As my last list was horror and thriller I thought we should stay in theme and go with my Top Ten Supernatural series. So this time we have Demons, Gods, Vampires, Werewolves and other such supernatural creatures. So no need for any deep explanations we can just jump straight to it, here’s my top ten supernatural Anime recommendations;
10) Blue Exorcist
Rin Okumura 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 son of Satan. Rin decides to begin training to become an exorcist so that he can fight alongside his brother Yukio.
The Blue Exorcist manga series was such as success that they brought out an anime adaption almost immediately, which unfortunately caught up to the source material too quickly, and therefore went on its own path which brought the series to a full conclusion. The Manga continued in a different direction and is still so popular that they brought out a second series to the anime that undoes the last few episodes of season 1 so kind of confusing but still a great series.
9) Angel Beats
Otonashi wakes up in the afterlife to find out he has no memories of his life before death. Desperate to survive in a war that could yield another unfortunate fate, he joins the SSS in the battle against Angel, whose very mission is to destroy all inhabitants of this afterlife. As Otonashi struggles to recover his memory and learn more about this world, he finds that not all is as it had seemed.
This series starts off with a seemingly dark premiss but as the story unfolds, it’s just such a heart warming series by the end of it, it will certainly pluck at a few heart strings and get the tear ducts flowing. There is a lot of anime tropes and cliches in the series which honestly makes it easy to feel for the characters.
8) High School DxD
A war between heaven and hell is raging on Earth and hormonal fury is raging in Issei’s pants. Enter curvy redhead Rias. She’s president of The Occult Research Club, a club that doesn’t actually research the occult. They are the occult and Rias is a Devil.
Okay so this is not a family friendly series, you may want to watch this with volume low, look there is a lot of fan service in what is your typical Hareem anime. However once you actually look beyond the surface, there is a fantastic story that will keep you glued to the seat whilst watching it. There is incredible world built from this series, rich with back stories and the over arching love story between the main protagonist and lead female, that helps it to transcend for being just a typical Hareem anime.
7) Yu Yu Hakusho
From cutting classes to brawling in the streets, Yusuke Urameshi is not your typical role model. In fact, this kid’s nothing more than a fourteen-year-old delinquent with a talent for trouble. But in a single selfless act Yusuke dies while saving another. For such noble sacrifice he is given a second chance at life, but it’s to be a life far different than the one left behind. Now a Spirit Detective, the young man must track down demons and humans alike who desire to rule over the three realms of reality.
Yu Yu Hakusho is classic one of the most popular anime of nineties, its easy to see why there is plenty of action, some scenes matching the best of shonen anime. There has to be one classic anime from the genre on each list and this is the one, this is the quintessential anime to check out if your new to anime.
6) Seraph Of The End
In 2012, the world allegedly comes to an end at the hands of a human-made virus, ravaging the global populace and leaving only children untouched. It is at this time that vampires emerge from the recesses of the earth.
This was super natural shonen series so there is plenty of action, awesome weapons and heroes to root for. The story is unique, the way the series starts off, to how it unfolds is compelling. This a great story about friendship and the lengths people would go for the ones that they love.
5) Twin Star Exorcist
Magano, a parallel realm filled with monsters known as "Kegare," is a place where exorcists deal with all impurities. Benio Adashino is a prodigy exorcist who is recognized for her strength and is summoned to Tokyo by the Exorcist Union. On her way, she plummets into the arms of Rokuro Enmadou, a young exorcist with a troubled past.
This series is basically a mix between Blue Exorcist and Bleach, the Bleach element is why it ranks higher than Blue Exorcist on this list. There are quite a lot of reasons why I believe it is a great show, there is everything you want in a series and a great blend of action, Drama and Comedy. It’s an all fun, wholesome and sweet anime thanks to its two main protagonist. It’s not quite so mellow dramatic like bleach and it’s overall tone is much lighter than either Blue Exorcist or Bleach so if you’re a fan of either show it’s worth checking out, and it is a family friendly series.
4) Nura: Rise of the Yokai clan
Rikuo Nura, a part-yokai and part-human boy, grew up as the young master of the Nura Clan. Comprising of yokai of all shapes and sizes, Rikuo treated the clan like family, however he learned that he was the only one among his classmates who saw them in this light. To most, they were terrifying creatures of folklore who ate children and relished in bloodshed. Taking this to heart, he swore to live his life as a normal human.
I really loved the use ancient Japanese myths and legends regarding the Demons used in this fantastic series, there are only 2, 12 episode seasons, but there is a Manga to continue the story if you’re interested, which I am sure you will be after watching the Anime.
3) Bloodlad
Staz Charlie Blood is a powerful vampire who rules the Eastern district of Demon World. According to rumors, he is a bloodthirsty and merciless monster, but in reality, Staz is just an otaku obsessed with Japanese culture and completely uninterested in human blood. Leaving the management of his territory to his underlings, Staz spends his days lazing around, indulging in anime, manga, and games.
I loved Bloodlad as the main protagonist was very easy to relate too, I hate the fact that it is cut short at only 10 episodes. It had everything, action, comedy, drama and an excellent plot. Due to the protagonist’s love of Anime and Manga means there are plenty hidden and not so hidden tributes to so many different Animes, it really is worth checking out if you have not seen it.
2) Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
During the Industrial Revolution, mankind is threatened by the sudden emergence of undead monsters, the Kabane, who can only be killed by piercing their heart through an iron plate. Humanities only hope are the Kabaneri. Kabaneri are a hybrid race of human/Kabane people. Kabaneri are neither fully human nor Kabane, but rather individuals with Kabane bodies
I know I say it a lot, but the art work and animation of this series is so good it’s ridiculous, the action scenes and fights in particular are incredible and the backgrounds are just amazing. I debated with my self in regards to whether it should have been in my horror list as the series tone is quite dark, but if felt the hero factor and growth of the protagonist made this more supernatural than horror.
1) Noragami
Yato may just be a minor god now, but he’s determined to make it big and he’s got a plan. Unfortunately, things just don’t seem to be going his way.
How do I explain how much I love this series, without just giving you the simple cliché rhetoric of great story, amazing characters, incredible art, action, comedy drama and incredibly well thought out world, none of it seems to this series justice. Easily one of my all time favourite shows and all time favourite protagonists my words can do it no justice, I highly recommend you go out and check out the series for yourself.
I love supernatural series, I was always interested in backstories with regards to myths and legends, surrounding vampires, demons, as well as gods and in particular Japanese folk tales. There are so many series dedicated to supernatural storylines that actually picking a top ten was difficult, I am sure many series will likely pop up on other lists, such as Bleach and Demon Slayer are on my shonen action list, and couple of shows will pop up on my next list top ten Magic and Fantasy. As always I encourage you to go out and find series that meet your preferences, I am sure they are out there, especially the super natural genre. There are so many places to legally stream Anime with companies such as Cruchyroll, Funimation, HiDive and even Netflix and Prime, you can also check out www.ebay.co.uk/str/kurucollections for some great deals on both Anime and Manga.
The Great British Otaku
Andrew More
Kuru Collections
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