Updated May 12, 2024 by testing

Have you ever had those days where you just wanted to feel feelings? Days where you just want to be swept off your feet by some whirlwind romance but are too glued to the screen to do it yourself? 

Worry not, comrade. Ready your remotes and the bowl of popcorn—it’s time to swoon with these 16 Romance Donghua!

P.S: We also have a list of Romance Anime, you might want to check that out 😉

 

MUST WATCH ROMANCE CHINESE ANIME (RECOMMENDATIONS)

 

16. How to Steal 55 Kisses

Information
Title	How to Steal 55 Kisses
Genre	Drama, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	B.CMAY Productions
Premiered	2016
Episode Count	12
Duration	11 min. per ep.

One rainy day is all it took for Lu Jin Nian to get forced into marriage with Qiao An Hao. For the sake of peace and civility within their union, An Hao proposes they abide by three rules: the marriage has to remain a secret, Lu Jin Nian cannot lay his hands on An Hao, and their marriage will strictly be for appearances. 

If you dig misunderstandings-one-after-another, then you’ve come to the right place. 55 Kisses has the ultimate one-two combo of infuriating cast and plot. And to top that all off, it also gives you four seasons of it, each season seemingly worse than the one before. 

It sure isn’t going to win the title of best romance you’ll love to watch, but if you have the spare time, it might just end up being the best romance you’ll watch to hate.

 

15. Lan Mo’s Flower

Information
Title	Lan Mo’s Flower
Genre	Romance
Type	Series
Studio	None found, add some
Premiered	2017
Episode Count	9 episodes
Duration	13 min. per ep.

Lan Mo stumbles upon a hairpin that magically gives her the power to change her appearance to that of her best friend’s preferred type. Will this finally make her dream of catching Yifeng’s attention come true?

Coming in at number 15 is basically Magical Catfish Girl. This is your typical “girl gets a makeover so her crush falls in love with her” shtick.

No matter how predictable and rather backward Lan Mo is, however, it does manage to save itself towards the end.

 

14. Psychic Princess

Information
Title	Psychic Princess
Genre	Comedy, Drama, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	Haoliners Animation League
Premiered	2018
Episode Count	16 episodes
Duration	20 min. per ep.

Yunxi, the family’s resident secret cursed daughter, gets sent to marry Prince Ye instead of the family’s darling so that peace befalls their two kingdoms. 

Ah, the classic switcheroo. This also comes with your run-of-the-mill strong female lead with her complimentary jerk of a male lead, so it’s really nothing new.

If you’re into the whole cold men aesthetic, this’ll be good for you.

 

13. Fox Spirit Matchmaker

Information
Title	Fox Spirit Matchmaker
Genre	Comedy, Romance, Supernatural
Type	Series
Studio	Haoliners Animation League
Premiered	2015
Episode Count	111 episodes
Duration	13-18 min. per ep.

After fox spirit matchmaker Susu falls from the sky into human Taoist Yuechu’s arms, the two set out to bring reincarnated lovers back together. But are their clients really the only ones bound by the strings of fate?

What looked like something without a plot turned out to be one of the most layered donghua we had ever seen. This is the very definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Like a fine wine, Fox Spirit Matchmaker gets better with each episode not only in terms of plot but also in character personalities. 

If you’re a fan of good long-running series, then this is the donghua to go to.

 

12. Adorable Food Goddess

Information
Title	Adorable Food Goddess
Genre	Comedy, Drama, Romance, Gourmet
Type	Series
Studio	Wawayu Animation
Premiered	2018
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	20 min. per ep.

Upon tasting her newest culinary concoction, Jiaoyao’s immediately transported back in time to Ancient China. To make matters worse, she’s now in the body of Ye Jin Xuan and is kidnapped, just before she was set to marry a government official, by the Black Wind Fortress. 

Gordon Ramsay, move over. This girl really escaped death by offering her kidnapper bomb noodles. Her skills aside, Jiaoyao just had the most infectious personality. If you’re in for good food and comedy, this is it.

 

11. Spicy Girl

Information
Title	Spicy Girl
Genre	Comedy, Crime
Type	Series
Studio	None found, add some
Premiered	2020
Episode Count	32 episodes
Duration	8 min. per ep.

Ecstatic that she was finally graduating from her always-the-villain-but-never-the-heroine repertoire, Shu Xiao goes to visit the director who was offering her her first heroine role to thank him for the opportunity. Thanks to her nervousness, however, she throws up on said director’s clothes and ends up in a compromising position with him just as Xiao Jian, a famous producer and actor, walks in on them. In exchange for him to keep quiet about the whole thing, Xiao Jian asks her to sign with him!

Is romance between a strong female lead and a suave male lead with cat allergies up your alley? 

It’s a bit of a mystery how low this is rated when it’s great for what it is: a cute rom-com. Give this a go, especially if you’re a fan of things like Skip Beat!

 

10. The Beauty Blogger

Information
Title	The Beauty Blogger
Genre	Drama, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	Imagineer
Premiered	2018
Episode Count	20 episodes
Duration	20 min. per ep.

Rich beauty blogger Si Yan gets taxi-kun’d during a live, and ends up in a VR game’s universe set in Ancient China where she has to clear makeup-related missions to stay alive.

Who knew that comedy and animation ala-Winx could be a good mix? The unique makeup and VR concept really makes this shine.

 

9. Memory of Chang’an

Information
Title	Memory of Chang’an
Genre	Romance
Type	Series
Studio	Ling Sang Wu Donghua
Premiered	2020
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	16 min. per ep.

Forced to marry for peace, Lian Shiying and Li Mingyue spent their first days as husband and wife stifled by an air of misery. Just as Mingyue finally adjusted to life in Chang’an, however, threats to her and the royal families’ lives started coming from left and right.

Major slow burn alert! Icy Shiying really took his sweet time melting, but it’s rewarding to see how their relationship evolved over time.

 

8. God of Mountains and Jujube

Information
Title	God and Girl
Genre	Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Type	Series
Studio	None found, add some
Premiered	2018
Episode Count	18 episodes
Duration	13 min. per ep.

Xiaozao, a girl seemingly born under the star of misfortune, ends up living at the temple situated in the mountain god’s domain after getting kicked out of everywhere she’s stayed at. Not only does she find out that the god exists, but she recognizes him to be the god she once witnessed during her father’s funeral.

If you’re in for a good cry, look no further. From losing her parents and crush to causing everyone around her bad luck, Xiaozao has never caught a break… but meeting the mountain god should turn her luck around, right? Right?

 

7. White Snake

Information
Title	White Snake
Genre	Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Type	Movie
Studio	Light Chaser Animation Studios
Premiered	2019
Episode Count	1 episodes
Duration	20 min. per ep.

Xiao-Bai, a white snake demon, awakes with no memories after failing her mission of assassinating the Emperor’s Taoist advisor who aims to obtain immortality and the Emperor’s favor through the massacre of snakes. She is immediately enamored with her savior, a snake catcher, and the two go on a journey to find the truth about her identity. 

Another Romeo and Juliet classic. If you want to transition into donghua and are a fan of Over the Moon’s animation, then this might just be a first good dip for you.

 

6. I’m Joybo

Information
Title	I’m Joybo
Genre	Drama, Romance, Slife of Life
Type	Series
Studio	2:10 AM Animation
Premiered	2017
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	21 min. per ep.

Ten years after losing his memories in a traumatic incident, Jiang Xiaobai is now excitedly counting down the days before he finally becomes a bonafide editor for Wen Zheng Magazine. In his failure to fulfill his task of escorting Tong Li, a returnee from abroad and rising novelist, however, he gets made to be her editor instead.

Although Joybo and White Snake are similar in the concept of amnesia, Joybo leans more on the realistic and mature side of things. The animation style isn’t for everyone but stick around for the story, the way they slowly reveal Xiaobai’s forgotten past and Tong Li’s connection to it is a must-see.

 

5. Be My Wife! 

Information
Title	Be My Wife!
Genre	Drama, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	KJJ Animation, BigFireBird Animation
Premiered	2019
Episode Count	41 episodes
Duration	13-23 min. per ep.

Su Luo, an assassin, wakes up in the body of the useless Su Manor’s Fourth Miss after her lover betrays her on their supposed retirement mission. Determined to change the Miss’ sorry fate, Su Luo slowly takes charge of her new body and catches the attention of the tyrant prince.

Su Luo is undeniably one of the strongest ‌leads in donghua. Smarts and martial arts aside, her guts alone can take her places. It would have been better if the donghua was able to develop the leads’ relationship, though, because it’s a little rushed. But that doesn’t take away from the swoon factor of the series in any way!

 

4. Big Fish & Begonia

Information
Title	Big Fish & Begonia
Genre	Drama, Romance
Type	Movie
Studio	B&T
Premiered	2016
Episode Count	1 episodes
Duration	1 hr. 25 min.

Chun, a mythical being who lives in a realm beyond the human world, sets off on a journey to see the world in the form of a red dolphin for her coming-of-age ceremony. On the way home during a storm, Chun gets stuck in a human-made net, but a boy comes to free her, losing his life in the process. The guilt drives Chun to seek a way to bring him back to life.

Big Fish & Begonia tackles multiple forms of love from familial, sacrificial, and romantic love. Each character in the movie is presented with the question of how far they are willing to go for the ones they love. 

Now, a moment of silence for our boy in the friendzone.

 

3. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Information
Title	Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
Genre	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural
Type	Series
Studio	B.CMAY Pictures
Premiered	2018
Episode Count	35 episodes
Duration	24-25 min. per ep.

Thirteen years after his death, Wei Wuxian, the founder of demonic cultivation (yes, this is somewhat a cultivation donghua), is reincarnated into the body of Mo Xuanyu to bring him justice after being wholly rejected by his own family. In the process of fulfilling this wish, Wuxian is reunited with his old classmate Lan Wangji, who ends up teaming up with him to solve the mystery of the events related to the supernatural.

And they were classmates.

Oh my god, they were classmates!

If extensive supernatural plots coupled with pretty boys who are very good friends are your thing, then this is for you. Leave it to Lan Wangji to make you end up feeling a certain way after seeing him so whipped for Wuxian.

 

2. No Doubt in Us

Information
Title	No Doubt in Us
Genre	Drama, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	Paper Plane Animation Studio
Premiered	2021
Episode Count	24 episodes
Duration	14 min. per ep.

Unable to handle her husband’s good looks up close, Empress Xu Yu pushed her husband away from her and into the pond. Quick on her feet, the empress grabs to save him but ends up falling in with him and… swapping bodies with him?!

A criminally underrated gem. Have you ever seen any historical dramas involving royalty where the king and the court are cold towards their queen and just wished they’d be in the queen’s shoes for once? Well, this is it right here. 

This certainly isn’t your typical romance with hearts and rainbows abound, but it’s refreshing to see a relationship blossom from mutual respect. Plus, the comedy is pure gold!

 

1. Heaven Official’s Blessing

Information
Title	Heaven’s Official Blessing
Genre	Drama, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	Haoliners Animation League
Premiered	2020
Episode Count	11 episodes
Duration	25 min. per ep.

After his long-awaited third ascension, Prince Xie Lian now has to boost his worshiper count back from zero. To maintain his status as a god, Xie Lian must do certain missions appointed to him by the heavens and collect scrap on the side to get by. On one of his collecting expeditions, however, he ends up picking up a mysterious young man, San Lang, on his way home instead. 

To a god, San Lang’s existence is rightly a threat. But like a moth to a flame, Xie Lian just can’t help but be drawn to the younger man, and San Lang himself doesn’t mind the attention.

This whole donghua is the perfect example of how small, calculated movements can show a myriad of emotions and raise tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Watch this for San Lang’s high-key simping and Xie Lian’s unfortunate obliviousness to it. 

 

Conclusion

And that’s 16 of the best romance donghua you should never let pass. All of these are coupled with most of the best donghuas‘, in general are famed for, so if you’re a fan of drama, historical, mystery, supernatural, action, and realistic donghua, then there’s bound to be something here for you. 

Bring on the feels!