It’s that time of the year again when all you want to do is have a warm drink and watch something spooky to put you in the Halloween spirit. So if you’re in for a scare, check out these five paranormal anime to help give you that scary, spooky vibe!
5. Ghost Hunt
This 2006 anime follows high school student Mai Taniyama, who accidentally breaks a video camera of the Shibuya Psychic Research team. This causes Mai to become a member to pay off her debt. She helps the team investigate mysterious paranormal occurrences across Japan while realizing she has her own innate psychic abilities.
Some investigations span two to three episodes, but they get the viewer invested in the characters involved, and some become more emotionally charged than others. The dynamic of the investigation team also provides entertaining comedic relief, making this 25-episode series a good choice for getting into the Halloween spirit.
Ghost Hunt is available to watch now on Crunchyroll.
4. Dororo
This MAPPA anime is an adaptation of a 1969 manga series of the same name. This retelling of the Dororo manga is different from its source material, but it is still an action-packed adventure. In the 2019 anime of Dororo, a feudal lord makes a deal with a demon, who takes the eyes, limbs, and organs of his unborn son, our protagonist, Hyakkimaru.
The faceless child is discarded, but found by a doctor who specializes in prosthetic limbs. The doctor adopts Hyakkimaru and gives him doll-like prosthetics. Once Hyakkimaru becomes a teenager, the doctor sets him up on a journey to defeat demons to gain his limbs back. On this journey, Hyakkimaru runs into an orphan child named Dororo, who tags along with him in his task to gather his limbs back.
This anime contains a lot of action and gore, while also having a paranormal mystic surrounding the protagonist. This heartfelt journey is sure to stick with you beyond the Halloween season.
3. Death Parade
Don’t let the upbeat intro fool you, Death Parade is a paranormal anime that follows recently deceased people entering a purgatory called the Quindecim, where they must play games in order for their fate to be decided. This show really dives deep into morality, human nature, and how consequences can be judged.
Beyond the emotional heaviness, Death Parade is visually stunning and the judges of the Quindecim are meant to make audiences question how deceased victims can be judged by those who are not living. If you’re curious, you can stream this 12-episode series now on Crunchyroll.
2. Mieruko-Chan
This anime follows Miko Yotsuya, who can see terrifying ghosts every day. Despite this, Miko does her best to try to ignore the ghosts to live an ordinary life. It becomes increasingly difficult for Miko to ignore the ghouls around her when she can see them harass her friends.
Mieruko-Chan is a more comedic paranormal anime, as it becomes more and more humorous to see Miko try to avoid ghosts she’s terrified of. Although the detailed animation of the ghosts is scary enough to give viewers the creeps. Mieruko-Chan is also currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
Honorable Mention: Natsume’s Book of Friends
This paranormal drama is more of a light-hearted slice of life that follows Takashi Natsume, who can see yokai. Natsume has inherited a book from his grandmother, who has all the names of the yokai she forced into serving her. Now, Natsume is on a mission to return the yokai to their names.
There are currently seven seasons of Natsume’s Book of Friends, with the latest season airing in 2024. While this anime is scary, it does provide themes of loneliness and the desire to belong, both from the Yokai and Natsume. Recently, despite its airing in 2008, this anime received an English dub that you can watch on Crunchyroll.
1. Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul is one of the most iconic paranormal/horror anime series, with the protagonist, Kaneki Ken, even being featured in horror games such as Dead by Daylight. Halloween is the perfect time to watch or rewatch this legendary series.
The story of Tokyo Ghoul follows Kaneki Ken as he is wrongfully turned into a half ghoul after going on a date with an infamous ghoul named Rize. Ghouls resemble humans and try to blend into society, but they can only survive by eating human flesh and blood. Kaneki has to throw away his human life and learn how to embrace being a Ghoul.
The series is complete with three different seasons of action-packed drama and thrills. With Halloween approaching, now is the perfect time to either revisit this series or dive into it for the first time.
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