8 Anime Like Mononoke You Must See

Set during Japan’s Edo period, ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain‘ is a Japanese animated film based on the titular anime series following the enigmatic protagonist known as medicine seller, who unravels a collection of supernatural incidents across the country. The movie continues his adventures, introducing a mystery at an Ooku organized for Emperor Tenshi’s son, where a vengeful spirit haunts its halls.

After two young handmaidens join the ceremony, viewers are provided a glimpse into the dark practices happening inside the event and how it has become a breeding ground for politics and intrigue. As such, the Kenji Nakamura directorial blends a crafty supernatural investigative procedural with brilliantly lucid animation that pops with every frame. If you enjoyed its visual and narrative flair, here is a list of animes similar to ‘Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain’ worth watching.

8. Ao Oni: The Animation (2017)

Helmed by Toshirô Hamamura, ‘Ao Oni: The Animation’ is an animated movie adaptation of the eponymous horror game developed by Noprops. The story follows a group of five students in a remote town surrounded by a mountain forest who start digging into the mystery behind a popular game known as ‘Ao Oni’ and their own town’s folklore. The more the characters investigate the mysterious connections between the two things, the more they start getting pulled into their school premises, where they must confront inexplicable horrors from another world.

Although ‘Ao Oni: The Animation’ may differ contextually in terms of its setting and worldbuilding from ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain,’ the two films share a similar vision when it comes to their exploration of the occult and a darker truth lurking underneath a perfect exterior. The film’s suspenseful storytelling and dedication to a central mystery echo the same vision present throughout the Kenji Nakamura directorial, which helps add a layer of enigma and intrigue to the story.

7. Natsume’s Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor (2021)

Directed by Takahiro Omori and Hideki Itō, ‘Natsume’s Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor’ is based on the eponymous manga series by Yuki Midorikawa and follows the titular protagonist on a variety of spirit-related adventures. In the movie, Natsume helps a diminutive youkai wake up a slumbering Ayakishi, while the second narrative follows him on a journey to find out what is affecting his friend Tanuma’s distant behavior, which undoubtedly is connected to something spiritual.

‘Natsume’s Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor’ is a slightly unconventional pick when compared to ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain,’ mainly because it features two standalone stories combined into one. However, viewers will find parallels between the narratives, especially in their examination of the world of spirits and occult formations. Originally titled ‘Natsume Yuujinchou: Ishi Okoshi to Ayashiki Raihousha,’ the movie takes a more character-driven approach to its storytelling, allowing for a more emotionally satisfying story over a plot-driven narrative, which gels seamlessly with the core message exhibited by both films.

6. Aragne: Sign of Vermillion (2018)

In ‘Aragne: Sign of Vermillion,’ also known as ‘Aragne no Mushikago,’ a young woman named Rin wakes up in her dilapidated apartment to find it infested with worms, moths, insects, and people. Outside, the city’s streets are rampant with ghastly crimes and murders, while troubled strangers lurk around every corner. Worried she may be another victim, Rin embarks on a journey to investigate what has gone wrong with her city and the supernatural truth lurking underneath it. Although slightly darker in its visuals and worldbuilding, the Saku Sakamoto directorial is a compelling narrative with a protagonist who shares a variety of traits with Asa and Kame from ‘Mononoke the Night: The Phantom in the Rain.’ Both films utilize disturbing visual storytelling to provide more depth to a nightmarish story.

5. A Letter to Momo (2011)

Written and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, ‘A Letter to Momo,’ also known as ‘Momo e no Tegami,’ follows a young girl named Momo Miyaura who moves in with her mother in a remote seaside town following her father’s passing. Upon arriving, Momo encounters three goblin spirits invisible to others who help her navigate her father’s loss and her growing pains as an 11-year-old. The dynamics of her friendship with the spirits mirror Asa and Madam Kitagawa’s relationship in ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain.’ Both films make it a point to illustrate the power of emotions and feelings in a complex world with a lot of problems around the corner. As such, the spirits in the two narratives are linked to the psyche of their human characters, who give shape to their negative emotions through an ethereal presence.

4. Colorful (2010)

Based on the novel by Eto Mori, ‘Colorful’ tells the story of a reincarnated soul who wakes up in a suicide victim’s body and has to adjust to life as an ordinary high school student. As it tries to figure out the mystery behind its own passing, it also has to pinpoint why the current user of his body committed suicide. Originally titled ‘Karafuru,’ the Keiichi Hara directorial finds the perfect balance between a supernatural mystery and an enthralling dreamy animation style that mirrors the tone and themes of ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain.’ In both films, topics of suicide, death, identity, and psychological challenges play an integral role in a story brimming with twists and turns, which ultimately grounds itself through the occult.

3. The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (2017)

Although not a mystery, ‘The Night is Short, Walk on Girl,’ originally titled ‘Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome,’ features the same type of surrealness that earmarks ‘Mononoke the Night: The Phantom in the Rain’ as a special film. Under the direction of Masaaki Yuasa, the film follows a young college girl on an epic night of revelation in Kyoto as she crosses paths with a number of colorful characters who light up her world.

The film is adapted from the pages of the eponymous novel penned by Tomihiko Morimi and illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura. While its whimsical story may make it confounding in parts, it makes for an engaging experience that echoes the same elements of the Kenji Nakamura directorial. Additionally, both movies showcase a hallucinatory style of animation that matches the story’s breakneck pace, adding to the jitteriness of the whole ordeal.

2. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ is an animated adaptation of the eponymous Japanese literary work from the 10th century. Originally titled ‘Kaguya-Hime no Monogatari,’ the movie chronicles the life of the titular heroine, starting from her extraordinary childhood and her eventual coming-of-age into a beautiful woman. The bittersweet narrative shares a variety of themes with ‘Mononoke the Night: The Phantom in the Rain,’ like female identity, societal issues, politics, magic, and arranged love. Even more strikingly, the two films have a unique visual aesthetic rarely seen in animated films, which allows for a more experimental painterly style to dictate a historical fiction steeped in drama, intrigue, and wonder.

1. Mushi-Shi: Bell Droplets (2015)

Adapted from Yuki Urushibara’s eponymous manga series, ‘Mushi-Shi: Bell Droplets,’ originally titled ‘Mushishi Zoku Shou: Suzu no Shizuku,’ follows the traveling Mushi Master, Ginko, who stumbles across a strange girl near the mountains covered with weed sprouting from her body. After befriending a young boy named Yoshiro, Ginko learns the mystery surrounding the girl’s transformation and how she came into being. Fans of ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain’ are sure to be fascinated by the world and supernatural elements explored in the Hiroshi Nagahama directorial, which is also set during the confluence of the Edo and Meiji periods of Japan. Rather than jump straight into action, both narratives take pleasure in bringing to light a poignant human drama reflective of people’s complexities.