Donghua vs Anime: What's the Difference?

Donghua (动画, literally "moving pictures") refers to animation produced in China. While the term technically covers all Chinese animation, it's commonly used internationally to specifically mean Chinese animated series and films — the Chinese equivalent of "anime."

The modern donghua industry began gaining momentum around 2015-2016 with breakout hits like The King's Avatar and Mo Dao Zu Shi. Since then, it has exploded in both quality and quantity, driven by massive investment from tech companies like Tencent and Bilibili.

Donghua is strongly influenced by Chinese web novels (网文) and manhua (漫画), often adapting popular cultivation, wuxia, and xianxia stories. The industry is notable for its heavy use of 3D CGI alongside traditional 2D animation.

Anime (アニメ) is animation produced in Japan. It has been a dominant force in global entertainment since the 1960s, with iconic studios like Studio Ghibli, Toei Animation, MAPPA, and ufotable producing beloved series and films.

Anime typically adapts manga (Japanese comics) or light novels, covering an enormous range of genres from shonen action to slice-of-life, psychological thriller, mecha, isekai, and more. The industry produces hundreds of new series every year across seasonal schedules.

The anime industry has a well-established global distribution network through platforms like Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Funimation, making it easily accessible worldwide.

There's no wrong answer — both produce incredible content. Your choice depends on your preferences:

• Choose donghua if: you love martial arts, cultivation stories, Chinese mythology, 3D animation, or want tons of free content on Bilibili/YouTube.
• Choose anime if: you prefer 2D hand-drawn animation, diverse genres (romance, horror, sci-fi), established series with huge fanbases, or seasonal new releases.
• Why not both? Many fans enjoy both donghua and anime. Try Link Click (donghua) and Death Note (anime) for two brilliant thrillers from different traditions.