Best Supernatural Anime of 2011

In The Future Diary, Yukiteru Amano is a quiet middle school student who records every aspect of his daily life in a digital diary on his phone. Feeling like an outsider at school, he frequently converses with his imaginary friends: Deus Ex Machina, the god of time and space, and Mur Mur, Deus' assistant. One day, Yukiteru notices his phone beginning to predict future events. Initially dismissing it as a coincidence, he soon realizes the predictions are accurate. As he starts utilizing this power, he discovers that his classmate Yuno Gasai possesses a similar device. Together, they manage to evade a mysterious pursuer and return home. There, Deus Ex Machina reveals that they, along with ten others, are now participants in a deadly game where the winner will become Deus Ex Machina's successor. With no other option, Yukiteru and Yuno must rely on their Future Diaries to survive and win the brutal competition.

In a reality where the human world of Assiah and the demon realm of Gehenna remain distinct, crossing between them is only possible through possession. Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, seeks to conquer Assiah but lacks a suitable host. To realize this ambition, he sends his own son to grow until he becomes a vessel strong enough to contain him. "Blue Exorcist" centers on Rin Okumura, a teenager who appears ordinary and occasionally rowdy. His life shifts dramatically when demons attack him, revealing his true identity as Satan's son, destined to return to Gehenna and aid his father in the conquest of Assiah. Refusing to ally with his father, Rin resolves to become an exorcist to defend Assiah, fighting alongside his brother Yukio.

Under the oppressive summer sun, Jinta Yadomi, a shut-in who has dropped out of school to immerse himself in video games, encounters the ghost of his deceased childhood friend, Meiko "Menma" Honma. At first, Jinta attributes her appearance to heat-induced hallucinations, but he eventually accepts that he is genuinely interacting with her spirit. Menma's reappearance awakens dormant memories and unresolved tensions within their former circle of friends, who have drifted apart since her passing. They reunite to help Menma find peace, facing the lingering grief and guilt that has burdened each of them. Through this journey, they not only grant Menma's wish but also start to mend their own emotional wounds.

Ganta Igarashi begins an ordinary day preparing for a school excursion to Deadman Wonderland, an amusement park where incarcerated performers stage perilous shows for spectators. However, his routine is shattered when a figure cloaked in red brutally massacres his entire class. Wrongfully accused and sentenced to death, Ganta is incarcerated within the very facility he was meant to tour. Thrust into a harsh environment populated by vicious inmates and bizarre supernatural abilities, Ganta is forced to wear a lethal collar that only deactivates when he succeeds in the prison's deadly competitions. To endure this treacherous setting where trust is scarce, he must constantly gamble with his life while hunting down the enigmatic "Red Man" to clear his name.

While spending summer vacation at her grandfather's house, six-year-old Hotaru Takegawa gets lost in a forest said to be haunted by spirits. In her moment of despair, a mysterious masked boy named Gin appears and offers to lead her out. Though grateful for his company, Hotaru's attempts to get closer are quickly rebuffed by Gin, who reveals a harsh truth: a terrible curse means he will vanish forever if a human touches him. Despite Gin's warnings to stay away, Hotaru disregards his wishes. Over time, a strong friendship blossoms between them, even as the fragility of Gin's condition looms large. As the years pass and their bond deepens, Hotaru and Gin must confront the challenges that fate has set before them.

While in his second year of high school, Ayumu Aikawa meets his demise while investigating a peculiar house. He awakens beside Eucliwood Hellscythe, an armored girl who reveals herself as a necromancer responsible for reviving him as a zombie. Armed with this new undead existence, Ayumu sets out to discover who was responsible for his death. During a search through a cemetery, he encounters Haruna, a boisterous and energetic girl dressed as a magical girl, battling a bear wielding a chainsaw. After she defeats the creature, Haruna attempts to wipe Ayumu's memory, but instead, he inadvertently drains her magical powers. Stripped of her abilities, Haruna forces Ayumu to assume her role of hunting Megalo, dangerous beings that threaten humans. The narrative unfolds through the chaotic and bizarre daily life of Ayumu, now a zombie, as he adapts to a world where the supernatural is a normal occurrence.

At Ishiyama High, a school dominated by delinquents where violence reigns supreme, there is one unbreakable rule: never provoke Tatsumi Oga, the most formidable first-year student. One day, Oga discovers a man floating in a river and pulls him out. To his shock, the man splits open to reveal Baby Beel, also known as Kaiser de Emperana Beelzebub IV, the son of the Demon Lord. Unaware of the truth, Oga becomes the caretaker for the young demon. Accompanying Baby Beel is his demonic maid, Hildegard. As they attempt to raise the infant, they face numerous difficulties, including the school's hostile atmosphere and the presence of supernatural powers. The task proves much harder than they expected.

By day, Saya Kisaragi lives a quiet life as an ordinary high school student. By night, she becomes a relentless hunter of monstrous creatures, wielding a sacred sword passed down by her father for ceremonial purposes. Saya eliminates any threat that disturbs the peace of her tranquil town. Her understanding of reality shatters when she overhears the beasts speaking of a broken agreement—a hidden truth deliberately kept from her. A strange dog then appears, challenging Saya's dedication to protecting the village and questioning what would happen if she were to break her oath. As Saya struggles with haunting visions and her world begins to fall apart, she sets out on a search for answers in a town where nothing is as it seems.

In "The World God Only Knows II," Keima Katsuragi, known as the "God of Conquest," persists in his mission to drive out runaway spirits that have taken root in the hearts of various women. Bound by his agreement with the demon Elsie, Keima relies on his deep expertise in dating simulators to fight these phantoms by building bonds with real girls, whom he strongly dislikes. Yet, Keima's journey is full of obstacles. He must contend with spirits that inhabit a karate expert and a substitute teacher, and also confront Elsie's best friend from Hell when she arrives. Each encounter tests his cleverness to its limits and might even catch him off guard. Despite his preference for the realm of 2D characters, Keima is forced to navigate the intricacies of the real world, continuing his unusual romantic pursuits.

Does the universe conspire to fulfill a decision once made? Is destiny a roll of the dice, a conscious choice, or the intricate result of countless conflicting threads of fate? All twins Kanba and Shoma understand is that when their terminally ill sister Himari collapses at the aquarium, her death is temporarily reversed by the penguin hat she requested. This resurrection is provisional and exacts a price: to keep Himari alive, they must locate the mysterious Penguin Drum. To achieve this, they must first uncover the links in a complex, interlocking chain of riddles that has ensnared their entire existence. They must unravel the knots connecting them to a mystifying diary and a baffling string of strangers and semi-acquaintances, each harboring their own secrets, agendas, and "survival strategies." Furthermore, for Himari to live, someone else's chosen destiny must be altered. It is a tale of love, fate, life, death... and Penguins!

Set in the rural town of Inaba, Persona 4 unfolds against a backdrop of mysterious murders that occur whenever fog rolls in after heavy rains. Rumors circulate about Mayonaka TV, a channel that airs only at midnight, where staring at the screen supposedly reveals one's "other half." Following a recent unsolved murder during a foggy night, Narukami, Chie, and Yosuke discuss their own attempts to watch the channel, noting that each of them witnessed the victim. The protagonist soon discovers that at midnight, when the channel is on, his body can phase through his television set, using it as a gateway to enter another world infested with shadows. Determined to investigate, they explore this new realm. Upon fully entering the world, a dazed and confused Narukami meets Teddie. A clear connection emerges between Mayonaka TV and the town's murders, suggesting the victims are merely casualties of the channel. United, the group resolves to solve the mystery by delving deeper into the hidden world of Mayonaka TV.

In Natsume's Book of Friends Season 3, Takashi Natsume, a young boy who can see youkai, keeps working to free spirits trapped in the "Book of Friends," with help from his guardian Madara, also known as Nyanko-sensei. As Natsume grows more at ease with his ability, he stops seeing it as a curse. He values his time with both human and youkai friends, realizing that joy does not mean having to pick between the human world and the spirit realm.

Carnival Moment is a special event that occurs once every ten years in a separate dimension, bringing together characters from Type-Moon's well-known creations who have never crossed paths before. Those who take part are granted the chance to have any wish realized, but achieving this requires them to undertake an extended journey and compete in various contests. In "Carnival Phantasm," a wide range of characters are placed in scenarios that parody their original settings. However, their common goal is to triumph in the competitions using whatever methods they can.

Inspired by Minase Hazuki's light novel series, "C³ - CubexCursedxCurious" weaves together romance, adventure, and humor. Yachi Haruaki, a high school student with an innate immunity to curses, receives a strange black cube from his father. Upon opening it, he finds a nude girl named Fear in his kitchen. Fear is the personified form of the cursed cube, designed as a torture instrument. With her special abilities, she teams up with Haruaki to confront other cursed objects and their possessors.

Prior to Rikuo Nura's birth, the legendary yokai Nurarihyon—commander of the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons"—shared a romance with a human woman. Their happiness was cut short by the interference of the formidable fox demon, Hagoromo Gitsune. In the present day, Rikuo has taken on his role as the heir of the Nura Clan. Though he embraces his yokai nature, he must keep the existence of yokai hidden from humans, especially from the Keikain onmyoji clan and his enthusiastic yokai admirer, Kiyotsugu. Despite these obstacles, Rikuo is resolved to protect those close to him. With Hagoromo Gitsune resurfacing, Rikuo now faces his greatest danger. Holding a deep-seated grudge against the Nura family, this threatening entity is determined to achieve her aims. As the world edges toward chaos, a colossal conflict looms, thrusting Rikuo into its very core.

In a futuristic Tokyo beset by societal decay, the detective Shinjuurou Yuuki—dubbed the "Defeated Detective"—pursues cases across the city. With his mysterious partner Inga at his side, Shinjuurou employs his keen mind to crack crimes, particularly murders, leading to many arrests and resolved incidents. Yet Inga's motives regarding those who are caught seem dark, and the truth of the assistant's identity and objectives stays hidden.

Six months ago, Lord Hugh Anthony Disward—commonly called Huey—was left orphaned after the death of his eccentric grandfather, Sir Wesley Disward, a celebrated collector of rare books. According to Wesley's will, Huey must take over the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian, a library filled with forbidden knowledge, and look after a secretive young woman named Dalian to inherit the estate and all its contents. After settling into the mansion, Huey receives a summons from an old enemy of his grandfather. Sensing danger, Dalian—who knows that this foe caused Wesley's death—accompanies Huey. They discover that the adversary possesses a Phantom Book, a cursed volume Wesley had tried to seal away. When the book threatens their safety, Huey learns that Dalian and the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian are one and the same; she grants him access to the knowledge stored within her. From that point onward, Dalian and Huey work together to lock away the dangerous Phantom Book, beginning a unique partnership as they unravel mysteries involving other such cursed texts.

Feeling slighted by Rin, Kuro goes on the hunt for a new master, but can he find anyone who can truly replace Rin?

High school student Yumeji Fujiwara possesses the unusual ability to perceive the dreams of others by sensing their "aura," though the images he sees remain indistinct. He frequently uses this talent to entertain his classmates, yet he suffers from the same recurring nightmare every night. Yumeji's life is thrown into chaos when his nightmare begins to manifest while he is awake. This strange event is triggered by a dream demon, an entity from the dream world that seeks to use Yumeji's body to fully enter the real world. Fortunately, Merry Nightmare, a dream demon who can appear without a host and aims to return to her own dimension, comes to his rescue. As more dream demons attempt to break through into reality, Yumeji and Merry must fight to prevent everyone's nightmares from becoming a terrifying truth.

A brief flashback recaps the events of the previous Heaven's Lost Property series, leading to the point where an angel named Hiyori Kazane is dreaming while her real body remains in heaven. She has developed a crush on the main protagonist, Tomoki Sakurai, and fights until the end, at which point the world's memory of Hiyori is erased after she dies in her dream and returns to her real body. So desperate is she to go back to her dream that heaven's master modifies her into an Angeloid of Clockwork, but she regains consciousness with Tomoki's help. Even so, that is not enough to save her life.

Two OVAs released with the 8th and 10th volumes of the original novel take place chronologically between the first and second seasons. Season 1, Episode 13: Haruna is assigned to host a Spring Festival at the local shrine—in her own magical-Equipment-girl style, naturally. Seraphim does not want to be a freeloader at Haruna's and Ayumu's home, so she begins cooking. Meanwhile, a concentration-game contest in the school's main assembly hall pushes Ayumu and Orito to their limits. Season 2, Episode 0 part 1: Haruna wants to spend more time playing with Hellscythe at a swimming pool. Season 2, Episode 0 part 2: Hellscythe's birthday is coming up. Haruna throws a birthday party for Hellscythe in her own magical-Equipment-girl way. What kind of party will Haruna hold? What kind of birthday presents will Ayumu and the group give to Hellscythe?

Taito experiences persistent drowsiness and recurring dreams of a vampire woman claiming to have poisoned him. Sometimes he believes he can hear her voice while awake. His life changes dramatically after he unexpectedly survives a fatal accident, making him suspect that his dreams are more real than he first assumed.

Eli, Chihiro, and Miyako set out to create a band, but soon find they require Katsuragi's assistance. As their efforts move forward, they encounter Kanon, and together they build a bond that combines camaraderie with a hint of competition.

After her father's sudden death, eleven-year-old Momo Miyaura moves with her mother to a remote island in the Seto Inland Sea, leaving behind their former home in Tokyo. The only thing left from her father is an unfinished letter that begins with "Dear Momo," which leaves her with a lingering feeling of unease. In this strange coastal town, Momo struggles to adjust to the old wooden houses, the calm countryside, and the mysterious shrines that dot the area. While exploring the attic of her new home, she finds an ancient picture book filled with illustrations of various youkai. Soon after, odd occurrences start happening around the village, and Momo meets three playful youkai spirits. A Letter to Momo follows a young girl as she copes with her unfamiliar environment and tries to decode the puzzling message left behind by her father.

Akutabe is a detective who calls upon devils to resolve the problems brought to him by his clients. One day, a low-ranking devil named Azazel Atsushi is summoned by Akutabe and is treated roughly by both him and his assistant, Rinko.

In the quiet and isolated village of Sotoba, a lethal epidemic ignates terror, ensnaring three women in its growing turmoil. Nao Yasumori struggles with unsettling apparitions of departed spirits; Kanami Yano conceals a vital secret to safeguard a loved one; and Motoko Maeda endures profound grief as the mysterious illness ravages her family. As tensions escalate and family ties weaken, even a small mistake could shatter the delicate bonds holding them together.

Kyouhei moves to Tokyo hoping to start fresh, but his past catches up when he stumbles upon a brutal murder. His background is far from normal; in his hometown, he was a "seki," able to mentally control "kakashi," ancient wooden deities with immense power. With a rogue kakashi terrorizing Tokyo, Kyouhei may have to face both the kakashi and its seki in "Kamisama Dolls."

Included as part of the special edition release of the Take Moon volume, this DVD-only episode centers on Caren Ortensia's efforts to take over the globe through financial tactics, achieving mixed results. At the same time, the Phantas-Moon crew experiences their TV program being turned into a live-action adaptation, while Shiki gets caught up in a prolonged romantic storyline.

A special short included with the 5th DVD/BD release.

The prequel story runs concurrently with the first episode of the television series. As events unfold, unresolved mysteries from the initial eleven episodes come to light, revealing the full account of the duo's story.

In a reality where dark entities hide from plain sight, Sam and Dean Winchester have firsthand knowledge of what lies behind folklore and urban legends. They travel across the country in their signature 1967 Chevrolet Impala, committed to eliminating supernatural threats that plague humanity. Confronting creatures like shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and demons, the brothers hunt down and destroy each malevolent being they come across. Their crusade is also fueled by a personal vendetta against the entity that caused their devastating tragedy.

The story centers on Blade, a "Daywalker" vampire hunter whose lineage comes from both human and vampire parents, a consequence of a vampire assault on his mother. While undertaking a mission in Japan, Blade pursues Deacon Frost, the vampire responsible for his mother's death. He subsequently comes across "Existence," a enigmatic group of vampires altered by Frost.

In "Nyanpire The Animation," a fashionable vampire encounters a dying kitten and chooses to rescue it by turning it into a vampire with his blood, giving it eternal life. Now called Nyanpire, the kitten must hunt for blood and other red liquids to sustain itself. While dealing with the challenges of being a house pet, Nyanpire also interacts with the other unusual cats in the neighborhood.

Koyama Yuzu operates an antique shop. Mayu, a cat god (nekogami), sponges off Yuzu and spends her days idly playing games. Numerous other deities drop by to visit Mayu and partake in merrymaking.

A total of 6 short specials included in the first 6 DVDs of Beelzebub.

An amusement park that Keiichi and Belldandy once visited together is shutting down. They decide to go back on its final day for a long overdue outing. Meanwhile, an overflow of happiness in the world is endangering the Goddesses' relevance. The source of this excess happiness turns out to be Belldandy. Urd and Skuld must figure out what is causing Belldandy's happiness to surge before it spirals out of control and renders Goddesses unnecessary in this world. The storyline for Episode 2 has not been revealed.

Sawada Honoka is a shy 14-year-old girl who frequently becomes a target for bullies. She does not believe in deities, angels, or devils. Her life changes dramatically when a baby devil suddenly appears in her room one night. This event forces Honoka to rethink her beliefs and examine what she truly believes in.

Adapted from the shounen manga by Akamatsu Ken serialised in Shounen Magazine, this tale revolves around Negi Springfield, a ten-year-old wizard from Wales who longs to follow in the footsteps of his absent father as a Magister Magi—a unique kind of mage who assists everyday people, often disguising his work as humanitarian aid through NGOs. Initially placed as an English teacher at Mahora Academy in Japan, Negi is assigned to a middle school class made up of 31 girls, all of whom are older than him. However, the calm school days are soon shattered when individuals linked to his father's past show up, and Negi is compelled to forge magical contracts with several of his students to deal with the emerging threats. In time, he departs with his companions for the Magic World in pursuit of his long-lost father. This movie marks the finale of the journey portrayed in the Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba and Mou Hitotso no Sekai OVAs.

The official website announced that an OVA of Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi would be bundled with the ninth volume of the novel. This OVA is an animated crossover combining Itsu-Ten with the fantasy story The Legend of the Legendary Heroes (Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu or DenYuuDen).

The Demon Patrol is a strange ensemble consisting of a hot-tempered demon prince, an alluring ice princess who wears almost nothing, a perverted frog-demon spy, a living wizard hat, and a solitary little girl. This odd team is tasked with guarding Earth against demons bent on annihilating it. They battle bizarre enemies like a furious squid, a sleepwalking cat, a pot overflowing with snakes, a tree that comes alive at night, a foe who cannot stand having their groin touched, and even a literal embodiment of an asshole. Step into a whimsical realm filled with slapstick comedy, risqué jokes, and a wealth of eccentric cultural references.

While fleeing from a strange creature, middle schooler Jun Tendou takes refuge in a temple. The head priest, Genun, startles him by revealing details about the oni demon he just escaped. Before Jun can process this, Genun unexpectedly transports them both to the Heian period, where the city of Heian-kyo—later known as Kyoto—is under constant assault by the same oni. The nobles of Heian-kyo view Jun as a potential savior due to his unique lineage, which enables him to command the dragon Orochi and harness its immense power to defeat the oni. Yet Jun hesitates to embrace violence and begins to realize that the oni are far more complicated than they first seem.

Those who purchased all six DVD volumes of Hakuouki were given two brief OVA episodes. These animated adaptations covered the fandisc game Hakuoki Zuisouroku and the official parody Hakuoki SSL, which is set in a high school environment.

In the ancient Shakya kingdom, King Suddhodhana learns that Queen Maya experienced a strange dream: a six-tusked white elephant entered her body, signaling that their unborn son, Siddhartha Gautama, will accomplish great feats. The sage Asita examines the newborn and predicts the child will either become a world-ruling chakravartin or a profound spiritual guide. Meanwhile, Chapra endures the harshness of the caste system. When Kosala's forces attack the Shakya capital of Kapilavastu, Chapra helps drive them back. To escape a life of servitude and better his mother’s situation, he joins the Kosala army, aiming to climb its ranks. As Siddhartha grows, he is prepared to inherit the throne from his father. However, he shows no interest in military matters or governing a kingdom. His true desire is to discover deeper truths about life and existence. With the Kosala threat escalating, Siddhartha abandons his royal life to pursue the enlightenment he seeks.

Chocolat Aikawa and her enigmatic partner Cacao Theobroma operate a celebrated chocolate shop called Chocolat Noir. Their specialty chocolates are said to fulfill wishes, drawing in many customers who struggle with personal troubles. Yet each wish carries a severe price: the customer must surrender their most treasured possession. Though Chocolat appears carefree and able to fix others' problems, her tranquil facade hides a profound inner turmoil. She remains haunted by an unresolved conflict from her past.

The story revolves around Kibayashi, a teacher who enjoys interacting with spirits and has the unique ability to perform exorcisms. Despite her deep knowledge of the spirit world, she remains completely unaware of how the human world operates.

The picture dramas that come with the Blu-ray releases consist of the following episodes: Let's Just Do It Radio!, Everyone's Breakfast, Himea's Guitar Class, Everyone's Bath Time, Traditional Atmosphere, and Izumi-chan's Hypothetical Scenarios.

In the anime "Drawer Hobs," Noel Hiiragi, a single woman who works at a call center, leads a busy life in her cramped apartment. Her situation becomes even more disordered when her mother unexpectedly sends her a six-drawer wardrobe. Planning to send it back, Noel tries to squeeze the huge piece of furniture into her small space and calls her mother to complain. Her mother only responds mysteriously that it is "her turn." One evening, after returning home from drinking, Noel finds a chubby child eating her snacks in her apartment. While reeling from the shock and confusion, she discovers that the wardrobe holds six strange children who claim to be servants to the current leader of the Hiiragi household. As she struggles to accept this odd reality, Noel attempts to adapt to her changed life, wondering whether the children's arrival is a help or a hindrance.

Young Mari despises eating vegetables and drinking milk so much that she has nightmares about being forced to consume them. One day at school, the little girl manages to choke down her milk and vegetables, then faints from the shock. When she wakes up in the nurse's office, she finds herself face to face with Ninninman, Piman, and Milk—three food sprites that only appear when Mari drinks her milk and eats her carrots and peppers. Although Mari is less than thrilled to be haunted by her most hated foods, can these three spirits help her discover the importance of friendship, and perhaps even teach her to finish her meals? The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs invested 214 million yen ($2.26 million) in the "Young Animator Training Project" and entrusted its execution to the Japan Animation Creators Association (JaniCA). JaniCA will produce four original anime (23 minutes long, with OP and ED sequences) in cooperation with four production studios. Bannou Yasai Ninninman is one of these four projects.

Anemone is a work created to seek answers regarding hope and the ability to live toward the future. For the past decade, Japan has seen an annual suicide rate exceeding 30,000 people, a figure roughly ten times the number of soldiers who died in the Iraq war. While I lack the power to resolve this issue plaguing Japan, I hope that through the power of animation, I can awaken even a few dreams and a small amount of desire in the viewers, granting them the courage to face the future.

A young girl was brutally stabbed multiple times and left to die. Her killer escaped without facing any consequences. But through unexplained supernatural forces, she revived as a zombie. Unstoppable, hungry, and driven, Dead Girl now hunts down those who did her harm.

Short special episodes that are part of the Nekogami Yaoyorozu DVD and Blu-ray releases for volumes 1 through 6, plus the OVA DVD and Blu-ray volume 1.

Unaired episode included in the DVD Volume 2.