Anime like Zettai Shounen

Shinreigari: Ghost Hound

Also known as Ghost Hound.

Studio: Production I.G , Pony Canyon , Sentai Filmworks , Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

In 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.



Note: Anime was made as the 20th anniversary project for Production I.G.

Tags: Denpa , Ghost , Rural , Dissociative Identities , Cosmic Horror , Rehabilitation , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Cult , Kuudere , Conspiracy , Mythology , Bullying , Philosophy , Love Triangle , No Dialogue , Shounen , Nudity

Haibane Renmei

Also known as Haibane Renmei.

Studio: Radix , Funimation , Fuji TV , Kourin Mitsuzou Koubou
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mystery , Psychological , Slice of Life

A dream of falling from the sky... and then birth. Rakka is born from a large cocoon into the Old Home, greeted by a group of girls with small wings on their backs and shining halos above their heads. Soon Rakka’s own wings grow, a halo is placed on her head and she is told that she must work in the nearby town of Grie. She soon realizes that the town and the entire world they live in are confined behind the Wall, a tall, impenetrable wall that none except the mysterious Toga are allowed to exit.



Tags: Angels , Rehabilitation , Philosophy , Found Family , Female Protagonist , Afterlife , Amnesia , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Suicide , Iyashikei , Primarily Female Cast , Rural , Religion , Family Life , Adoption , Reincarnation , Delinquents , Drawing

Kamichu!

Also known as Kamichu!.

Studio: Aniplex , NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan , Funimation , Brain's Base , Ashi Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

What would you do if you suddenly became a god?

When little Yurie, a junior high school student, discovers that she is a god, she is beside herself in indecision and asks her friends. Thus begins her new life exploring what it means to be a god and her struggle to properly fulfill all the responsibilities it entails. From finding stray gods to dealing with Martians, her life is about to become more than ordinary.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Gods , Urban Fantasy , Iyashikei , Episodic , Primarily Female Cast , Coastal , Primarily Teen Cast , Religion , School , Mythology , Rural , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Shrine Maiden , Youkai , Dissociative Identities , Animals , Unrequited Love , Primarily Child Cast , Magic , Anthropomorphism , Calligraphy , Shapeshifting , Ships , Aliens

Natsume Yuujinchou Go

Also known as Natsume's Book of Friends Season 5.

Studio: Shuka , NAS
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Blessed with eyes that are able to perceive the otherwise invisible youkai, Takashi Natsume hides his ability from his newfound family and friends to protect everyone's peaceful daily life. Nonetheless, Natsume never fails to show the same kindness to the benevolent youkai and happily returns their names by using the infamous Book of Friends he inherited from his late grandmother, Reiko.

Meanwhile, the exorcist clan Matoba still wishes for Natsume to join their ranks due to his overwhelming gift. However, Natsume firmly rejects the clan's invitation since not all exorcists are as reasonable as his friend Shuuichi Natori, and many improperly and indiscriminately seal away every youkai in their way. Unsatisfied with Natsume's answer, Seiji Matoba blackmails Natsume into attending a grand gathering of powerful exorcist families. Natsume soon finds himself in the company of dangerous people and youkai alike. But even then, he continues to defy the exorcists' hard-handed methods and believes that peace between both worlds is possible.



Tags: Iyashikei , Youkai , Male Protagonist , Episodic , Adoption , Shoujo , Rural , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban Fantasy , Shapeshifting , Exorcism , Outdoor Activities , School , Estranged Family , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things

Tonari no Youkai-san

Also known as Tonari no Yokai-san.

Studio: LIDENFILMS , ABC Animation , East Press
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Welcome to Engamori, the cozy town where supernatural beings are your friendly neighbors. For generations and to this day, the otherworldly Yokai and humans have continued to protect their easygoing way of life. Enjoy the mountain breeze and uncover the mysterious bonds that lie within.



Tags: Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Rural , Josei , Alternate Universe , Family Life , Iyashikei , Anthropomorphism , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Tragedy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Amnesia , Gods , Demons , Shapeshifting , Boys' Love , Aromantic

Mokke

Studio: MADHOUSE , Kodansha , Tezuka Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Slice of Life , Supernatural

This is a story about two sisters: Shizuru, is a high school student who is able to see ghosts while her younger sister, Mizuki, is haunted by these apparitions. Frustrated by their abilities, their parents decided to entrust the sisters into the care of their grandparents who live in the countryside. As they adapt to life in the countryside, Shizuru and Mizuki begin to learn about the importance of coexisting nature with these apparitions.



Tags: Iyashikei , Female Protagonist , Rural , Episodic , Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Demons , Seinen

Fuujin Monogatari

Also known as Windy Tales.

Studio: Production I.G , Touhouku Shinsha , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Nao, an 8th grader, is one of the only two members of a Digital Camera Club, where she also serves as the manager. It's a mystery that she shoots nothing else but the skies and clouds. One day, she finds a cat on a rooftop where she usually shoots her camera. It's a cat that knows how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Shocked to find a strange animal, Nao loses her footing and falls off from the rooftop!

Miki is the other member of the club, and also Nao's best friend. Taiki is the teacher who taught the cat how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Ryoko is a girl who has a huge crush on Taiki. And there's Jun, who helps Nao and Miki look for a cat that can fly. Then, there's Yukio, who is the widow of Taiki's deceased brother.

On the outskirts of this big city, a town off the "Wind Handlers," has been formed - and a mysterious Wind Festival is about to begin...



Tags: Coming of Age , Iyashikei , Photography , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Super Power , Primarily Teen Cast , Philosophy , Animals , School , Episodic , School Club , Heterosexual , Time Skip , Motorcycles

Dennou Coil

Also known as Den-noh Coil.

Studio: MADHOUSE , NHK Enterprises , Tokuma Shoten , Bandai Visual , Maiden Japan
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Sci-Fi

Imagine if the internet was 'projected' over the living world and you interacted with it using a portable device - glasses and visors which connect you to an augmented reality. In 2026, this technology becomes reality...

Yuuko Okonogi moves with her family to Daikoku, home of an ever expanding tech network which makes up the interactive virtual world. Her grandmother runs an agency to investigate missing children who appear to have vanished from the 'real' world and entered the city's Dennou - literally meaning "electric brain" - a term used to differentiate between the virtual and 'real.'

A hacker culture is emerging amongst the children of the city. Yasako is soon introduced to Isako, whose powers for hunting computer viruses known as 'illegals' belie an agenda that might have sinister motives.



Tags: Augmented Reality , Urban , Primarily Child Cast , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Amnesia , Denpa , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Software Development , Conspiracy , Revenge , Ghost , School , Bullying , Cosmic Horror , CGI , Dissociative Identities

Natsume Yuujinchou

Also known as Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1.

Studio: Aniplex , Brain's Base , NAS , NIS America Inc. , TV Tokyo Music , Sony Music Entertainment , Trilogy Future Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Natsume has always been an outcast because he inherited his grandmother's ability to see yokai. After moving to his grandmother's hometown and accidentally releasing a yokai imprisoned in a Lucky Cat statue, he learns about his grandmother's "Book of Friends," which contains the names of the yokai she defeated, and allows its wielder to command the yokai named within. Since then, yokai now visit him on a daily basis, seeking to either get their names back or take possession of the Book of Friends.



Tags: Youkai , Iyashikei , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Found Family , Rural , Adoption , Shoujo , Urban Fantasy , Estranged Family , Bullying , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Outdoor Activities , Exorcism , Tsundere , School

serial experiments lain

Also known as Serial Experiments Lain.

Studio: TV Tokyo , NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan , Genco , Funimation , Triangle Staff , Pioneer LDC , TV Tokyo Music , Fujipacific Music
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

We're all connected... There is the world around us, a world of people, tactile sensation, and culture. There is the wired world, inside the computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences, and a culture all of its own. The day after a classmate commits suicide, Lain, a 14-year-old girl, discovers how closely the two worlds are linked when she receives an e-mail from the dead girl: I just abandoned my body. I still live here...

Has the line between the real world and the wired world begun to blur?



Tags: Denpa , Virtual World , Philosophy , Dissociative Identities , Augmented Reality , Female Protagonist , Memory Manipulation , Artificial Intelligence , Cyberpunk , Software Development , Conspiracy , Gods , Cosmic Horror , Cult , Suicide , Religion , Meta , Urban , Tragedy , Video Games , Primarily Female Cast , Orphan , Amnesia , Adoption , Afterlife , POV , Drugs , Trains , Yuri , School , Aliens , Death Game , Zombie , Age Gap , Bullying , Anachronism