Michelle Topham 
Fabulous Beasts (aka You Shou Yan) is a Chinese animated series, or donghua, that follows the adventures of mythological creatures in a modern setting.
If you want to find out what the Fabulous Beasts donghua is about before you begin watching it (you should watch, by the way, as it’s sooooooo well done!), here’s what you need to know.
Fabulous Beasts plot overview
The Fabulous Beasts donghua is set in the modern world where societal advancement has impacted the lives of once-majestic mythological animals, making their existence less grand compared to ancient times.
The protagonist, Sibuxiang, a mythical beast, is sent from the Heavenly Palace to the mortal world with a mission to assist other struggling mythical creatures.
In the human world, Sibuxiang encounters various mythical beings including his old colleague Pixiu, Lord Rabbit who has more than a bit of a crush on him, and brothers Golden Horn and Silver Horn.
The narrative explores the interactions and stories that unfold among these and other characters as they hilariously navigate life in the modern era.
Fabulous Beasts characters
The two main characters are protagonist Sibuxiang and his side-kick and “helper” Pixiu.
Sibuxiang: Self-described as an auspicious mythical beast with a mission to help other creatures, Sibuxiang has a unique appearance with light brown fur, white dots, and antlers, and is often seen wearing a red cape with a white cloud pattern.
His character is often frugal, short-tempered, and somewhat lazy but he is also, surprisingly, dedicated to his task.
RELATED: Which Chinese actor voices protagonist Sibuxiang in the donghua Fabulous Beasts?
Pixiu: A mythic beast with a white and blue fur pattern, a single golden horn, and red paw beans.
Pixiu is loud, brash and greedy (he loves to eat gold, precious jewels and other treasures), and often gets into mischief. Yet, he also deeply cares about those he loves.
Including Sibuxiang.
A slew of other characters come in and out of episodes of Fabulous Beasts as the donghua’s four seasons continue, all with their own quirky personalities, and with backgrounds derived from Chinese mythology.
Themes and setting of Fabulous Beasts
The series blends traditional Chinese folklore with contemporary life, offering an often comedic and heartwarming take on the challenges these mythical creatures face in a world where they must adapt to or hide from human society.
The animation style uses an utterly lovely watercolor aesthetic that contributes to the visual charm of the show.
Its slice-of-life way of telling its creatures’ stories makes the donghua fun, heartwarming and an incredibly chill animated series to relax to.
Reception and where to watch Fabulous Beasts
The Fabulous Beasts donghua has been well-received for its cute character designs, engaging comedy, touching stories, and for serving as an accessible introduction to Chinese mythology through animation.
All four seasons of the Fenz Animation Studio-animated series (a total of 48 episodes) are currently available on Bilibili’s Donghua-focused YouTube channel, either in single episode form, or in one 3-hour video that features all 48 episodes.
Kick off your viewing with Fabulous Beasts, Episode 1 below. You will find the entire series via this playlist.
About the Author
Steven Reynolds