For a first donghua, try Link Click for suspense, Scissor Seven for short comedy, or Heaven Official’s Blessing for character-led fantasy. If you specifically want 3D cultivation action, start by sampling Battle Through the Heavens. A good first choice should match what you already enjoy watching.
These six picks cover different moods and levels of commitment, including one film for a single evening. The order is a way to browse, not a claim that one genre or animation style outranks another. If the label is unfamiliar, donghua means Chinese animation in common English fan usage.
Choose by mood first
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| Title / style | Try tonight | First viewing block | English release to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link Click · 2D | First two episodes; modern suspense | Season 1: 11 main episodes plus special 5.5; the story continues afterward | Crunchyroll |
| Scissor Seven · 2D | First two episodes: about 30 minutes | Season 1: 10 main episodes plus 4 specials; more seasons follow | Netflix |
| Heaven Official’s Blessing · 2D | First two episodes; gods, ghosts and a central bond | Season 1: 11 episodes plus a special; part of a larger adaptation | Crunchyroll |
| The Daily Life of the Immortal King · 2D | First two episodes; school comedy and an overpowered lead | Season 1: 15 episodes; more seasons follow | Crunchyroll |
| Battle Through the Heavens · 3D | First two episodes of the 2017 animation | First season: 12 episodes; an entry into a much longer story | WeTV: Fights Break Sphere S1 |
| The Legend of Hei · 2D | The 2019 movie: 101 minutes | One complete film; later films are separate choices | Apple TV US; Crunchyroll where available |
The trial lengths are suggested stopping points, not promises that every show reveals its full appeal that quickly. For a complete story in one sitting, choose The Legend of Hei. For the shortest series trial, choose Scissor Seven. A finished first season does not mean the whole adaptation is complete.
Link Click: for a mystery that needs your attention
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang use photographs to access moments from the past through their work at a photo studio. It is an inviting hook because the immediate question is easy to understand: what can you learn by stepping into someone else’s experience, and what might go wrong?
The contemporary setting makes this a useful first choice if fantasy terminology has put you off other donghua. You can focus on decisions and consequences rather than ranks, sect names or cultivation systems. The emotional material can be heavy, though; a mystery involving ordinary lives is not necessarily gentle.
Choose it if you like suspense and small details that change the meaning of a situation. Pass for now if you want something relaxing to have on in the background. Start with the original first season; later seasons and the Bridon Arc are not substitutes for its introduction.
Scissor Seven: for an easy, short trial
A hairdresser with missing memories tries to make money as an assassin and keeps being bad at it. That premise gives you a quick taste of the humor without a long explanation of the world. The short early episodes also make it easy to sample a few before deciding.
Its goofy appearance is part of the attraction. If you begin expecting only the dramatic combat seen in edits, the day-to-day silliness may feel like an obstacle. The show makes a stronger case for itself when the awkward would-be assassin interests you too.
Choose it if you like expressive comedy and sudden changes of tone. Pass for now if broad jokes wear you down. Adult humor and violence make this a poor choice to assume is child-friendly. Our Scissor Seven review looks more closely at the opening season’s appeal and limitations.
Heaven Official’s Blessing: for fantasy built around a relationship
Xie Lian is a once-revered prince who returns to the heavenly realm in very different circumstances. His encounters with the mysterious Hua Cheng give the supernatural investigations a more personal pull. This is a useful direction if you want intimacy and atmosphere alongside gods and ghosts.
It asks for more attention to names, titles and past relationships than the two modern-setting picks above. You do not need to memorize a glossary before episode one. Keep track of who Xie Lian is dealing with in the current case and let the larger history assemble gradually.
Choose it if you enjoy a slowly developing bond and an elegant fantasy setting. Pass for now if you want constant fighting or a fast, explicit romantic payoff. The animated adaptation is its own viewing experience; scenes or expectations from the source novel should not be treated as a promise about what appears on screen.
The Daily Life of the Immortal King: for school comedy with huge powers
Wang Ling’s extraordinary abilities are less of a problem than fitting into school life. That reverses the usual starting point of a training story: the interest is in managing power and social situations, rather than waiting for a weak lead to become strong.
It is an approachable way to try cultivation-flavored fantasy if a school setting already feels familiar. The humor can involve genre conventions, but the basic mismatch between enormous ability and ordinary teenage life is easy to grasp.
Choose it if an overpowered protagonist and supernatural school problems sound fun. Pass for now if you mainly want carefully measured progression or a consistently serious tone. Start at the first season; a later-season clip is a poor introduction to the cast’s everyday relationships.
Battle Through the Heavens: for 3D cultivation action
Xiao Yan begins as a prodigy whose abilities have fallen away. Rebuilding his standing gives the story an immediate goal, while the cultivation setting leaves room for training, rivals and a much longer journey. This is the pick for viewers who actively want a substantial series to follow.
The main trade-off is commitment. It is a less convenient casual sampler than Scissor Seven, and later promotional clips can create expectations the earliest production does not match visually. Judge whether the progression itself interests you, rather than waiting only for a particular famous fight.
Choose it if you want a long-form 3D fantasy adventure. Pass for now if you want a short, self-contained story. WeTV’s original first-season listing is Fights Break Sphere S1, with 12 episodes and a 2017 date. Confirm you have the animation, since there is also a live-action adaptation. The xianxia and wuxia guide can help with common martial-fantasy terms.
The Legend of Hei: for a single movie night
Hei is a cat spirit displaced from his forest home. His encounters with humans and other spirits turn a search for somewhere to belong into a question of whom to trust. The 2019 film offers a manageable introduction if you are not ready to begin another multi-season series.
The small, appealing central character makes the premise easy to enter, but the conflict is larger than a cute-animal adventure. Expect action and competing ideas about how humans and spirits should share space.
Choose it if you want a fantasy film that fits into one evening. Pass for now if your priority is an ongoing cast you can follow for weeks. Select the 2019 movie when searching; the franchise also has animated series material and a later film, so the title alone can be ambiguous.
If you prefer films to ongoing series, our Chinese animated movie guide adds romance and mythological action, with advice on which sequels to save for later.
Where to look for the official versions
Netflix has an official Scissor Seven listing. Crunchyroll has listings for Link Click, Heaven Official’s Blessing, The Daily Life of the Immortal King and The Legend of Hei. WeTV lists the animated Fights Break Sphere seasons. These are places to check, not a promise that every title, season or dub is available in every country.
Follow the links in the table to the official editions. Before paying for a service, open the specific title and confirm the first season or film, subtitles and playback availability in your region. An English-dubbed clip may belong to a different season from the one you want.
Which one should you actually start tonight?
Pick Link Click if you are ready to pay attention, Scissor Seven if you want a brief comedy trial, or The Legend of Hei if you want one film. Choose the longer fantasies because their premise appeals to you, rather than because a ranking makes them sound compulsory.
If the first pick misses, change the kind of story before giving up on donghua. A school comedy, a photo-based mystery and a cultivation epic ask for very different moods from the same viewer.
