Unfortunately, there is very little information available about the Chinese animation company Samsara Animation Studio (aka 六道无鱼动画工作室).
What we do know as that they are a small, independent studio that is currently concentrating on animating one donghua series with, at least when we last heard, just six people on staff.
But, that series has been such a standout for Samsara Animation Studio, it is talked about by both animation industry professionals and fans as one of the most stunning donghua series in recent years.
Not only for its incredible art style, but also its smooth as butter animation — especially during the intense fight scenes — its unique characters, and in-depth world-building.
Wu Shan Wu Xing (Fog Hill of Five Elements)
That series, of course, is Wu Shan Wu Xing, aka Fog Hill of Five Elements, an animated series that started out as a five-minute, one-episode stand-alone donghua that was released on December 31st, 2016.
By 2020, however, Fog Hill of Five Elements had grown up into a fully-fledged three-episode series of 26 minutes per episode, followed by a Season 2 release of four episodes of 38-minutes each that then ran from July to August, 2023.
Since then, it is assumed Samsara Animation Studio is working on a third season for the hit historical, martial arts donghua.
Fog Hill of Five Elements is produced by Nice Boat Animation, and is available to watch on Bilibili.
As for Season 3, keep an eye on Samsara Animation Studio’s official YouTube channel. It hasn’t been updated in over a year but, when a new animated series is premiering, it is there we will likely see a heads up about it.
Until then, watch the Fog Hill of Five Elements, Extended Trailer to get a good idea of why so many people talk about Samsara Animation creating “god-tier animation”.
Donghua is my life.
Current favorites — One Hundred Thousand Years of Qi Refining, Perfect World, Renegade Immortal, Jade Dynasty, The Demon Hunter, A Mortal’s Journey, World of Immortals, Tales of Herding Gods.