it to be released by either July or August just like what they did on Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation season 2, and Battle Through the Heavens season 3.

Tian Guan Ci Fu – From the studio behind Fox Spirit Matchmaker comes Heaven Official’s Blessing. This is based on a novel written by Mo Xiang Tiu the author who also wrote the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi), and will be another danmei (boys-love) to watch out for this 2020 from China. There’s one thing that I am sure though, Heaven Official’s Blessing will surely rip our hearts with its drama, and captured us with its visually stunning animation. Heaven Official’s Blessing is listed as the top anticipated anime from bilibili’s 2020 lineup.

I have previously listed this donghua as one of the best comedy Chinese anime out there and I am simply happy to see it coming back for another season as I firmly believed that the world needs more humor and not just love. With its hilarious streak of parody approach, Chivalrous Hero Shen JianXin was able to catch the attention of many donghua viewers including me, and I couldn’t think of my 2020 donghua watchlist without it.

Jiang Zi Ya. The first donghua film in our list is The Legend of Deificationwhich is set in the same universe as the 2019 record-breaking movie NeZha. The Chinese gods’ universe must be really vast and it couldn’t be contained alone in one donghua story. Upon watching its trailer, I felt like dropping my jaw on how fantastic the animation quality is, and how emotionally powerful the plot is.

Wu Shan Wu Xing (雾山五行) – An anime that I’ve been craving to see and had been in the making since 2017 with studio Samsara’s small number of crews but dedication and effort, Wu Shan Wu Xing aka Fog Hill of the Five Elements sure is going to be big with godlike animation based on the previously released set of trailers. At first, I thought that this donghua will be released last year, however, the entire production had been delayed but before 2019 ended, its production is almost finished, thus I am expecting that it’ll be released this 2020. This donghua is a joined project of Samsara Animation Studio & Nice Boat Animation. For more info about this, you may check our separate post about it at: Fog Hill of the Five Elements – the most anticipated Chinese anime of the year. [Update: Fog Hill of Five Elements release date is scheduled on July 26, 2020 as part of summer 2020 Chinese anime lineup.

Bai Yao Pu (百妖谱) – Also known as Hundred Demons Spectrum is among the biggest and most anticipated Chinese anime of 2020 from bilibili. With such a stunning animation based on the previously released trailer during the Bilibili Event that launched its donghua projects for 2020, Manual of the Hundred Demons will tell us a rather generic story that we have heard from the other anime shows before but this time it will be delivered with Chinese flair and a beautiful animation sequence. The upcoming donghua is based on a manhua and tell us the story of a doctor who treats spirits, or supernatural creatures on which she’ll become entangled in the story between these spirits and with humans as the series goes on. Does this remind you of some familiar cliché? On my end, it feels like a combination of a whole lot of series including my favorites Natsume’s Book of Friends, and Mushishi (both sits as my 1^st and 2^nd favorite anime of all time). The Manual of Hundred Demons anime adaptation release date is scheduled on April 25, 2020 at bilibili and was animated by Haoliners Animation League. It will air as part of the spring 2020 Chinese anime seasonal lineup which includes popular titles such as Stellar Transformations season 2, White Cat Legend, Everlasting Immortal Firmament season 4, All Saints Street, Those Years I Opened a Zoo, God of Deception, Tales of Demons and Gods season 4, Hitori no Shita: The Outcast season 3, Spicy Girl, and Spirit Wind Elegance.

Min Diao Ju Yi Wen Lu (民调局异闻录) – Another donghua project from BC May, this has been announced after the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation season 2 concluded and I am simply excited for this as the trailers that were previously released looks really sick. The animation quality on this is no doubt going to take our breath away while also giving us a decent story. Occult Investigator’s Strange Record will be released as part of the Tencent Video donghua lineup for 2020. Also known as Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, the anime will premiere on August 7, 2020 as part of this year’s summer donghua lineup.

Yao Jing Zhong Zhi Shou Ce (妖精种植手册) – Here’s another exciting donghua that I am craving to see and is scheduled to air this January, it’s Planting Manual which is based on a manhua called Demon Spirit Seed Manual. The recent promotional videos that were released for this donghua were captivating and I must say that I truly fell in love with its opening theme song Elegy of Fairies which really gives that vibes of Elves from The Lord of the Ring. Planting Manual is part of Tencent Video lineup for 2020 and is animated by Big Firebird Culture Media.

• Read: Check our first impression review of Planting Manual anime (4 episodes only)

Ying Xiong Zai Lin (英雄再临) – Also known as Hero? I’ve Long Stopped Being One. This upcoming donghua is one of the most highly anticipated Chinese anime by the fans of its source material which is a novel of the same title. Hero Return could be compared to a certain degree to One Punch Man. However, there are some differences, although they are both overwhelming or overpowered, our hero in this story is one with a great sense of leadership who made him stand atop the pyramid of the world superheroes. Unfortunately, our hero suddenly disappeared from people’s eyes and it seems that he quit for good or so it seems. That is the premise of Hero’s Return anime adaptation that may tackle his comeback in the scene. The previously revealed trailer of Hero’s Return had been widely discussed by our readers in our social media outlet and that fact alone made me excited for this Chinese anime.

Previously known as Access Denied which I believed to be quite irrelevant from the original story, The Defective is set to become the biggest interstellar adventure in the Chinese anime community. I have to say that the premise of the story is quite ambitious although it has so many clichés that we could found from other science fiction novels. Nonetheless, this is going to be a breath of fresh air in 2020 Chinese anime lineup most especially since we have tons of wuxia, martial arts donghua this year as well as transmigration adventure (isekai) story. The Defective is part of Bilibili’s 2020 anime lineup and will be animated by Coastline Animation Studio.