Are you looking for the best anime shows to watch on Halloween, or some super spooky supernatural anime series - maybe one of the most scary anime with ghosts to watch hiding behind your sofa? These ghost anime shows will be sure to send a shiver down your spine! Here you will also find the best sad ghost anime shows, best funny ghost anime shows and best Japanese culture anime shows, portrayed by spirits and deities from a world that you can’t see, sense, or otherwise confirm the existence of.
Whether your interest lies in creepy Japanese ghost stories to action-packed spirit fighters, there is a series to fit your every desire. Here are spooky anime shows to suit every taste. You could say they have 'spirit'! Dad jokes aside (I'm not actually a dad, I'm a girl), here are the best anime shows with ghosts and best anime to watch on Halloween if you are looking for a show with spirits! All the best anime to watch on Halloween!
Best ghostly anime to watch
20. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Anohana is an emotional and heartfelt anime following Jinta Yadomi, who is peacefully living as a recluse, spending his days away from school and playing video games at home instead. One hot summer day, his childhood friend, Meiko "Menma" Honma, appears and pesters him to grant a forgotten wish. He pays her no mind, which annoys her, but he just imagines he is hallucinating, after all, Menma already died years ago.
At first, Jinta thinks that he is merely hallucinating due to the summer heat, but he is later on convinced that what he sees truly is the ghost of Menma. Jinta and his group of childhood friends grew apart after her untimely death, but they are drawn together once more as they try to lay Menma's spirit to rest. Re-living their pain and guilt, will they be able to find the strength to help not only Menma move on - but themselves as well?
19. Hanada Shounen-shi
A story about a lost individual who finds a new purpose, Ichiro Hanada is a rude young thug that picks fights and talks back to his mother. However, after being hit by a truck, he recovers with the ability to see the ghosts of the recently dead who can’t move on. Now he finds a whole new responsibility as a medium to help them. This is one of the best anime for character development, it also has a special coming of age theme too.
18. The Young Spirit Master
Masahiro is the grandson of the great onmyouji, Abe no Seimei. However, he lost his sixth sense that enables him to see supernatural beings, which is very important for an onmyouji. Thus, he is left with no choice but to try and pick a different career. But one day, a strange mononoke appears, which he names Mokkun, who shows him his true potential powers after fighting a demon. With the assistance of Mokkun, his quest to become the greatest onmyouji begins, not knowing that their partnership is all part of his grandfather’s plan to awaken his true potential. Set in the Heian period (794-1185) of ancient Japan, this anime pays homage to many aspects of Japanese culture and is set against a rich cultural and historical backdrop as a result. It's a real treat to watch!
17. Kitaro no Gegege
Kitaro is a ghost who spends his afterlife helping humans that need his skills. He also spends his time fighting evil spirits that seek to torment humanity. Despite being older and aimed at a younger audience, if you like traditional Japanese yokai lore, the anime series and movies end up being a nice watch.
16. Kaidan Restaurant
Told in three parts (or servings - like a three course meal maybe?), the first two sections of this ghostly anime revolve around an ordinary sixth-grade schoolgirl named Ako Ozara and the bizarre occurrences that befall her classmates. The third "dish" will be a standalone short ghost story told by Ako and her friends. Strange and creepy, this is a great anime to watch on Halloween or when you want something a little spooky. It also manages to be charming at the same time!
15. Another
More of a gory horror ghost anime, In 1972, 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. Another presents an occasionally creepy ghost story with a serious penchant for gory bloodbaths.
14. Ghost Hound
Strange things are happening around the town of Suiten. The daughter of a priest begins to see strange visions, spirits have started to roam the mountains, and Tarou Komori is having unsettling dreams. Due to the trauma of being kidnapped 11 years ago, he has repressed most of the memories that could shed light on what really happened all those years ago. But they return in his sleep, combined with encounters beyond the realm of dreams.
13. Kekkaishi
Yoshimura Sumimura comes from a long line of "Kekkaishi," individuals who have supernatural abilities and are able to destroy evil creatures called Ayakashi that venture into the human realm from time to time. The Ayakashi are demons that look to feast on the power emanating from the land of Karasumori, which also happens to be where Yoshimura's high school is located. Now, Yoshimura must fight to protect his beloved school and hometown. Together with his childhood friend with a rival clan, they work hard to protect their hometown.
If you are tired of slower paced ghost anime series, Kekkaishi and its action-oriented shounen genre keep things interesting with a lot of fast paced fights.
12. Ghost Stories
This aptly named ghostly tale follows Satsuki and Keiichirou Miyanoshita as they move back to their mother’s hometown after her tragic death. It is there that spooky happenings begin to occur; the siblings learn that their mother managed to banish a number of ghosts from the old school building, but suddenly they are all beginning to return again. To seal them away now falls to Satsuki and her new friends, along with the aid of her mother’s journal. The dubs are really good for this anime, there is a lot of humour to be found and it is so entertaining!
11. Natsuyuki Rendezvous
This amazing spooky anime presents a unique perspective: what if the person you love's former spouse is guarding them in ghost form, but you're the only one that can see them? Get ready for all kinds of hilarity and awkwardness; three is definitely a crowd, especially when ghosts are involved and can see everything you are doing! Ryousuke Hazuki 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. 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.
10. Ghost Slayers Ayashi
While externally they are an organization dedicated to the study of foreign books, the Bansha Aratemesho is an organization that actually fight Yoi, spiritual monsters that occasionally attack Edo. This is the story about strange spiritual monsters around Japan and the equally strange people who fight them.
9. Blue Exorcist
Determined to throw off the curse of being Satan's illegitimate son, Rin enters the True Cross Academy to become an exorcist, just like his mentor. He is determined to defeat Satan's intention to possess his body so he can come to the other side, and thus, train as an exorcist to fight for the living. But can he succeed, with the world of the demons and the world of the living constantly embroiled in war?
8. Bakemonogatari
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.
7. Hell Girl
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. While worthy for its creepiness alone, Hell Girl succeeds in the way it presents its moral choices.
6. Mokke
An anime with two sisters with two special talents, Shizuru is able to see spirits while Mizuki possesses the strange affinity to become haunted by them. Sent to live far away with their grandparents, Frustrated by their powers, their parents send them out to the country to live with their grandparents. There, they must both learn the importance of both coexisting with nature and the spirits. There are so many cool elements of mythology and folklore, with lots of references to Japanese Literature. This anime is such a treat to behold!
5. Ghost Hunt
While at school, Taniyama Mai and her friends like to exchange ghost stories. Apparently, there is an abandoned school building on their campus that is the center of many ghost stories. During the story, they are interrupted by a mysterious male figure. The person turns out to be Shibuya Kazuya, a 17-year-old who is president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. He was called by the principal to investigate the stories surrounding the abandoned school building.
The next day, on the way to school, Mai passes the school building in question. While examining a strange camera she spotted inside, she gets surprised by Kazuya's assistant. Unknowingly interfering with the investigation, Mai breaks the camera and Kazuya's assistant gets injured.
Kazuya forcefully hires Mai in order to pay for the camera and replace his injured assistant. From that point on, Mai begins to learn about the paranormal world and the profession of ghost hunting.
4. Mononoke
I love how this anime is both fascinating, artsy and rich in Japanese culture, as it refers to traditional Japanese spirits and deities to tell its tale. Mononoke follows the story of a man simply known as the Medicine Seller. However, it is not medicine he sells, but rather he travels feudal Japan ridding villages of malevolent spirits called mononoke. However, in order to kill each spirit he encounters, he must first learn its Form, Truth, and it’s Reason. It's satisfying, rich and so special, there is so much to learn about ancient Japanese culture here.
3. xxxHolic
Kimihiro Watanuki can see spirits and other assorted supernatural creatures, which is quite a bothersome ability he strongly dislikes. On the way home one day, while plagued by some spirits, he is inexplicably compelled to enter a strange house. There, he encounters Yuuko, a mysterious woman who claims to be able to rid him of the ability to see and attract the troublesome creatures—for a price. She demands that he work at her "store" that grants wishes to people, and thus begins Watanuki's adventures through weird and wonderful events.
2. Mushishi
A really cool supernatural anime with spirits and thought provoking elements. In this world, the Mushi, who are spirits, go unnoticed by most humans. However the Mushi also have mysterious abilities to mimic things from the living world like plants or diseases. This spooky anime follows Ginko, a man in pursuit of knowledge about the Mushi, who tries to unravel the meaning of their existence.
This anime presents a thought provoking and beautifully animated world to explore and a unique take on spirits and ghosts in anime.
1. Natsume Yuujinchou
Takashi Natsume has always stood apart from the crowd, perhaps for his 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. This anime offers amazing character development and really gives you an understanding of each unique apparition involved in the show. This anime actually makes you feel reassured with the fact that you might be surrounded by spirits!
What is your favourite anime series featuring ghosts or spirits? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked this definitely also check out Best Vampire Romance Anime Shows, Best Orange Hair Anime Girls, Best Succubus Anime Shows, Best Anime Vampire Girls and Best Ghost Type Pokemon Ranked!
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