Top 5 Anime to Watch on Halloween when You Don’t Like Horror

Maby, like me, you really enjoy Halloween time and want to get into the spirit of things with some appropriately-themed anime. And maybe, also like me, you happen to be a coward that doesn’t want to spend the next month sleeping with the lights on! Who am I kidding? There’s no way I’m getting to sleep!

So what do you do then? How can you watch some appropriate Halloween anime with friends and also not live in terror?

Well, I got you covered! Here are some great anime that could easily fit into the Halloween spirit but even I could sit through without hiding my eyes… much! By the way, if this list doesn’t do it for you, I’m also reviewing a bunch of Halloween-appropriate anime that aren’t all that scary like Call of the Night and one other I’m not going to name because I don’t want to spoil it!

5. My Dress-Up Darling

This may be stretching the Halloween relevance but My Dress-Up Darling is about costumes. Making them, putting them together, getting the makeup just right! And even if you’re all grown up now, what is Halloween without some good costumes? Just a party where everyone gives you candy… wait a minute, that also sounds pretty good.

The fact is, if you throw a Halloween party and chose My Dress-Up Daring as your group watch, there will likely be at least one person who doesn’t think it fits. But I guarantee it won’t give you nightmares and it’s a fun show to watch so why not go for it?

4. Gugure! Kokkuri-san

We’re getting a bit more into the spirit of the holiday with Gugure! Kokkuri-san. The game or ritual the anime is named after, is a way of asking questions to spirits, a little like ouija, so there’s already a strong supernatural element there and the show is full of spirits (Youkai) and gallows humour.

However, humour is the operative term here. Gugure! Kokkuri-san is definitely a comedy and every single episode is trying to get a laugh out of you, several even. There’s no way anyone could find these dorks scary!

3. Kamisama-kiss

Keeping in theme with the Yokais, we have Kamisama-kiss. Unlike the previous entries, Kamisama-kiss does have an occasionally menacing atmosphere. It’s rare but it does creep into scenes here and there. And that makes it particularly well suited for a Halloween watch.

That doesn’t mean it’s going to have you hiding under the covers though. Kamisama-kiss is primarily a romantic comedy and the occasional tense scenes are either subverted by humour or resolved peacefully. At the end of the day, it’s going to have you falling in love with spirits rather than running away from them!

2. Shadows House

Shadows House is probably the most unsettling entry on this list. But it’s not exactly scary. It’s occasionally tense and there’s a strong air of mystery hanging over everything but nothing that could ever be described as horror.

The Shadows themselves and the enigma of the house do create this somewhat spooky atmosphere that is perfect for Halloween. The show just looks the part. And honestly, I think that a Shadows House-themed Halloween party with decorations to look like the house and people dressed as Shadows and Faces would be a huge hit. I would definitely want to attend. Even if you haven’t watched the show it would be amazing!

1. The Case Study of Vanitas

I honestly had a plethora of vampire-based anime to choose from. At some point, I just sort of started watching all of them and most of them would fit this list. Vampires are one of the most classic Halloween monsters and costumes.

Frankly, I chose The Case Study of Vanitas because I think it’s the best of the bunch and definitely my favourite. If nothing else, you have Murr in it!

You have everything you need for a true Halloween watch. There are vampires of course but also huge bests and mad scientists doing human experiments, unexplained deaths and supernatural powers confronting each other where poor mere mortals don’t stand a chance. Also, it’s full of dorks. Every single character in this show is a huge loveable dork. You can’t be scared of these guys, you just kind of want to pat them on the head. And the show looks beautiful. You know what, even if it isn’t Halloween, just watch The Case Study of Vanitas, it’s a good time!

And there you have it, 5 anime that you can put on for some Halloween watching and still wake up refreshed on November 1st!

Did I miss a good one? I thought about putting Black Butler in there but I figured everyone already knew about it.