When it comes to creating anime, there has never been a country quite as masterful as Japan. They’re the founders of anime, so it makes sense that they’d reign supreme over their own art form. With series like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto, it’s hard to imagine that any other country could create anime at Japan’s level, but one series looks to be the first.
Lord of Mysteries might be the single greatest anime series to come out of China. It’s so good that it’s putting China on the map in terms of anime, showcasing just how well they can bring a solid manhua series to life.
Lord of Mysteries has the potential to compete with some of the best anime series of all time. It’s an ambitious series filled with mystery, intriguing characters, and a world just waiting to be explored.
Japan Has Always Dominated Anime
No Other Country Has Gotten Close to Japan’s Success
It’s no secret that Japan has dominated anime. It’s their medium, and Korea and China are still pretty far behind in terms of adding to it themselves. Not many countries create anime in general, and no country has been able to compete with the best that Japan has released.
Japan has so many phenomenal anime series that there would be no point in even trying to count them. From classics like Legend of the Galactic Heroes to some of the best modern anime of all time, like Chainsaw Man, there’s no shortage of powerful, emotionally cathartic, jaw-dropping anime series from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Just because Japan has a lead on the competition doesn’t mean that lead is permanent. The first season of Tower of God showcased one of the best Korean Webtoons ever made, and China has more than a few amazing anime series just waiting to dominate the latter half of the 2020s.
Lord of Mysteries Proves China Is Up Next
Japan Might Not Be the King of Anime for Long
Lord of Mysteries is easily one of the best anime series of 2025. There aren’t many series quite like it, and there are a few reasons why. Lord of Mysteries is almost unreasonably ambitious. It has some of the most striking art design in anime, takes place in an incredibly vivacious and intriguing world, and makes the isekai genre feel fun again.
There are plenty of amazing isekai series out there, but there aren’t many as brave as Lord of Mysteries. Most other isekai series only add a few elements to their franchise while Lord of Mysteries looks to turn the subgenre on its head. China is making it clear that, through this series, they’re planning on becoming a major competitor in the world of anime.
Lord of Mysteries isn’t just a series everyone should check out: it’s a milestone in anime. The world of anime is better for every new voice heard within it, and this series is a signpost that the art form is only going to get better from here.
China’s Disruption to Anime Comes at a Tenuous Time
An Iconic Cultural Export Is at Stake
It’s an exciting time for Chinese animation, with donghua like Lord of Mysteries and To Be Hero X dominating public interest, such as in Crunchyroll’s latest new offerings. While donghua has struggled for a long time to produce a breakout success or step out of the Wuxia or Three Kingdoms box, China’s emerging cultural export could become a hostile takeover.
For those who haven’t been keeping up on current events, since November 7, 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments have sparked a diplomatic crisis with China. For background, per NHK World Japan, Takaichi referred to the possibility of an attack on Taiwan from China, and that Japan would be able to respond as an act of defense.
This devolved further into Chinese government officials issuing fiery statements against Takaichi, with tensions boiling to the point of China cutting off seafood imports and issuing travel advisories and even restrictions. China, despite a tenuous history with Japan, especially regarding Taiwan, still constitutes a massive portion of Japan’s international anime consumption.
Suddenly, China competing with isekai anime, and shattering records like with Ne Zha 2, could have geopolitical repercussions. If China freezes other trade avenues like Japan’s most iconic cultural export, anime, as a future response to poor diplomatic relations, it’d be a disastrous blow to the industry. Donghua is exciting, but its emergence comes, sadly, at a volatile time.
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- founded
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May 14, 2006
- notable shows
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In/Spectre, Tower of God, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Shenmue the Animation
Crunchyroll is a North American-based streaming service owned by Sony that focuses largely on Japanese anime but also covers several East Asian drama series. The service is available in several countries and has a small catalog of self-created and published series, with most of its content licensed with partners overseas.
