10 best anime featuring curses that you should try

Anime featuring curses makes for an exciting and supernatural viewing experience. Often dark, mystical, or macabre, these shows explore complex themes like morality, the afterlife, and the fine line between good and evil.

Anime featuring curses comes in many forms. Some are action-packed battles against demonic forces, while others offer thoughtful reflections on the human condition. From lighthearted comedies to brooding, atmospheric horror, cursed anime has wide appeal.

For viewers who enjoy spine-tingling tales of the taboo and forbidden, read on for 10 of the best anime featuring curses that they should add to their watchlist.

10 must-watch anime featuring curses

1) Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen has emerged as one of the most popular modern shonen anime. It follows the story of Yuji Itadori, an athletic high school student who intentionally swallows a cursed finger belonging to the feared demon Ryomen Sukuna. This act curses Yuji and grants him a portion of Sukuna's immense powers.

Yuji enrolls at the Tokyo Jujutsu High School to help exorcise curses while keeping Sukuna's remnants trapped within himself. With its brilliant animation, immense world-building, and charismatic characters, this anime featuring curses puts an innovative spin on classic tropes.

Yuji grapples internally with the deadly curse he harbors while confronting evil spirits and curse users externally. The tension rises as Yuji struggles to keep control over his body. Despite the dark premise, it maintains an upbeat tone thanks to the humor and camaraderie between characters.

2) Noragami

Unlike many series focused on humans, Noragami highlights the lives of Japanese deities. Protagonist Yato, a god of calamity with a mysterious past, dreams of amassing enough worshippers to build his own lavish shrine. But with no money, power, or prestige, he languishes in obscurity and poverty.

After Yato rescues teenager Hiyori Iki from being hit by a bus, her spirit becomes vulnerable to slipping out of her body. She hires Yato to fix her spiritual imbalance, and they set off on adventures that involve confronting dark and evil Ayakashi spirits.

With its colorful animation and endearing characters, Noragami puts a comedic spin on supernatural curses. The relationship between Yato and Hiyori tugs at the heartstrings as he strives to protect her. Their chemistry provides levity against the menacing monsters they battle.

3) Mononoke

For anime fans looking for a darker, unconventional option, Mononoke serves up horror stories steeped in Japanese folklore. The show focuses on short arcs, each featuring a malevolent mononoke spirit. The mysterious protagonist, known only as the Medicine Seller, travels to feudal Japan to slay evil spirits cursing humans.

His eccentric personality and flashy appearance conceal terrifying power and cunning intelligence. Each arc slowly reveals the mononoke's origins and nature so the Medicine Seller can discern its Form, Truth, and Reason to kill it with his Sword of Exorcism.

Mononoke combines lavish visuals with psychological tension, weaving sinister aesthetics with engaging mysteries. It offers a uniquely unsettling anime experience full of vengeful curses.

4) Mushishi

For anime featuring curses, look no further than the acclaimed series Mushishi. Set in a timeless, alternate historical Japan, it chronicles wandering "Mushishi" Ginko's encounters with "Mushi." These parasitic, otherworldly organisms bring curses resembling diseases or disasters.

Unlike typical hero-villain conflicts, Mushi exists beyond human morality. By disturbing the equilibrium of nature, people invite calamity onto themselves rather than becoming victims of malevolent curses. Ginko strives to explain Mushi phenomena to skeptics and approach curing Mushi "curses" dispassionately.

Mushishi's contemplative tone and thought-provoking themes pervade. Compelling adventures ground its tasteful exploration of the metaphysical and salvation from curses. For reflective anime fans, few titles can match Mushishi's poise and maturity regarding curses.

5) Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales (Image via Toei Animation)

Released in the mid-2000s, this anthology series sets the standard for anime featuring Japanese ghosts. The self-contained arcs are tied thematically through exorcists in feudal Japan. While warding ghosts provides a framing device, the true draw is the creepy imagery and monsters in each chilling story.

Standout segments range from spirits taking revenge to a blood pact gone awry. "Bakeneko," for example, spins a tragic tale in which a vengeful cat spirit seeks justice for a wrongful death within a household. Stylized violence and muted colors punctuate the eerie atmosphere.

Well-paced narratives, engrossing action, and beautiful animation make the terrifying stories captivating from a chilling start to a grim conclusion. For concentrated doses of fright, Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales delivers on hosting hauntingly impactful curses.

6) Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World

Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World (Image via White Fox)

Re:Zero takes an unexpected turn into dark psychological thriller territory after initially presenting as a portal fantasy about a high school boy named Subaru transported into a mysterious fantasy realm. After trying to help Emilia find her stolen insignia, Subaru gets fatally attacked.

However, upon dying, he resets back to an earlier "checkpoint." This mysterious "Return by Death" ability forces him to relive catastrophic events until finding the way to survival. Through sheer will, Subaru endures endless loss to uncover the sinister curses and plots haunting the kingdom.

Mystery and palace intrigue fuse with visceral horror in Re:Zero as Subaru contends with his temporal ability. Character deaths shock with violence before hammering viewers again with the emotional aftermath as Subaru copes alone. His bonds with others fuel his transformation from powerless to resilient.

7) Hell Girl

Life's unfairness and holding grudges seem innocuous on the surface. Hell Girl delves into dark distortions of abuse, assault, and murder. Only accessible at the stroke of midnight, the mysterious Hell Link website promises contract-based revenge which cursed Ai Enma, known as Hell Girl, dutifully fulfills.

Her terrifying endeavors span physical and psychological torment from creepy cursed dolls to condemnations to hell itself. Those who enter into this contract are bound by her venomous curse in exchange for their deepest desire for vengeance.

Hell Girl forces deep reflection about the nature of morality and human failings. The callous selfishness blinding people into damning curses lends depressing credence to philosopher Friedrich Hegel's famous saying, "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history."

8) The Morose Mononokean

The Morose Mononokean (Image via Pierrot Plus)

The Morose Mononokean fuses comedy with supernatural curses. Protagonist Ashiya accidentally stumbles into an encounter with a mononoke and becomes afflicted with a debilitating curse that causes severe fatigue.

Luckily, the Mononokean, a supernatural room operated by the surly Abeno, connects the human and yokai realms. For a price, owner Abeno sends Mononoke back to their realm and helps manage Ashiya's condition.

Despite the ominous premise involving spirits and curses, The Morose Mononokean thrives on situational humor and absurdity. Ashiya tagging along on Abeno's missions leads to hilarious misadventures.

9) Dororo

Dororo (Image via MAPPA and Tezuka Productions)

Dororo is an action-packed, samurai-era anime featuring curses and supernatural foes. The story follows young thief Hyakkimaru who hunts demons to regain body parts and powers taken from him by his father's deal with 12 demons.

After his father gave up parts of Hyakkimaru's body to demons in exchange for power, Hyakkimaru was left disabled and abandoned. He now wears prosthetics crafted by a kindly doctor. His only friend is a plucky orphan named Dororo who supports him on his quest to defeat the demons and lift the curses placed on him.

With incredible sword-fighting action set against a feudal Japan backdrop, Dororo delivers gory battles as Hyakkimaru takes down demon after demon to reclaim his body and break his curse. Engaging character growth and themes of humanity make this a unique must-watch anime.

10) xxxHOLiC

For another anime featuring curses, xxxHOLiC is a fascinating supernatural series. It follows Kimihiro Watanuki who is plagued by his unwelcome ability to see spirits and demons. He meets the witch Yuko, who agrees to stop his spirit visions if he works at her shop to repay his debt.

This leads him into all kinds of supernatural adventures where he helps lift curses, exorcise poltergeists, and delve deep into occult mysticism. With stunning visuals and references to mythology from around the world, xxxHOLiC offers a spellbinding ghost-filled anime world.

Kimihiro develops as a character as he learns to understand both the spirit world and his own flaws and strengths. Creative spirit designs and intriguing magical systems help make xxxHOLiC a must-watch for fans of curses.

Conclusion

Anime featuring curses provides some unique and spine-tingling entertainment. The variety on offer, from violent battle anime to lighthearted comedies, ensures there's something to suit every taste.

If you're looking for an anime with sinister supernatural themes, be sure to check out these 10 great shows featuring compelling curses. The ghostly characters, creepy atmosphere, and occult elements will provide you with a mesmerizing viewing experience.

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Edited by Tiasha