anime of ghost girl

Top 10 Anime Ghost Girl [Updated]

Spooky season is almost upon us! Taking into account the changing seasons and approaching Halloween, we thought it’d be great to pick out an old list and bring it back to life! Our favourite anime ghost girls, revisited! To find the earlier list, scroll down, but be careful – these lists are haunted. With a wide variety of supernatural anime out there, the presence of ghosts in anime also has its variations. Read to find out more!

10. Yanagi Fuyumi – Blood Lad

• Episodes: 10
• Aired: July 2013 – September 2013

Staz C. Blood is a powerful vampire ruling over the East District of the Demon World. Rumour has it Staz is a vicious tyrant, but in reality, he’s just a vampire totally obsessed with Japanese culture. He lets his underlings do the admin of governing the east side while he plays video games, watches anime and reads manga all day long. Yanagi Fuyumi is a human girl who accidentally wanders through a portal into the Demon World. Staz is excited to meet a real-life Japanese girl; however, they’re soon attacked and Fuyumi is killed. She turns into a ghost and Staz vows to resurrect her because she’s his ticket to seeing the human world! Together, they meet other characters and traverse the Demon World in search of magic that could lead to Fuyumi’s revival.

Fuyumi is your average girl and that is one of the reasons why her untimely death greatly affected Staz. She has no special abilities or traits, she just finds herself in a state of limbo as her ghastly form is besieged with the prospect of disappearing forever. Despite the terrible situation she’s in, Fuyumi seems to have a fair amount of trust in Staz and his journey to bring her back to life.

9. Dash Granny – Mob Psycho 100 II

• Episodes: 13
• Aired: January 2019 – April 2019

Now coming into his own, Mob has matured and is more understanding of the impact that he could have on other people. He and Arataka continue with their exorcism work; however, things aren’t quite like they used to be. Mob now makes his own decisions, understanding that his growth as an esper comes in a time where there are heinous elements at play. With things now more dangerous than ever, can Mob come to grips with his endless power and become one with his emotions?

Dash Granny is a minor character in the most recent season of Mob Psycho 100; however, her presence was quite incredible. She gained notoriety as a ghost due to the fact that she’s really quick for an old person (an old ghost?) and that’s 100 times scarier than merely haunting a building or a patch of land. Why does Dash Granny dash? Is she late for something? Guess we’ll never know.

8. Yunohana Yuuna – Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san (Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs)

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: July 2018 – September 2018

Fuyuzora Kogarashi is a broke psychic looking for a place to stay. He finds Yuragi-sou, an old hot springs inn-turned boarding house with extremely cheap rent. Rumour has it the place is haunted, so Kogarashi seeks to exorcise it; however, it turns out to be rather docile – it is a beautiful silver-haired girl who has no memories other than her name: Yuuna. Another thing he discovers is the fact that all the Yuragi-sou tenants have supernatural abilities over and above being able to see Yuuna. While settling in to his new life in his new home, Kogarashi tries to figure out what is keeping Yuuna affixed to the world of the living before she degenerates into an evil spirit destined for the pits of Hell.

Yuuna is a kind ghost, but her circumstances rather mysterious. For some reason, she remains in the world of the living – harbouring a regret of some kind. However, without her memories of the time when she was alive, figuring out what exactly that regret may be is definitely no easy task.

7. Ryuugajou Nanana – Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (Nanana’s Buried Treasure)

• Episodes: 11
• Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Located in the Pacific Ocean, Nanae Island is a man-made island which hosts all that is needed for a thorough education and training of children. Created by the Great Seven, a group of adventurers led by one Ryuugajou Nanana, Nanae Island is intended to be a place where young people can pursue their dreams. After being exiled by his family, Yama Juugo arrives on the island and moves into his new room… where he encounters the ghost of none other than the Great Seven leader, Ryuugajou Nanana. Bound to the room after her unsolved murder ten years prior, Nanana informs Juugo of a set of powerful items which each possess incredible power that she has spread all over the island. The items, known to those who are aware of their existence as the “Nanana Collection” could very well be the key to solving the mystery of Nanana’s death, so Juugo, alongside self-proclaimed Master Detective Ikkyuu Tensai and her assistant Hoshino Daruku, sets out to find them and lay Nanana to rest for good.

Ryuugajou Nanana was a brilliant adventurer and leader; however, she was murdered in her room on the island she helped create. Now, Nanana is a NEET, spending her time playing online games and inhaling snacks in the same room where she died. Her memories remain, but she has no idea who killed her. As a result, she remains, plagued by a regret she may not completely understand.

6. Aisaka Sayo – Mahou Sensei Negima (Magister Negi Magi Negima)

• Episodes: 26
• Aired: January 2005 – June 2005

Negi Springfield is a ten-year-old Welsh wizard-in-training. In order to become a Master Wizard, he is faced with one more test: become an English teacher at a Japanese all-girls high school! Upon his arrival, Negi accidentally embarrasses one of his students and to make things worse, he is the replacement for her favourite homeroom teacher. Having earned Kagurazaka Asuna’s hatred on the very first day, things only get worse for Negi when she discovers that he is a wizard. She blackmails him into helping her in exchange for her silence; however, the both of them soon encounter more obstacles than they ever imagined.

Mahora Academy is an old institution with a rich history. 60 years prior to the events of Negima, Aisaka Sayo was a student at the school. She and her little sister had spent a long time tending to the clocktower’s garden. Legend had it that if they could fill the garden with tsuwabuki flowers, their mother would come back. On a stormy night, Sayo headed out to tend to the flowers and protect them from the elements. She died of pneumonia not too long after that. Despite having been dead for over 60 years, Professor Takahata had her included in Negi’s class’s registry and her seat had never changed. Eventually, she was integrated into the class and Negi began being able to see her too.

5. Ibuki Fuko – Clannad

• Episodes: 23
• Aired: October 2007 – March 2008

Okazaki Tomoya is a cynical delinquent who believes he’ll never become anything. He often skips school with his friend, Sunohara Youhei. One day while walking to school, Tomoya passes a girl from his school muttering to herself. She then exclaims “sweet bread!”, catching Tomoya’s attention. Her name is Furukawa Nagisa and she quickly thinks of Tomoya as a friend, but he isn’t too moved by their encounter. However, he starts seeing more of her around school and so he eventually befriends her. He learns that Nagisa has been held back a year due to a severe illness and she wishes to revive the school drama club. Tomoya decides to help her, with the assistance of four others. As Tomoya interacts with each girl, he learns more about them and their problems, trying to help each one overcome her obstacles.

Fuko is a first year at the same school as Tomoya and Nagisa. She is introduced as a childish girl who really loves starfish; to the point of carving starfish shapes out of wood. However, she gives these wooden starfish out to people as an invitation to her sister’s wedding. Her sister was the art teacher at the school about three years prior, so no one currently at the school knows who she is. Fuko was involved in an accident that left her comatose, so the vast majority of interactions the other characters had with Fuko were with her ghost.

4. Honma “Menma” Meiko – Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day) (AnoHana)

• Aired: April 2011 – June 2011

Yadomi Jinta lives the life of a recluse; refusing to go to school on most days and playing videogames all day. His long-deceased childhood friend, Honma “Menma” Meiko, appears to him on a hot summer day in order to get him to grant her forgotten wish. Initially thinking himself to be hallucinating, Jinta soon realises that he’s seeing Menma’s ghost. He and his childhood friends grew apart after Menma died but they find themselves patching things up in order to finally lay Menma to rest. Forced to revisit the past, the group must confront their own guilt in addition to granting Menma’s final wish.

When Jinta and the other characters were still children, they played with Menma a lot; however, on one day, Menma dies and the trauma shatters the friendship dynamic in the group. Years later, Jinta is a reclusive teenager, but Menma’s ghost appears before him, imploring him to grant her final wish. For the majority of the series, only Jinta is able to see Menma.

3. Dee Ensy Stratmitos – Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi (Sunday Without God)

God has turned his back on the world, rendering it a land where life cannot be born nor taken away. The dead walk among the living; however, before leaving forever, God created Gravekeepers, being capable of putting the dead to rest. Ai is a young girl who is her village’s Gravekeeper in her late mother’s place. One day, a man named Hampnie Hambart arrives and kills everyone in the village. He claims to be Ai’s father. With her village wiped out, Ai sees no future there and accompanies Hampnie on his journey all while trying to live true to her job as a Gravekeeper.

Dee Ensy is a ghost without a true form. She can appear anywhere at any time, possess people and even grant wishes. She has a crush on Alis Color and possesses him too. She and Ai have formed a friendship based on love and mutual respect; however, due to her feelings for Alis, Dee can’t quite help feeling jealous whenever Ai gets more attention from Alis than she does.

2. Sakura Megumi (Megu-nee) – Gakkou-gurashi (School Live!)

• Aired: July 2015 – September 2015

Takeya Yuki loves school so much that she never wants to leave. Attending Megurigaoka High, Yuki gets to enjoy her life as a senior student and member of the School Living Club, alongside the president Wakasa Yuuri, the athletic Ebisuzawa Kurumi, their junior, Naoki Miki, their supervisor Sakura Megumi and their dog, Taroumaru. Life is good; as long as Yuki continues to be ignorant of the reality of the situation around her. The School Living Club is a ruse to avoid the crushing reality of the zombie apocalypse which has left them barricaded inside their school as the only survivors.

Sakura Megumi was a Japanese teacher at Megurigaoka High and the advisor for the School Life Club. This is apparent when you see how close she is with the members of the club. Her last ever act was to take on a horde of zombies in order to protect the School Life Club from harm. The trauma of knowing that their teacher died while protecting them greatly shakes Yuki and so she continues to see, hear and interact with a vision of Megu-nee to the point of it not being immediately obvious that Megu-nee is merely a spectre from Yuki’s imagination.

1. Elaine – Nanatsu no Taizai (Seven Deadly Sins)

• Episodes: 24
• Aired: October 2014 – March 2015

In an era akin to the European Middle Ages, the Holy Knights of the Britannia of the Kingdom of Liones use powerful magic to maintain order and protect the region. Despite this, a small squadron of Knights turned their blades towards the kingdom in an attempt to overthrow the ruler of their country, Liones. This treason was subdued by the Holy Knights, but rumours of their, of the “Seven Deadly Sins”’ survival. Ten years later, the Holy Knights staged an insurgence of their own, becoming the new tyrannical rulers of Britannia. Elizabeth, the third princess of Britannia embarks on a personal mission to find the Seven Deadly Sins and ask for their help in order to take back her kingdom from the Holy Knights.

King’s sister and the love of Ban’s life, Elaine tragically lost her life when a demon attacked the Fountain of Youth, of which she is the guardian. She and Ban were fatally wounded and he’d wanted her to drink the water in order to gain immortality, but she tricked him into drinking it. Her death greatly affects Ban; however, she makes an appearance when the Boar Hat gang travel to the Capital of the Dead.

Final Thoughts

Ghosts are quite the standard when it comes to supernatural apparitions. In anime, the wide variety of ghost-type characters cannot be understated – even Ghost-type Pokémon are a thing! Who is your favourite ghost anime girl? How did they die? Drop a comment below and tell us all about them – and don’t forget to check out the older list below this one for more information on some great anime ghost girls!

Author: Hoshi-kun

I’m South African, harbouring an obsession for anything remotely related to Japan, mostly anime, of course. I draw sometimes. Some people call me Naledi, it’s my real name, or something like that. People think I’m stoic because I don’t smile often (I do sometimes). I like languages. Hoshi-kun and Naledi are the same side of the same coin.

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Top 5 Anime by Hoshi-kun

One of the amazing things about anime is that there’s such a variety of ways to interpret certain aspects of it. Certain genres branch into more detailed stories within the genre, certain anime take unique takes on the very drawing style that defines anime, and certain character tropes are exaggerated upon and parodied at the same time. Even when it comes to certain character roles, certain anime will take a different approach as to how that type of character will move the story forward. Having a ghost like character is just one of many character types that this happens for.

Ghosts themselves allows anime to vastly expand the creative opportunities for these kinds of characters. They can be adapted to many different genres, and they can be interpreted differently depending on the characters interacting with said ghosts characters. Gender difference especially increases those changes, with both male and female ghosts leading to different types of anime. Keeping all that in mind, here are the top 10 ghost girls.

10. Alma, MAR

• Episodes: 102
• Aired: Apr 3, 2005 – Mar 25, 2007

Something to keep in mind when it comes to ghosts is that only very people if not a single person may see them, and Alma’s role is the best definition of that. A former Vestrian soldier, Alma was in a relationship with Phantom until he adopted the Zombie Tattoo from Queen Diana, causing a rift due to his appreciation for immortality. Alma left him and fought with her crew in the 1st Mar Heaven War only to be killed and cursed by the King to remain as ghosts and forever haunt Vestry’s underground cave, the place Alma left Phantom. However, Alma is able to escape this fate years later thanks to Ginta, and as a reward gives him not only a Magic Stone, but also the Holy ÄRM Purific Avea, the only ARM that can undo Phantom’s Zombie Tattoo and defeat Phantom as a result. In addition to appearing to Ginta, Alma also makes one last appearance to Phantom to help him reach salvation before his death. Even though her appearances are brief and she only appears to a few characters, Alma’s impact on the events of the series cannot be ignored.

9. Perona, One Piece

• Episodes: 737 (as of now)
• Aired: Oct 20, 1999 - present

Even though she’s technically not a ghost, you’d be hard-pressed to find characters that use ghost like powers as well as ghosts as their method for fighting, and “Ghost Princess” Perona comes through in spades in this category. Eating the Hollow-Hollow Fruit allows Perona all kinds of ghost-like abilities, from creating multiple types of Hollows that can fight for her to creating an astral image of herself that can fly and change sizes. Perona can also hear and see whatever her ghosts can hear and see, allowing her to pick up information in a variety of ways. Perona’s abilities definitely make her stand out among those related to the ghost genre.

8. Mayoi Hachikuji, Bakemonogatari

• Episodes: 15
• Aired: Jul 3, 2009 – Jun 25, 2010

Most people tend to think of ghosts as terrifying, not cheerful, but Mayoi is one of many that has helped to break that way of thinking. A fifth grade girl that was run over by a truck while looking for her mother’s home, Mayoi is definitely the complete opposite when it comes to being scared by ghosts. Constantly cheerful, curious, and just full of energy, Mayoi is quite a lot to handle, and it’s a surprise that someone so happy actually has a sad past. Yet despite her past as well as her extremely youthful appearance, Mayoi is actually pretty mature, and as the story progresses, her character is developed a lot more, especially when she and Koyomi end up going back in time. Mayoi certainly turns the tables on the typical ghost character in traditional stories by setting a new standard definition for ghost girls when it comes to anime.

7. Enma Ai, Hell Girl

• Aired: Oct 5, 2005 – Apr 5, 2006

Not all ghost are good, and Enma Ai, or Hell Girl, is the go to example for that. Ai’s main responsibility is to carry out the grudges on behalf of the people who choose to request her services. By giving the requester a special doll, they can pull a red string around the neck of said doll if they choose to have Ai carry out their grievances over the person of their choosing, where Ai will take that person directly to Hell. The condition, however, is that once the requester die, they too will go to Hell. Ai carries herself in a way where expressing little emotion, no matter what the circumstances are, is normal for her, making her that much more of an antihero as opposed to the good guy. As the series progresses, we get a much better understanding of why Ai chooses to be this way, especially based on the things she’s seen as well as the length of time she has been performing these services. Certainly a much scarier ghost girl than most.

6. Misao Minakami, Asura Cryin

• Aired: Apr 2, 2009 – Jun 25, 2009

Misao Minakami is a great example of the ghost girl that is the best friend of the main character. The childhood friend of Tomoharu Natsume, Misao died in a plane accident that Tomoharu barely survived. However, Misao returns as a ghost that only Tomoharu can see and remains as devoted as ever to him. As the series progresses, Misao begins to develop strong feelings for Tomoharu, which only complicates their relationship even more as their adventures get more dangerous. Definitely a solid example of a ghost girl that is 100% devoted to their best friend

5. Eliza Faust, Shaman King

• Episodes: 64
• Aired: Jul 4, 2001 – Sep 25, 2002

Not all romances occur without their share of bumps in the road, and Eliza’s story very much reflects that. Born with a fatal disease, Eliza’s life seemed to be bleak until her meeting with Faust XIII. Because of her devotion to him, Faust worked on and eventually found a cure for her, leading to their marriage and opening a clinic together. Unfortunately, Eliza ended up losing her life to a burglar that shoots her point blank in the head, leading to Faust’s obsession with necromancy as a way to bring her back. Although Faust succeeds, the Eliza he brings back is only an image as opposed to her true spirit, raising an important question of whether we’re really seeing Eliza or not. Eliza’s story luckily as a happy ending due to Anna summoning her back for Faust and Faust finally becoming a strong enough shaman to bring back her true spirit herself. Eliza’s story really calls into question about who someone’s true self really is, something that can be applied to any of the ghosts on this list.

4. Sayoko Arashiyama, Natsu no Arashi

• Aired: Apr 6, 2009 – Jun 29, 2009

One of the unique aspects explored when it comes to ghosts in general is their connection to time, especially since the ghost character in turn usually remains the age they died throughout the length of their respective series. Sayoko Arashiyama’s story is unique in the sense that it goes 1 step further by involving time travel. A beautiful 16 year old girl during the time of World War 2 that later becomes a ghost, Sayoko’s mission is to rescue the people in her community from the air raids done by American fighter planes. Sayoko discovers that by making a connection with a living person in the present day, she can achieve her goal, leading to the events of the series. Despite her simple mindedness, Sayoko is a good person at heart, and her purity of trying to save her community shines through and through.

3. Mavis Vermillion, Fairy Tale

• Episodes: 175
• Aired: Oct 12, 2009 – Mar 30, 2013

The 1st Guild Master as well as a cofounder of the Fairy Tail Guild, Mavis Vermillion is over 100 years old despite having the appearance of someone barely in their teens. Even though Mavis’ body is sealed in Lacrima, Mavis herself exists in a ghostlike form that interacts with the current members of the Guild. Despite acting like a child at times and having unique quirks (such as wanting to be barefoot all the time), Mavis has had a traumatic past that not only causes her to be serious at crucial moments, but has also made her quite powerful. When it comes to creating a complex backstory for how a ghost girl came to be, Mavis’ backstory is certainly worth putting in the time to get to know.

2. Elaine, Seven Deadly Sins

• Aired: Oct 5, 2014 – Mar 29, 2015

The Guardian Saint of the Fountain of Youth, Elaine definitely serves as a great example of a ghost girl with a classic romantic story. Tasked with protecting the Fountain of Youth, Elaine grows to distrust humans due to the number of them that attempted to take control of the Fountain. It was only after meeting Bandit Ban and learning his intentions for wanting immortality that Elaine began to open herself up again after hundreds of years of guarding the Fountain. However, Elaine loses her life to a demon that attacks them and saves Ban by giving him the water from the Fountain at the cost of her life. Elaine is eventually resurrected later in the story and appears as a ghost before that happens, and the events that take place between her, Ban, and her brother King stand out in a romantic sense, serving as a model romance for ghost girls in general.

1. Menma, The Flower We Saw That Day

• Aired: Apr 15, 2011 – Jun 24, 2011

In addition to the happy stories and scary stories we’ve seen with ghost characters, there are also sad ones that cause some deep thinking about those who have died too early, and Menma in The Flower We Saw That Day nails that feeling on the head. Six childhood friends drift apart after one of them, Menma, dies in a tragic accident; 10 years later, the leader, Jinta, is living as a recluse until Menma appears to him saying that she can’t pass on until her wish is granted. Since she can’t remember what it is, it’s up to Jinta to find the rest of their friends and work together to discover what that wish is. A lot of feelings are experienced mainly due to the strong connections people can make with each of the characters based on how each of them dealt with what happened. In Menma’s case, the pain of not being able to communicate with most of her friends because she’s a ghost as well as not being present for 10 years takes an incredible toll on her despite her selflessness and childlike innocence. Even though none of us can technically never directly relate to this, how we imagine how those who have passed on would act in certain situations is one of the hardest things to overcome if we were close to that person. In a way, we can forever be haunted by their ghost until we find inner peace and the strength to move forward. Menma stands as a ghost character who can have quite the impact if the storytelling is masterfully done as this one is.

Each of these characters on this list either represent a different take on how ghosts can be used in anime or different directions within the same genre. One thing is certain: they certainly make each of their respective stories more entertaining whether they’re making you laugh or making you think. Anybody missing from this list you feel should be on here? Let us know in the comments!

Author: Ian Williams

Hi, my name's Ian. I grew up in the United States, but I've traveled to and lived in many different countries, including Scotland, Japan, and New Zealand. Some of my hobbies include reading, writing, chess, running, playing video games, and watching anime. I started getting more into anime after watching Dragon Ball Z on Toonami as a kid, and have been hooked by the amazing stories and characters in anime ever since.

Top 5 Anime by Ian Williams

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25 Best Ghost Anime & Paranormal Anime Series

Do you like ghost anime & Paranormal Anime series ? then you come to the right page of the web, Today, We are going to create a list of best ghost and paranormal anime series.

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We all can agree on this that anime is a great way to escape from reality and sometimes its also help us to see our world with a different prospective but sometimes we want to remove our self even further from reality.

So here are some of the best ghost anime and paranormal anime series for you to enjoy.

Table of Contents

25. A Letter to Momo

This ghost anime start with the unexpected death of her father , 11-year-old Momo Miyaura leaves Tokyo with her mother and moves to an old remote island in Seto Inland Sea.

The only memento she has from her father is an unfinished letter with only two words inside: “Dear Momo”—along with her heart’s unrest from it. In the new and unfamiliar small town, Momo reluctantly tries to adjust to the outmoded wooden buildings, silent crop fields, and mysterious isolated shrines.

One day, while exploring the attic of her new home, she finds a worn out picture book about youkai. Following this discovery, strange things begin to happen around town, and Momo is greeted by the arrival of three troublesome youkai.

Momo e no Tegami tells the story of a young girl as she struggles to adapt to her bizarre new life and ultimately come to terms with her father’s mysterious letter.

24. Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress

In this ghost anime Kyokutei Bakin’s classic Japanese epic novel Nansou Satomi Hakkenden, eight samurai serve the Satomi clan during Japan’s tumultuous Sengoku (Warring States) era.

The Edo-era samurai are the reincarnations of the spirits that Princess Fuse mothered with a dog named Yatsufusa. In Fuse Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden, the female hunter Hamaji comes to her brother in order to hunt Fuse.

Thus, the karmic cycle of retribution that began long ago with the Satomi family begins anew.

23. Natsuyuki Rendezvous

This ghost anime is about Ryousuke Hazuki who is a young man whose heart has been stolen away, stopping by the local floral shop daily in order to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Rokka Shimao, the shop’s owner.

In hopes of getting close to her, he decides to get a part-time job at the shop, but before he is able to make his move, he runs into a major roadblock: in her apartment dwells a ghost who claims to be Rokka’s deceased husband. Atsushi Shimao has quietly watched over his widowed wife ever since he passed three years ago.

However, Hazuki is the first person to ever notice him, and the two quickly find themselves at odds: the jealous Shimao attempts to thwart the suitor’s advances and possess his body, while Hazuki simply wants the ghost to pass on for good, allowing Rokka to move on from the past and him to be with the one he loves.

As both men refuse to let go of their desires, an unusual relationship forms between a troubled woman, an unrelenting ghost, and a stubborn man in love.

22. Another

In this ghost anime, a popular student in Yomiyama North Middle School’s class 3-3 named Misaki passed away during the school year. Since then, the town of Yomiyama has been shrouded by a fearful atmosphere, from the dark secrets hidden deep within.

Twenty-six years later, 15-year-old Kouichi Sakakibara transfers into class 3-3 of Yomiyama North and soon after discovers that a strange, gloomy mood seems to hang over all the students. He also finds himself drawn to the mysterious, eyepatch-wearing student Mei Misaki; however, the rest of the class and the teachers seem to treat her like she doesn’t exist.

Paying no heed to warnings from everyone including Mei herself, Kouichi begins to get closer not only to her, but also to the truth behind the gruesome phenomenon plaguing class 3-3 of Yomiyama North.

Another follows Kouichi, Mei, and their classmates as they are pulled into the enigma surrounding a series of inevitable, tragic events—but unraveling the horror of Yomiyama may just cost them the ultimate price.

21. Ao no Exorcist (Blue Exorcist)

This ghost anime is about Humans and demons who are two sides of the same coin, as are Assiah and Gehenna, their respective worlds. The only way to travel between the realms is by the means of possession, like in ghost stories .

However, Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, cannot find a suitable host to possess and therefore, remains imprisoned in his world. In a desperate attempt to conquer Assiah, he sends his son instead, intending for him to eventually grow into a vessel capable of possession by the demon king.

Ao no Exorcist follows Rin Okumura who appears to be an ordinary, somewhat troublesome teenager—that is until one day he is ambushed by demons. His world turns upside down when he discovers that he is in fact the very son of Satan and that his demon father wishes for him to return so they can conquer Assiah together.

Not wanting to join the king of Gehenna, Rin decides to begin training to become an exorcist so that he can fight to defend Assiah alongside his brother Yukio.

20. Bakemonogatari

This ghost anime is about Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student, manages to survive a vampire attack with the help of Meme Oshino, a strange man residing in an abandoned building. Though being saved from vampirism and now a human again, several side effects such as superhuman healing abilities and enhanced vision still remain.

Regardless, Araragi tries to live the life of a normal student, with the help of his friend and the class president, Tsubasa Hanekawa. When fellow classmate Hitagi Senjougahara falls down the stairs and is caught by Araragi, the boy realizes that the girl is unnaturally weightless.

Despite Senjougahara’s protests, Araragi insists he help her, deciding to enlist the aid of Oshino, the very man who had once helped him with his own predicament. Through several tales involving demons and gods, Bakemonogatari follows Araragi as he attempts to help those who suffer from supernatural maladies.

19. Death Note

This is not exactly a ghost anime but it has some of the best paranormal anime features which starts with A shinigami, as a god of death, can kill any person—provided they see their victim’s face and write their victim’s name in a notebook called a Death Note . One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.

High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal’s name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note, Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.

With this divine capability, Light decides to extinguish all criminals in order to build a new world where crime does not exist and people worship him as a god. Police , however, quickly discover that a serial killer is targeting criminals and, consequently, try to apprehend the culprit.

To do this, the Japanese investigators count on the assistance of the best detective in the world: a young and eccentric man known only by the name of L.

18. Death Parade

This ghost anime is about what happen After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered.

Whether it’s bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person’s true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar’s master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!

Death Parade expands upon the original one-shot intended to train young animators. It follows yet more people receiving judgment—until a strange, black-haired guest causes Decim to begin questioning his own rulings.

17. Devilman: Crybaby

This ghost anime is about Akira Fudo who is informed by his best friend Ryou Asuka that the demons will revive and reclaim the world from the humans.

As the humans do not stand a chance against the supernatural power of the demons, Ryou suggests fusing with a demon. Akira becomes Devilman, with the power of a demon and the heart of a human.

This ghost anime is about The greedy samurai lord Daigo Kagemitsu who’s land is dying, and he would do anything for power, even renounce Buddha and make a pact with demons. His prayers are answered by 12 demons who grant him the power he desires by aiding his prefecture’s growth, but at a price.

When Kagemitsu’s first son is born, the boy has no limbs, no nose, no eyes, no ears, nor even skin—yet still, he lives. This child is disposed of in a river and forgotten. But as luck would have it, he is saved by a medicine man who provides him with prosthetics and weapons, allowing for him to survive and fend for himself.

The boy lives and grows, and although he cannot see, hear, or feel anything, he must defeat the demons that took him as sacrifice. With the death of each one, he regains a part of himself that is rightfully his.

For many years he wanders alone, until one day an orphan boy, Dororo, befriends him. The unlikely pair of castaways now fight for their survival and humanity in an unforgiving, demon-infested world.

15. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

This ghost anime is about Kujo Jotaro who is a normal, popular Japanese high-schooler, until he thinks that he is possessed by a spirit, and locks himself in prison. After seeing his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, and fighting Joseph’s friend Muhammad Abdul, Jotaro learns that the “Spirit” is actually Star Platinum, his Stand, or fighting energy given a semi-solid form.

Later, his mother gains a Stand, and becomes sick. Jotaro learns that it is because the vampire Dio Brando has been revived 100 years after his defeat to Jonathan Joestar, Jotaro’s great-great-grandfather.

Jotaro decides to join Joseph and Abdul in a trip to Egypt to defeat Dio once and for all.

14. Demon Slayer

This ghost anime start in Ancient Japan which is under attack by powerful beings called “Kamikui,” and it is up to the “Oni” and his band of eight beautiful female warriors to stop them. Each of these girls have unique skills, abilities, and personalities.

They partner themselves with the Oni, Jin, to stop the miasma of darkness sweeping across Japan. Onigiri follows the escapades of Jin and his merry companions as they strengthen their bonds and fend off the demonic invasion.

13. Mob Psycho 100

This is not a ghost anime but it has paranormal anime activities Eighth-grader Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama has tapped into his inner wellspring of psychic prowess at a young age. But the power quickly proves to be a liability when he realizes the potential danger in his skills.

Choosing to suppress his power, Mob’s only present use for his ability is to impress his longtime crush, Tsubomi, who soon grows bored of the same tricks.In order to effectuate control on his skills, Mob enlists himself under the wing of Arataka Reigen, a con artist claiming to be a psychic, who exploits Mob’s powers for pocket change.

Now, exorcising evil spirits on command has become a part of Mob’s daily, monotonous life. However, the psychic energy he exerts is barely the tip of the iceberg; if his vast potential and unrestrained emotions run berserk, a cataclysmic event that would render him completely unrecognizable will be triggered.

The progression toward Mob’s explosion is rising and attempting to stop it is futile.

12. Tokyo Ghoul

This ghost anime starts with Tokyo which has become a cruel and merciless city—a place where vicious creatures called “ghouls” exist alongside humans. The citizens of this once great metropolis live in constant fear of these bloodthirsty savages and their thirst for human flesh.

However, the greatest threat these ghouls pose is their dangerous ability to masquerade as humans and blend in with society. Based on the best-selling supernatural horror manga by Sui Ishida, Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki, a shy, bookish college student, who is instantly drawn to Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like himself.

However, Rize is not exactly who she seems, and this unfortunate meeting pushes Kaneki into the dark depths of the ghouls’ inhuman world. In a twist of fate, Kaneki is saved by the enigmatic waitress Touka Kirishima, and thus begins his new, secret life as a half-ghoul/half-human who must find a way to integrate into both societies.

11. Durarara!!

This ghost anime starts In Tokyo’s downtown district of Ikebukuro, amidst many strange rumors and warnings of anonymous gangs and dangerous occupants, one urban legend stands out above the rest—the existence of a headless “Black Rider” who is said to be seen driving a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets.

Mikado Ryuugamine has always longed for the excitement of the city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. Witnessing the Black Rider on his first day in the city, his wishes already seem to have been granted.

But as supernatural events begin to occur, ordinary citizens like himself, along with Ikebukuro’s most colorful inhabitants, are mixed up in the commotion breaking out in their city. 

10. Mononoke

This ghost anime is about The “Medicine Seller” who is a deadly and mysterious master of the occult who travels across feudal Japan in search of malevolent spirits called “mononoke” to slay. When he locates one of these spirits, he cannot simply kill it; he must first learn its Form, its Truth, and its Reason in order to wield the mighty Exorcism Sword and fight against it.

He must begin his strange exorcisms with intense psychological analysis and careful investigative work—an extremely dangerous step, as he must first confront and learn about the mononoke before he even has the means to defeat it. The Medicine Seller’s journey leads him to an old-fashioned inn where Shino, a pregnant woman, has finally found a place to rest.

The owner has reluctantly placed her in the last vacant room; however, as she settles in, it quickly becomes clear that the room is infested by a lethal band of mononoke, the Zashiki Warashi.

With his hunter’s intuition, the Medicine Seller begins his investigation to discover the Form, the Truth, and the Reason before the Zashiki Warashi can kill again.

9. Hell Girl

This ghost anime is about the concept of hell and its goes like this … Have you heard of Hell Correspondence? Those with a powerful grudge may only access this mysterious website at midnight , allowing them to enter anyone’s name and have that person be ferried straight to hell.

Ai Enma, the Hell Girl, will not judge whether or not the chosen target deserves punishment; she will merely exact revenge on them for you. Not much is known about this young girl other than that she swiftly carries out her tasks with the help of three straw dolls.

There is just one catch, however—as payment for carrying out such a request, the user must condemn themselves to an afterlife in hell. 

8. Ghost Stories

This ghost anime starts Years ago, all of the ghosts in a haunted schoolhouse were banished by a certain student. Now, they’re back—and they want revenge… Satsuki and Keiichirou Miyanoshita are two siblings recovering from the tragic loss of their mother.

After moving to their mother’s hometown, they learn that the local school they have transferred to is an old building—one said to be haunted. Despite initially brushing it off as a silly rumor, the two soon discover that ghosts are indeed real and that they’re after them!

Gakkou no Kaidan is the creepy tale of the lives of these siblings and their newfound friends as they try to survive the school’s ghosts—with a little help from their pet cat along the way.

7. Ghost Hound

This ghost anime is about an isolated region of Kyushu lies the town of Suiten. Though seeming small and modest, Suiten is not a picturesque place for a vacation, unless it is from the “Unseen World.”

Taro, Makoto, and Masayuki, three boys with traumatic pasts, learn to let their souls cross between the two parallel worlds. However, the Unseen World is no mere copy of the real Apparent World.

The Unseen World is the home of ghosts, but changes are now allowing the souls of the dead to pass over into the Apparent World, with unpredictable effects. Follow the journey of Taro, Makoto, and Masayuki, as they cross between the two worlds, trying to unravel a great mystery.

6. Witch Hunter Robin

This ghost anime is all about Witches which are individuals with special powers like ESP, telekinesis, mind control, etc. (not the typical hogwart and newt potions).

Robin, a 15-year-old craft user, arrives from Italy to Japan to work for an organization named STN Japan Division (STN-J) as a replacement for one of STN-J’s witch hunters who was recently killed.

Unlike other divisions of STN, STN-J tries to capture the witches alive in order to learn why and how they became witches in the first place.

5. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

This ghost anime is not about ghost but actually is a paranormal anime To the average person, psychic abilities might seem a blessing; for Kusuo Saiki, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Gifted with a wide assortment of supernatural abilities ranging from telepathy to x-ray vision, he finds this so-called blessing to be nothing but a curse.

As all the inconveniences his powers cause constantly pile up, all Kusuo aims for is an ordinary, hassle-free life—a life where ignorance is bliss. Unfortunately, the life of a psychic is far from quiet.

Though Kusuo tries to stay out of the spotlight by keeping his powers a secret from his classmates, he ends up inadvertently attracting the attention of many odd characters, such as the empty-headed Riki Nendou and the delusional Shun Kaidou.

Forced to deal with the craziness of the people around him, Kusuo comes to learn that the ordinary life he has been striving for is a lot more difficult to achieve than expected. 

4. Colorful: The Motion Picture

The plot of this ghost anime as follow : “I” died and was kicked out of the cycle of reincarnation because of the sin “I” committed. An angel told me that “I” won a lottery and he gave me a chance to remember the sin.

My spirit possessed the body of the 14-year-old boy Makoto, who committed suicide and “I” tried to recollect my memory. “I” felt distressed by the terrible circumstances of Makoto and the fact that “I” was borrowing his body.

“I” have started to realize that people are hurting each other because the world is too colorful to distinguish the true color of themselves from others.

3. Natsume’s Book of Friends

This ghost anime is about a 15 year old boy. While most fifteen-year-old boys, in one way or another, harbor secrets that are related to girls, Takashi Natsume has a peculiar and terrifying secret involving youkai: for as long as he can remember, he has been constantly chased by these spirits.

Natsume soon discovers that his deceased grandmother Reiko had passed on to him the Yuujinchou, or “Book of Friends,” which contains the names of the spirits whom she brought under her control. Now in Natsume’s possession, the book gives Reiko’s grandson this power as well, which is why these enraged beings now haunt him in hopes of somehow attaining their freedom.

Without parents and a loving home, and constantly being hunted by hostile, merciless youkai, Natsume is looking for solace—a place where he belongs. However, his only companion is a self-proclaimed bodyguard named Madara. Fondly referred to as Nyanko-sensei, Madara is a mysterious, pint-sized feline spirit who has his own reasons for sticking with the boy.

Based on the critically acclaimed manga by Yuki Midorikawa, Natsume Yuujinchou is an unconventional and supernatural slice-of-life series that follows Natsume as he, with his infamous protector Madara, endeavors to free the spirits bound by his grandmother’s contract.

2. Spirited Away

This ghost anime is about a Stubborn, spoiled, and naïve, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino is less than pleased when she and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park on the way to their new house. Cautiously venturing inside, she realizes that there is more to this place than meets the eye, as strange things begin to happen once dusk falls.

Ghostly apparitions and food that turns her parents into pigs are just the start—Chihiro has unwittingly crossed over into the spirit world. Now trapped, she must summon the courage to live and work amongst spirits, with the help of the enigmatic Haku and the cast of unique characters she meets along the way.

Vivid and intriguing, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi tells the story of Chihiro’s journey through an unfamiliar world as she strives to save her parents and return home.

1. Hotarubi no Mori e

This ghost anime is about Intrigued by the tale of a mountain god, six-year-old Hotaru Takegawa loses her way in the ancient forest while visiting her uncle. Exhausted and desperate for help, Hotaru is thrilled to find a masked forest spirit named Gin. She learns the hard way that she should not touch the boy, or he would disappear.

In spite of this, Gin leads Hotaru out of the forest and warns her never to return when she promises to come again with a gift.Paying no heed to his cautionary words, and despite being separated by both distance and planes of existence, Hotaru and Gin become close friends as she visits him every summer.

However, their relationship and resolve are put to the test, when romantic feelings conflict with the one and only rule.Based on Yuki Midorikawa’s manga of the same name, Hotarubi no Mori e is a tale of friendship and compromise of two people who should never have crossed paths, as their lives become hopelessly intertwined.

Hope you like this list of ghost anime and paranormal anime series comment below which ghost anime you are going to watch next share this ghost anime list with your friends and Don’t forget to join MOW Community!

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Anukul Saini

Hey guys, I am Anukul, founder of My Otaku World, I like thinking about anime, characters, analyzing them, wondering different theories.

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25 Best Anime On Ghosts, Paranormal & The Supernatural (Series & Movies)

I think we can all agree: anime serves as a great escape from reality.

Sometimes it’s enough to simply see our world from someone else’s eyes, a different place, different people… but sometimes we want to remove ourselves even further from reality.

Ghosts and spooky paranormal stuff should do the trick! And for this ranking I’ll share the best anime that deal with all things supernatural, be it demons, espers, ghosts, or anything in between.

25. A Letter to Momo

This movie is bound to be something you’ll really enjoy if you like spirits & supernatural beings.

It’s all about youkai and how much they can befriend(or irritate) our city girl protagonist, Momo.

That’s all you really need to know as far as the plot is concerned. Where this show really shines is the atmosphere it so brilliantly builds in such a short amount of time.

The animation is top-notch and the youkai have been made into actual three-dimensional characters, so it hits both that “suspension of disbelief” and “relatability” right on the head.

24. Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress

In order to hunt, you have to see your prey as non-human. Or at least as something below you.

But what happens when you realize that the hunted is just as alive & human as you are?

This is not an ad for veganism, but rather the central premise of Fusé.

In its universe, the Fusé are supernatural creatures. Something between a dog and a man, and are being relentlessly hunted.

Our protagonist, being a huntress herself, meets one by accident and makes it her goal to get him out of harm’s way.

It’s a very touching story and can even teach you a thing or two about how you should treat others.

23. Natsuyuki Rendezvous

This show has such an odd premise that it’s really hard not to love it.

Our protagonist, Ryousuke Hazuki, goes to a flower shop and falls in love with the owner.

He then tries to slide into those DMs by getting a part-time job there. But oh oh, what’s this?

He can see the spirit of the owner’s deceased husband. And that’s it.

Only he can see him, and as you might imagine this old husband doesn’t want anyone smooth talking his wife.

So they just form this very odd and yet lovable trio that never ceases to put a smile on my face.

22. Another

Personally, Another is the first show that pops into my head when I think about ghost stories.

It nails that creepy atmosphere, the dark and stagnant air and the questions that hang around our necks like a noose.

There’s one central mystery in the show and I didn’t find the answer to be super obvious, so kudos for that.

The stakes are very high, however, as with every passing moment tragedy seems to strike. And finding the answer is the only way to stop it.

I’m being rather vague because believe me, you want to go into this show completely spoiler-free.

21. Ao no Exorcist (Blue Exorcist)

At times, this show really lulls you into a feeling of security. It offers nice, bright colors, a cheerful cast, the whole nine yards.

But then you remember that Satan is the antagonist.

This is where the smiles drop, the tension rises, and your eyes are glued to the screen.

The pairing of Rin and Yukio make the story both a lot more wholesome, but also a lot more dynamic, with Rin having his latent powers.

It definitely has that shounen vibe , and isn’t as “spooky” as some other entries.

But it makes for a good time nevertheless.

20. Bakemonogatari

With the Monogatari series you get all of the supernatural stories you want.

A bee? A curse.

A monkey? A demon.

A vampire? What are you doing, run away from the vampire.

There are so many stories interwoven within the series and its characters, that there always seems to be this sense of intrigue. As there are always questions left unanswered.

The show does a good job at keeping each plot point consistent with the ones already established, sometimes even making them run simultaneously just to screw with you.

I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the supernatural, urban legends, folklore and the like.

19. Death Note

I honestly didn’t plan to put Death Note on here. I viewed it as a purely psychological thriller , but then I remembered that two meter tall apple loving gods of death are just a bit supernatural.

So here we are.

Hailed by many as one of the greatest anime to have ever aired, Death Note at its core represents two great minds clashing while an ominous dark presence watches over and gives them powers to slay the other.

The first dozen episodes are especially hyped, as we watch a normal high schooler divulge into a pseudo-god, all while eating his chips.

18. Death Parade

What happens after death?

A question that has plagued humanity since it could make rational thought.

Will we be judged by Haruhi and sent to Heaven or Hell? Is it just darkness?

Well, I don’t think anyone envisioned ourselves playing pool or throwing darts to decide their fate.

Death Parade is like a Limbo where the deceased are taken to be judged.

They play different games, usually brutal stuff, that are supposed to show their true colors and determine whether they’ll be reincarnated or sent to the shadow realm.

And never has an existential crisis come with this good of a soundtrack.

17. Devilman: Crybaby

Get out your devil horns, sacrificial goat, and a bottle of the blood of the innocent, because it’s devil time.

As in the title, and this not so subtle introduction. Might have suggested Devilman: Crybaby is predominantly focused on different demons, their fights, their goals, and their killer nightclub parties.

It’s chaotic as all hell with nudity, blood, flashing colors, dope rapping, angry mobs, more music, motorcycles, and limbs flying everywhere.

And it is definitely the type of show you’d binge in a single day , hold no regrets, and them bother someone else to watch it.

Hold the Dororo is a story about revenge. Very brutal and very justified revenge.

Hyakkimaru was probably dealt the worst hand at birth out of any character ever, with demons claiming all of his senses, his limbs, his skin, everything.

We see him as a literal shell of a man armed, literally, in pursuit of the very demons that robbed him of a normal life.

The fighting choreography in this show is brilliant. Especially during the latter episodes.

And Hyakkimaru’s wild, almost savage anger will send shivers down your spine when he finally faces those who have wronged him.

15. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Make no mistake, I’m specifically talking about the first season of Jojo’s, so the first two manga arcs. This is the most “supernatural” if that makes sense.

Before there were Stands and it basically became a superhero show, JoJo’s was a lot more… bizarre.

The atmosphere was a lot darker, and the legend known as Dio is set upon the world.

There are vampires now, and Pillar men , and like a super powerful method of breathing.

I never said it made more sense than the later installments.

But it does get you that supernatural fix as god knows, this show is anything but ordinary.

14. Demon Slayer

Speaking of super powerful ways of breathing, we have Demon Slayer.

Can you guess what the show is about? As far as animation and fight choreography goes, this show absolutely blew me away.

Yet the ragtag group of Tanjirou, Zenitsu and Inosuke bring a lot of comedy to the objectively dark and gloomy storyline.

Each with a special breathing technique and fighting style, they make the show very dynamic. Rarely does the story wonder off or get boring.

And Nezuko is just adorable. Terrifying at times, but mostly adorable. God I love this show.

13. Mob Psycho 100

Now to take a break from all the demons, we move on to espers.

It’s easy to see why people came into this show expecting One Punch Man.

But the show stands on its own with absolutely no issues.

In fact, since it’s less focused on being funny, the heartwarming moments hit a lot harder. And the sad moments, we don’t talk about them.

It’s no secret that Mob is the strongest esper. But the world is so much larger than just his power. You’ll end up fully immersed and just as hyped for the side characters as you are for the protagonists.

12. Tokyo Ghoul

I find Tokyo Ghoul to be in a similar boat like Jojo’s, with the first season really delivering on the topic of what it was like to be a ghoul, how they lived, organized themselves, the different factions, you know cool supernatural stuff.

It does become more of a superhero flick by the end.

But it is overall pretty enjoyable.

Our protagonist Kaneki has one of the most memorable, edgelord-y transformations ever to hit the media. As well as an iconic soundtrack to boot.

I don’t care much for it after the first season, but you can absolutely have a blast watching this show and learning why people drink so much coffee.

11. Durarara!!

Durarara!! Is a mixture of three things: gang culture , the supernatural, and chat rooms.

Lots and lots of chat rooms.

It takes place in Ikebukuro where everything seems fine and dandy on the surface. But the shadows hide plenty of unusual stuff.

We have a dullahan in the form of a motorcyclist, Hulk’s younger brother in a bartender uniform , somehow an even creepier Stain, and sword possession.

There’s a lot here.

Most of the time, the show doesn’t take itself too seriously. But there are definitely some “oh god why” moments throughout.

10. Mononoke

Mononoke takes a very different approach to spirits, as rather than blasting them away with energy beams, the protagonist actually does a ritual.

But in order to do the ritual, he has to know the Form, the Truth, and the Reason for that spirit being there. Getting a bit occult now, huh?

You can already see how this opens up the gate to a ton of backstories and narratives.

And if that abundance of stories isn’t enough to satisfy you, just take a gander at the anime’s artsy style.

It’s definitely not something you’ve seen before.

9. Hell Girl

To understand Hell Girl, all you have to do is mix together Death Parade, Alucard, and 4chan.

The central premise is as follows: there exists a website that you can only access at midnight, through which you communicate with miss Hell girl.

You can then pick out the person that’s making your life miserable and regardless of who they are, she will make sure they do not see the light of day.

The only catch being that you’re now condemned to Hell.

But hey, you knew what you were getting into.

Definitely not as laid back as some of the other shows on this list, but a delight for true fans of the occult and supernatural.

8. Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories is an absolute classic when it comes to the paranormal.

The mere fact that it’s 20+ years old and still holds up today is proof of that.

The story is simple, think Scooby-Doo but an anime.

Just instead of de-masking George the milkman, they banish ghosts. And instead of a lovable talking dog, we get a possessed, somewhat mean-spirited yet hilarious cat .

The cat is honestly half of the enjoyment for me.

But heed my warning: watch the dubbed version.

The subbed actually takes itself seriously and can become a bore, while the dub is a bit insane, kind of offensive, and just beautiful .

7. Ghost Hound

There are two main feelings I got from watching Ghost Hound: curiosity and depression.

Okay it wasn’t that bad. But you will see what I mean.

The story is a real mystery: spirits start crossing into our world and it’s on our protagonist trio to figure out why.

The answer is neither obvious nor out of left field, so the conclusion is satisfying as hell.

I will give you a hint, though. It has a lot to do with the mental state of the boys; their previous traumas, fears, thoughts, everything has to be laid bare to crack the code.

So if you’re a wimp like me staring into the eyes of a good psychological anime, strap in.

6. Witch Hunter Robin

If you’re into the Salem Witch Trials, this show is bound to intrigue you.

Yes, it’s a show all about witches.

But instead of putting a witch in the protagonist’s seat and have her deliver baked goods, we actually see the world from the eyes of Robin, a witch hunter.

It’s also not just another villain of the week show, as Robin doesn’t kill the witches.

No, she tries to understand them through them her own organization.

The story is really riveting and culminates in the most glorious fashion. Definitely give it a try.

5. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

Saiki is a bit of an oddball on this list, as it’s purely a comedy .

But hey, the protagonist is an esper. And throughout the show we also get to know a medium and a fortune teller, so thematically it fits into the “supernatural” category quite well.

I’m a huge fan of this show because it takes every anime trope and just makes it so much weirder, and so much funnier.

Never have I seen a character as dumb as Nendou. Or a princess as egotistical as Kokomi.

But they make it all work somehow.

The show is episodic with a very loose overarching plot, and I promise you every episode is a blast.

4. Colorful: The Motion Picture

This movie gets very real. There is no other way to put it.

Without spoiling too much, I will say that the central premise is that of reincarnation. Feeling the pain of others, finding happiness in a grain of sand, and the toxicity one’s surroundings.

I don’t really have any jokes for this one.

The story is mystical in that its portrayal the afterlife, and the task that’s set before us.

But it is also extremely realistic to the point of human suffering, and also compassion.

So if you’re having a rough time, or just want some anime for retrospection, give this one a watch.

3. Natsume’s Book of Friends

Natsume’s Book of Friends is the type of show that actually makes you wish you could see spirits.

The central end goal of the series is for Natsumi to basically say farewell to all of the spirits his grandfather signed a contract with.

A man was given power, and his goal is to give it all back, as he doesn’t want the spirits to be indentured to him.

Talk about a stand-up guy.

It’s exactly Natsume’s kind heart that makes the spirits also seem human, and every episode gives you a sense of resolution with tranquility.

Add to this the best traveling companion: a puffy, stuck up cat named Madara, and you’re in for a good time.

2. Spirited Away

Studio Ghibli always manages to wheeze into my lists!

Because how can I leave out a classic like Spirited Away?

In true Miyazaki fashion, the story doesn’t take on this grand narrative of the battle between humans and the spirits.

But rather plops our protagonist into a world unknown, and she explores what it can offer through the eyes of the child.

Plenty of Japanese youkai are represented here, and the world is so meticulously woven that you can almost see it.

On a side note, No Face definitely wants you to return the slab and creeped me out to no end when I first watched the movie.

I love him now though, so it’s okay.

1. Hotarubi no Mori e

Fun fact: the AMV for this movie of “you will be king again” is one of the most popular AMVs ever made.

Another fun fact, that song(just like this movie) requires some tissues handy.

This is a beautiful story of a girl, Hotaru, who comes across a spirit, Gin.

Gin saves Hotaru when she gets lost, and before you know it the two become really close.

The catch is that Hotaru can never touch Gin, because if she does, he will disappear forever.

It’s such a simple plot device. One that requires almost no other characters, but it tugs at the heart strings as the two characters are so beautifully written that there seems to be little dividing the supernatural, us, and love.

A dedicated weeb and Isekai fanboy who's been stuck in Silver since 2013.

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Best Ghost Anime Every Anime Fan Should Know

A fun guide to the best ghost anime and anime ghosts and spirits to help anime fans get their spook on. There’s nothing better than cozying up on the couch and enjoy a paranormal anime after a long day and get lost in a world full of supernatural creatures.

Death is a difficult topic however, some of the following animes, can help you process the thought of losing someone. But not all ghost stories have to be dark, or melancholic, an anime with ghosts can be fun and entertaining too. We also picked out some amazing anime stories with ghosts that are magical and full of fun.

These animes not only deserve a spot because of their storytelling but also because they all have beautiful artwork and unique characters.

Are you ready to watch the best animes with strange worlds and the ones that bring its ghosts & spirits into ours?

Then read on…

Best Ghost Anime & Spirit Anime

*Disclaimer: Some links on AsianaCircus.com are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support, you’re awesome! =)

22| Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs – Ghost/Spirit Anime

21| xxxHolic

15| Dusk maiden of Amnesia

 12| Anohana: The Flower we Saw That Day – Ano hi mita hana no namae o bokutachi wa mada shiranai

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls is about a high-school farewell gathering, that includes summoning ghosts that turn into a real nightmare at Kisaragi Academy. Later turns out that the academy was built on the Heavenly Host School. 

Get ready for the scariest ghost anime series you’ll ever see. It is full of action and does not hold back when it comes to finishing off most of its lead characters. Only watch it if you’re not afraid of dark animes or if you have company.

You can buy Corpse Party on DVD on Amazon .

You might also like 15 CREEPY & DARK ANIME CHARACTERS WHO WILL MAKE YOU SHIVER

4| Gegege no Kitarou (2018)

Jella Erhard

I'm a professional wanderluster, a creative weirdo, & the founder of Asiana Circus a culture & travel site featuring travel, food, books, art, games & movies from around the world.

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Great list! I’ve read a few volumes of xxxHolic and I love it! Also, a lot of people have been recommending Noragami to me, I should truly give it a try 😊

Thank you! =) xxxHolic is so gorgeous I think it’s also perfect for those who enjoy art. Noragami is really fun and the story is so interesting. Yato is the best.

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The 10 Best Anime Series About Ghosts and Spirits, Ranked

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In most media, ghosts are there to scare, frighten, and terrify. Whether it's a vengeful spirit out for blood or a haunted house that drives a family to madness, ghosts play on our fears of the unknown.

But not every ghost is scary, especially in anime. There are plenty of friendly spirits who have helped guide young heroes on their journeys. The main character themself may even be a ghost sometimes.

From spooky to uplifting, here are the best anime about ghosts and spirits and other beings from the afterlife.

10. Ghost Stories

Horror, Mystery, Supernatural

Originally aired 2000 to 2001

20 episodes (1 season)

7.74 on MAL

Ghost Stories feels like an anime version of Scooby Doo . It follows a group of kids and their demon-possessed talking cat as they try to exorcise the ghosts and spirits that haunt their small town.

The mood varies between lighthearted and spooky in nearly every episode, so the series can feel a bit uneven at times. Even so, Ghost Stories is an iconic show that's worth checking out.

Related: The 21 Best Anime Animal Characters, Ranked

9. Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Originally aired 2013

4 episodes (1 season)

6.44 on MAL

As you can probably guess from the title, Corpse Party: Tortured Souls is much darker than your average anime.

It's based on the horror adventure game Corpse Party and it's only four episodes long, but it packs a big punch despite its short runtime.

The story centers on a group of schoolmates who perform an occult ritual that ends up transporting them to a twisted and cursed version of their school, from which they need to escape.

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls isn't afraid to kill off its characters, and it often does so in the most gruesome and horrific ways. Watch this only if you've got a strong stomach and an appetite for the macabre.

Related: The 15 Most Brutal Anime Series of All Time, Ranked

8. Yu Yu Hakusho

Action, Fantasy

Originally aired 1992 to 1994

112 episodes (4 seasons)

8.46 on MAL

Only a bold writer would kill off the main character in episode one, but Yusuke Urameshi's death is just the start of his troubles.

In Yu Yu Hakusho , Yusuke spends the first arc as a ghost who's trying to convince his loved ones to help him return to life. After that, the rest of the show is about him cleaning up the messes caused by various ghosts and demons of the Spirit World.

Yu Yu Hakusho is a fantastic shonen anime with memorable characters and one of the best English dubs of its time.

Related: The 9 Most Heroic Anime Series With Brave and Selfless Characters

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Originally aired 2004 to 2012

366 episodes (16 seasons)

7.92 on MAL

It can be easy to forget between all the scheming and sword-fighting, but the Soul Reapers in Bleach actually serve a purpose: to help deceased people pass on to the next life.

In Bleach , every Hollow that the Soul Reapers run into is a dearly departed human who couldn't pass on. More than that, every Soul Reaper (aside from Ichigo) is actually a ghost themselves.

You probably don't think of Bleach as a ghost anime, but it's actually one of the best anime about ghosts when you think about it.

Related: The 10 Best Bleach Arcs, Ranked (And Why They Stand Out)

6. Death Parade

Drama, Supernatural, Suspense

Originally aired 2015

12 episodes (1 season)

8.15 on MAL

In Death Parade , everyone you see is the ghost of someone who has recently died, matched up against someone else who also happened to meet their own end at the same moment.

These ghosts must now compete against each other in the Death Games, with the winner winning the opportunity to be reincarnated while the loser gets cast into the void forever.

Not only is the concept of Death Parade fascinating to watch, the opening theme song is an absolute jam.

Related: The 16 Best Anime Tournament Arcs and Fight Events, Ranked

5. Ghost Hound

Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense

Originally aired 2007 to 2008

22 episodes (1 season)

7.41 on MAL

Ghost Hound is another anime series about a group of young kids who investigate the supernatural occurrences in their small town.

As they attempt to find out why the barrier between their world and the Unseen World is weakening, they also explore the roots of the different traumas they all experienced as children.

There are some spooky moments here, but the focus of Ghost Hound is firmly on how the boys deal with their trauma and how it relates to this strange new world they must explore.

Related: The 12 Best Anime Series With Yokai, Ranked

4. Psychic Detective Yakumo

Originally aired 2010

13 episodes (1 season)

7.31 on MAL

Psychic Detective Yakumo is, at its heart, a detective noir story. It just happens that the detective in question can see ghosts with his left eye and sets out to help them pass on to the next life if they're willing.

This anime about ghosts centers on the tragic ends that all of these spirits have met, along with the pain that they've left behind on their loved ones as a result of their passing.

As it turns out, protagonist Yakumo usually feels a closer kinship with the ghosts he encounters than any of the humans in his life.

Related: The 15 Best Underrated Anime Series of All Time, Ranked

3. Mob Psycho 100

Action, Comedy, Supernatural

Originally aired 2016 to 2022

37 episodes (3 seasons)

8.49 on MAL

You wouldn't know it just by looking at him, but mild-mannered Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama is one of the most powerful psychics on the planet.

It's a talent that he's been trying to contain his entire life, only putting it to use for important things—like exorcising spirits and impressing girls.

He encounters many different spirits in his world, and they usually underestimate him because of his calm exterior. However, that often ends up being a mistake that leads to their undoing.

Despite being an anime about ghosts, Mob Psycho 100 sometimes feels like a superhero anime, what with his psychic ability.

Related: The 10 Best Superhero Anime Series of All Time, Ranked

2. Mononoke

Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural

Originally aired 2007

8.43 on MAL

In Mononoke , a nameless character who's only referred to as "Medicine Seller" wanders around feudal Japan, hunting and destroying ghosts.

Each episode of Mononoke feels a bit like a detective story, as the Medicine Seller must first learn the spirit's shape, truth, and reasoning before he can successfully exorcise them.

The animation is stellar and there are plenty of tense, terrifying moments mixed in. Horror fans will find plenty to enjoy in Mononoke .

Related: The 13 Best Historical Anime Series of All Time, Ranked

1. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia

Horror, Mystery, Romance, School, Supernatural

Originally aired 2012

7.83 on MAL

Death can be a sad, lonely existence. In Dusk Maiden of Amnesia , Yuuko has spent 60 years wandering the halls of her school, unable to remember her life or interact with anyone.

That is, until she meets Teiichi. Together, they work together to unravel the mystery behind Yuuko's death and figure out why she's unable to pass on to the next life.

This anime ghost story has horror elements to it, but the focus is firmly on the oddly sweet relationship between the living boy and the dead girl. It's one of the best ghost anime series we've seen.

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List of the best ghost anime, voted on by Ranker's anime community. This may not be the most popular genre of Japanese animation, but all of these shows are worth checking out if you're looking for something new to watch. This poll includes video clips of each show, so if you haven't seen one you can watch it right here on this page. Ghouls and specters will haunt you as you watch the anime on this list. The shows that are listed may have different sub-genres, but they're all about ghosts in one way or another.

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15 best anime about ghosts & spirits every horror fan needs to watch.

Some of the best anime of all time deal with ghosts and spirits, naturally leading many fans to wonder what the best supernatural anime are.

With spirits playing such a prominent role in Japanese culture, it's no wonder that many fans want to know what the best anime about ghosts are. The supernatural occupies a popular spot in pop culture for good reason. Audiences love to explore the world of the occult, whether to get some good, old-fashioned scares or out of genuine interest. Whatever the reason, ghosts and spirits are never far away from the entertainment industry.

Some of the most iconic anime in history deal with the supernatural. Stories like Death Note and Jujutsu Kaisen take audiences into the dangerous world of the supernatural in a way that's both fun and easily accessible. Sometimes the ghosts are friendly allies in the protagonist's battle; other times, they are the cruelest of villains, but that's what makes them fascinating. The best anime about ghosts show how truly diverse stories about the restless dead can be.

Ghost Stories

Absolutely iconic in the early days of anime fandom, Ghost Stories remains popular today. The plot concerns a group of schoolchildren who, with the help of a demon trapped inside a cat, encounter numerous ghosts throughout their town and use a book to exorcise them. Ghost Stories works as a familiar child adventure and a subtle commentary on urbanization and the disregard for traditions. What made the series so iconic though was its irreverent dub, which absolutely skewered and mocked the series. The anime became successful in Western territories after this official parody dub was released, with fans and critics praising its dark humor and animation. Today, many consider Ghost Stories a cult classic and one of the best examples of ghosts in anime.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Though Yu Yu Hakusho might appear to casual viewers as another typical shonen battle series, its supernatural themes make it a perfect anime for any fan who wants a little action with their ghosts. The story follows a young man named Yusuke who tragically loses his life to save a child. Fortunately for Yusuke, this last act of heroism bought him some favor with the spirit world, eventually leading him to returning to life. However, as payment for his second chance, Yusuke is tasked with investigating supernatural activity. While Yusuke's time as a spirit detective is short-lived, Yu Yu Hakusho still deals with all kinds of supernatural threats, making it a perfect introductory ghost anime.

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Though the unrestful dead are often portrayed as villains, series like Anohana prove they don't always have to be. The series focuses on a group of friends reeling from the childhood loss of their friend Menma. Six years later, the ghost of Menma reappears to the group's former leader, Jinta, in order to encourage the dispersed friend group to reconnect and reforge the bond broken by grief. One of the best sad anime , Anohana is about the grieving process and how that can often last a whole lifetime. Few ghost anime are as heartwarming and heartbreaking as Anohana , making it a must-watch.

Death Note is a massive anime franchise that's still popular to this day. The series follows Light Yagami, a teenager who discovers the mysterious "Death Note," previously owned by the demon Ryuk, and gains the power to kill anyone whose name is written on the notebook's pages. The anime features themes of justice, limits, and escalation against a background of increasingly blurry moral boundaries. Light is one of the most complicated and fascinating protagonists in anime, balancing his newfound responsibility with his connection to the worlds of humans and the supernatural.

Pokémon

While Pokémon might not feature ghosts or spirits every episode, it offers more than a few episodes based around the supernatural. More so than most other anime, Pokémon offers a family-friendly way for younger fans of anime to engage with ghosts and even some light horror without having to worry about seeing anything too horrific or gruesome. Particularly strong ghost episodes include episode 20 The Ghost of Maiden's Peak, episode 23 Tower of Terror, and Black & White episode 26 Scare at Litwick Mansion , though even that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls lives up to its creepy title. The plot follows a group of students who, after performing a seemingly harmless friendship charm, get transported to an alternate dimension haunted by vengeful ghosts out to get them. Gruesome barely begins to describe Corpse Party: Tortured Souls . The series takes gore to the next level, exploiting the advantages of animation to create terrifying scenes that could haunt anyone's dreams for life. Horror fans should come out of the four-episode series satisfied, as the graphic content and eerie setting make for a genuinely horrific experience.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Another spookier take on the typical shonen battle formula, Jujutsu Kaisen is a hit anime series that isn't afraid to dip into horror. Jujutsu Kaisen is about a world where cursed spirits haunt people and places, prompting special individuals known as Jujutsu Sorcerers to fight back. Though the heart of the series is as a shonen battle anime, that doesn't mean its cursed spirits can't be downright horrifying. With fun action and terrifying spirits, Jujutsu Kaisen is a perfect ghost anime series.

Death Parade

Featuring one of the most singular premises of any anime, Death Parade is truly one-of-a-kind. The show follows Decim, a bartender working at the Quindecim bar, where people who died simultaneously arrive. In this middle stage of the afterlife, the deceased compete in the Death Games, determining whether they'll reincarnate or have their souls sent to the void. Death Parade is a unique take on the ghost genre. It features a clever version of the afterlife that allows it to explore themes of repentance and metaphysical ideas like reincarnation and immortality. The animation is top-notch, adding a somber vibe to an already gloomy storyline.

The plot for the Another anime concerns Koichi Sakakibara, a new student who becomes involved with a mystery upon arriving at his new school. Drawn to a silent girl, Mei Misaki, and sensing a dangerous vibe, Koichi soon learns of a string of gruesome murders around the school. Like the best murder mysteries of all time, Another takes its time with the story. The show's unnerving vibe dominates every episode, introducing an ever-present sense of fear. It features the right balance between horror, gore, and tension, delivering a show that will keep audiences at the edge of their seats.

One of the biggest shonen battle series of all time, Bleach takes the classic battle anime formula and adds a supernatural spin. The series focuses on a young man named Ichigo who becomes a soul Shinigami, or Soul Reaper. As a Soul Reaper, Ichigo is tasked with taking out dangerous spirits known as hollows who pose a danger to humans. Though hollows are mostly the biggest threat in the series' shorter first arc, elite hollows known as Arrancar become the focus of a later one. With the series' conclusion Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War recently bringing the hit shonen series back to the forefront of popular culture, it's never been a better time to rewatch this spirited take on shonen battle anime.

Fans of unsettling anime stories will hit the jackpot with Hell Girl . The show centers on a mysterious website that people can only access at midnight. Entering the name of a particular person will cause the titular Hell Girl and her associates to torture and kill that person, sending them to hell. In exchange, the person who requests the action will also go to hell at the end of their life.

Juggling themes of revenge and repentance, Hell Girl is genuinely creepy. The visuals, accompanied by the eerie atmosphere, succeed in creating a series that carries a terrifying punch. Horror fans will take great satisfaction in watching Hell Girl.

Mob Psycho 100

Esper abilities are a favorite of the supernatural genre, but few shows use it as effectively as Mob Psycho 100 . It centers on Mob, a powerful esper struggling to live a normal life in spite of his tremendous psychic powers. As one of the anime with a unique and eye-catching visual style , Mob Psycho 100 is unforgettable from the get-go. The premise successfully balances themes of the supernatural and the occult with an otherwise conventional story of self-discovery. Mob Psycho 100 is among the best anime , and one of the few completely committed to presenting its themes in the most unadulterated and honest way possible.

Mononoke is one of the highest-rated horror anime in history , and it's easy to understand why. The plot concerns the "Medicine Seller," a mysterious man who travels around Feudal Japan hunting dangerous spirits known as "Mononoke," who are responsible for violent deaths. Combining traits of the crime procedural with the intriguing lore of Japanese mythos, Mononoke is the perfect horror anime. It delves deep into each Mononoke's backstory while maintaining its distinctive avant-garde animation, crafting a unique series that is as visually striking as it's enthralling.

Ghost Hound

The spirit world takes center stage in Ghost Hound . The plot follows three boys with severe childhood traumas living in a small, spirit-plagued town in a remote mountain region. The boys enter the spirit realm, the Unseen World, discovering more about their pasts and the spirits' mysterious appearances. Ghost Hound works as both a dramatic character study and a great horror story. It also serves as a coming-of-age story, using the protagonists' traumas to explore deeper ideas about the balance between the spiritual and the material worlds.

Few anime are as beautiful or thought-provoking as Mushishi . One of the best anime of all time, Mushishi is about a man named Ginko who wanders around Japan in order to help people with the wonderfully strange Mushi. Mushi are spirit-like creatures who can have a variety of weird effects on people and nature. From that basic premise, each episode of Mushishi sees Ginko help a new person with their Mushi problem. Though not every story is an outright horror, as the Mushi are never evil beings even when they are genuine problems, some of Mushishi's more terrifying episodes rank among the scariest in anime history. Any anime fan looking for a good ghost story owes it to themselves to watch Mushishi .

Ghosts play a pivotal role in Japanese culture and mythology, so it's no wonder there would be numerous anime about spirits. Ranging from malevolent, to helpful, to just a part of nature, the ghosts in anime are ultimately reflections of the fears and hopes of the people they haunt. Ultimately, the best anime about ghosts and spirits use the supernatural as a springboard to explore deeper themes about humanity.

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10 Strongest Anime Ghosts, Ranked

Some ghosts are so strong they don't let the handicap of being dead hold them back when it comes to being pure powerhouses.

Anime is filled with all kinds of ghosts, some cute, some scary, and some strong. Some ghosts are so strong they don't let the handicap of being dead hold them back when it comes to being pure powerhouses.

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Exactly what constitutes a ghost varies depending on who you ask. In modern English, it implies the disembodied spirit of a dead person. Some languages conflate them with all sorts of supernatural creatures; for example, some German speakers might refers to genies as ghosts. Naturally, Japanese media often conflates them with purely domestic myths, like yokai . In some works for children, it's kept ambiguous if a ghost was ever human to begin with. Even more adult works aren't against the twist of having a "ghost" turn out to be alive all along, or an "astral projection," and have them return to their body.

10 Shaman King: Amidamaru Just Keeps Honing His Swordsmanship, Even After Death

In Shaman King , Amidamaru was once an ancient samurai but now functions as Yoh's guardian and best friend. In life, he had been a master swordsman, notably wielding the Harusame . He's still able to use these skills, even as a spirit. No longer of this world, his prowess has evolved to the point of being able to attack with a piercing blast of wind and shockwaves.

9 Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Okinu Is The Ghost Sweeper's Ghostly Secretary

In Ghost Sweeper Mikami , Kinu Himuro, also known as Okinu, was sacrificed to a volcano and exists as a ghost in the modern era, where she's a glorified errand girl for Mikami, the titular exorcist. The manga reveals her body is in stasis and she's eventually restored to life, but proves to still be something of a powerful necromancer.

8 Petite Princess Yucie: Cocoloo Is The Literal Princess Of The Spirit World

In Petitie Princess Yucie , Yucie's friend Cocoloo is eventually revealed to be the princess of the Spirit World. Her steward Chawoo even resembles a typical cartoon ghost.

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While she seems indistinguishable from a human, to the point viewers initially thought she was one, Cocoloo has some spiritual properties, such as being able to withstand physical attacks. She's also able to walk through matter. She's not immune to magic, however, seemingly being under the same curse that Yucie is under, keeping her eternally young despite actually being a teenager.

7 Ghost Stories: Amanojaku Would Be A Serious Threat If He Wasn't A Cat

In Ghost Stories , Amanojaku is a powerful entity who spends most of the series trapped inside the body of Satsuki's pet cat, Kaya. Initially antagonistic towards the children, he seems to warm up to them, often telling them how to outwit the more malicious ghosts who need to be put back into spiritual sleep. It's a good thing for their sake he grows to be fond of them, since he'd be a serious threat if he managed to break the spell...

The English dub more or less keeps his personality the same, with the added twist of him liking to break the fourth wall , bringing to mind another snarky, cursed black cat .

6 Yu-Gi-Oh!: Yami Yugi Is Really Good At A Children's Card Game

In Yu-Gi-Oh! , Yami Yugi is the incarnation of Atem , an Egyptian pharaoh , whose spirit now inhabits the Millennium Puzzle, as well as serving as a spirit advisor to Yugi Muto.

In early stories, Yami Yugi helped his alter-ego of sorts get revenge on enemies by trapping them in Penalty Games, but later proves a powerful ally when it comes to playing the Duel Monsters card game, which often proves to be a recurring stake in this series, complete with people's lives on the line. In essence, Yugi steals credit from a ghost for the whole series.

5 Sailor Moon: Queen Serenity Watches Over The Sailor Scouts, Especially Her Daughter

In the Sailor Moon anime, Queen Serenity was the ruler of the Moon Kingdom and was said to be an incarnation of the moon goddess Selene. Having sacrificed her life to seal away Metalia and allow the Children of the Moon to be reborn on Earth, she occasionally appeared to be watching over Sailor Moon herself, Usagi Tsukino, who is none other than her daughter, Princess Serenity.

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She once proved powerful enough to fix Sailor Moon's damaged brooch and give her the Cutie Moon Rod in the anime. The live-action series eventually gave her a similar role, having her grant the Senshi the Legendary Sword, the Spirit of the Senshi, to fight Queen Mio. And had the American hybrid series been produced, she would have functioned in a similar role, even having a psychic connection with one of the cats.

4 One Piece: "Ghost Princess" Perona Is A Technically Living Ghost

Perona, also known as the "Ghost Princess," is known for her role as commander of the Wild Zombies and Surprise Zombies. Thanks to her eating the Horo Horo no Mi fruit, she has dominion over ghosts and is able to create ghost minions called Hollows.

She also has the power of astral projection, effectively allowing her to leave her body as a living ghost. In her later appearances, however, Perona has been shown to master some of her ghost-like powers, like flight, without having to leave her body.

3 Yu Yu Hakusho: Yusuke's Tenure As A Ghost Was Kind Of Short-Lived, But He Went On To Become Yokai Royalty

Yu Yu Hakusho starts the series off with the main character, Yusuke Urameshi, dying and spending some time as a ghost before ultimately returning to his body. Afterwards, he is contracted by the Spirit World to be a Spirit Detective. This comes with a variety of superhuman abilities and powers, most famously his Spirit-Gun. Death proves to have a transformative effect on Yusuke. The second time he dies, he awakens as a powerful yokai king.

2 GeGeGe No Kitarō: Kitarō Was Born A Ghost Boy, Ever Since He Came Out Of His Mother's Grave

In GeGeGe no Kitarō , Kitarō is one of the characters who conflates being a ghost and a yokai . He was technically born the way he is, although he was born out of his dead mother's grave, so he still rose from a grave. His dead father regenerated from his corpse's own eyeball to keep an eye on him. On a related note, "Ge ge ge no ge" is also a Japanese onomatopoeia representing a ghost's laugh.

As Kitarō is a character who has appeared in different forms spanning decades , exact details about him vary, though modern incarnations tend to protect humans from villainous yokai. As for his list of powers, one of his more well-known is his eel-like electrical abilities.

1 Hell Girl: Ai Enma Had Powers Over Life & Death Even Before Rising From The Grave

In Hell Girl , Ai Enma was once a human girl who was hated by the people of her village, who buried her alive as a human sacrifice. Eventually, she rose from the grave and killed everyone. She was then tasked with becoming the titular Hell Girl.

She can grant a very specific wish: dragging souls off to Hell. All that is asked in return is your own chance at salvation, effectively eternal damnation. Ai has a plethora of powers, from creating illusions to conjuring fire. Even before rising from the grave, she was able to restore a dead butterfly to life.

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12 Most Iconic Ghosts In Anime

Anime is filled with unique characters and stories, and ghost characters are no exception.

Ghosts are spirits of the dead that some living people can see. They are often associated with anger and aggression and that's due to them not being able to cross on to the afterlife. Anime can include anything from ghost hunters trying to get rid of troublesome beings to characters befriending the beings and getting their help. No matter the reason, ghosts often pop up in the media. They're interesting, often have special abilities, and give people a glimpse into the unknown realm of the dead.

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There are plenty of other dead beings similar to ghosts. Spirits aren't as aggressive (though ghosts aren't always, either), ghouls eat dead bodies, and Yōkai are similar to demons, though not in the Western world's meaning of the word. Because of these distinctions, some shows should be excluded from lists of ghosts in anime, such as Bakemonogatari , Blue Exorcist , and Death Note .

Updated December 7th, 2022, by Rain Egan : Ghosts are quite a common theme in anime. They're common in horror and sci-fi anime, though they can crop up interestingly in other places. Lately, Manga/anime authors have gotten quite creative with the inclusion of ghosts in slice of life and comedy anime, though the ghosts certainly add a mysterious element to the setting. This isn't new, necessarily. Authors have been doing this for a while. Take the American movie Ghostbusters - this wouldn't be considered a horror movie by any standards, but it incorporates ghosts in a humorous and interesting way. This update focuses on the ghosts that add an element of mystery to the otherwise ordinary setting they're in, as well as adding some more iconic ghost anime .

12 Mob Psycho 100

Mob Psycho 100 is, at its heart, a show about ghost hunting . It stands to reason that there are tons of ghost characters in the show, though one stands out as a main character. Dimple originally appears as the leader of the “(LOL)” cult, but he sticks around after he’s exorcized to the chagrin of pretty much everybody else.

In his ghost form, he appears as a wispy cloud of green smoke, or, according to Teru, a ‘nasty-looking floating energy bulb’. His signature is the bright red circles on his cheeks, that appear on any human he possesses.

11 Yu-Gi-Oh!

There are several ghosts in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime, though many may be considered non-traditional. The only traditional ghost in the show is Shadi, a mysterious figure that often appears at the end of story arcs to provide much-needed exposition.

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The main character, Yugi, can also be said to be possessed by a ghost. Yami Yugi, known as ‘the other Yugi’, is a ghost that lives inside the Millennium Puzzle that Yugi Muto wears, and is unaware of his own history as an Egyptian pharaoh . Similarly, Ryou Bakura is often possessed by a (far more malicious) spirit that inhabits the Millennium Ring.

10 Noragami

Next up is Yukine from Noragami. Appearing as Yato, the protagonist god’s Regalia, Yukine is a former human that can transform into Yato’s weapon at any time. While the anime alludes to it, the Manga confirms that Yukine had an extremely rough childhood and likely came from an abusive family.

In his human form, Yukine appears as a short, blond teenager. He’s blunt, honest, has a strong sense of justice, and is a loyal friend. Compared to his upbringing, he seems to be doing a lot better in ghost form.

9 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

Reimi Sugimoto appears in the 'Diamond Is Unbreakable' arc of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure , a unique anime series that follows the family tree of the Joestar family as they discover they are destined to take down supernatural foes using powers that they possess. Reimi haunts the Ghost Girl's alley, a hidden road that serves as a sort of purgatory.

Kind, joyful, and caring, Reimi is far from the stereotypical scary ghost. Her 'unfinished business' is to take down the serial killer that murdered her. While this is a gruesome goal, Reimi remains the optimistic and charasmatic girl she was in life.

8 Ghost Hound

The human and the spirit realm bleed into one another in the town of Suiten. Ghost appearances start to spread through the town, and it's up to three high school boys to investigate. Tarō, Makoto, and Masayuki have all lived through childhood trauma and because of this, can see the weird occurrences.

They can enter the Unseen World, home to ghosts, even though no humans are supposed to have that ability. Upon entering, they encounter their traumas head-on. The local Shinto priest and his daughter, Miyako, must help the boys handle this scary situation.

Kouichi Sakakibara is a transfer student to class 3-3 of Yomiyama North Junior High. He is drawn to one of his new classmates, Mei Misaki, who he met while away from school in the hospital. She has an eyepatch and is reserved. None of the other students seem to acknowledge her or her existence, as if they can't see her.

A rumor circulates about a previous student and a grim event. However, the other classmates are unwilling to share the details with Kouichi. He must find out how this incident is connected to his new friend. Several tragedies arise to them in the cursed class , and they must work together to solve the mystery surrounding them, though it may come at a big price.

6 Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Heavenly Host Elementary School was closed after several serial kidnappings and murders in the area. Years later, another school is built on top of the old one. Students tell scary tales based on true stories. In the new school, nine high schoolers conduct a seemingly harmless ritual to be friends forever.

Related: Corpse Party: Things The Games Do Better Than The Anime

Things go wrong when they are teleported to another dimension where the murders from the previous school took place. The students are murdered in gruesome ways by the vengeful ghost of a little girl and her vengeful minions. The surviving students must escape before they befall the same fate as their friends.

5 Ghost Hunt

Taniyama Mai loves ghost stories. She investigates a spooky abandoned school building and runs into the 17-year-old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company Shibuya Kazuya. When she passes the building the next day, she accidentally breaks some of Shibuya Kazuya's equipment, and his assistant Lin is injured saving her.

To pay for the broken camera and to continue his work, Shibuya Kazuya has Mai be his new assistant until Lin is healed. The two solve ghost-related mysteries, investigate hauntings, and Mai learns about ghost hunting and the paranormal.

4 Ghost Stories

Satsuki Miyanoshita moves to the town where her mother died. On her first day of school, she visits an abandoned building with her brother Keiichiro, neighbor Hajime Aoyama, and students Momoko Koigakubo and Leo Kakinoki. They discover that the building is haunted and that Satsuki's mother sealed away ghosts in the town.

Related: Phasmophobia: Pro Tips For New Hunters

They find out that the ghosts are being released accidentally as the town is renovated. The group must use the book Satsuki's mother left behind to exorcise the ghosts and demons for good. If not, the monsters will take over their hometown.

3 Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Nene Yashiro is a student at Kamome Academy, a school known for supernatural happenings . She loves the occult and wants a boyfriend. There's an urban legend of a girl who haunts the bathroom and can grant wishes if a price is paid. Nene tries this, but the spirit is a boy named Hanako-san.

Nene finds she is spiritually bound to him. She becomes his assistant, helping him destroy evil creatures and restore the balance between the human and spirit world. As she gets closer to him though, she learns that he has a mysteriously dark past.

2 Menma Honma (Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day)

Jinta Yadomi doesn't leave his house after the death of his childhood friend Menma Honma. He's drifted apart from his friends after this event. One hot summer day, Menma sees his dead friend but thinks it's the heat making him hallucinate. However, her repeated appearance forces him to realize she is there.

Menma asks him to grant her a final wish, to help her pass on to the afterlife. Jinta must reunite with his friends and work together to grant her request. But to do this, they must relive the pain, guilt, and grief surrounding her death.

1 Spirited Away

Chihiro and her parents accidentally stumble upon an abandoned amusement park. When her parents decide to eat some food and pay later because there is no staff, they are turned into pigs. As night falls, the park morphs into a town full of gods and spirits . The evil witch Yubaba, the owner of a bathhouse, keeps all trespassers captive as workers.

Chihiro's parents are moved to the hotel's stockyard, waiting to be butchered for a meal, and Chihiro is forced to work. With the help of her new friend Haku, she must try to break the spell on her parents and escape back to their world.

More: Most Iconic Ghosts In Video Games

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The Fall 2023 Anime Preview Guide MF Ghost

How would you rate episode 1 of mf ghost community score: 3.7, what is this.

In the 2020s, self-driving cars are ubiquitous in Japan. The manga centers on Kanata Livington, a Japanese driver who goes back to Japan after graduating at the top of his class at a racing school in England. The series also focuses on the MFG, a racing circuit on public roads that has garnered attention worldwide.

MF Ghost is based on a manga of the same name by Shuuichi Shigeno . The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Sundays.

How was the first episode?

I know enough about cars to know what a three-pedal H-shift means, and fortunately, that seems to be all that this episode requires. I also know enough about fanservicey costumes to recognize that Ren's Angel getup is incredibly lame. You can't just stick angel wings on the back of a sports bra and call it a day—especially not if you're going to pair it with what looks less like a bikini bottom and more like plain white cotton undies. Clearly, someone spent far too much time lovingly drawing every detail of the cars and the drones that follow them and just threw something together for the angel outfit, and it shows. Still grosser is the way the camera adores panning up and down the body of this teenager whenever she's in it—and then you throw in twenty-four-year-old Aiba creeping on the high school girl wearing it. Sorry, MF Ghost , the “man in his twenties romancing a teen” slot has already been filled this season.

But you're probably not watching this for the fanservice , or at least not just for the fanservice . That means that you may be more disappointed by the fact that this first episode of a show about racing sports cars has only about thirty seconds of actual race footage (at least with Kanata, the driver we're following, behind the wheel; otherwise it's maybe ninety seconds). There isn't even much car jargon thrown in, which surprised me a bit. There is mention of specific brand names, though, and it gives the sense that real thought went into the way that familiar car types and names are being used. It feels like the sort of thing I could watch with my dad (Ren aside) and have him really enjoy on the "car talk" front.

Ren and Kanata may also turn out to be a draw, although, right now, it's looking fairly one-sided on Ren's part. Kanata does feel comfortable telling her his true purpose in coming to Japan, though, so that's a positive sign. Also fun is his reaction to being in Japan—his reaction to eating the little koala cookies and inability to use chopsticks are nice details, and he comes across as enthusiastic but not obnoxious about it. I just would have liked to see more actual driving/racing going on, which is my main disappointment here. That may come with time—though if that stupid angel outfit remains, I make no promises about watching more.

It's funny. I kind of feel cheated by this first episode of MF Ghost . When I think of Initial D , I think of two things: awesome dirfting car races and killer eurobeat music. So for the first episode of Initial D 's sequel to have almost none of either leaves me feeling a little bit betrayed.

Now, that's not to say that what we did get was bad. This episode is a solid introduction to the world, characters, and story. Kanata is a half-British, half-Japanese teen searching for his father. All he has in regards to his father is a single photograph taken in Kanagawa years before. It's a decent mystery and gives the story something to do between races.

The only thing that bugged me about his story this episode is the combination of foreigner stereotypes and ham-fisted product placement. Going to Sukiya and gushing about their beef bowls like they're a delicacy (and not simply fast food) is silly. And claiming that Koala March cookies are better than all British sweets is insane. ...But I guess sponsorships pay the bills.

On the other side of the story we have our main viewpoint character, Ren. What's interesting about her isn't that she falls for Kanata moments after telling her friend that she doesn't believe in love at first sight, it's how she separates her part-time job from her personal life.

Ren is a “race queen”—kind of a cross between a typical racing “grid girl” and an idol. However, unlike her fellows, she practices OPSEC to a startling degree—to the point that she doesn't even have her name and age listed publicly. While this may seem extreme (especially if you're a man), this episode makes it easy to see why she does this. After all, she has a 24 year-old guy constantly hitting on her—going so far as to try and force the racing association to give up her personal information so he can pursue her off the clock. This makes part of the story is a cautionary tale for any woman in the service industry—especially modeling or something similar where the job involves you being nice and polite to men. The moral is simple: be like her. Keep everyone on a need-to-know basis—and horny men hitting on you at work don't need to know.

In the end, I think I'll tune into episode two for this one. I'm not particularly invested but I do want my drifting cars and eurobeat before I decide whether I want to watch the whole season or not.

I have seen all of maybe five or six Initial D episodes, which was probably twenty years ago, so I can only reckon with this new follow-up, MF Ghost , as its own thing. The good news is that newcomers can hop into this series without missing a beat; I'm sure there are some references or Easter eggs I missed, but MF Ghost stands on its own well enough. The real question is whether or not this racing anime can appeal to the automotive-illiterate viewers such as myself, who usually prefers that his car media come with a heaping helping of wanton physics-defying destruction and monologues about the importance of family.

At least as of this first episode, the answer seems to be: “Probably! …Maybe?” The potentially romantic connection between Ren and our main character, Kanata, might be enough to entice the folks more interested in blushed cheeks and stolen glances than the ins and outs of grip-weight ratios and engine tuning. If you can vibe with the round, baby-faced character designs taken from Shūichi Shigeno 's playbook, then the show certainly looks nice enough to spend a few minutes with every week.

All of that stuff is secondary to the real star of the show, though: The racing. So, is it any good? Well…it's hard to say, really! We barely get anything to go on outside of a very brief pre-credits sequence, and the rest of this premiere is focused entirely on establishing Kanata's arrival in Japan and getting him situated to enter his first race. The CG used for the cars seems okay, at the very least, but the jury is still out on the spectacle that will presumably make up a large part of the appeal for this show. I'm not saying that this first episode is terrible, by the way, nor am I complaining that it dared to bother with such frivolous indulgences as “character development” and “story setup.” I don't know yet if this will make for a very good racing anime, so those of you who are primarily interested in the “vroom vroom” of it all will have to wait another week to get a real taste of the action. Fans of the original Initial D tell me that I should expect good things, but until we can see the rubber hit the road for ourselves, this one passes muster with a “Perfectly Okay, for Now” grade.

Good news and bad news, folks. The good news is that if you're like me and don't know Initials A-C, let alone D, this distant sequel will still be understandable. Doubtlessly, some references or cameos are lost on the uninitiated, but the central premise of dudes racing cars fast is as simple as you could ask for. The bad news is that this episode is one big tease, taking its sweet time as it strings the viewer along with the promise that they might get to see some of that racing before cutting to the credits just as our protagonist crosses the starting line.

That's not entirely a terrible idea since this episode instead spends its time introducing the main cast, establishing their relationships, and doing what it can to endear us to Kanata as a person before we see him as a driver. In the long run, that's the right move, as it gives us time and reasons to get invested in the cast before we start hurtling cars at unsafe speeds. Though I can't say I'm all that engaged by the characters. They're nice enough – outside of the guy constantly creeping on a teenage girl and trying to get her info from her workplace – but they're so mild-mannered and matter-of-fact that they don't leave much of an impression. Kanata's some racing whiz from a fancy driving school in England, and his personality has as much spice as your typical English dinner. Ren is a little better, but her motivation morphs into a big crush on Kanata so quickly that it's hard to get a read on anything else. Weirdly, my favorite of the bunch so far is Ogata, the kindly, middle-aged mechanic who puts together Kanata's ride. There's just something about his face that's charming, I guess.

Speaking of cars, those have gotten the most attention from the production. While the compositing on the CG vehicles isn't perfect, there's a lot of attention to detail with each one, with distinct and accurate (to my eyes, anyway) silhouettes for each make and model. A lot of the car talk goes over my head (what is a grip-to-weight ratio?), but it certainly sounds accurate, and I imagine gearheads in the audience will get a kick out of it all. The rest of the visuals are a mixed bag. I like the distinctive character designs, even if everyone looks like they're wearing lipstick, but the environments leave a lot to be desired. Most of them are (barely-)edited reference photos, and they clash pretty severely with the characters composited on top of them. However, they work alright with the CG cars, so that's probably a necessary compromise. Animation is serviceable for what happens here, but the make-or-break detail will depend on how well they can capture the speed and intensity of racing in the next episode.

That tease is enough to get me to watch another episode, if only to sate my curiosity. We get car racing less often in anime, and it would be nice if MF Ghost (short for motherf*cking ghost, I presume) could fill that niche for a while. However, if that racing isn't up to snuff, I feel pretty good about passing on this one.

this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history

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