The next big anime rival may not come from Japan

Anime is the most mainstream ever. Long gone are the days when fans needed to hide their love for the medium, or stick to purely Otaku-based circles to discuss their favorite series and movies. Japanese anime has become a record $25 billion industry by 2024, dominating audiences worldwide. However, as Japan's animation industry grows, so does China's.

China's anime industry is on fire right now, set to make $3.54 billion in 2025, according to the Global Times. Of course, China has one of the largest movie audiences in the world and millions of streaming users, but the industry's popularity has extended far beyond China itself. The popularity and demand for donghua is at an all-time high, and the quality of Chinese series and movies has quickly established China as a very real competitor to the anime industry as Japan's next big rival.

China's animation industry is growing at a fast pace and making more money every year, leading to even higher quality series and movies. China alone was responsible for 6.2% of the anime market last year, and while Japan is expected to remain the industry leader, Chinese animation is expected to grow considerably over the decade. China's current growth forecast predicts that Chinese animation will reach nearly $6 billion in sales by 2033.

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Chinese culture and mythology are the main force behind Donghua's popularity

Chinese animation has a really distinct identity internationally and feels different from Disney movies and Japanese anime. Rather than filmmaking and acting to Western standards, Chinese studios lean heavily on local mythology, folklore, wuxia, and fantasy traditions unique to China. Some of the most successful Chinese series and films adapt stories and visual styles deeply connected to Chinese cultural history.

2015 The Monkey King: The Hero is Back it's far from perfect and has its share of animation issues, but the Wuxia-style film struggles with choreography and takes Journey to the West to form the basis for films like White snake, Not Zha, Jiang Ziyaand Not Zha 2 to boost China's growth in the animation industry a few years later. Not Zha, Jiang Ziyaand Not Zha 2 are all adaptations Investiture of the Godsone of the basic novels in China. Investiture of the Gods had a great influence on how Chinese society imagined its mythological world. Before Investiture of the GodsChinese deities and legends were all separated by regional folklore, Taoist traditions, or oral tradition. Xu Zhonglin combined Chinese folklore, culture and religious practices into one mythological epic.

Not Zha 2 is currently the highest-grossing animated film of all time and the fifth highest-grossing film overall, boasting a staggering $2,215,690,000. Not Zha 2 takes Chinese mythology and brings it to the fore with beautiful animation, gorgeous art direction, and top-notch action. Likewise, anime fans clamor for works that are deeply Japanese Not Zha 2 so well is proof that there is a demand for animated series and films that are distinctly Chinese internationally. Chinese mythology offers settings, characters, and storytelling conventions that feel fresh to international audiences.

The quality of Chinese animation just keeps getting better while the rest of the world struggles

No matter where they're from, anime fans want to watch series that look good, and Chinese studios have only gotten better over the past few years. The quality of Chinese animation is at an absolutely high level. Not Zha 2 is one of the best looking animated films ever made, carried by fluid animation and dynamic art direction. Even the best Chinese episodic series boast incredible art and animation that rivals the best Japan and America have to offer.

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In an industry where even legendary franchises are loved Dragon Ball needs a remake to fix its terrible animation and a series with a $2.5 million per episode budget that likes Invincible releases episodes with shamelessly jerky animation, China's animation industry sets a new standard for quality. Donghua like To be an X hero, Click the linkand Scissors seven they're all visually distinct and a joy to watch, avoiding the same aesthetic pitfalls that so many modern anime fall prey to. Japan's anime heritage deserves a huge amount of respect, but China's animation industry is growing faster than anyone expected and is starting to really compete with Japan with high-quality, highly unique productions that fans can't get anywhere else.