Best Supernatural Anime of 2006

Brutal murders, petty thefts, and senseless violence plague the human world. Meanwhile, the realm of death gods is a dull, unchanging gambling den. The brilliant 17-year-old Japanese student Light Yagami and the sadistic god of death Ryuk share a belief: both their worlds are rotten. For his own entertainment, Ryuk drops his Death Note into the human world. Light stumbles upon it, dismissing the first rule as absurd: the human whose name is written in this note shall die. Yet the temptation proves too strong, and Light tests it by writing a felon's name, disturbingly resulting in his first murder. Realizing the terrifying godlike power he now holds, Light—under the alias Kira—pursues his twisted sense of justice with the ultimate goal of ridding the world of all evil-doers. The meticulous mastermind detective L is already on his trail, but as Light's intellect rivals L's, the grand pursuit of Kira becomes an intense battle of wits that can only end when one of them is dead.

Creatures of darkness and evil roam the night, devouring any humans unfortunate enough to fall into their grasp. Standing against these supernatural threats to humanity is Hellsing, an organization dedicated to their destruction. The group is led by Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who commands a formidable military force and dedicates her life to combating the undead. Yet, Integra’s vast army is overshadowed by her ultimate weapon: the vampire Alucard, who serves as an exterminator for Hellsing against his own kind. Alongside his new vampire servant, Seras Victoria, Alucard must fight not only monsters but anyone who opposes Hellsing, regardless of whether they appear good or evil. In the struggle for humanity’s survival, Hellsing Ultimate demonstrates that appearances can be deceiving, and the greatest weapon may take the form of one’s worst nightmare.

Kimihiro Watanuki possesses the ability to see spirits and various supernatural beings, a troublesome gift he thoroughly despises. While walking home one day, harassed by spirits, he feels an inexplicable pull to enter a peculiar house. Inside, he meets Yuuko, a enigmatic woman who offers to free him from his ability to see and attract these bothersome creatures—but at a cost. She insists he work at her "shop," which fulfills people's wishes, and so Watanuki's journey through strange and wondrous occurrences begins.

Aizawa Yuuichi used to visit his cousin in the city frequently as a child, but a sudden event drove him away for seven years. When he finally returns, he has no recollection of that time. Settling into the snowy town, Yuuichi encounters a group of young women who are all linked to his forgotten past. As he builds friendships with them, the memories of his childhood start to gradually come back to him.

At school, Mai Taniyama and her friends enjoy sharing ghost stories, with many revolving around an abandoned school building on campus. Their storytelling is interrupted by a mysterious young man, later revealed to be Kazuya Shibuya, the 17-year-old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. He has been summoned by the principal to investigate the rumors about the abandoned building. The next day, on her way to school, Mai passes the building. While examining an unusual camera she spots inside, she is startled by Kazuya's assistant, inadvertently interfering with the investigation. Mai breaks the camera, and Kazuya's assistant gets injured. Kazuya forcefully hires Mai to cover the cost of the camera and replace his injured assistant. From then on, Mai begins to learn about the paranormal world and the ghost hunting profession.

Homunculi, created long ago by European alchemists, disguise themselves as humans and prey on the unsuspecting population. These creatures are nearly impossible to destroy without weapons called Kurogane. Each Kurogane takes a unique form based on its wielder's instincts, manifesting as special abilities known as Busou Renkin. One day while walking home from school, Kazuki Mutou spots a defenseless girl being attacked by a homunculus. When he tries to intervene, the girl ends up saving his life instead, shattering his ignorant worldview. She introduces herself as Tokiko Tsumura, and Kazuki soon learns that she has accidentally implanted a Kurogane inside him. Now unwittingly dragged into the fight against homunculi, Kazuki must abandon his former carefree life to protect those he holds dear.

Ai Enma and her associates continue their grim work, offering a means of vengeance to those who have been wronged—but the cost remains severe: in condemning the offender to eternal torment, the one who seeks retribution is also consigned to the abyss. As they send soul after soul into the darkness, a new malevolent presence observes them: a young girl named Kikuri. While carrying out her duties, Ai encounters a boy named Takuma Kurebayashi, known as the "Devil's Child" because of the dreadful incidents that seem to follow him. Unfortunately, this reputation leads the townspeople to blame Takuma for those who have been dispatched to hell. As events rapidly spiral out of control, Ai must find a way to halt this senseless violence—for it threatens her very existence.

Yoshimura Sumimura is the heir to a family tradition of "Kekkaishi"—people with supernatural powers who destroy evil creatures known as Ayakashi when they cross into the human world. These Ayakashi are demons drawn to the energy radiating from the land of Karasumori, the very site where Yoshimura's high school stands. Forced into battle, Yoshimura must defend his beloved school and hometown, though he would much rather spend his time baking cakes than fighting the grotesque beings that appear at night. Fortunately, Yoshimura is not alone in this fight. His childhood friend and neighbor, Tokine Yukimura, stands alongside him in this righteous struggle. Despite hailing from rival clans, the two form an exceptional team. Teamwork is essential as the Ayakashi launch relentless waves of attacks, seeking to claim the land for themselves, while a mysterious organization lurks in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

A trio of traditional Japanese horror tales is presented. "Yotsuya Kaidan" follows a wife betrayed by her husband, who pursues retribution even beyond the grave. "Tenshu Monogatari" tells of a forbidden romance between a goddess and a mortal. "Bakeneko" recounts the tale of a mysterious cat monster bearing a grudge against a specific family.

For centuries, beings known as Shokujinki have secretly coexisted with humans. Though they appear human, Shokujinki can transform into uncontrollable monsters with massive claws and must consume humans to survive. The equally secretive Kifuuken dojo specializes in killing Shokujinki by severing their arms, and it stands as the sole force preventing unchecked Shokujinki dominance. Toshihiko Momota, the son of the Kifuuken's leader, is instantly captivated by a mysterious woman named Yuka Kamitsuki. Their relationship becomes complicated because, unknown to both of them, Yuka is a Shokujinki and Toshihiko is sworn to kill her. Meanwhile, the Kifuuken faces a crisis of confidence as Toshihiko's brother Kazuma pushes against tradition and attempts to modernize the dojo. As emotions grow strained and secrets of both the past and present are revealed, who will survive, and who will be devoured?

Kawahira Keita comes from a long line of Inukami tamers, but because he lacked the necessary skill, his family abandoned him. One day, an Inukami named Youko appeared before him. She looked elegant, obedient, and above all, beautiful. He quickly formed a contract with her, and she pledged her loyalty to him. However, she turned out to be a troublesome Inukami that no one had ever been able to control. This is a slapstick comedy about an Inukami tamer, Keita, and an Inukami, Youko. Keita is a man driven by worldly desires, with a strong fondness for money and women. On the other hand, Youko enjoys destroying things and is extremely jealous.

A year after the goddess Belldandy emerged from Keiichi Morisato's mirror and promised to stay with him forever, a new threat to their happiness arises—one that could end their contract.

In 18th-century Paris, the corpse of Lia de Beaumont, a noblewoman and spy for King Louis XV, is discovered floating in the Seine. Her brother, the newly knighted D'Eon, suspects that recent disappearances across the city are linked to her death and joins the secret police to hunt down her killers. As they follow the trail, they uncover a conspiracy involving French and Russian nobility, incited by a cult, leading D'Eon to believe Lia was murdered after discovering the truth during a mission. The plot thickens when the police attempt to arrest the Duke of Orléans, only for one of their own to transform into a demon known as a Gargoyle and slaughter the group. D'Eon tries to save the lone survivor, who has also undergone the same transformation. In the ensuing fight, D'Eon is possessed by Lia’s vengeful spirit, which takes control of his body to defeat the Gargoyle. Following this event, D'Eon must assemble allies to unravel the full extent of this supernatural conspiracy.

Masahiro, the grandson of the legendary onmyouji Abe no Seimei, has lost his sixth sense, the ability to perceive supernatural entities, rendering his heritage useless for his intended path. Forced to consider an alternative career, his fate changes when a peculiar mononoke named Mokkun appears. After witnessing Masahiro defeat a demon, Mokkun reveals his latent abilities, setting him on the journey to become the greatest onmyouji.

In this sequel, Kazusano Kazuki, a girl, joins the six girls and Ikko. Because of Kazuki's presence, Ikko will end up in even more embarrassing situations with these priestesses-in-training.

Samatarou is no ordinary high school student; he is actually the son of a god. His mother is a goddess, and his sisters are prospective goddesses. The divine family resides in the human world so that Samatarou can learn about human customs and the habits of the creatures they protect, aiming to make him a better god. Tenko, an angel assigned to watch over him, shares his birthday and has been his close friend since birth. Although life appears normal, it changes with the arrival of transfer student Kumiko. Samatarou falls for her, and his choice to win her affection without using his divine powers leads to significant trouble.

A girl dressed in white, Momo, holds a blunt but gleaming scythe. By her side is a winged black cat named Daniel. She carries the souls of humans, making her existence comparable to a "Death God" or "Shinigami." The moment this pale Death God touches the hearts of people, the world overflows with both kindness and sorrow.

A series of mysterious suicides has been occurring in New York. One morning, four high school girls wake up feeling dizzy and exhausted, unable to recall anything from the night before. At school, they discover that a classmate has committed suicide. Classes are canceled for the rest of the day, but instead of going home, the girls are drawn to a park by butterflies that only they can see. Suddenly, a man and a woman approach them, revealing that all four girls died the previous night.

Shindou Ranmaru, a recent police academy graduate, is assigned to Tokko: Special Mobile Investigation Force. On graduation day, he encounters the half-naked girl from his recurring dreams—Rokujo Sakura, who belongs to a clandestine unit within Tokki called Tokko: Special Public Safety Task Force. Seeking vengeance for his parents' murder and to unravel the unexplained mass killing of Machida's residents, Shindou decides to join Tokko. Concurrently, bottomless pits start opening across Japan, with strange creatures crawling out. Are these occurrences connected to the Machida Massacre?

Karada Iokawa, about to start junior high school, is a cheerful and reliable girl who absolutely hates being treated like a child. After her parents die, her older brother Hiro returns from studying abroad to take care of her. His ex-girlfriend Shouko Nogami, a composed but occasionally childish and stubborn young woman, follows him to Japan to find out why he left her. The atmosphere between the two girls is strained, culminating in Shouko calling Karada childish. Later, Karada prays at a shrine to grow up, unaware that the shrine’s wishing stone will grant her wish. As Karada ages, Shouko, who happens to be nearby, becomes a child again. With their ages now swapped, Shouko and Karada must learn to get along with each other and ultimately with themselves.

In the year Tenpo 14, Yoi—monsters from another world—descend upon Edo. The ones who stand against them are the members of the Bansha Aratemesho. To the public, this organization is known for studying foreign books, but in truth, it is a group devoted to destroying the Yoi. These warriors are called Ayakashi. They collect information on strange incidents across the land and are dispatched to eliminate any Yoi that appear. The members are generally quite peculiar individuals—for instance, a man who has lost his memory, and a girl who dresses like a man. They possess special powers that allow them to defeat the Yoi.

Three youkai named Bem, Bera, and Barro arrive in a major coastal city, where they encounter an atmosphere of darkness fueled by human immorality and the mischief of other supernatural creatures. Deciding to remain, they take it upon themselves to battle the monsters and yōkai that prey on humans, gradually forming friendships along the way. Despite facing abuse from humans who judge them based on their appearance, the trio persists in protecting the city's residents. They hope that their heroic deeds will eventually allow them to become human.