8 anime to watch if you like Ayakashi Triangle
Ayakashi Triangle is one of the most highly-anticipated anime series of the Winter 2023 season. An adaptation of the hit manga written and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki, the series follows protagonist Matsuri Kazamaki as he tries to defend his childhood friend, Ayakashi Medium Suzu Kanade, from evil spirits called ayakashi.
However, during a battle for Suzu’s life, Matsuri is turned into a girl by Shirogane, the King of Ayakashi. With no obvious way to undo this transformation, Matsuri is forced to live publicly as a girl, while he and Suzu continue to deal with both the friendly and malevolent ayakashi who are drawn to her.
All the while, their romantic feelings grow as they try to break Matsuri’s curse and return him to his masculine form. The series is heavily praised for its comedy, action, and ecchiness, and is one of the most celebrated new-gen series. Here are 8 anime to watch for fans of the Ayakashi Triangle anime and manga series.
Ranma ½, Inuyasha, and 6 other animes to check out for fans of Ayakashi Triangle
1) Ranma ½
Ranma ½ is a battle-comedy shonen which is, narratively, very similar to Ayakashi Triangle. Ranma’s protagonist is Ranma Saotome, who is traveling through the Bayankala Mountain Range in China’s Qinghai Province with his father, Genma. However, the two fall into the cursed springs at Jusenkyo, causing them to assume the physical form of whatever drowned there hundreds or thousands of years ago.
The transformation is initiated by cold water, but can be reverted by hot water. Ranma falls into the spring of a drowned girl, while his father falls into that of a panda, causing the two to change forms. The series follows the two as they navigate their new lifestyles, with a specific focus on Ranma’s hilarious new ecchi-esque life as a gender-swapping martial artist.
2) Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is similar to Ayakashi Triangle in that both series deal with protagonists fighting off spirits to protect others, whether in general or specific individuals. Jujutsu Kaisen follows Yuji Itadori, a high schooler who is introduced to the world of jujutsu after unearthing a Special Grade Cursed Object and endangering his friends.
To save them, he swallows the object, which is a petrified finger of the King of Curses, Ryoumen Sukuna. After being given a choice, Yuji decides to stay his execution in order to absorb all 20 fingers of Sukuna as a compatible host, upon which he’ll be executed, killing both him and Sukuna. However, Yuji’s involvement in current events proves to be more than coincidental as the series progresses.
3) Mononoke
The Mononoke anime series is a spin-off of the Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales series, which also deals with supernatural spirits like Ayakashi Triangle. Mononoke follows the character of the medicine seller as he faces a variety of supernatural evils and dangers, taking place between the end of the Edo period and the Meiji Era.
The series is short but sweet, being the perfect bite-sized supernatural anime for those interested. While it lacks much of the comedy and ecchiness that differentiates Ayakashi Triangle from its peers, Mononoke is still a must-watch for any fans of the former series.
4) GeGeGe no Kitaro
Whereas Ayakashi Triangle focuses on Matsuri’s efforts to protect Suzu and others as a human, GeGeGe no Kitaro follows a yokai that wants the best for both humans and spirits alike. Eponymous protagonist Kitaro is the last survivor of the Ghost Tribe, with the series following his adventures with other ghouls and creatures of Japanese and international mythologies.
Alongside his friends and father, Kitaro strives to unite the worlds of humans and yokai, allowing both to live in harmony with one another. However, many of the storylines focus on Kitaro locking horns with other mythological creatures, both of whom want to prevent this. Examples include the Chinese vampire Yasha and Dracula IV himself, as well as a malevolent Japanese yokai looking to undo his work.
5) Inuyasha
Whereas Ayakashi Triangle is a spirit-centric series set fully in the modern day, Inuyasha toes the line between a modern Japan and feudal Japan setting. The series follows Kagome Higurashi and Inuyasha, with the former meeting the latter after falling through a well in her family’s shrine and finding herself in feudal-era Japan.
After being attacked by a centipede demon, she desperately frees the eponymous Inuyasha, a half-human, half-demon who was pinned to the tree by priestess Kikyo 50 years prior. Now, the two must go on a journey to recover the Shikon Jewel after Kagome destroys it with an arrow in an effort to stop it from being stolen. However, threats bigger than miscellaneous demons lie in wait and desire the Shikon Jewel.
6) Fire Force
Fire Force’s main similarity to Ayakashi triangle stems from both of them being new-gen, ecchi manga which feature over-the-top fights and jokes galore. Fire Force follows protagonist Shinra Kusakabe, a third-generation pyrokinetic whose skills manifest as flames which he can expel from his feet. These can be used for both travel and combat, and eventually, Shinra learns to precisely control how much flame is expelled.
He joins Special Fire Force Company 8, where he begins to learn that the fire that killed his mother and younger brother Sho was actually a cover, with his brother still being alive. Now, Shinra and the rest of Company 8 (and their allies) oppose the White Clad, the group who took Shinra’s brother, in an effort to save the world from repeating an apocalyptic event known as the Great Cataclysm.
7) Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is, like Ayakashi Triangle, centered on the conflicts various yokai spirits face in their existence. However, Nura takes the perspective of the yokai themselves, rather than the humans who fight them. The series follows the eponymous Rikuo Nura, a ¾ human, ¼ yokai hybrid who is human in the day but takes a yokai form at night.
He lives in a house full of yokai, complete with his yokai grandfather. In a desire to escape his fate, he tries to do good deeds to avoid becoming a yokai, despite his grandfather’s wish that Rikuo succeed him as the Third Head of the Nura Clan. However, various opposing factions which aim to stop or usurp him force him to come to terms with his blood and fate, resulting in a plethora of epic yokai battles.
8) Mushi-shi
Finally, Mushi-shi is incredibly tonally different from Ayakashi Triangle while still dealing with similar subject matter. The series is set in a fictional time period between the Edo and Meiji periods, merging various time periods together for its setting. The series features omnipresent creatures known as Mushi, who often display what appear to be supernatural powers.
While most humans are incapable of perceiving the Mushi, some are able to, such as protagonist Ginko. He’s a self-employed Mushi Master, or a Mushi-shi (hence the name), who travels from place to place researching Mushi and aiding those suffering from the problems they cause. The series is produced in an episodic format, with Ginko being the overarching connection, and each episode featuring a new Mushi.
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Upasya Bhowal