With Halloween right around the corner, it's easy to get caught up in a good jump scare, but that may not be what you're seeking this time around. Luckily, there are light hearted anime that embrace the spirit of Halloween without inflicting everlasting fear into your soul. To get you into the spirit of Halloween, without giving you nightmares, theses anime series were chosen specifically to kickoff the spooky season in a non-frightening fashion.
Soul Eater
Soul Eater follows Maka and Soul on their quest to become reapers. The battles are amazingly animated, and the layout of the environment offers a cartoony Tim Burton-esque Halloween mood. Many characters are based on classic monsters, and witches are amongst the strongest beings in the series.
Death City feel like its Halloween all year round. Even the Sun and Moon have their own facial features that make them fit into the Halloween spirit. This anime creates the perfect balence between action, comedy, drama and the supernatural. Soul Eater is the perfect anime for those who want to avoid jump scares,and are just seeking some wholesome Halloween fun.
Little Witch Academia
Witch-in-training Akko isn't anything close to your spooky Halloween witch, but she will warm your heart with delight in Little Witch Academia. The iconic phrase “A believing heart is your magic!” resonates with everything Akko does to prove her worth as a witch from Luna Nova Magical Academy.
Not all Witches are born with the ability to cast amazing spells, and Akko struggles, but the way she overcomes obstacles will warm your heart. Beautiful magic and a sense of wonderous imagination and humor makes Little Witch Academia a great addition to the lighter, family-friendly side of your Halloween watch list.
One Piece - Thriller Bark Saga
To no one’s surprise, One Piece has a whole arc dedicated to embracing the mood of Halloween. The Thriller Bark Saga, episodes 326-384, capture the essence of Halloween with zombies, ghosts and an enormous Frankenstein monster. It’s also the arc where the crew first meet Brook, the musical skeleton swordsman, and ask him to join the crew. You don’t have to be a die-hard One Piece fan to enjoy the Thriller Bark Saga; newcomers can enjoy it too!
This saga includes a battle with Gecko Moria, one of the Warlords of the Sea, that takes place on a giant eerie island that's also a ship. There are spooky elements mixed in, but nothing too serious that will make those sensitive to horror quiver in fear. Ultimately, this saga will make ignite the Halloween mood within you, and might even give you some great costume ideas.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun follows the life of Nene Yashiro, as she is determined to summon one of her school's Mysteries, Hanako-san of the Toilet, to grant her wish to finally get a boyfriend. To her surprise, Hanako is not the spiritual being she was anticipating, and somehow becomes his assistant.
The anime is filled with many creepy spirts that must be defeated by Hanako, but the animation style of Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun gives the series a more kawaii, comedic mood. The ghouls and spirits are good fun for Halloween, but not in a way that will scare the faint of heart. The supporting characters add depth and complex relationships. Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun deals with the supernatural in a colorful way bound to bring excitement and laughter to those who watch it.
Yunna and the Haunted Hot Springs
What happens when you bring a spirit trapped in purgatory, an ogress, possessed cat god, ninja demon assassin and a deity of luck living together in an abandoned inn? You get Yunna and the Haunted Hot Springs. Fuyuzora Kogarashi, a hands-on psychic, is the main protagonist who has the ability to see evil spirts, and uses his powers as a psychic to return them to the spirit world. On his journey to making a living, he comes across a haunted inn and decides the exorcise the spirit within.
When he confronts the spirit, he discovers that she is a harmless 16 year-old female named Yunna. Fuyuzora’s technique for exorcising spirits involves him punching the poltergeist out of them, but in Yunna’s case, he can’t bring himself to punch an innocent young lady. Instead of exorcising her, he decides to help her come to terms with her regrets, so that she may safely pass onto the afterlife. The constant supernatural phenomena keep the viewer in Halloween spirit, and don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting to visit a hot spring after watching.
