Key takeaways
- Both anime and Donghua excel at delivering unique sci-fi stories with fresh ideas and unconventional approaches.
- Nights on Debris, Ling Long: Incarnation, and Slowed Star are standout Donghuas with various sci-fi elements.
- Donghua, such as Slay the Gods and Sense the Red Moon Appeared, offer unique twists on sci-fi themes such as death games and natural disasters.
Sci-fi anime has long held a strong hold on the anime and manga community. Stein's Gate, Psycho-passAnd maybe something like that Code Guess It has become some of the most popular anime not only for the community but also for the mainstream media. It's no exaggeration to say that the anime industry has set the gold standard for delivering good, impactful sci-fi stories.
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8 Best Sci-Fi Manga You Should Read, Ranked
Focusing on various technical concepts to channel the story, these series will appeal to fans of the subgenre.
That said, anime isn't the only big player in the sci-fi animation game. As popular as Donghua has become, the industry continues to evolve in a big way, bringing new takes and creative twists to favorite tropes. Sci-fi Donghua, in particular, stand out not only for their highly unique premises but also for their stunning signature 3D graphics that draw viewers into their very expansive worlds.
Of course, not every Donghua nails it, but many of them are raising the animation bar with new ideas and unconventional approaches.
1 Knights in the Wreck
Sci-Fi fantasy that gives off Star Wars vibes
Chinese name |
Jing Hai Kishi |
---|---|
status |
done |
issued |
2020 |
Knights in the Wreck It is a strong one when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi elements. It revolves around wormholes, phenomena like cryogenic sleep, and alien races that are out to destroy humanity. It's a sci-fi nerd's total dream and few can even compare it Star Wars and Star Trek – and it's not hard to see why.
the story of Knights in the Wreck Follows Mo Chen, a machinist from the future, who finds himself in the middle of a completely barren and destroyed planet. Originally sent there to investigate a mysterious asteroid that had crashed into Earth, he wakes up to find the planet in ruins, his crew wiped out by a deadly disease, and seemingly too scared to survive. Mo Chen and his robots must now find a way to survive on this uninhabitable planet and, in addition, protect themselves from an alien race known as the Thorns – who, coincidentally, share the same powers as The Force.
2 Penis Long: Avatar
Sci-fi horror with deep psychological themes
Another name |
Gender Cage |
---|---|
status |
continues |
issued |
2019 |
Penis Long: Avatar is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi donghua that has a way of conveying how high its stakes are. The premise of the story is a perfect twist on the Earth-after-the-universe-destruction and does a great job of keeping things in a completely different 3D animation. It almost feels like a AAA sci-fi horror Alien: Alienation or dead space (Regarding the graphics). But one thing that really separates this particular Donghua from other sci-fi stories is that, despite its very action-oriented premise, the show oddly focuses a lot on the human relationships and interactions of the characters – which adds a lot of depth. What can only be an action-packed spectacle.
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These post-apocalyptic stories perfectly capture the sadness and fear that comes with living in a world torn apart.
Penis Long: Avatar Earth revolves around this massive cataclysmic event that wipes out most of its life. It also causes these terrible earthquakes that shake the world to its core and, in turn, awaken dormant hostile creatures known as Extremozons. The few remaining humans jump ship and begin their lives on the space station where they basically work and have no other purpose – until they are forced to return to a destroyed planet.
3 The swallowed star
Sci-Fi, Martial Arts, Farming, and Post-Apocalypse
Chinese name |
Tunshi Xingkong |
---|---|
status |
continues |
issued |
2020 |
The swallowed star Dongua is a very popular name in the community. It's a show that's not only famous for its science fiction aspect but also for its martial arts and farming tropes that blend very seamlessly into the sweeping futuristic backdrop.
The show follows the rise and fall of humanity and its efforts to rise again against the violent creatures that hold the Earth. These organisms are not the result of some sort of alien invasion or underground dormancy but terrestrial animals that have contracted a deadly virus known as the RR virus. People have built huge walls to protect themselves from them and essentially shut themselves into small towns as a protective measure. But just as animals are evolving, so are humans. The most advanced humans, known as warriors, are tasked with fighting these creatures. One of these warriors is Luo Feng, a genetically superior fighter and the protagonist of the story.
4 Kill the gods
An array of different tropes that work seamlessly together
Chinese name |
Zhan Shen: Fanchen Shenyu |
---|---|
status |
continues |
issued |
2024 |
Kill the gods, In one way or another, a Donghua that holds onto a very large demographic is how diverse it is with its tropes. The entire show is a perfect mix of almost every action-thriller-related genre, and for some reason, it works. It has a unique premise, and its graphic quality is something straight out of a high-budget movie.
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Isekai Anime which has amazing world building
World-building is essential to the success of an isekai anime, and these titles succeeded in creating some of the best isekai worlds.
God killeds' world-building is unique in that it sets itself on a seemingly normal planet, but something different lurks in the darkness. In this version of reality, divine beings and gods walk among mortals, creating strange and uncomfortable rifts in the fabric of everyday life. At the center of it all are high school students with supernatural abilities who are tasked with working on behalf of these mysterious gods.
5 Mountain and Sea Organization
A mecha-themed dongua with survival themes
Chinese name |
Shanghai Jihui |
---|---|
status |
continues |
issued |
2023 |
Mountain and Sea Organization is a mecha-style donghua that focuses on futuristic looking mechanical armored suits and, like most sci-fi, a global-scale cataclysmic threat that could very well lead to the end of the world. Donghua may not be as popular as some of the other shows on this list, but the mecha-themed setting and characters may appeal to gamers who are into the genre.
Mountain and Sea Organization Revolves around two warring factions with diametrically opposed sentiments and ideologies about the future of humans on Earth. The evil faction known as the Shanhai Zihui is of the opinion that the only way to save Earth from massive destruction is to replace humans with more “modern” versions of themselves. The opposing side, along with the protagonist, does not agree and unites to stop Shanghai Zhihui from his plan to eradicate mankind.
6 Since the appearance of the red moon
A unique twist on global natural disasters
Chinese name |
Kang Hong Yu Kaishi |
---|---|
status |
continues |
issued |
2023 |
Since the appearance of the red moon A Donghua has a story as the title suggests. While other sci-fi shows and books feature more traditional planetary natural disasters, this one focuses on something different. It revolves around this red moon that appears on top of the Earth, and in turn, causes a cataclysmic chain of events that blankets the entire world.
When the red moon appears in this donguha, people lose their minds. It's basically like a zombie virus with very transmissible symptoms. Standing close to an infected person is also fatal for a healthy person, due to the fact that the infected emits actual radiation. However, like all good sci-fi stories, this one has a small group of people who are immune to the infection and working to fix what's already broken.
7 Infinitors
Death matches and game-like levels
Chinese name |
Wuxian Shijie |
---|---|
status |
continues |
issued |
2022 |
Infinitors As such, the perfect “easing-in” for fans of the show is Donghua Alice in Borderlands or Squid game. It's a very broad isekai series that features death games in supernatural, sci-fi, and sometimes horror settings that raise its stakes a bit higher than other entries on this list. It's also a bit more serious and serious in terms of conflict points, given how the life-and-death situation is condensed into the main character's fate, allowing the audience to witness his journey on a personal level. The “save-the-world-superhero” type.
The main character is an overworked and abused office worker who has gone through some pretty painful events and can't move on from them. To discover his true purpose in life, he comes across this link that promises to let him into the mysteries of the universe. However, after clicking it, he is thrown into a world where the goal is to survive by any means necessary – even if that means participating in death matches with only one winner.
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The best Chinese Donghua series for beginners
For those just diving into the universe of the Chinese Donghua series, the following series are a good place to start.