Best Isekai Donghua

Key Takeaways

• The Donghua industry offers diverse themes like isekai.
• Donghua animations excel with complex world-building & fresh narratives.
• Popular donghua like “Full-Time Magister” & “Scumbag System” present unique isekai twists.

With donghua steadily gaining traction in mainstream media, its diversity in tropes and genres is becoming increasingly apparent. While it hasn’t reached the all-encompassing variety of anime just yet, the donghua industry is making a steady uphill stride in incorporating a wider range of themes and narratives.

One of the most prominent tropes in donghua is isekai — and honestly, some donghua handle it better than anime. With advanced animation techniques and intricate world-building, donghua often breathe new life into the isekai formula. In contrast, anime’s over-reliance on repetitive storylines, unnecessary fanservice, and lackluster character development in some cases gives certain donghua a clear edge.

1 Full-Time Magister

Isekai-ed Into The Body Of A Kid With Almost No Magic Ability In A World That Revolves Around Magic

Full-Time Magister is a 2016 isekai donghua revolving around a quiet high schooler who gets thrown into a world very similar to his previous one, except it’s dominated by magic instead of science — almost like replacing it. This world’s workings and social class are based entirely on magic and a person’s affinity to it. And fittingly, the world is also infested by fantasy creatures that can only be fended off with the use of strong spells.

This is exactly why this world places a strong emphasis on training young children in the art of wizardry as early as possible. Mo Fan, being a transmigrated soul, however, does not enjoy the same status as others. In this life, he’s born to a poor father and has to take care of his differently-abled sister. He also doesn’t have a lot of magical affinity. Despite that, he manages to make it into one of the leading magic academies in his country, only to realize how far behind he is and how much harder he has to work. That is until he discovered his ability to wield multiple types of magic.

2 The Demonic King Who Chases His Wife

Assassin Is Transmigrated Into The Body Of A Mistreated Daughter Of An Influential Clan

The Demonic King Who Chases His Wife sounds like a very unhinged sort of show from how it’s named, and while it does go there occasionally — which isekai-themed content doesn’t, really — it’s also a pretty fun story once viewers get the hang of it.

It follows an assassin from the modern world who gets betrayed by her partner and fellow assassin during a high-stakes mission and is killed. Her inability to move on from her lover’s betrayal teleports her soul to a world where magic and cultivation are rampant. However, the body she’s born into belongs to the weak, timid, and unassuming fourth daughter of the Su Manor — someone who’s not only isolated but also actively bullied by the other mistresses of the house. However, her new persona suddenly shifts the dynamic around her and catches the eye of the powerful second prince of the kingdom.

3 Against The Sky Supreme

Main Character Is A Murdered God Who Is Reborn As A Human

Against the Sky Supreme is a 3D donghua that puts a slightly out-of-the-norm twist on the reincarnation aspect and very prominently features Chinese mythology and divinity in its themes. The show’s premise, in addition to its very unique art style, makes it an acquired taste. However, once viewers get past that initial barrier, it ends up being very interesting overall.

The series explores a sprawling omniverse divided into an interconnected inner and outer universe locked in perpetual war. Both sides suffer heavy losses as they fight for dominance. Within the inner universe, there are three distinct realms, one of which is the divine realm governed by three gods. Among them is the Hongmeng Supreme, who is betrayed and killed in a brutal coup by the other two gods. Reincarnated as Tan Yun, a disgraced young noble from a minor aristocratic family, he must navigate his new life while drawing a fine line between revenge and redemption.

4 Purgatory Walkers

Terminally Ill Protagonist Gets A Second Chance To Prove Himself

Purgatory Walkers is a 2024 donghua that takes a bit of a different approach in the sense that it’s considerably darker and more uncanny than any of the other entries previously mentioned. It blends traditional Chinese elements with a sci-fi, futuristic aesthetic and delivers some truly intense action sequences.

The show follows Li Yan, a man highly trained in martial arts but diagnosed with an incurable disease that gives him only a few months to live. Li Yan’s desperation to live results in him being transported to this strange and unpleasantly neon-heavy-looking world called Yanfu Fruit Tree. Here, he is given a series of deadly objectives, forcing him to battle the strongest fighters in this uncanny realm to claim his place at the top.

5 Scumbag System

The Main Character Is Reincarnated As An Ill-Fated Antagonist Destined To Die

Scumbag System is a 2020 comedy-action isekai that flips the script on traditional isekai tropes and pokes fun at the usual formula of being transported to a new world, taking over effortlessly, and building a massive harem. The story follows Shen Yuan, an avid reader who’s familiar with countless novels that follow the same predictable patterns.

So when he does get reincarnated into another world, he’s very confident about his abilities to gradually climb the ranks and become the most liked and appreciated being in the world. But his plans take a sharp turn when he realizes he hasn’t been reincarnated as the protagonist—he’s now the villain, destined to die no matter what he does.

6 Shrouding The Heavens

A Group Of Classmates Are Teleported To An Entirely Different Mythical World

Shrouding the Heavens is a 2023 donghua that starts a bit slow, making the first half of season one a bit hard to get through. However, its intricate world-building eventually picks up momentum and draws in its viewers once the prologue is out of the way.

The story centers on Ye Fan and his 29 classmates, who find themselves mysteriously transported to a strange, medieval-like world during what was supposed to be their class reunion. In this unfamiliar and hostile land, they’re forced to work together to face all kinds of trials and challenges. As they struggle to survive in a place that seems determined to destroy them at every turn, they might even discover what it takes to rise to the top and become the strongest.

7 Soul Land

Main Character Makes A Mistake And Pays For It With His Life

Soul Land is a 2018 donghua that is often regarded as a cornerstone of the genre and is widely recognized by donghua fans. While it follows a familiar isekai formula, its deep focus on spirit mastery and cultivation gives it a unique, distinctly Chinese flair that sets it apart from anime and manhwa isekai.

The story follows the journey of Tang San, a martial arts clan’s most prodigal and strongest member. Tang San, despite not being a bad person inherently, gets his hands on one of the most forbidden lore belonging to the clan in his pursuit of absolute power and knowledge. Being satisfied with his discovery, he takes “a plunge of faith” that ends up claiming his life. However, instead of finding eternal peace, he wakes up in a completely different world, rampant with something called spirit mastery. Every human in this world owns an innate spirit and can master their spirit powers to train themselves to be strong. Tang San, however, is not blessed with the same fate and ends up being stuck with the world’s most useless spirit.