Donghua
| Synonyms: | 动画 (Simplified), 動畫 (Traditional), Dònghuà, Chinese animation |
| See also: | Cdrama, Cnovel, Manhua |
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Donghua is the Chinese word for animation. Outside of China, this term is frequently used to refer to Chinese-produced animations.
Fandom
Modern donghua fandom has significant crossover with anime fandom, in particular as a result of the stylistic influence that Japanese anime and video game design has had on donghua visuals. Many new donghua fans may even refer to donghua productions as "Chinese anime," although this phrasing is often poorly received by more established fans. [1] Most donghua fans who were not brought up watching Chinese television are either animation fans attracted by the quality of specific shows or migrants from a related fandom, such as c-novels, Chinese webcomics, or c-dramas.
Donghua has a number of genres and is created with target audiences of all ages. However, the titles most frequently exported to international fandom often appeal in either to general audiences or established corners of anime fandom. In particular, animations of danmei (BL) titles are some of the most popular, with Heaven Official's Blessing, an adaptation of a danmei webnovel, being the first donghua dubbed by Funimation. [2] Children's titles and action shows aimed at teens are also popular in the international market, and properties that have previously been translated in another form (for example, as a webcomic or live-action drama) are more likely to see international release.
Western donghua fans share a lot of fannish behaviors with anime fans. This has manifested itself in similar video editing styles and approaches to cosplay, but also in similar discourse about fetishization and cultural accuracy.
Example Fandoms
The following are some example donghua that have significant international fandoms:
- Heaven Official's Blessing
- The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
- Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
- Link Click
- The King's Avatar
- The Legend of Luo Xiaohei (罗小黑战记), 2011-present web animation series
- Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世), 2019 feature movie
- Arknights: Prelude to Dawn ( アークナイツ -黎明前奏-), 2022 joint production with both Chinese and Japanese staff
- Lord of Mysteries