You may add some new rituals to your life after watching that.
Every country has its fair share of spooky stories, and Japan is no exception. The number of supernatural beings that supposedly inhabit Japan is staggering — their local folklore consists of hundreds of various beings, each one representing a specific event or an emotion. It all lies deeply in Shinto — a religion that believes that every single thing has a soul, regardless of whether it is alive or not. So you can have, for example, a yokai (a demon) that was born out of a sandal — bakezori.
We've got a list of ten shows that allow you to dive deep into Japanese demonology.
GeGeGe No Kitaro
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This title started it all. The manga was first published in the 60s and focused on the stories of a boy Kitaro, the last living person of a Ghost Tribe, who deals with the conflicts between yokai and humans and tries to keep peace and balance. The manga has numerous anime adaptations, with the most watchable one being the most recent, released in 2018.
It follows Kitaro as he helps people deal with yokai sightings. It has an episodic structure, but there are some huge story arcs and an overarching plot. There's also a spin-off, Akuma-kun, released in 2023, that is closely tied to the story of GeGeGe No Kitaro, and a movie, GeGeGe No Nazo, that has been released in Japanese theaters.
Hozuki's Coolheadedness (Hoozuki No Reitetsu)
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If you want some humor with a side of bureaucratic hell, this is for you. The main character in this story is Hozuki, a chief of staff in Japanese hell. He's a demon himself, and he has strict discipline and wants others to follow the rules.
It's not that easy, so the creatures from the recurring cast, both from the legends and spooky stories, often get into trouble. It's a hilarious show that portrays Hell as a huge government organization with lots of paperwork and regulations.
The most somber, serene, and quiet story that revolves around supernatural beings, Mushishi zooms into the ties between mushi — spirits that inhabit our world — and human lives.
It feels like a nature documentary, with its slow pace and little dialogue, and as Ginko, the main character and Master of Mushi, travels and researches these forms of life, you get that eerily chill feeling, one that's simultaneously refreshing and thought-provoking.
Mononoke
One of the most unique works on our list in terms of art style, Mononoke features a wandering main character, called the Medicine Seller, who deals with specific yokai he meets on his path.
It's considered a horror story, and the themes this anime covers are pretty dark, as the Medicine Seller doesn't mindlessly slay the spirits: he studies them, the reasons behind their actions, and sometimes the spirits are less malevolent than the humans they torment.
Natsume's Book Of Friends (Natsume Yuujinchou)
For those who want to chill, this show is the answer. Natsume can see yokai, and that makes him an outcast among humans, but he accidentally frees a yokai and makes a friend.
Then he learns that his grandmother was a person who defeated a lot of spirits and sealed them in her Book of Friends, becoming a celebrity in the spiritual world. Natsume ends up helping a lot of yokai, but this journey is filled not only with joy but with sorrow, anger, and freedom.
Sarazanmai
Probably the most unhinged show in this list, Sarazanmai focuses mostly on kappa — toad-like amphibian creatures that gained much more power in this universe than in the legends.
They're at war with otters, and there are also zombies, as well as kids who gained superpowers after being eaten by one of the kappas and who now have to save the world. It's bizarre and wonderfully animated, filled with insane humor and deep symbolism that is still perfectly tied to Japanese folklore.
Monogatari Series
A story about a vampire and his harem of girls possessed by various supernatural creatures — or those who just came in contact with them. Sounds dull if you put it like that, but the story is elevated by the characters themselves, the execution of interactions between them, the multilayered symbolism sewn into the narrative, and the amazing style courtesy of studio SHAFT.
It's beautiful, it fills your brain with a mix of blissful static and brain-damaging bizarreness, but it needs you to be alert and concentrated. We warned you.
We've got a god who wants to be worshiped, a girl who saved him, and empty pockets. Yato, the self-proclaimed delivery god, does odd jobs and tries to get Hiyori, the girl who saved him, back into her body, as her soul got a bit loose from dying.
But that's just an overarching plot, while the story has multiple subplots that may turn much darker than you anticipate. This show mixes comedy, romance, and drama pretty well, and, thankfully, the manga will be finished at the beginning of 2024, so probably we'll have the rest of it animated.
xxxHolic
A boy who can see spirits and a woman who can rid him of that ability — for a price. The boy has to work for her for a while at the store that grants wishes to people. This show is not that action-packed and focuses mostly on dialogue, thought-provoking and meaningful, with a hint of humor.
Like some other works, this one makes you think about fate, destiny, life, and death, and offers an interesting take on societal problems in Japanese culture that are tied to yokai.
Yu Yu Hakusho
The oldest series in our list, this one will soon be adapted into live-action. A boy dies in an uncharacteristic act of heroism and is granted a second chance by the gods, but he has to pay for that by becoming their warrior — the one who eradicates demons. He gets two of them as his companions, and together they start their journey of eradicating evil.
Now this one is filled with fights, but it also has a solid plot, with action just propelling it forward. Demons themselves are pretty interesting, sometimes diving into the nightmarish type.