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The word 'anime' (アニメ) is a Japanese shortening of the English word 'animation', a gairaigo, or foreign loanword.
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AnimeSphere Guides
Watch donghua free with English subs (2026)
Chinese animation is having its global moment, and a surprising amount of it is free to watch legally. Right now, 2,267 donghua episodes across 210 series play free on AnimeSphere itself, every one an official upload from the Chinese rights holders with verified English subtitles. This guide covers the catalog, what donghua actually is, and how the free-and-legal side of it works.
Watch donghua free right here, right now
AnimeSphere never hosts video. Instead, we verify official, free, publicly available episode uploads from the Chinese rights holders on YouTube and play them inside our own player, with English captions turned on by default. Every source is checked for embed permission and an English subtitle track before it counts. Today that catalog stands at 2,267 free episodes across 210 series, no account required.
These are the 24biggest donghua in the catalog by episode count. Each card opens the show's detail page, where you can start playing from episode one.
Spy x Sect
146 free episodes
The Love Story of my Immortal Dad
122 free episodes
Yishi Du Zun 2nd Season
119 free episodes
Ling Wu Dalu
78 free episodes
Ni Tian Zhizun
64 free episodes
Shuangsheng Wu Hun
60 free episodes
Wan Jie Zhizun
49 free episodes
Zichuan 2
47 free episodes
Wo Zai Tianting Shou Feipin
40 free episodes
Dao Yao Xing
39 free episodes
The Man From Dao Xiang Cun
35 free episodes
Lu Di Jian Xian
35 free episodes
Reborn as a Cat
34 free episodes
Nitian Xie Shen (2023)
30 free episodes
The Great Ruler
29 free episodes
Qing Lian Jian Xian Zhuan
28 free episodes
Zhu Xian 2
26 free episodes
Legendary Overlord
26 free episodes
Yuan Zun
26 free episodes
Xiao Bing Chuanqi
26 free episodes
Tian Ying
26 free episodes
Mu Shen Ji
26 free episodes
Zhu Xian 3
25 free episodes
Bai Lian Feisheng Lu
25 free episodes
What is donghua?
Donghua is the Chinese word for animation, and in English it has come to mean animation made in China, the same way anime refers to animation made in Japan. It is not a genre. It spans children's shows, 2D action series, and the lavish 3D-animated fantasy epics that dominate Chinese streaming charts and increasingly show up in global top-ten lists.
The storytelling has its own flavor. Most big donghua adapt Chinese web novels, so the signature genres are cultivation (martial artists pursuing immortality through training and sect politics), reincarnation and second-chance stories, and sprawling palace-intrigue fantasy. Runs are long by anime standards: a popular donghua often releases weekly for years, so a series with over a hundred episodes is normal rather than exceptional.
The other big difference is distribution. Donghua is produced for Chinese platforms like Bilibili, Tencent Video, iQIYI, and Youku, and those platforms run official international YouTube channels that publish full episodes free with English subtitles. That is why so much donghua is legally free while most anime is not: the rights holders themselves chose free global distribution as their growth strategy.
The biggest donghua you can watch free right now
Episode counts are live and count only verified, US-playable, English-subbed uploads. Each link goes to the show's page, where every free episode plays inline.
Spy x Sect146 free episodes
The Love Story of my Immortal Dad122 free episodes
Yishi Du Zun 2nd Season119 free episodes
Ling Wu Dalu78 free episodes
Ni Tian Zhizun64 free episodes
Shuangsheng Wu Hun60 free episodes
Wan Jie Zhizun49 free episodes
Zichuan 247 free episodes
How our donghua catalog works
Official channels only. Every episode comes from a rights-holder channel: Made By Bilibili, Tencent Video Animation, iQIYI Animation, Youku Animation, and their sibling channels. We embed their uploads through YouTube's own player, exactly as the uploader allows, and we never rip, re-host, or alter video.
Verified English subtitles. A Chinese-audio upload only enters the catalog when it carries an English subtitle track. Our player turns captions on automatically for donghua, so episodes are watchable in English from the first second.
Re-checked automatically. Rights holders sometimes remove, region-lock, or de-embed uploads. Our catalog re-verifies its sources on a schedule and drops anything that no longer plays, which is why the counts on this page are live numbers rather than marketing copy.
Donghua also stays on its own page here. The anime Watch hub remains Japanese-and-English only, and the Donghua hub is where the Chinese catalog lives, so you always know which tradition you are browsing.
Frequently asked questions
What is donghua, and how is it different from anime?
Donghua simply means animation made in China, the way anime refers to animation made in Japan. The word covers everything from 2D series to the 3D-animated cultivation epics China is best known for. Story-wise, donghua leans heavily on Chinese web novels: cultivation and martial-arts fantasy, reincarnation tales, and palace intrigue are the signature genres, and seasons often run much longer than a typical 12-episode anime cour.
Is it legal to watch donghua free on AnimeSphere?
Yes. AnimeSphere does not host or distribute any video. Every donghua episode that plays here is an official, publicly available upload from the Chinese rights holders on YouTube, such as Made By Bilibili, Tencent Video Animation, iQIYI Animation, and Youku Animation, embedded through YouTube's own player exactly as the uploader allows. If an upload is removed or restricted by its owner, it disappears from our catalog too.
Is donghua subbed in English?
Everything in our donghua catalog is. The episodes are in Chinese audio with English subtitles, and we verify the English subtitle track before a series appears. Our player turns captions on by default for donghua, so you never have to hunt for the CC button.
Do I need an account to watch?
No. Every free donghua episode plays without an account. An account adds tracking, lists, progress sync, and community features, but watching is open to everyone.
Why did a series disappear from the catalog?
The rights holders control their own uploads. When a channel removes an episode, region-locks it, or turns off embedding, our automatic re-checks drop it from the catalog rather than leave a dead player on the page. Catalog counts on this page are live for the same reason.