Tsukumogami are objects that have gained self-awareness and are able to take human form, but manifest powers based on the object they once were. For many tsukumogami, they exist secretly and without problem. However, when they do begin to cause problems, the order of Saenome are tasked with neutralizing them
Hyouma Kunato is a young Saenome working under his grandfather, but after a tsukumogami killed his brother and sister, it causes him to choose violence in every encounter rather than explore more peaceful means of neutralizing tsukumogami.
Finding this unacceptable for the future heir of their clan, his grandfather sends him to live Botan Nagatsuki, a college girl who is protected by a series of tsukumogami who also solve problems caused by their own kind in Kyoto. However, while his encounter with Botan and her tsukumogami have a softening effect, his presence within her life begins to stir the boundaries set in place long ago.
Supernatural action anime is pretty common, but it was nice to see one aimed at a specific (and interesting!) creature in Japanese folklore, and the slow romantic relationship between a guy who hates tsukumogami and a girl that loves them wasn’t too bad either. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari, head on down below.
Anime Like Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari
For Fans of Things That Are People
Touken Ranbu
In 2205, a sage named Saniwa has the ability to give life and human form to objects. As dark forces have conspired to go back in time and alter history, Saniwa’s strongest creations – Japanese swords made men – are the only ones that can stop them.
From his citadel, a number of historical swords-made-warriors are dispatched throughout time to fight as they get to know each other in their present.
Like Mononogatari features fighters who are based on objects, Touken Ranbu is more specific in that it follows fighters who were based on Japanese swords.
As they are more specific to swords, you also get to watch the characters wax nostalgic about the wielders that once held them.
While Touken Ranbu has a lot of action, you will find that – because it is awash in handsome male characters based on swords – it is more aimed at people ogling its handsome male characters.
Land of the Lustrous
In this world, Gems inhabit the ruins of a world.
Taking on certain characteristics, gems are assigned roles depending on their hardness. The hardest among them fight the Lunarians, aliens that seek to shatter them to decorate their own bodies.
Phosphophyllite, or Phos, is young and fragile, but wants desperately to help the war effort of her fellow gems.
Part of the charm of the tsukumogami is that they utilize powers and characteristics of the object they once were. Land of the Lustrous, despite not being about tsukumogami in particular, has that same aspect.
Unlike Mononogatari that has a variety of objects, Land of the Lustrous only has characters based on minerals. They take on aspects of the mineral they are based on and it also plays a crucial role in their combat ability.
While Land of the Lustrous looks rather pleasant because it is almost exclusively all cute girls, it has a pretty dark story to tell, darker than even Mononogatari.
Tsugumono
Among tsukumogami, objects that have gained self-awareness and are able to take human form, there are tsugumono who developed through years of harmony with their owners and there are amasogi, spirits that were born only to grant destructive wishes.
After his mother’s death, Kazuya Kagami has always carried his mother’s obi everywhere he went. However, when he is attacked by an amasogi wig, his treasured obi takes the form of a beautiful girl to defend him and the event pulls him into the world of tsukumogami.
Tsukumogami are common part of Japanese folklore, but anime really never took advantage of the story possibilities until Mononogatari, but Tsugumono also took a stab at it.
Like Mononogatari, Tsugumono tells the story about tsukumogami. This time it has a treasured object of the main character’s mother protecting him from other tsukumogami that begin to attack him.
Both series are supernatural action anime, but Tsugumono is distinctly more light-hearted, comedic, and ecchi.
For Fans of Subduing Spirits
Kemono Jihen
A boy nicknamed Dorotabo lives with his aunt in a rural Japanese inn after being abandoned by his parents. One day, a detective that specializes in the occult named Kohachi Inugami arrives from Tokyo.
He is there to investigate mysterious livestock deaths and takes an interest in Dorotabo. The boy ends up helping Inugami and discovers that he is only half human.
Possessing skill at dispatching beast-like entities known as Kemono, Inugami takes him back to work at his agency in Tokyo.
While Mononogatari dips its toes into the other elements, it often shines brightest when it is just Hyouma or the other tsukumogami fighting. Kemono Jihen is also a supernatural battler that is most fun when it is focused towards action.
While both are pretty underrated, they do have their differences. Where Mononogatari carries itself as a more mature story with older characters, Kemono Jihen dwells in the younger shounen genre, but still enjoys pretty brutal stories despite the age of most of its characters.
Midnight Occult Civil Servants
Miyako Arata is newly assigned to the Nighttime Regional Relations Department. Each ward of Tokyo has one of these offices that are dedicated to investigating the paranormal and occult-related activities in the area.
On his first night on the job, he is learning the ropes from his colleagues who are trying to ward off Tengu and Angels before a battle breaks out between them.
However, he also learns that, unlike his colleagues, he can understand what they are saying to each other. This allows Arata the ability to now mediate problems rather than turn immediately to violence.
When it comes to supernatural action anime, they tend to focus on teens doing the fighting. If you enjoyed how everyone in Mononogatari was an adult, Midnight Occult Civil Servants is for you.
In Midnight Civil Servants, the characters pretty much perform the same duties as the Saenome, but are employed like bureaucrats with the distinct disadvantage of not being able to communicate with the spirits until the main character’s employment.
While Mononogatari is building towards an overall larger plot, Midnight Occult Civil Servants is more about individual arcs as the variety of supernatural beings cause issues in the city.
Nura – Rise of the Yokai Clan
Rikuo Nura wants to be a normal boy. However, as a quarter yokai and the grandson of the current yokai leader, he is destined to be heir apparent to their yokai clan.
As he can only transform into his yokai form at night, Nura leads two separate lives.
Both series detail the peace-keeping battles of a main character that is torn, or at least increasingly conflicted, between two sides. However, Nura is innately different in that the main character is a demon and not a tsukumogami slayer like Hyouma.
Both series have good supernatural action, but they also share a particular passion for creating unique characters. They are the kind of supernatural anime where each new character introduced, even minors ones, are interesting because of their designs or powers.
For Fans of Romance Sub-Plots
In/Spectre
At a young age, Kotoko Iwanaga was abducted by yokai and asked to become their Goddess of Wisdom to act as a mediator between spiritual and human issues. She agreed and lost her right eye and left leg in the agreement.
Meanwhile, Kotoko meets Kuro Sakuragawa, a man who just broke up with his girlfriend after a kappa fled before him.
Kotoko makes her move to not only lock him down as a boyfriend, but to have him help her settle various disputes with spirits.
Both Mononogatari and In/Spectre are supernatural anime that are a little more dedicated to the details of their world rather than just giving the main character magnificent power and having them fight a pantheon of ever-increasingly powerful enemies.
The spirits in both anime have personalities, and while sometimes they need slaying, In/Spectre is more about mediation and investigation.
Furthermore, while the dynamic in In/Spectre is a bit different, both anime do have a building romantic sub-plot to them. However, it is not always so wholesome in In/Spectre as it is between Hyouma and Botan.
Twin Star Exorcists
Parallel to our world is Magano where the Kegare dwell. Exorcists are sent in to deal with these monsters and cleanse impurities.
One day, a talented young exorcist named Benio is returning to Tokyo in order to meet with the Exorcists Union. On the road, she meets a young exorcist named Rokuro. After seeing some kids being plagued by Kegare, Benio rushes in and drags Rokuro with her. There, she discovers he has skill to rival her own, but refuses to fight.
Being paired up by the head exorcist, they are lauded as the Twin Star Exorcists and prophesied as the future parents of the reincarnation of the Abe no Seimei, who will cleanse the world of Kegare.
Both Mononogatari and Twin Star Exorcists follow exorcists that dispatch spirits when they begin to cause trouble. Furthermore, the main characters are destined to either be or produce something that will shake the whole spiritual world.
While Mononogatari commits itself to a more mature action, Twin Star Exorcists is distinctly more a shounen action anime. However, both anime series do have a nice romantic element that breaks up the action.
Beyond the Boundary
As the last surviving member of her clan of spirit warriors, Mirai Kuriyama must use her special power of fighting using her blood in order to subdue Youmu, creatures that are the manifestation of negative human emotions.
One day at school she happens across Akihito, a rare half-breed Youmu in human form. Immediately trying to kill him, she finds out he is an immortal being and the two strike up an impromptu friendship.
If you enjoy anime that creates spiritual-rich worlds and have plenty of action, but also put effort into the lore, both Mononogatari and Beyond the Boundary have that. However, Beyond the Boundary executes everything a little better and with extra visual flair.
While there is a romance in Beyond the Boundary as well, the dynamic is different. In Beyond the Boundary, the girl is the spirit slayer and the boy is of special spiritual significance. Furthermore, while Botan doesn’t fight, the pair in beyond the Boundary do often battle side-by-side.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Mononogatari? Let fans know in the comments section below.
