Best Supernatural Anime of 2014

When trouble strikes, a mysterious red phone number might appear. Dialing it connects you to Yato, a minor deity who calls himself the Yato God and aspires to amass millions of followers. Lacking even a single shrine, his ambitions remain unfulfilled, forcing him to scrape by with five-yen odd jobs. His situation worsens when his weapon partner abandons him for being incompetent. Yato’s fortunes shift when middle school student Hiyori Iki seemingly sacrifices herself to save him from a vehicle collision. While she survives, the incident destabilizes her spirit, allowing her soul to detach from her body. To restore her normal state, Hiyori insists Yato fix the problem, which requires a new weapon partner. Reluctantly, she agrees to assist him in finding one, offering hope that Yato’s luck is finally improving.

Seiya Kanie is a smart and highly self-centered high school student who believes that the reserved beauty Isuzu Sento has invited him on a date to an amusement park named Amagi Brilliant Park. To his disappointment, the park is a rundown facility, and the supposed date was actually a recruitment tour where Sento and Princess Latifa Fleuranza, the park's owner, ask him to become its new manager. Their reason for desperation: under a land-use contract, Amagi has less than three months to reach a target of 500,000 guests, or the park will be permanently closed and the land taken over by a greedy real-estate company for redevelopment. Seiya is persuaded when he discovers Amagi is no ordinary amusement park—many of its employees are Maple Landers, mysterious magical beings living in the human world who draw energy from the enjoyment people experience. Entrusted with the hopes and dreams of this distant enchanted realm, Seiya must now apply his many abilities to restore Amagi to its former glory, or watch it fall apart.

The Noah's Arc Circus troupe dazzles audiences with thrilling performances full of wonder and excitement. However, these spectacular acts come at a hidden cost. Children have been vanishing around London, and the disappearances align with the circus's movements. Disturbed by these kidnappings, Queen Victoria dispatches her notorious guard dog, Ciel Phantomhive, along with his ever-loyal demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, on a covert mission to locate the missing children. Balancing their new roles as circus performers with their secret investigation under the big top proves to be a difficult task. As the other performers grow suspicious and the shadowy benefactor of the circus looms as a threat, what the pair uncovers will shake Ciel to his very core.

On her sixteenth birthday, typical high school student Kobeni Yonomori is startled to learn that she has a prearranged fiancé and a sister-in-law she had no idea existed. Because of an agreement made by her late grandfather, Hakuya Mitsumine and his younger sister Mashiro have moved from their countryside home into the Yonomori household to strengthen ties with their newfound family. The series follows Kobeni’s uneasy romantic relationship with Hakuya as she tries to cope with these abrupt shifts in her life. But when concealed truths about the siblings come to light, Kobeni’s existence is forever transformed.

Ayaka Kagari, the so-called Princess of Tougetsu High School, had always been out of reach for Honoka Takamiya, even though they shared the same commute and sat in the same classroom. Honoka just wanted a quiet, normal high school life, and the crowd of devoted admirers around Ayaka was nothing but a bother. That everyday routine comes to an abrupt end when Honoka is suddenly attacked by a mysterious witch. To his shock, Ayaka saves him, revealing herself as a fire witch who has been secretly protecting him. This event turns Honoka's peaceful existence upside down, pulling him into a struggle between the Workshop Witches, who want to safeguard humanity, and the Tower Witches, who are after the hidden power inside Honoka.

Seen as bizarre and feared by humans, the misshapen beings eventually became known as Mushi. While they hold no malice toward people, many suffer from the unintended consequences of their existence and peculiar behavior; exploiting the Mushi without comprehending them, even accidentally, can bring disaster and conflict to everyone involved. Mushishi Zoku Shou picks up the tale of the Mushishi Ginko as he travels, striving to help the visible world find a way to live alongside the Mushi. Along his journeys, Ginko encounters a range of gifted people—those burdened by fate and those clinging to a delicate coexistence with the Mushi—inevitably facing the issue of whether humanity, both talented and tormented, can shoulder the burden of the unseen. Furthermore, as a Mushishi, Ginko must deepen his understanding of these strange creatures and determine whether he has the authority to intervene in the intricate bonds between Mushi and humans.

Ethereal, primeval entities called Mushi keep triggering strange transformations in human existence. The wandering Mushishi, Ginko, continues his efforts to resolve the bizarre and unsettling events he comes across. Time loops, living shadows, and mind-reading are among the obvious results of Mushi interference, but subtler symptoms that only emerge after many years also draw Ginko's attention as he journeys from one settlement to another. By happenstance, Ginko has become a judge, deciding which Mushi are gifts and which are afflictions. Yet the boundaries he attempts to define are subjective. Some of those he treats prefer to wield their newfound abilities until they are completely consumed by them; others desperately seek to remove conditions that are actually shielding them from catastrophe. People who encounter Mushi must learn to accept seemingly impossible outcomes for their choices and heal wounds they never realized existed. If they fail, they risk encountering fates beyond their understanding.

Nanae Island is an artificial island in the Pacific Ocean designed to provide children with everything they need for proper education and training. It was constructed by the Great Seven, a band of adventurers led by Nanana Ryuugajou, as a place where young people could pursue their dreams. After being cast out and disowned by his family, high school student Juugo Yama arrives on the island, relieved to finally be free from his father's control. When he moves into his new room, he encounters the ghost of Nanana Ryuugajou, who has been bound to the island ever since her unsolved murder a decade ago. Nanana reveals that shortly before her death, she concealed items with unique and mysterious powers across the island—objects collectively called the Nanana Collection. Determined to find clues that will lead him to the person responsible for her murder, Juugo teams up with self-proclaimed "Master Detective" Tensai Ikkyuu and her cross-dressing maid Daruku Hoshino to begin his search.

Gugure! Kokkuri-san is an offbeat comedy revolving around Kohina Ichimatsu, a girl who calls herself a doll. Her mundane existence takes a bizarre turn when she summons a fox spirit named Kokkuri-san. However, unlike the legendary all-knowing spirit who grants answers, he has lost his power due to the lack of believers in modern times. After meeting the strange girl who summoned him, Kokkuri-san is horrified to learn that Kohina not only lives by herself but survives entirely on instant cup ramen. Worried about her wellbeing, he decides to take charge and make sure she eats proper meals and leads a decent life. And so begins Kokkuri-san's less-than-hopeful efforts and their peculiar cohabitation.

After Koutarou Satomi's father is unexpectedly transferred for work, the first-year high school student must find an affordable place to live on his own. He eagerly accepts the chance to rent Room 106 at Corona House for just five thousand yen a month. Things start smoothly, but Koutarou's life takes a strange turn when he discovers a mysterious cave while working a part-time job. The next evening, a series of seemingly mythical figures show up at his door, each insisting they have the rights to the student's apartment. These invaders include Sanae Higashihongan, a ghost who claims the room is haunted, magical girl Yurika, alien princess Theiamillis Gre Fortorthe, and Kiriha Kurano, a direct heir of the Earth People. More importantly, each of the four girls needs Koutarou's apartment for her own reasons and refuses to back down without a struggle. Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? is a comedic free-for-all over a six-tatami mat room, blending supernatural beings, romantic high school antics, and a surprisingly friendly landlady.

Saikin, Imouto no Yousu ga Chotto Okashiinda ga. centers on a family that is still mending itself. Following their wedding, the Kanzakis bring together a teen son and daughter. High school freshman Mitsuki Kanzaki, however, is not on board. Scarred by a past of missing and cruel father figures, she struggles to open up to her new stepfather and stepbrother. Then an accident sends Mitsuki to the hospital, and she becomes possessed by the spirit of Hiyori Kotobuki—a girl her age who harbored a fierce love for Mitsuki's stepbrother Yuuya. Because her love for Yuuya went unreturned, Hiyori cannot move on to the afterlife; she must make it come true... inside Mitsuki's body! Now Mitsuki's survival depends on helping Hiyori ascend to Heaven. But can she endure sharing herself with an overbearing, lovestruck ghost? Will she ever trust her new family? Can she bring herself to satisfy Hiyori's longing for Yuuya? And could there be some hidden desires of her own?

Frazzle-haired middle schooler Inari Fushimi is shy, clumsy, but genuinely kind. While running through the winding streets of her hometown, she takes a shortcut past the local shrine and finds a small fox pup struggling in a river. After rescuing him, she continues on her way, but her life is about to change drastically. Grateful for saving the pup, the shrine goddess Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami, called "Uka-sama," bestows a fragment of her power upon Inari. Now Inari can transform into anyone by shouting the magic phrase "Inari, konkon." She wonders if this ability will give her the courage to confess her feelings to her crush, Kouji Tanbabashi. With her new divine power and the fox spirit Kon, Inari forms a heartfelt friendship with Uka-sama, encounters more of the supernatural world, and comes to learn that true love knows no limits.

If you could hear voices or see glimpses of the future, would that be a blessing or a curse? Glasslip centers on Touko Fukami, a budding glass artist raised in a family of glass artisans. She leads a carefree life in Fukui, interrupted only by occasional flashes of images from the future. During her 18th summer, she encounters transfer student Kakeru Okikura at school, and later again at her favorite café, Kazemichi, alongside all four of her friends. The future's voices guide Kakeru to Touko, and his presence shakes up her ordinary routine. Together, the six friends must confront a summer they'll never forget, filled with hope, love, and heartbreak.

The entire countryside halts at midday to observe a rare solar eclipse, rumored to let ordinary people see Mushi. Unable to look away, the air fills with awe and wonder—but those familiar with the Mushi brace for what comes after the eclipse. Following a prediction from Tanyuu Karibusa, the cursed recorder, Mushishi Ginko arrives in an unlucky farming village. Right after the solar eclipse, a strange black cloud gathers in the sky, blocking the sun once more. Suspecting the work of a Mushi called Hihami, Ginko aims to free the village from endless darkness. Yet, not all villagers seem eager to return to the light.

In the eleventh year of the Meiji Era, the samurai shogunate has fallen and swords have been banned, leaving Japan scarred. Many former samurai resent these changes and conspire against the new government, igniting a wave of violence. To suppress this movement, the government builds a massive prison in the middle of Lake Biwa. Unofficially tasked with aiding the police in capturing criminals, Tenka Kumou also works as a ferryman to the Lake Biwa prison, assisted by his two younger siblings: the ambitious Soramaru and the enthusiastic Chuutarou. Along with Shirasu Kinjou, a former Fuma ninja, the Kumou brothers lead a simple, joyful life focused on study and training. Yet beneath this quiet routine, the shadow of the "Orochi" curse begins to spread over the city of Oumi. Legend says that every three hundred years, Orochi is reborn in a human vessel—a sign of impending disaster. As various groups clash in search of Orochi's vessel, some aim to seal the curse, while others have darker intentions.

Spring. Far removed from the city, time passes quietly in this countryside town. As cherry blossom petals drift on the breeze, a boy named Yu Narukami alights from the train at Yasoinaba Station. Yu has come to this town, where his uncle resides, due to family circumstances; he will be transferring to the local school, Yasogami High. And so his school life begins... The shopping district after class. A string of murders occurring in the town. The Midnight Channel, broadcasting late at night... What awaits Yu and his companions 'this time around'?

Following an unlucky incident, ordinary high school boy Kouta Shibaki gets labeled as the school pervert. With girls avoiding him completely, his worst fear has become reality. One day in the school library, he finds a strange book said to summon witches. Partly out of desperation and boredom, Kouta goes along with the book's joke, until an apprentice witch named Rurumo Maji Mojiruka appears before him. In an odd twist, Kouta ends up helping Rurumo with some witch tasks in exchange for not having his soul taken. Majimoji Rurumo follows the chaotic adventures of Rurumo as she tries to get Kouta to use 666 magical wish-granting tickets so she can become a full witch, unaware that each wish shortens his lifespan. With help from Rurumo's familiar Chiro, Kouta must choose between aiding Rurumo or saving his own life.

The masked storyteller returns for a second season to share chilling tales with children, featuring stories about a ventriloquist’s dummy, a wish-granting locker, a capsule toy machine that retrieves lost items, and a peculiar food known as Ominie-san. Building upon the foundation established in the first season, Yami Shibai 2 presents a collection of terrifying Japanese urban legends and occult mysteries, narrated through an art style that emulates traditional kamishibai storytelling.

Elementary school student Keita Amano possesses a curiosity as innocent as any other kid his age. However, when he decides to explore deeper into the woods one day, he stumbles upon a tiny, mysterious capsule. Emerging from it is Whisper—a ghost-like being who, after 190 years of imprisonment, is grateful that someone has finally freed him. As a reward, Whisper decides to become Keita's guardian against supernatural entities. Whisper is one of many Yo-kai inhabiting the world, and he gives Keita a special Yo-kai Watch that allows him to see and interact with all other Yo-kai. Yo-kai Watch follows Keita, Whisper, and the cat spirit Jibanyan as they encounter Yo-kai, befriend them, resolve the mischief they so often create, and—with the watch's aid—call upon the powers of previously befriended Yo-kai to help them. Young Keita may have been just an ordinary elementary school student when he first met the Yo-kai, but the many adventures that follow his discovery provide him with invaluable experiences and important life lessons that help him grow.

Fifth-grader Himeji Wakaba possesses the eerie gift of perceiving entities invisible to others. These are typically malevolent spirits that target those near her, causing Wakaba to remain isolated and seldom smile. Although she often takes in stray animals, her parents refuse to allow her to keep them. Concerned by her gloomy and unsettling demeanor, they finally agree to let her keep whatever stray she brings home next. That creature turns out to be a pink monster named Pupipo. While its exact nature remains a mystery, Pupipo shields Wakaba from the harmful spirits she encounters. It also aids her in befriending a transfer student obsessed with the occult and resolving bullying issues. With her new pet by her side, Wakaba’s world becomes a significantly happier place.