Updated June 23, 2019 12.8k votes 4k voters 109.7k views
Yokai is a Japanese term that refers to spirits, demons, and other supernatural beings from Japanese folklore. Some of them are malevolent, some of them are good, but all of them have a chance of showing up in supernatural anime. Let's take a look at some of the best yokai anime out there.
The latest work by legendary director Kunihiko Ikuhara features a yokai story aimed at adults because according to Ikuhara, the genre was almost exclusively aimed at children. If the kappa themed anime is a little too bizarre for your tastes, you can check out Natsume's Book of Friends, a gentle and relaxing story about a teenage boy dedicated to giving yokai their freedom. Looking for something with a little more action? Try Yu Yu Hakusho, an anime that features countless battles between humans and yokai.
What's your favorite anime about yokai? Vote it up to help your fellow fans figure out what to watch next.
After Natsume inherits a book filled with the names of yokai, he decides to dedicate his life to returning those names - and therefore the yokais' freedom.
When her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro travels from the human world to the spirit world in the hopes of finding a way to restore them to their former selves. There, she'll work at a bathhouse, meet yokai of all kinds, and learn about who she is and her place in the world.
After Nanami Momozono finds herself homeless as a result of her father's debts, she ends up staying at a shrine. She isn't just staying there as a guest, however - she's going to be its caretaker and its god. Tomoe, the familiar belonging to the previous shrine deity, is less than thrilled by this - will the two ever be able to get along?
Rikuo Nura might be a descendent of a mighty yokai clan, but he doesn't want anything to do with yokai - and he certainly doesn't want to take over as head of the clan. But no matter how hard he tries to outrun his yokai heritage, Rikuo can't escape it - especially not with malevolent yokai constantly harassing him and his friends.
Hanae Ashiya has a yokai attached to his shoulder, and it's making him sick. To solve his problem, he seeks help from a mysterious tea room that appears next to his school's infirmary. Because he doesn't have the funds for treatment, he winds up working for the Mononokean to pay off his debts.
Yato is a minor deity whose goal is to earn enough money to buy himself a shrine. To do this, he performs odd jobs - but in the meantime, he battles Ayakashi, creatures that come from the "Far Shore" and interfere with humans.
