This list ranks the top-rated Chinese animated series from 2020–2025 based on Douban user ratings, spotlighting the most critically acclaimed and influential titles from the past five years.
There are 30 titles on the full "2020–2025 Douban Reputation Chart," but today we're focusing on the top ten. The first place spot goes to My Three-Body: The Legend of Zhang Beihai. Second place is a tie between Painting Rivers and Lakes: The Degenerate 6 (an original IP) and A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Outer Sea Turmoil. Coming in third is ...Immortality: Starsea Acceleration Arc.
1. My Three-Body: The Legend of Zhang Beihai 我的三体之章北海传
Topping the list is My Three-Body: The Legend of Zhang Beihai, directed by Li Zhenyi. A relatively unknown name until recently, Li brings a profound understanding of Liu Cixin's source material to this adaptation, channeling that insight into a precise, emotionally resonant portrayal of one of the franchise's most complex characters: Zhang Beihai.
As of July 15, 2025, the series holds an impressive 9.6 rating on Douban, with over 62,000 people having submitted reviews—a clear signal of its impact among sci-fi animation fans.
Rather than leaning solely on spectacle, Li's approach is restrained and deliberate. He distills the sprawling universe of The Three-Body Problem into a deeply personal tale of conviction and sacrifice, achieving that rare alchemy where hard sci-fi intersects with existential humanism.
2. Painting Rivers and Lakes: The Degenerate 6 画江湖之不良人6
Sharing second place is Painting Rivers and Lakes: The Degenerate 6 (2023), a continuation of the long-running "Bu Liang Ren" saga. Under director Li Shuaishuai, the sixth season steps up its game—not just visually but narratively—tightening the pace and deepening character development.
With a 9.4 rating and nearly 80,000 Douban reviews, it's clear that fans are still heavily invested in this wuxia-political thriller hybrid. Each character decision is loaded with moral complexity, playing out against a backdrop of shifting allegiances and high-stakes power plays.
The show weaves "chivalry" and "fate" into its DNA, infusing small moments with the weight of destiny. It's not just another martial arts fantasy—it's a drama with teeth.
3. A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starsea Acceleration Arc 凡人修仙传：星海飞驰篇
Also tied for second is A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Outer Sea Turmoil (凡人修仙传：外海风云), a 2025 release that's still airing but has already secured a 9.4 rating on Douban. Right behind it at third place is Starsea Acceleration Arc with 9.3.
Both are part of the expanding Immortality universe—a sprawling xianxia (immortal cultivation) epic that has quietly built one of the most stable and loyal fan bases in Chinese animation. Each arc is handled with care and world-building finesse, thanks to directors Wang Yuren and Lin Yu'ang.
These series take the fantastical and make it feel methodical. They're not just throwing spells and sword fights at the screen. Instead, they slowly build systems, hierarchies, and rules for this universe—layering in philosophical dilemmas and a clear progression in the protagonist's growth.
With each installment maintaining ratings between 9.0–9.4 and consistent user engagement from 20,000–30,000 viewers per season, this series has become a benchmark for long-form xianxia storytelling.
What's notable is that Outer Sea Turmoil is still ongoing. The fact that it's already ranked in the top three shows its strong week-to-week momentum. It's proof that slow-burn storytelling, when executed well, can captivate even the most fickle of streaming audiences.
And this isn't just a fluke. Multiple entries from the Mortal's Journey series appear in the top ten, showing the staying power of its IP. The production team's strategy of "industrialized long-form storytelling" seems to be working: by gradually scaling the power systems and deepening character arcs, the series has managed to stay fresh while exploring increasingly complex ideas.
It's also a case study in how Chinese animation can support commercial-scale IPs without sacrificing creative integrity.
4. Fog Hill of Five Elements Chapter 2 雾山五行·犀川幻紫林
Tied for fourth place with a 9.2 rating, Fog Hill of Five Elements Chapter 2 is helmed by director Lin Hun. Building on the stylized aesthetic of the original Fog Hill series, Lin pushes the visual envelope even further with bold ink strokes and dynamic line work to create a dazzling world of spirits and elemental warriors.
This is wuxia meets xianxia with an explosive sense of motion. Fights are fluid, visceral, and balletic—like brushstrokes in motion. Whether it's the eerie color palette of the Phantom Forest or the combat sequences pulsing with ink-wash power, the show is a masterclass in blending traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern animation technique.
Also ranked fourth is Song of the Knife: Season 2, directed by Xue Jinsheng. Continuing the chivalrous spirit of its first season, this series paints a nuanced portrait of love and vengeance in the martial world, with characters that feel lived-in and emotionally layered.
5. Painting Rivers and Lakes: The Degenerate 4 画江湖之不良人4
Also in fifth place with a 9.1 rating, The Degenerate 4, directed by Shu Yicheng, builds on the success of the series with fresh narrative depth and emotional nuance. It retains the series' signature visual flair while digging deeper into the protagonists' inner lives and the evolving stakes of the world around them.
Also ranked fifth is Tea for the Class of '22: Season 5, an original series directed by Xia Mingze. Set in a modern Chinese middle school, this animated sitcom blends slice-of-life humor with razor-sharp wit to explore the awkward, hilarious, and heartfelt chaos of adolescence.
6. Scissor Seven: Xuanwu Kingdom Arc 伍六七之玄武国篇
Tied for sixth place with a 9.0 rating, Scissor Seven: Xuanwu Kingdom Arc (2021) is a standout original work from director He Xiaofeng. Known for his wild imagination and absurdist humor, He brings the story of the hitman-barber protagonist Seven to bold new heights in this chapter.
The arc sends Seven to the enigmatic Xuanwu Kingdom, where he faces new enemies, moral dilemmas, and truths about his own identity. Underneath the slapstick and surreal gags lies a gentle but powerful meditation on self-discovery and emotional resilience.
Also in sixth place is A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Into the Starsea, directed by Wang Yuren and Zhao Xia. As the narrative's first major expansion arc, this installment follows protagonist Han Li as he ventures into the vast Starsea for the first time—opening the door to a whole new frontier of cultivation and cosmic intrigue.
7. The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Season 3 魔道祖师第三季
With a Douban rating of 8.9, five titles share the seventh spot:
- The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Season 3
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Sword of Coming Season 1 剑来第一季
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Renegade Immortal: Annual Series, Part 1 仙逆 年番1
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Ling Cage: Season 2 灵笼第二季
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...Immortality: Farewell to Tian Nan 凡人修仙传：再别天南
Let's break them down:
The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Season 3 premiered on Tencent Video in 2021. Directed by Xiong Ke, this season arrived during a golden age of xianxia animation and solidified the series' place as a genre-defining hit. With its deeply emotional storyline and powerful fanbase, it helped set the tone for how Chinese animation could marry action, romance, and supernatural drama.
Sword of Coming Season 1 and Renegade Immortal: Annual Series, Part 1 were both released in 2024 on Tencent Video. The former is adapted from a hugely popular web novel by Feng Huo Xi Zhu Hou, co-directed by A Duqin and Tian Gang. With its grounded, character-driven take on the swords-and-sorcery world, the adaptation drew in longtime fans of the novel and new viewers alike.
Renegade Immortal, created by a star-studded team including Shi Tou Xiong and Feng Yi, flips the usual cultivation narrative on its head with the theme: "Follow the path and remain mortal; go against it and become immortal." This reversal of expectations gave the show strong early momentum and helped elevate it from a seasonal release to a full-year serialized show.
On the Bilibili side of the streaming world, Ling Cage: Season 2 aired in 2025 and is directed by Dong Xiangbo. The second season of this post-apocalyptic sci-fi anime steps things up across the board—deeper world-building, more intricate plot threads, and noticeably upgraded animation. In a market where sci-fi still occupies a niche, Ling Cage stands tall thanks to the foundation laid by its cult-hit first season.
Also on Bilibili, A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Farewell to Tian Nan (2022), directed by Wang Yuren, took on the challenge of depicting the harsh realities of cultivation with very limited resources. This early series installment resonated strongly with fans of traditional xianxia, thanks to its fidelity to the original novel and emotionally grounded storytelling. It played a pivotal role in setting the tone—and raising the bar—for the rest of the Immortality saga.
8. The Outcast Season 5 一人之下第五季
In eighth place with a rating of 8.8, four series made the list:
- The Outcast Season 5
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PLEASE EAT ME!!!!! Season 3请吃红小豆吧！第三季
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The Ruins Of Kunlun LingLong 荒神录之玲珑山
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Fabulous Beast Season 2有兽焉第二季
The Outcast Season 5, directed by Chen Ye, aired in 2022 and garnered 48,111 user ratings on Douban—evidence of its solid fan base and critical acclaim. As a continuation of a well-established franchise, the show continues to impress viewers with its tight storytelling, sharp action sequences, and distinctive characters. It remains a major draw on Tencent Video.
PLEASE EAT ME!!!!! Season 3, which premiered back in 2020, was directed by Lin Chunliu. With 12,848 Douban ratings, the show has clearly built a steady fan base. Its healing, slice-of-life tone and soft, adorable visual style set it apart from other entries in the Chinese animation market.
The Ruins Of Kunlun LingLong aired in 2025 and was directed by Yihui. As one of the newer entries on this list, it's steadily building a reputation based on its world-building and narrative charm.
Meanwhile, Fabulous Beast Season 2, directed by Zhezhi and released in 2023, gained traction for its whimsical fantasy setting and highly stylized visuals, earning it a loyal following of viewers looking for something different from the usual cultivation or martial arts fare.
9. Yao—Chinese Folktales 中国奇谭
Six works share ninth place with a rating of 8.7, all of which aired on Bilibili. Directors Lin Hun and Zhezhi—already featured earlier on this list—return here with new entries, reaffirming their influence in the current Chinese animation landscape.
Topping the ninth-place entries is the anthology series Yao—Chinese Folktales, a breakout hit released in 2023 and crafted by an ensemble of 11 directors, including Chen Liaoyu and Yu Shui. With over 272,000 Douban ratings, the show quickly rose to cultural phenomenon status.
This Chinese fantasy short film collection draws deeply from traditional culture while embracing modern creativity. The animation employs a rich variety of visual styles—ranging from sketch animation and ink painting to paper cut-out—and redefines the boundaries of what domestic animation can look like. With its experimental approach and rich cultural storytelling, Chinese Folktales captured the imagination of viewers across age groups and sparked a nationwide conversation about the future of Guoman (国漫).
Highlights from the anthology include:
"Summer of the Little Monster" by Yu Shui, a subversive take on classic mythology from a working-class perspective;
"Goose, Goose, Goose" by Hu Rui, which creates suspense through minimalist, Zen-like visuals;
and "The Village Bus Took Wang Haier and the Immortal Away" by Liu Maoning, which blends rural memory with surreal fantasy.
Series initiator Chen Liaoyu intentionally challenged the industry norm that "animation must be long-form," assembling diverse creators in a short-form anthology instead. The project not only gave emerging directors a creative platform but also opened up new space for experimental animation in China's mainstream ecosystem.
Other 8.7-rated titles include:
The Manual of Hundred Demons: Capital Chapter 百妖谱·京师篇
Directed by Dong Yi, this 2022 installment continues the soothing, folklore-inspired tone of the franchise. Based on the novel by Sha Luo Shuangshu, the episodic structure weaves ancient myth with modern emotional resonance, combining classic Chinese aesthetics with contemporary sensibilities.
Tales of Herding Gods 牧神记
Adapted from a popular Qidian novel under China Literature Group, this 2024 series was directed by Shen Leping. With over 12,000 ratings, it stood out thanks to its "dark fantasy" spin on the traditionally light-and-hopeful cultivation genre. The show blends a grand, ominous narrative with cutting-edge fight choreography—establishing a fresh identity amid a crowded genre.
A veteran of the animation world, Shen Leping is known for blending martial arts and fantasy at an industrial scale—from Qin's Moon to Tales of Herding Gods. His production workflow has become a blueprint for others pursuing high-end wuxia/fantasy animation.
The Ravages of Time 火凤燎原
Directed by Fu Haiqing and released in 2023, this adaptation of Chen Mou's long-running manhua reinvents the Three Kingdoms saga with a dramatic and cerebral twist. Combining military strategy, political intrigue, and martial arts, the show finds a niche audience among history buffs and anime fans alike.
By injecting a new interpretive lens into familiar historical narratives, The Ravages of Time pays homage to the source material while using animation to reframe ancient rivalries, ideals, and tactics. It offers a vivid reawakening of a classic IP, with both reverence and innovation.
10. A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Battle of the Devil's Path 凡人修仙传：魔道争锋
Ranked tenth with a rating of 8.6, this tier includes five adapted works:
- A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Battle of the Devil's Path
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The Demon Hunter 沧元图
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Jade Dynasty Season 2 诛仙第二季
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Deviant Season 2 非人哉第二季
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1031: Halloween Street Season 3 万圣街3
A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Battle of the Devil's Path
Premiered on Bilibili in 2021, directed by Wang Yuren and Zhao Xia. This installment continues Han Li's challenging path toward immortality, deepening the storyline within the Mortal Cultivation universe and solidifying the IP's long-term popularity.
The Demon Hunter
Released on Youku in 2023 and directed by Zhang Yili, the series is adapted from the novel by I Eat Tomatoes. Utilizing Unreal Engine 5, it presents a visually stunning, large-scale fantasy world combined with a hot-blooded storyline. Its technical excellence has significantly enriched Youku's fantasy animation lineup.
Jade Dynasty Season 2
Directed by Huang Hanjun and Zhao Zhong, this adaptation of Xiao Ding's renowned xianxia novel continues to build on the rich mythological world and complex emotional entanglements of the original. With its blend of Eastern mythology and dramatic narrative arcs, it maintains the momentum of the Jade Dynasty IP.
The remaining two titles in this tier are adapted from webcomics:
Deviant Season 2
Directed by Zhong Ming, this series adapts the popular comic Deviant. It breathes new life into Chinese mythology by humorously portraying deities and mythical beings in modern-day scenarios—offering a fresh and imaginative approach to adapting traditional myths. By "modernizing" ancient gods through absurd and whimsical setups, the show cleverly breaks the solemnity often tied to mythology and instead creates delightful collisions between legend and modern life. It's a prime example of how "traditional elements" can be reimagined with contemporary expression.
1031: Halloween Street Season 3
Directed by Mutou, this adaptation of the comic 1031 Halloween Street focuses on a group of supernatural beings living together. Through a lighthearted narrative style, the show delivers warmth and humor, quietly building a devoted niche audience within the slice-of-life fantasy subgenre.
The number of ratings a show receives offers insight into its popularity and audience reach—the more ratings a show garners, the more credible its high score becomes. For instance, Chinese Folktales has received over 272,175 user ratings on Douban, not only indicating widespread appreciation among animation fans but also signaling its success in sparking mainstream cultural discussion.
In contrast, some works have received fewer ratings, which may stem from niche genres, limited marketing, or lower platform exposure. Even so, titles like Fabulous Beast, Deviant, and Halloween Street 3 have managed to achieve high scores, demonstrating that within their target communities, they've earned genuine admiration through unique themes or distinct production quality.
In the past five years, Chinese animation has transitioned from growing pains into a phase of explosive growth. The top ten list on Douban and the 46 directors featured therein offer the most vivid testament to this evolution. Through memorable characters, emotionally resonant storytelling, and fantastical imagination, these creators have not only earned critical acclaim but also outlined a diverse and dynamic roadmap for the industry's development.
From the hard sci-fi ambition of My Three-Body Problem to the soothing daily warmth of Red Bean Paste; from the passionate traditional aesthetics of Fog Hill of Five Elements to the experimental creativity of Chinese Folktales; from the long-running success of Mortal Cultivation to the original breakthrough of Scissor Seven—each work reflects the signature style of its director, and each high rating signals the momentum of the industry.
As the saying goes, no trophy beats audience praise. This list isn't an end, but a new beginning. As directors continue to refine their craft, pursue innovative ideas, and commit to building the animation ecosystem, and as audiences continue to find resonance in these stories, Chinese animation is poised to deliver more works that truly break through the mainstream.
