For those of you who love "Jutsu Kaisen"! The editorial department recommends five "occult x battle" anime from Shonen Jump! Akiba Research Institute Writers' Choice: Anime Samurai Selection No. 9

Last year, Weekly Shonen Jump (hereafter "Shonen Jump") drew attention for the completion of "Demon Slayer," "The Promised Neverland," and other works that caused a boom. One of the new signature works of Shonen Jump is "Jujutsu Kaisen," a TV anime currently airing from October 2020.

In this issue, Akiba Research Institute recommends the best occult x battle "Shonen Jump" works that have been adapted into anime from Akiba Research Institute's unique perspective, for readers who were awakened to the appeal of works with occult x battle elements by "Jujutsu Kaisen"!
In these days when our daily lives are being realistically threatened by an invisible disease called the new coronavirus, watching heroes battle evil spirits, demons, and other unidentifiable beings will surely strengthen your immune system!

Yu-Yu Hakusho

Even 30 years after its serialization, the series continues to be adapted for the stage and through corporate collaborations, and recently a live-action TV drama series has been announced.
It is no exaggeration to say that the anime version, in which the popular character Tobikage was played by Hiyama Shuyuki and Kurama by Ogata Emi, has become an enduringly popular series.

The story is about a boy, Urameshi Yusuke, who dies in an accident and becomes a ghost, but is revived after overcoming numerous ordeals. After that, he fights against ghosts as a detective in the spirit world in this action-packed drama.
The reason for the popularity among both men and women, from children to adults, is that the story is easy to understand: first, he challenges tournaments with his friends and defeats strong enemies. Then there are the unique characters such as Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Tobikage. Kurama and Togashi Yoshihiro, the author of the manga, is so popular that he says, "These two are the main characters.

Kurama is a big hit with girls because of his luscious visual appeal and his snappy dialogue, such as "A beautiful rose has thorns. The cool Tobikage is said to have started the "Chuunibyou" boom, as children imitated his "evil eye" and the black dragon sealed in his arm. The "tsundere" attitude of the character, with his spiky attitude but affection for his friends, is especially appealing to girls.

The popularity of the series in "Shonen Jump" led to a TV anime adaptation in 1992. In addition to the aforementioned popular voice actors, the anime version of "YuYu Hakusho" cannot be ignored when talking about the original anime elements. In particular, fans were highly satisfied that the "Makai Tournament Arc," which was rushed in the original work, was drawn more carefully with more battle scenes, and that the anime was properly drawn until the final episode, even if the development was different from the original work.
The anime also added a scene in which Sakyo, the general of the Toguro brothers' team, the strongest enemy, gives a lighter to Kuwabara's sister, Shizuru. The way he hints at romantic feelings with his eyes rather than words makes viewers nervous, and many people cite this scene as their favorite original scene in the anime version.

From these points of view, it can be said that the anime "YuYu Hakusho" received a relatively high rating for an anime with many original elements. The royal battle story that everyone can be excited about, the dialogue between the characters made more attractive by the voice actors, and the excitement of the final episode can all be fully enjoyed as a "stand-alone" anime.

BLEACH

BLEACH" was broadcast from 2004 to 2012, and became a long-term anime along with "NARUTO. It is a battle action series in which Ichigo Kurosaki, a high school student with a psychic constitution, meets Rukia Kutsuki, a god of death, and throws himself into a battle against evil spirits.

The anime, which began with the "Acting Shinigami Arc," has a total of 366 episodes. The most popular episode is the "Soul Society Arc," in which Ichigo goes to the world of the Shinigami in order to rescue Rukia. Many attractive Shinigami, such as Aizome Sosuke, who seems to be a friendly and smiling character but is actually the last boss, and Ichimaru Gin, who has many female fans, appear in the story, and breathless battles ensue. The climax of the show was always climaxing.

The anime version also features a variety of original anime episodes, such as "Bount Arc" and "Zanpakuto Ibun Arc. The number of characters in this work is vast, and when original episodes are inserted, the number of characters increases even more. However, the best part of the anime version of "BLEACH" is that you can enjoy the warm interactions and comical scenes among the various characters, as well as battle scenes that are not in the original work.
Incidentally, some parts of the story, such as "Hibanya Sentai Struggle" were drafted by the original author, Mr. Kubo Taito. The anime is currently available on several subscription services, so why not check out just the original anime episodes?

Another feature of the anime version of "BLEACH" that sets it apart from the others is the stylish theme song. The theme song was the initial OP theme song "*~Asterisk~" by ORANGE RANGE, "Rolling star" by YUI, "Shoujo S" by SCANDAL, and other songs that were popular among young people at the time were used, and many people may think of this work when they think of "fashionable and cool anime" in the Jump series. When people think of "fashionable and cool anime" in the JUMP series, many people may think of this work. Incidentally, the theme song of "Jujutsu Kaisen," which is currently being broadcast, is also very stylish. I think it is a modern "BLEACH" type of song.

In March of last year, an anime adaptation of the final chapter "Sennen Kessen Hen" was announced as part of the 20th anniversary project, and it is expected that the popularity of "BLEACH" will revive once again. Let's take this opportunity to look back at the anime version.

Jigoku Sensei Nube

While the above-mentioned "Yu Yu Hakusho" and "BLEACH" were "battle anime with occult elements," "Jigoku Sensei Nu~be~" was truly an "occult anime" that aired from 1996 to 1998. Jigoku Sensei Nu~be~" was an "occult anime" that aired from 1996 to 1998. The story is about an elementary school teacher, Nuuno-Nuunosuke (Nu~be), who has a hand that seals demons and confronts ghosts and spirits as he and his students go about their school life.

Many ghost stories that are familiar to all children, such as Hanako-san in the Toilet and the Slit-Mouthed Woman, appear in this work, and many may have been traumatized by the overly powerful depictions. Even today, people often ask, "Speaking of Nu~be~, which was the most traumatic episode? and it often becomes a topic of conversation.
In addition to the visual shock, there are also many traumatic episodes that affect the mind, such as the one in which the student Gouko is transported to a parallel world and is shocked to see a crippled Nu~Bee.

However, the charm of this work is that it is not just an occult work. When I rewatched this work as an adult, I cried at almost every episode.
The heartwarming story of the Zashiki-do that makes everyone happy (episode 25) and the story of the student's deceased mother coming to see her (episode 42) are heartwarming, but the story of Nu~be~'s teacher Minako appearing as a demon (episode 34) is especially painful because Nu~be~ cries when she defeats her favorite teacher, Minako, in tears. It still makes me cry even now.

In addition, Nu~be~ in the anime version always teaches us important lessons such as, "Bad words you say to others will come back to you," and "Don't be afraid of people just because of their looks. He is indeed a teacher.
If you want to go back to your childhood and remember the important feelings of your childhood,...... please watch this film.

Incidentally, this film also gained popularity for its sexy scenes. In the animated version, they used the Shonen Jump logo for the first time to cover the important parts.

Mucho and Rosie's Demon Law Office

Like "Nu~be~," "Mucho and Rosie's Demon Law Office" has a strong occult flavor and was broadcast for two seasons from 2018 to 2020. Set in the present day, Muhyo (Toru Rokkyo), the head of the Demon Law Office, and his assistant Rosie (Jiro Kusano) take requests and solve cases related to spirits of the dead.

The cases they handle are realistic and in line with modern society, and the first episode, in particular, about a friendship between girls that became twisted and turned into an evil spirit, is particularly shocking. The anime production team's commitment can be felt in the depiction of the girls who attack the girls. And yet, the ending is sure to make you cry every time, so you will be left with a warm feeling after watching it.

Muhyo's genius and twisted character is also interesting and different from the heroes of "Shonen Jump". He punishes spirits as an "enforcer" rather than a friend of justice, and he brings harsh reality to those who are naive. For example, he tells those who are unaware of why people hold grudges against them, "Don't you know what people around you think of you? and tells them things they don't want to know.

The anime version is also notable for the performance of Ayumi Murase, who voices Muhyo. He is a straight-laced boy and a cute character, like Shoyo Hinata from "Hi-Q‼", but in this work, he gives an excellent performance as the somewhat eerie and dignified Muhyo. I was surprised by his vocal range.

I recommend this film to those who are not fond of the deep and scary "Nu~be~" type of films, but who like the occult.

The Promised Neverland

Lastly, I would like to introduce "Yakusoku no Neverland," which is a suspense work in the category of "suspense," but also contains occult and horror elements as well as battle elements.

The first season of this work was animated in the Noitamina slot from January to March 2019, and the second season is currently airing from January 2021. The animation is produced by CloverWorks, known for "Fate/Grand Order -Solute Monster Front Babylonian-" and "Seishun Butayaku wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume ni Mai", and directed by Mamoru Kobe, who also directed "Elfen Lied", "Tegamibachi" and "Kimi to Boku".

The story of the film begins with a group of children living happily in an orphanage ...... who one day realize that they are being raised as food for demons and try to escape.

The occult is said to refer mainly to the mystical, supernatural, and invisible things that cannot be explained by science, and since ghosts and demons are often depicted in movies, few people may associate them with demons.
However, the idea of a child being shipped off and eaten by an ogre is an unknown fear that the main character Emma and her friends could never have had in their daily lives, and in a sense, it is an occult experience. The sight of Emma and her friends shaking with fear when they saw the demons for the first time made us gulp down our own gulps.

The animated version is no less impressive than the original in its grotesque depiction of corpses, the thrill of the fear coming up behind you, and the despair of the children. On the other hand, the children's strong determination to face their difficulties as one, with "Never Give Up" in their hearts, is sure to move viewers.

The first season ended with the breathtaking escape of Emma and her friends from the house using their wits. What kind of ending awaits their escape in the second season? Stay tuned.

(Text by Editorial Department K)