Wouldn’t you agree that it’s a travesty adults can’t trick-or-treat? Thirty-something-year-old me would greatly love to dress up as Goldship and go ask strangers for free snacks. But seeing as homelessness is so pervasive, I’m positive adults don’t like to hand out stuff to other adults. So what can a bored weeb do on Halloween to alleviate the candy-less blues? They can watch these paranormal anime and enjoy the high strangeness of life!
You may think that a Halloween binge-watching list would be made up of horror anime, but not so! Horror is a matter of perspective. I enjoy haunted places and monsters, and cryptozoology and ufology are ardent hobbies of mine. If I saw a monster or a ghost, it would put a smile on my face. But being told that I’ll spend the rest of my life in an office is enough to make me void my existence subscription. One’s fears are personal, so let me recommend something extraordinary.
Paranormal Anime — The AoButa Series
Like many a weeb, I picked up Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai because I thought it was going to be a fan-service-heavy show. I was wrong. Instead of panty shots and oppai, I got an uncomfortable take on the supernatural. So what’s it about, and more importantly, what makes it Halloween-worthy?
Can you imagine having to repeatedly relive the same day? What would you do if you noticed that people couldn’t see, interact with, or remember you? How would you handle a scenario where another you takes your place and you find yourself homeless? If you ask me, those scenarios are more terrifying than an alien walking into your room and tickling your butthole. Unfortunately for Sakuta Azusagawa and the kawaii waifus surrounding him, these scenarios are part of daily life.
A paranormal anime like few before it, AoButa holds the distinction of having no tangible antagonist. There are no monsters, yokai, or apparitions. Instead, the Rascal Does Not Dream series presents a never-ending loop of unexplainable scenarios caused by an abstract illness known as puberty syndrome. A blend of paranormal phenomena and psychosomatic illness, AoButa happily throws you into a sense of second-hand helplessness. You feel the desperation of the characters, and you feel the pain of being trapped in an inescapable situation.
The Rascal Does Not Dream series consists of the original TV anime Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai and follows the chronological order of
- Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (theatrical movie)
- Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out (theatrical movie)
- Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid (theatrical movie)
- Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus (TV anime)
Crunchyroll streams this CloverWorks animated paranormal anime.
Dandadan — For the Love of Cryptids
Someone, somewhere, is going to see this entry and angrily type on whatever social media they get their daily brain rot from that I’m only recommending big-name titles. But before you go full Reddit mod, realize that every day, a normie picks up a well-known anime and slips into the weeb hole. My affection for cryptozoology and ufology is so great that I can boast of being one of the few people who have made a living as a cryptozoological researcher. So, when a paranormal anime references real-world cryptids, I’m recommending it.
Dandadan follows the high school duo of Momo Ayase, a ghost-loving gyaru, and Ken Takakura (Okarun), a cryptid-obsessed nerd. They set out to disprove each other’s paranormal beliefs. But when Momo visits a location known for alien activity and Okarun heads to a haunted spot, they quickly realize that the paranormal world is very real. Their violent introduction to the supernatural world becomes a desperate battle with the occult.
Science Saru animated the Dandadan TV anime. Crunchyroll streams both seasons of the anime, and the J-List store stocks the Dandadan Blu-rays.
Mieruko-chan Makes Horror Horny Again!
“B-grade” horror movies are better than blockbusters. That’s one stance I’ll defend until I’m forced to vacate my existence. Something about shifting from horny to terror excites the soul. Fortunately, there are plenty of paranormal anime featuring an ecchi twist. And of those, Mieruko-chan stands proudly above the rest. Mieruko-chan gleefully incorporates sexy nudity into its stories and is a love letter to the horror movies of old. Meiruko-chan is J-List-approved.
Like most girls her age, Miko Yotsuya’s thoughts rarely ventured into existential crisis territory. But her relatively unassuming life is violently upended when a freak occurrence allows Miko to see ghosts and ghouls. And how does the kawaii waifu deal with her newfound power? She completely ignores it. Sticking to the age-old adage of “if I ignore it, it’ll go away,” Miko promises herself that no matter how horrible the sights in front of her are, she won’t acknowledge them. But how long can Miko put up with the horrors around here before she cracks? Check out this paranormal anime on Crunchyroll.
Studio Passione helmed Meiruko-chan’s adaptation, and when they’re in charge, ecchiness is a guarantee.
What Paranormal Anime Would You Recommend?
What else would you recommend to newbie anime fans? We always appreciate hearing your thoughts and recommendations, so let us know in the comments or on Discord!
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