Best Supernatural Anime of 2013

Hailing from Ente Isla, the Demon Lord Satan commands vast demon armies to strike fear into mortals while conquering the land. However, his brutal quest to seize the continent is thwarted by the hero Emilia, forcing him to flee through a dimensional portal into the human world. Stranded in modern-day Tokyo alongside his loyal general Alsiel, the demon vows to return and complete his subjugation of Ente Isla, provided they can find a way back. Deprived of magic in a world where it does not exist, Satan assumes the human identity of Sadao Maou and takes a job at MgRonald's, a local fast-food restaurant, to survive. He soon discovers that conquering Ente Isla is no longer sufficient; instead, he becomes determined to climb the corporate ladder and establish himself as the ruler of Earth, one satisfied customer at a time. Through the eyes of this hapless demon lord, Hataraku Maou-sama! offers a hilarious perspective on the mundane realities of everyday life, whether dealing with part-time work, household chores, or simply managing to pay rent on time.

Mirai Kuriyama is the last remaining member of a Spirit World warrior clan, possessing the unique ability to use her own blood as a weapon. Because of this, she is assigned to eliminate "youmu," creatures that are born from humanity's negative emotions. While lost in thought on the school rooftop one day, Mirai encounters Akihito Kanbara, a rare half-youmu who appears human. Startled, she stabs him with her blood blade, only to discover that he is immortal. From that moment, the two develop an unlikely friendship, with Mirai repeatedly trying to kill Akihito as a way to build her own shaky confidence as a Spirit World warrior. Eventually, Akihito persuades her to join the Literary Club, which includes two other formidable Spirit World warriors, Hiroomi and Mitsuki Nase. As the group grows closer, however, the youmu around them become more aggressive. Their lighthearted adventures soon escalate into a struggle for survival, as the release of the most powerful youmu, Beyond the Boundary, draws near.

Issei Hyoudou, the high school pervert and future Harem King, finds his adventures continuing in High School DxD New. While the Occult Research Club goes about its usual routine, it becomes clear that something is amiss with their Knight, Yuuto Kiba, who has lost his usual composure and alertness. Issei soon uncovers the dark and bloody history of Kiba, linking it to the enigmatic Holy Swords. Once the victim of a cruel experiment, Kiba now desires vengeance against those who harmed him. With the return of a familiar foe and the arrival of two new beauties wielding Holy Swords, Issei and his Devil allies are once again dragged into a sinister scheme.

Oddities, apparitions, and deities keep appearing around Koyomi Araragi and his tight circle of companions: Tsubasa Hanekawa, the group's modest intellectual; Shinobu Oshino, the vampire with a fondness for doughnuts; athletic troublemaker Suruga Kanbaru; the bite-prone spirit Mayoi Hachikuji; Koyomi's sweet admirer Nadeko Sengoku; and Hitagi Senjougahara, Koyomi's eclectic girlfriend. A fresh term has started, and with graduation approaching, Koyomi must urgently decide his future path, the relationships he will nurture, and which friends he will rescue. However, as strange incidents begin to occur, Koyomi is missing, and in his absence, a vicious tiger oddity appears. Hanekawa becomes its target and quickly realizes she must defend herself.

Youto Yokodera is a young man who, unlike most, wants to be seen as a pervert. However, his inappropriate actions are often misinterpreted as acts of kindness, so no one recognizes his true nature. After hearing about a stone cat statue that can remove unwanted traits, he visits it and wishes to get rid of his perverted tendencies. But every wish comes with a price: the discarded traits are passed on to someone else who desires them. Realizing that losing his dirty thoughts wasn't the solution, Youto decides to retrieve his lost traits by tracking down those who received them. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who made a wish to the statue, forcing him to fix not just his own life but also the lives of everyone affected by his wishes.

Yui Komori is compelled by her father to take up residence in a secluded mansion, where she becomes trapped alongside the six vampire Sakamaki brothers: Shuu, Reiji, Ayato, Kanato, Laito, and Subaru. At first confused about why she has been brought there, the siblings soon disclose their genuine intentions, proclaiming her their new sacrificial bride while harboring deeper, more twisted cravings. As Yui struggles to comprehend her father’s motives and feels an odd ache in her chest, her imprisonment grows increasingly horrifying. Encircled by brothers who become steadily more cruel, she is drawn into an endless cycle of nights where each one asserts possession over her, driving her toward a state of overwhelming insanity and rapture.

After liberating numerous women from the runaway spirits that had taken over their hearts, the "God of Conquest" Keima Katsuragi faces a new challenge: locate the Jupiter Sisters, the goddesses who once sealed away Old Hell. Diana, the goddess dwelling within his childhood friend Tenri Ayukawa, reveals that these goddesses have taken refuge in the hearts of the girls he previously helped. If Diana and her sisters are reunited, their combined power can permanently seal the runaway spirits, freeing Keima from his exorcism duties. Though initially hesitant to take on another task, everything shifts when a tragedy strikes one of the hosts. Learning that a mysterious group called Vintage is targeting the goddesses, Keima finds himself in a race against time to bring the sisters together and save the girl who has already fallen victim. With stronger determination than ever, Keima teams up with the demons Elsie and Haqua to win back the hearts of the girls he had once charmed. Yet the path ahead proves difficult, as he soon faces the repercussions of his earlier conquests.

For years, tanuki and tengu have made Kyoto their home, coexisting with humans who remain unaware of these beings. Yasaburou Shimogamo, the third son of a prominent tanuki family, spends his leisurely days looking after an elderly tengu, using his shapeshifting ability to observe humans, and navigating his interactions with the enigmatic Benten. Yet beneath this calm surface lies a painful memory from the past: Yasaburou's father, once the leader of the tanuki community, was killed and devoured by a human group called the Friday Fellows. Uchouten Kazoku follows the trials and hardships of the Shimogamo brothers as they work to avoid meeting a similarly grim fate while gradually uncovering the truth behind their father's death.

On a Sunday, the countdown to humanity's extinction begins as the Septentriones, invaders from another world, appear with the goal of wiping out all life. Hibiki Kuze and his companions find themselves caught in this conflict and make contracts with demons to become "Devil Summoners," joining the fight for survival. Their newfound abilities soon catch the eye of JP's, a secret organization led by Yamato Houtsuin. After being recruited, Hibiki and his friends fight alongside other ordinary civilians who have also become Devil Summoners, forming bonds through battle. But each new day brings another Septentrione to unleash destruction across Japan. Even when many lives are lost, the young summoners must defeat the invaders before nightfall, no matter the cost.

A comedic and absurd mystery unfolds. Harumi Kazuhito is a high school boy with a deep love for books and a devoted fan of novelist Natsuno Kirihime. One day, he spots Kirihime writing at a cafe just as a robber aims a gun at her. He shields her from the attack but is killed in the process. Thanks to the supernatural power of a bookworm, he is reborn as a dachshund dog. Kazuhito, now a dog, suffers through a painful life without books, when a sadistic woman wielding a pair of scissors approaches to help him. That woman is Kirihime herself.

The village of Ootsuka—where Shino Inuzuka, Sousuke Inukawa, and Hamaji lived—was set ablaze under the assumption that a virus had wiped out all life. Trapped by the flames and close to death, the three were confronted by a mysterious man carrying a sword. He tells them they must make a choice if they wish to survive. That night forever altered the course of their lives. Five years later, the trio now lives under the supervision of a small Imperial Church in a neighboring village. Things are peaceful until the Church tries to recover the demonic blade Murasame. To achieve this, they abduct Hamaji in order to lure Shino—who now bears the soul of Murasame—and Sousuke, who has the ability to turn into a dog. The brothers must overcome their differences to save their beloved sister from the Church in the Imperial Capital, marking the start of an arduous journey.

Fifteen-year-old Izumiko Suzuhara longs to live an ordinary life, but that proves difficult. Raised in a remote mountain shrine, she is extremely sheltered and painfully timid. Additionally, any electronic device she touches instantly breaks. Still, she is determined to change herself. To show her commitment, Izumiko starts by cutting her bangs, shocking both classmates and her guardians. That is only the beginning. Her guardian, Yukimasa Sagara, orders his son Miyuki to come to the mountain shrine and serve as Izumiko's lifelong protector. Unfortunately, Izumiko and Miyuki cannot tolerate each other. They have known one another since childhood, and Miyuki used to bully her relentlessly. He sees nothing special about Izumiko. His father calls her a goddess—but could that actually be true? Can Izumiko and Miyuki overcome their animosity? Is she truly a divine being? Discover the answers in RDG: Red Data Girl!

The Storyteller, a figure of unknown identity, wears a yellow mask and appears at dusk wherever children gather. He narrates disturbing tales drawn from Japanese urban legends, which his young audience absorbs with an eerie stillness. But he is no ordinary storyteller—he uses a kamishibai, a traditional paper-scrolling device, to illustrate his already twisted narration. Yami Shibai is a collection of short horror stories. It opens with a bachelor who, after moving into a new apartment, feels an intense, malevolent stare pressing against him. A single talisman hangs from his ceiling, though he does not realize it is one of the few barriers separating him from an endless abyss of suffering. Each story grows more terrifying, more appalling, and more sickening than the last, as the Storyteller's listeners find themselves drawn into the vicious world his words create.

In Japanese, those who withdraw from society and refuse to leave their homes for weeks or months are called hikikomori. Sasami Tsukuyomi, a high school freshman struggling to pass her first year, is exactly that—a shut-in. Luckily, she lives with her older brother Kamiomi, who happens to be a teacher at the school she's supposed to attend. She also has her "Brother Surveillance Tool," a computer program that lets her watch the outside world and, in theory, help her learn to interact with people again. In practice, it mainly lets her observe her brother's dealings with the three bizarre Yagami sisters, whose ages appear to have been reversed and who each have their own peculiar "interest" in Kamiomi. Then things become truly strange... Magical abilities? The whole world turning into chocolate? Is Sasami's mind being twisted by life through a screen, or has reality itself lost its grip?

In the original Rozen Maiden timeline, after marking "yes" on a slip of paper and consenting to wind an unspecified "something," a traumatized Jun Sakurada battles alongside the lifelike dolls called the Rozen Maidens. But what if Jun had chosen "no"? Having moved past the school trauma of his childhood, Jun now attends college and works at a bookstore. Yet he still feels like he doesn't truly fit in anywhere. One day, he discovers a book that contains instructions for creating a Rozen Maiden. That night, when he returns home, the second volume of the series has mysteriously been delivered to his house, along with doll parts. But just as abruptly as they began, the books stop arriving, and Jun receives a notice that the publication has been discontinued. With an unfinished doll in his possession and a message from his alternate self in another world, this Jun too finds himself drawn into the world of the Rozen Maidens.

The quest to locate the eight sacred gems persists, with Sousuke and Shino on the hunt for the remaining bearers. Meanwhile, the Imperial Church plots from the darkness, while an enigmatic woman pursues a malevolent scheme centered around the gem holders. As the history of the gems is revealed, the mystery surrounding Sousuke’s doppelganger, Ao, is also unraveled; he reemerges with his own agenda, which directly involves Sousuke and his gem.

Gintarou is a fox spirit who has guarded a modest Inari shrine since the Edo period. Members of the Saeki family have the ability to perceive the gods' messenger, though this gift passes to only one living relative at a time. After Makoto's mother died when he was young, he became the sole inheritor of this sight. Relying on the fox spirit's assistance, Makoto and Gintarou work together to aid their neighbors, bridging the gap between their vastly different natures.

The second season of Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san.

Continuation of the first season.