Japan’s prime cultural export stays anime and manga, and for good cause. On their finest days, they exemplify the standard of animation and artistry’s potential, though even with its huge breadth of content material, demand continues to mount up for extra. In consequence, whereas Japan stays dominant, different nations start to assert their share, like Korean aeni or Chinese language donghua.
China’s anime, or donghua (that means animation, very like anime) has been making headlines not too long ago with even rumblings of reveals like To Be Hero X contending for Crunchyroll’s subsequent Anime of the 12 months honor. However even these attractive tasks pale compared to one criminally underrated Chinese language gem, Fog Hill of 5 Parts, poised to depart Japanese anime within the mud.
China’s Greatest Donghua Is a Large Feat of Animation
Fog Hill of 5 Parts initially dropped in July of 2020, releasing three episodes in Mandarin on China’s bilibili streaming service for a concise first season. It shortly made waves due to platforms like YouTube and TikTok, with viewers latching onto its fluid fight animation. Since then, followers have tried in useless to search out reveals fairly as fulfilling to look at.
Depicting the journey of Wenren Yixuan, or just Xuan, the collection follows a world stricken by demons, a gaggle of elemental Envoys wishing to comprise this menace, and extraordinary people caught within the steadiness. Nevertheless, issues develop extra difficult as they every vie for the diminutive demonic Qilin, whose scales are coveted for his or her empowering qualities.
The result’s a lush world encapsulating this conflict of mythological components, fusing Chinese language Wuxing philosophical ideas with breathtaking martial arts motion. All the pieces is fiercely stylized with distinctive linework, wild scenic colour palettes, and a world that comes alive regardless of being elegant sufficient to face alone as a nonetheless picture.
It is genuinely no exaggeration to name it a masterpiece for its battle scenes alone.
However when Fog Hill of 5 Parts involves life is well throughout its fights. It is genuinely no exaggeration to name it a masterpiece for its battle scenes alone. By season 2, launched in 2023, its battles included moments like episode #2’s debut of Xuan’s brother, Jingxuan’s Flame Ring Blast is about as Dragon Ball Z-coded because it will get.
But, to see this as spinoff of its influences is to undermine its real achievements. Not solely are the fights fluid – they keep constantly sturdy with out compromise often seen in different wonderful animation utilizing Kagenashi types, with shadows and reflective lighting, and virtually no odd freeze frames. However there are some caveats to Fog Hill of 5 Parts’ excellence.
Fog Hill of 5 Parts Is Created by a Small Studio
Whereas anime of the current constantly wrestle with the bureaucratic woes of studios and their manufacturing committees, most infamously the latest One-Punch Man season 3, this donghua has a unique, extra fascinating drawback. Fog Hill of 5 Parts is produced by Samsara Animation Studio, with their restricted personnel solely able to releasing 3-4 episodes a season to date.
The result’s an intense labor of affection for each episode, the place even the moments in between the motion embody immense world-building, comedic interludes, and gathering of teams just like the Envoys. The Metallic Envoy specifically, traversing a staircase of telekinetically-controlled swords, is about as cool because it will get.
However this mark of high quality additionally signifies that, if viewers count on the identical outcomes, they’re going to seemingly have to attend years at a time. Season 1 was launched in 2020, whereas season 2 launched in 2023, a full three years later. With the plot nonetheless unresolved, one can fairly hope for a 2026 launch date.
Nevertheless, even season 2 was a notable enchancment. Extra locales have been utilized in every respective episode, extra time was given to a broken-up ensemble of key characters like Su Xiao’an and the hilarious human-turned-duck sage mascot, Shuiguan. It is cheap to hope for extra subsequent 12 months, however anticipating any additional enhancements ought to seemingly end in longer wait occasions.
Chinese language Anime Is Giving Japan a Run for Its Cash
Whereas films like Demon Slayer: Infinity Citadel dominated the field workplace in 2025, setting a brand new file of Japanese anime, Ne Zha 2, China’s 3D-animated film launched in the identical 12 months, shattered all information and have become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. In 2D animation, China has additionally launched the spectacular Lord of Mysteries with eye-popping visible constancy.
However one other collection that has appealed to Western audiences as a breakout hit on Crunchyroll was To Be Hero X, offering a novel mix of totally separate 2D and 3D scenes due to its central gimmicks, whereas scratching a My Hero Academia itch. However whereas Lord of Mysteries and To Be Hero X make waves, they’re nonetheless considerably missing.
To Be Hero X’s depth leaves a lot to be desired, whereas Lord of Mysteries threatens to drown viewers within the density of its story and aggressive early pacing. Fog Hill of 5 Parts, nevertheless, maximizes its runtime to really feel accessible, introduces characters overtly, trickles in its lore, and softens its harsher moments with surprisingly wonderful comedy.
Solo Leveling, regardless of having comparable size to every episode of Fog Hill of 5 Parts, is virtually a punchline for the way shortly an episode passes by.
Fog Hill of 5 Parts represents the perfect of what one can count on from shonen anime, however with fewer irritating pacing points. Solo Leveling, regardless of having comparable size to every episode of Fog Hill of 5 Parts, is virtually a punchline for the way shortly an episode passes by. The latter even ups the ante with longer episodes in season 2.
What followers get out of this collection is actually the Chinese language successor to anime gems like Naruto: Shippuden or Dragon Ball Z with its specific mix of martial arts, power assaults, wild transformations, and gags. Xuan’s Yin-Yang type within the season 2 finale is gorgeous, however it’s price rewatching season 2, episode #3 for Xiao’an and Shuiguan’s medicine-making mishaps.
Chinese language Animation Is Solely Starting to Be Broadly Appraised
Whereas there are modern hits like Hyperlink Click on and Dragon Raja, and BL collection like Mo Dao Zu Shi have their fair proportion of followers, Chinese language anime, or donghua, nonetheless has but to completely obtain its mainstream potential. It reveals exceptional promise with the perfect Chinese language collection typically being weighed towards Japanese anime, and it will solely go up from right here.
Exhibits like Fog Hill of 5 Parts signify the spectacular outcomes of a cautious manufacturing in even a small studio. Its success is well-recognized by anime and donghua connoisseurs. However with season 3 more likely to increase the stakes additional, with blood being spilled over the Qilin, Yixuan separated from Jingxuan, and extra, there’s nonetheless loads to see.
So, to look ahead to Fog Hill of 5 Parts, is to look ahead to extra of the perfect Chinese language animation has to supply. Whereas it lacks the devoted, huge groups discovered on reveals like One Piece, it additionally has lacked any notable drops in high quality regardless of early acclaimed seasons, like The Promised Neverland. Whether or not its streak continues is an thrilling prospect for everybody who has been following.
