Chinese Animated Movies to Watch, and Where to Start

Start with The Legend of Hei for a hand-drawn adventure, Ne Zha for a rebellious hero, or White Snake for fantasy romance. Chinese animated movies cover much more than one visual style, and choosing by mood is more useful than starting with a box-office ranking.

These five films give you a manageable starting point. Four introduce their own central story; the fifth, Ne Zha II, is a follow-up to save until after the original. You do not need a reading list of Chinese mythology before pressing play.

Which Chinese animated movie should you watch first?

Only have around two hours? Choose White Snake, The Legend of Hei or the first Ne Zha. Allow a longer evening for Yang Jian or Ne Zha II. The runtime is for the film, so add time for breaks or previews.

The years above identify the original films. An English-language release or a home-video edition may carry a later date, so check the title and artwork as well as the year when searching.

The Legend of Hei: start here for a hand-drawn adventure

Hei is a cat spirit looking for somewhere to belong after losing his forest home. That gives the fantasy a clear emotional starting point: before you worry about the rules of this world, you understand why finding safety matters to him.

This is the pick for someone who wants expressive, hand-drawn animation and a story built around the uneasy relationship between people and spirits. The cute lead should not be mistaken for a promise of an entirely gentle film; the conflict includes action and threats to the characters’ home.

Search specifically for the 2019 feature. Shout’s English-language promotion uses a 2021 release date, and The Legend of Hei 2 is a separate follow-up. Start with the first movie rather than letting a platform’s newest result decide for you.

Ne Zha: the starting point for the two-film story

Ne Zha puts a feared, unruly child at the center of a mythological action story. His dangerous origins make other people’s expectations a problem before he has had much chance to choose who he wants to be.

Pick this when you want a strong central personality and a big fantasy conflict. The useful question is not whether you already know the traditional Nezha legend, but whether you enjoy stories about a character pushing back against the role assigned to him.

Watch the 2019 film before Ne Zha II. Also pay attention to the full title: New Gods: Nezha Reborn belongs to Light Chaser’s New Gods films. Sharing a mythological figure does not make every Nezha movie part of the same continuity.

White Snake: choose romance with a dangerous edge

Blanca has lost her memory when a young snake catcher, Xuan, saves her. Their search for her identity brings them closer while drawing them into a larger supernatural struggle. The relationship gives you something personal to follow through the magical spectacle.

This is the most natural choice here if a love story is what draws you into fantasy. It takes inspiration from the White Snake legend and imagines a prequel to it, but you can meet these characters through the film itself.

Do not confuse a romantic premise with a quiet evening of courtship. Demons, assassins and large creatures are part of the package. The still below gives a better sense of that side of the film than a soft-looking poster would.

New Gods: Yang Jian: choose it for the world on screen

A once-powerful god is now working as a bounty hunter. A new job brings Yang Jian into conflict with his nephew Chenxiang, who wants a magical lotus lantern to free his mother. The family connection makes the chase more complicated than a simple hunt for an object.

The illuminated buildings, flying vessels and densely layered city in the cover image show the attraction of this choice. If exploring a lavish fantasy setting is a big part of the pleasure for you, put it near the top of your list.

It belongs to Light Chaser Animation’s New Gods universe. It is not a chapter between Ne Zha and Ne Zha II. Keep those two routes separate when deciding what to watch next.

Ne Zha II: save this for after the original

The 2025 sequel returns to Ne Zha and a threat involving gods, extraordinary powers and humanity’s survival. A24’s English-language edition includes Michelle Yeoh among its voice cast.

If this is the film that first caught your attention, there is still a good reason to watch the original first: meeting the characters before the story expands makes the relationships easier to follow. Think of it as your next choice after Ne Zha, rather than the default introduction to every kind of Chinese animation.

Finding an English dub or subtitles

GKIDS lists Apple TV and Prime Video home-viewing options for White Snake and New Gods: Yang Jian. For Yang Jian, it distinguishes English and Mandarin versions on Prime Video. A24 also lists Apple TV and Prime Video among the options for Ne Zha II. Well Go USA is the US distributor to check for the original Ne Zha; The Legend of Hei has an Apple TV movie listing and a Shout English-language release.

The table links to official film or distributor pages. Follow their viewing options and inspect the actual rental, streaming or disc listing in your country. Check its audio language, subtitle language and access terms before paying. A distributor listing is a starting point, not a guarantee that every service carries the film where you live.

For adult viewers, White Snake is the clearest romance pick; Yang Jian offers a more involved family conflict and fantasy setting. Neither “for adults” nor “animated” is an age rating. Use the edition-specific guidance in the table when choosing for younger viewers, particularly where a US disc is unrated.

Are these movies donghua?

Yes. In English-language discussion, donghua commonly refers to Chinese animation, including films as well as series. Our guide to what donghua means explains the terminology. If you would rather settle into an ongoing show after a movie, use our donghua recommendations to choose by mood and commitment.