Spiritual Anime | 21 Must-Watch Anime List

Anime is so varied and multidimensional that it caters to large and diverse groups of audiences. Some watch anime for light entertainment, some for the thought-provoking storylines, and some for escaping reality.

Spiritual anime takes the phrase “escape from reality” to the next stage by immersing you in a fantastical world of supernatural beings, evil spirits, and mythological figures.

Mostly there is little space for realism in spiritual anime from the point of view of world-building.

But most of these anime do contain realism from the point of view of thoughts and emotions. You can still relate to the inner thoughts and actions of the characters in the story.

Today we’ll look at the top spiritual anime you can decide to watch!

Note: The availability of some of the anime on the listed platforms may vary depending on your region.

21. Ghost Hound

• Genre: Supernatural, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Psychological, Suspense
• No. of episodes: 22
• MAL Score: 7.42
• Watch Ghost Hound on: Funimation, Amazon Prime Video

This unique ghost story is set in the town of Suiten, where spooky and bizarre occurrences are becoming commonplace.

Spirits are lurking around the mountains, and the priest’s daughter has strange visions. Meanwhile, our 14-year-old protagonist, Tarou Komori, is having disturbing dreams.

Because of the trauma of getting kidnapped eleven years ago, Tarou has been able to suppress those memories, keeping them locked away, not letting whatever transpired all those years ago come to the surface.

Yet, they return when he sleeps, along with meetings outside the world of dreams.

While the mystical and psychological realms intermingle, three children work to fix the breach between the spiritual and material worlds while battling their inner demons.

20. Kekkaishi

• Genre: Shounen; Supernatural, Adventure, Romance, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 52
• MAL Score: 7.60
• Watch Kekkaishi on: Crunchyroll

Yoshimura Sumimura is a high school boy who hails from a family of “Kekkaishi,” gifted individuals with supernatural powers possessing the ability to exterminate ayakashi.

Ayakashi are demons that invade the mortal world and thrive on the power flowing from the land of Karasumori.

This place also happens to be where Yoshimura’s school is located. He has no choice but to protect his loved ones, school, and town.

Luckily, he is not alone. Tokine Yukimura, his childhood bud and neighbor, is there to fight alongside him and fend off the demons that threaten their town.

Although they come from rival clans, the two are the perfect team. The two work together as more ominous perils cloud the horizon.

19. Shounen Onmyouji

• Genre: Shoujo; Supernatural, Action, Fantasy, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 26
• MAL Score: 7.55
• You can watch Shounen Onmyouji on: Buy DVD on Amazon

The main protagonist of Shounen Onmyouji, or The Young Spirit Master, Masahiro, is the grandson of Abe no Seimei, the renowned onmyouji.

The sixth sense is vital for an onmyouji as it allows them to see supernatural beings. Unfortunately, Masahiro has lost his sixth sense and has no choice but to take a different career path.

However, one day, a Mononoke appears before him, who makes him realize his true potential following a fight with a demon.

With the Mononoke now by his side, who he names “Mokkun,” the young spirit master, Masahiro, embarks on the journey to becoming the most powerful onmyouji.

18. Ghost Stories

• Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Mystery
• No. of episodes: 19
• MAL Score: 7.72
• Watch Ghost Stories on: Crunchyroll

The plot of Ghost Stories, also known as Gakkou no Kaidan, revolves around two siblings who have lost their mother and are still recovering from their loss.

They move to their mother’s hometown, and when they learn that their new school is an old building haunted by ghosts, they wave it off as a mere rumor.

However, they soon realize that the rumor is accurate, and the ghosts seek revenge, as they were banished by a student years ago.

From here is a constant battle for the two siblings, their new friends, and their pet cat to survive ghostly attacks in the haunted school.

17. Kamisama Hajimemashita

• Genre: Shoujo; Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 13
• MAL Score: 8.08
• Watch Kamisama Hajimemashita on: Crunchyroll, Funimation

Nanami Momozono is a high school student who is now homeless after her father went into debt and disappeared.

After she helps a man troubled by a dog, he returns the favor by giving her his home, an old shrine.

She tries to leave but is intercepted by two shrine spirits and a fox familiar called Tomoe, who mistake her for their land god, the man Nanami helped.

She gives in and performs shrine duties, but Tomoe refuses to serve her.

Soon as troubles ensue, Nanami and Tomoe must work together to fend off the threats and protect their home.

16. Blue Exorcist

• Genre: Shounen; Fantasy, Action, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 25
• MAL Score: 7.51
• Watch Blue Exorcist on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix

In Ao no Exorcist, or Blue Exorcist, Assiah and Gehenna are the worlds of humans and demons, respectively.

The ruler of Gehenna, Satan, remains imprisoned in his world as he cannot find a suitable vessel to possess and therefore cannot travel between the two worlds.

With no other option left, Satan sends his son to Assiah with the intention for him to grow into a worthy host capable of possession by him.

Interestingly, Rin Okumura, a regular teenager who is also the son in question, is unwilling to go along with Satan’s twisted plan when he learns of it.

Instead, he trains to become an exorcist to protect Assiah alongside his brother Yukio.

15. Hell Girl

• Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Mystery, Psychological
• No. of episodes: 26
• MAL Score: 7.62
• Watch Hell Girl on: Amazon Prime Video

As midnight strikes, a sinister web domain called Hell Correspondence becomes available.

If one enters the name of someone they wish to exact revenge on, the Hell Girl, Ai Emma, appears and makes it clear that she will take the target’s soul to Hell.

But here is the catch: the requester will share the same fate when they die. Emma uses three straw dolls to carry out the task.

Whether one chooses to pay the price by ending up in Hell after death or not, Emma will always appear in front of those seeking revenge whenever she is needed to drag the targets’ souls to Hell.

14. Another

• Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Gore
• No. of episodes:
• MAL Score: 7.48
• Watch Another on: Crunchyroll, Netflix

The story follows Kouichi Sakikabara, a transfer student in class 3-3 of Yomiyama North Middle School, returning after a one-month sick leave.

When Kouichi sees the same eyepatch girl named Mei Misaki he met at the hospital, he approaches her and tries to befriend her.

When he asks his classmates about the girl, to his confusion, they refuse to acknowledge her existence and warn him to do the same.

Not knowing the dark secrets and the curse that haunts class 3-3, Kouichi attempts to dive deeper into the mystery to learn about Misaki and the reason for the strange behavior of his classmates.

13. Ghost Hunt

• Genre: Shoujo; Supernatural, Horror, Mystery
• No. of episodes: 25
• MAL Score: 7.77
• Watch Ghost Hunt on: Crunchyroll, Funimation

Mai Taniyama and her friends are used to sharing ghost stories at school.

One day, while they chat about an abandoned building on their school campus, a mysterious man interrupts them.

It turns out he is a 17-year-old ghost hunter and president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company, Kazuya Shibuya, who had come to the school at the principal’s request to investigate the abandoned building.

The next day, it so happens that Mai somehow breaks Kazuya’s camera, impeding the examination.

The latter’s assistant gets injured as well. Kazuya then forces Mai into paying for the camera and working as his assistant, bringing an unexpected turn to Mai’s normal life.

12. Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun

• Genre: Shounen; Supernatural, Comedy
• No. of episodes: 12
• MAL Score: 7.85
• Watch Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun on: Crunchyroll, Funimation

Amongst the Japanese Urban legends, Toliet-bound Hanako-san, one of the “Seven Wonders,” is a well-known one. Hanako-san is said to be a young girl that haunts school bathrooms.

Should one successfully summon Hanako-san, she shall grant any wish. However, so far, all attempts have failed.

But when one day, Nene Yashiro, a girl wishing for romantic luck, summons Hanako-san successfully, she discovers that the supposedly “young girl” is actually a “young boy.”

After a string of unlucky events involving her romantic pursuit occurs, Nene can no longer escape the world of supernatural beings, now as Hanako’s assistant and friend.

11. Hanada Shounen-shi

• Genre: Shounen; Supernatural, Drama, Slice of Life
• No. of episodes: 25
• MAL Score: 7.99
• Watch Hanada Shounen-shi on: Buy DVD on Amazon

Ichiro Hanada is a young brat who always enjoys teasing his sister, is rude to others, and causes trouble for his parents and neighbors.

One day after pulling a prank, he runs from his mother down the streets, steals a bicycle, and goes off on a dangerous path.

He is hit by a truck, but he survives with nine stitches and a bald head.

The near-death experience bestows Hanada the ability to see ghosts and dead people come to him to fulfill their final wishes.

As every new soul wanders around and ends up approaching him, he learns something new from each of these thought-provoking experiences, becoming a tad wiser than before.

10. xxxHolic

• Genre: Seinen; Supernatural, Drama, Psychological, Mystery
• No. of episodes: 24
• MAL Score: 7.99
• Watch xxxHolic on: Funimation

Kimihiro Watanuki is a high school student who can see spirits and other supernatural creatures and detests this ability.

On the way to his home one day, he is haunted by the usual spirits and has no choice but to enter a strange house.

In that house, Watanuki meets Yuuko, a mysterious lady who says she can free him of his ability to see and attract evil spirits.

But it comes at a cost. She asks him to work at her “store” that fulfils people’s wishes, and from here on begins his new life full of fantastical occurrences.

9. Noragami

• Genre: Shounen; Action, Fantasy, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 12
• MAL Score: 7.96
• Watch Noragami on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix

The story follows Yato, a self-proclaimed “Delivery God” who appears as a young male and has no shrine dedicated to him.

He leaves his phone number in red in all the places people can see and does odd jobs for no more than five yen.

His regalia, or weapon partner, soon gets tired of him and abandons him.

One day, a middle school girl named Hiyori saves Yato from an accident, causing her soul to loosen and detach from her body randomly.

Because Yato needs regalia to fix her, Hiyori decides to help him find one, unknowingly bringing a more enormous change in Yato’s life.

8. Bakemonogatari

• Genre: Supernatural, Mystery, Vampire, Romance
• No. of episodes: 15
• MAL Score: 8.34
• Watch Bakemonogatari on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix

The tales of Bakemonogatari follow Koyomi Araragi, a high school student who has survived a vampire attack and has gained superhuman healing despite being human.

Araragi continues to try his best to live his new life as before, with Tsubasa Hanekawa, his friend, by his side.

One day when his classmate Hitagi Senjougahara falls down the stairs, he catches her but feels no weight.

Ignoring Senjougahara’s protests, Araragi takes her to an old building where a mysterious man with mysterious powers, Meme Oshino, resides.

The same man who saved Araragi from vampirism. The story progresses as Araragi continues to help others get rid of their supernatural maladies.

7. Hotarubi no Mori e

• Genre: Shoujo; Supernatural, Drama, Romance
• No. of episodes: 1 (Movie)
• MAL Rating: 8.30
• Watch Hotarubi no Mori e on: Bilibili TV

The protagonist of Hotarubi no Mori e, Hotaru Takegawa, is a six-year-old girl who is highly intrigued by the tale of a mountain God.

Once when she is at her grandfather’s, she gets lost in an ancient forest, and that is when a masked boy named Gin helps her.

Not much later, Hotaru learns that Gin lives with a curse: if a human touches him, he will disappear forever.

Despite Gin’s warning never to return, Hotaru keeps visiting him, and eventually, they become best friends.

But as time progresses, suffering is bound to come, given the curse that separates them.

6. Natsume Yuujinchou

• Genre: Shoujo; Supernatural, Drama, Mythology, Slice of Life
• No. of episodes: 13
• MAL Score: 8.32
• Watch Natsume Yuujinchou on: Crunchyroll, Netflix

Natsume Yuujinchou, or Natsume’s Book of Friends, centers around a high school student named Natsume Takashi, who can see spirits called youkai.

This ability has been a burden on him, and now Natsume is used to keeping to himself.

That is until he breaks an invisible barrier, freeing a powerful youkai, Madara, in the shape of a lucky cat.

Learning that Natsume possesses the “Book of Friends,” a book with the names of the spirits defeated by Natsume’s late grandmother, Madara decides to stay by his side as his bodyguard.

In return, Natsume has to hand over the book when the time comes. 

5. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

• Genre: Supernatural, Drama, Slice of Life
• No. of episodes: 11
• MAL Score: 8.32
• Watch Anohana on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix

Jinta Yadomi spends his days playing video games, shut in his home, away from school.

When one summer, his deceased childhood friend Meiko “Menma” Honma starts appearing in front of him, asking him to fulfill her last wish, he brushes it off as a hallucination from the summer heat.

However, he soon realizes that it is actually Menma’s spirit.

This seemingly unreal occurrence unites Jinta and his childhood friends, who had split up following Menma’s death years earlier.

Together they relive all the sadness, suffering, and tragedy as they try their best to put Menma’s spirit to rest.

4. InuYasha

• Genre: Shounen; Supernatural, Action, Fantasy, Comedy
• No. of episodes: 167
• MAL Score: 7.85
• Watch InuYasha on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix

The female protagonist of InuYasha, Kagome Higurashi, is sucked into the well of her family’s Shinto shrine on her 15th birthday and transported to the past, precisely, feudal Japan.

Kagome encounters many dangerous creatures who are after her for the Shikon Jewel she carries without her knowledge.

One such encounter is with a half-demon boy, Inuyasha, who attacks Kagome mistaking her for someone he detests.

But when he realizes they are in a bind, he helps her. Later, the Shikon Jewel breaks into pieces in one of the fights, and both set out to recover the pieces before they fall into the wrong hands.

3. Spirited Away

• Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 1 (Movie)
• MAL Score: 8.78
• Watch Spirited Away on: Netflix

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, or Spirited Away, is an insanely popular film by Studio Ghibli that follows the story of a naive 10-year-old girl called Chihiro Ogino.

When Chihiro and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park, they guardedly enter it.

Still, their little adventure takes an unexpected turn when wild things happen.

Amongst the appearance of spirits and other occurrences, Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs.

Because Chihiro has unknowingly entered the spirit world and is trapped, she must work with others she meets in the spirit world to turn her parents back into humans and return home.

2. Mononoke

• Genre: Seinen; Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Mythology
• No. of episodes: 12
• MAL Score: 8.43
• Watch Mononoke on: Crunchyroll

The anime revolves around evil spirits in feudal Japan called “Mononoke”, and a mysterious man called the “medicine seller,” who locates and exorcises them.

But first, he must learn the Mononoke’s form, truth, and reason, enabling him to wield his exorcism sword.

There are five stories concerning different spirits linked by the presence of the medicine seller.

The first one starts at an inn room, where a pregnant woman has taken shelter, unaware of the lethal Mononoke that plagues the inn room.

With this, we set out with our protagonist to locate and learn each Mononoke’s proper form to exorcise it.

1. Mushishi

• Genre: Seinen; Supernatural, Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure, Slice of Life
• No. of episodes: 26
• MAL Score: 8.67
• Watch Mushishi on: Funimation, Tubi TV

In the world of Mushishi, “Mushi” are rudimentary life forms that can imitate other life forms like plants, natural phenomena, and also diseases.

These Mushi exist simply for the sake of existing, and most humans are unknown of their presence.

Now, “Mushi-shi” are people who study Mushi and their place in the hierarchy of life.

Our protagonist, Ginko, is one such Mushi-shi who traces events related to Mushi to unravel the mystery behind these life forms.

He seeks to dive deeper into their mysterious powers, their impact on people’s lives, and, hopefully, the meaning of life itself.

Some Other Spiritual Anime That You Can Watch:

• Mokke
• Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin
• Natsuyuki Rendezvous
• Ghost Slayers Ayashi