It is time to get to know Japanese spirits a little better.
Yokai are supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. They often appear as main characters and sometimes as villains in anime. However, they are all different from each other and can possess incredible abilities. Most importantly, yokai are always unpredictable.
We have chosen the top anime worth watching to learn more about Japanese evil spirits.
The first place on this list is occupied by perhaps the most famous anime about yokai – Inuyasha. According to the plot, high school student Kagome falls into a well and miraculously finds herself in Sengoku-era Japan, where dangerous yokai roam.
There she meets Inuyasha and together they go in search of fragments of the Shikon Jewel. Along the way, they fight all sorts of demons, ghosts and spirits, make new friends and sometimes learn about modern technology thanks to Kagome.
2. Tonari no Yokai-san, 2024
In the rural town of Fuchigamori, a mountain breeze often blows. Everyday life there is mysterious, where monsters, humans, and gods coexist side by side. They live each day with their joys and sorrows in their hearts.
Buchio lived as a cat for 20 years, and now he has been reborn as a nekomata. Mutsumi is a cheerful girl, though she worries about her missing father. Jiro is a crow tengu who has been protecting the town for several generations.
A slightly mysterious and tender story about unusual connections that arise in the daily life of a quiet and picturesque provincial town.
3. Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, 2020-2025
Yokai are not only demons, but ghosts that can appear in any house and even in a school bathroom. That's why Toilet-bound Hanako-kun made it to this top – it is a beautiful anime with a mystical filling.
Kamome Academy is rumored to have many secrets, the strangest of which has to do with the mischievous ghost Hanako-kun. When occult-loving student Nene accidentally makes contact with him, she discovers a world of hidden supernatural creatures.
Now the two of them try to maintain harmony between students and creatures – if only they can stay out of trouble themselves.
4. Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, 2010-2014
Imagine that your grandfather is the head of the most notorious organization in the country. And also a legendary yokai. That's exactly what happened to Rikuo Nura. Although he is the heir of a famous demon clan, he wants to live a normal human life.
But everything changes when his friends and family are threatened by rival yokai and exorcists. There are plot twists, unexpected turns and intrigues – all because the main character is about to become the head of the clan.
5. Kamisama Kiss, 2012-2016
If you want to watch a light story with a touch of comedy, then it is worth remembering one of the most popular romantic anime with a funny main character and a mischievous fox-yokai.
Nanami, left without a home, accepts an unexpected offer from a stranger – to live in his house. But there is a catch. The house turns out to be a temple, and the poor girl is appointed the new kami, the deity of the earth, responsible for protecting this area.
As her mentor, she is assigned the not very happy yokai Tomoe, who not only has to honor Nanami, but also has to protect her from other evil spirits.
It is time to get to know Japanese spirits a little better.
Yokai are supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. They often appear as main characters and sometimes as villains in anime. However, they are all different from each other and can possess incredible abilities. Most importantly, yokai are always unpredictable.
We have chosen the top anime worth watching to learn more about Japanese evil spirits.
The first place on this list is occupied by perhaps the most famous anime about yokai – Inuyasha. According to the plot, high school student Kagome falls into a well and miraculously finds herself in Sengoku-era Japan, where dangerous yokai roam.
There she meets Inuyasha and together they go in search of fragments of the Shikon Jewel. Along the way, they fight all sorts of demons, ghosts and spirits, make new friends and sometimes learn about modern technology thanks to Kagome.
2. Tonari no Yokai-san, 2024
In the rural town of Fuchigamori, a mountain breeze often blows. Everyday life there is mysterious, where monsters, humans, and gods coexist side by side. They live each day with their joys and sorrows in their hearts.
Buchio lived as a cat for 20 years, and now he has been reborn as a nekomata. Mutsumi is a cheerful girl, though she worries about her missing father. Jiro is a crow tengu who has been protecting the town for several generations.
A slightly mysterious and tender story about unusual connections that arise in the daily life of a quiet and picturesque provincial town.
3. Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, 2020-2025
Yokai are not only demons, but ghosts that can appear in any house and even in a school bathroom. That's why Toilet-bound Hanako-kun made it to this top – it is a beautiful anime with a mystical filling.
Kamome Academy is rumored to have many secrets, the strangest of which has to do with the mischievous ghost Hanako-kun. When occult-loving student Nene accidentally makes contact with him, she discovers a world of hidden supernatural creatures.
Now the two of them try to maintain harmony between students and creatures – if only they can stay out of trouble themselves.
4. Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, 2010-2014
Imagine that your grandfather is the head of the most notorious organization in the country. And also a legendary yokai. That's exactly what happened to Rikuo Nura. Although he is the heir of a famous demon clan, he wants to live a normal human life.
But everything changes when his friends and family are threatened by rival yokai and exorcists. There are plot twists, unexpected turns and intrigues – all because the main character is about to become the head of the clan.
5. Kamisama Kiss, 2012-2016
If you want to watch a light story with a touch of comedy, then it is worth remembering one of the most popular romantic anime with a funny main character and a mischievous fox-yokai.
Nanami, left without a home, accepts an unexpected offer from a stranger – to live in his house. But there is a catch. The house turns out to be a temple, and the poor girl is appointed the new kami, the deity of the earth, responsible for protecting this area.
As her mentor, she is assigned the not very happy yokai Tomoe, who not only has to honor Nanami, but also has to protect her from other evil spirits.
