Close connections to Japanese mythology have become one of the most prevalent and well-recognized cultural aspects of Anime. Although some of the themes in Anime might seem a little strange, several of them are largely focused on Japanese mythology.
There is certainly no shortage of artistic inspiration available, stretching from either the myriad deities in traditional religion to the demons in old folklore.
Let’s examine some important Anime that heavily originated from Japanese mythology. Here are given some of their features of them in a tabular form:
| Anime | Features |
| Naruto | Genre: Action, Fantasy IMDb rating: 8.7/10 |
| Demon Slayer | Genre: Humor, Dark Fantasy IMDb rating: 8.7/10 |
| Spirited Away | Genre: Mystery, Adventure IMDb rating: 8.6/10 |
| Princess Mononoke | Genre: Adventure, Fantasy IMDb rating: 8.4/10 |
| Sarazanmai | Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism IMDb rating: 7.5/10 |
To know about all these Anime along with their storylines and how they are centered on mythology, let’s continue reading the article!
What is the most enjoyable aspect of anime?
The range of stories portrayed in anime is one of its most appealing features.
Hundreds more adventures based on historical events, national culture, and even mythology and religion can be found in the world of anime. Some of the best anime series are based on old paganism stories and legends, including Greek mythology.
There is an infinite number of series to love that include a cataclysmic conflict between ancient gods and rebellious mankind. Several stories feature Gods’ descendants or powerful persons who can summon gods from another era.
Greek mythology has always been and continues to be one of humanity’s biggest sources of inspiration, including the world of anime. It’s also not a new tendency; anime has borrowed pictures, characters, and references from ancient Greece since its inception. It’s not only anime with Greek gods, but heroes and soldiers from the past who accomplished what their fellow mortals thought was impossible.
What motivates you to watch anime?
The cultural immersion of seeing Japan’s different customs and ideas via the lives of 2D characters is a significant part of the fun of watching anime.
So much of Japan’s distinct artistic sensibilities are embedded in everyone’s favorite anime, teaching viewers all around the world about the diverse beliefs of the people in the far East.
The deep commitment to Japanese mythology is one of the most recurring and identifiable cultural elements in anime. Whether it’s children embracing yokai or demon hunters battling oni, the flamboyant spiritual entities and stories of Japanese mythology have done a fantastic job of making themselves known and feared in anime.
1. Naruto
It’s going to be difficult to come across some other Anime as large and well-liked that is focused on Japanese culture as well as mythology as Naruto. Long well after the enigmatic invasion by the vengeful 9-tailed Fox, the primary focus of this Shounen titan is the realm of warriors.
In the first chapter of the novel, Naruto Uzumaki, the fox’s latest carrier, seeks to overcome his confinement and affliction by rising to the position of community leader. Naruto is a thrilling and well-executed Anime that could really stimulate anybody’s interest in the mythology through the use of realistic depictions of Japanese witchcraft and clear references to numerous creatures and demons.
In Japanese folklore, the Nine-Tailed Fox is a cunning ghost having the ability to assume the form of attractive female. Several admirers have seen comparisons between the jovial fox character of mythology as well as funky Naruto.
2. Demon Slayer
Although there are many different motivating factors for contemporary animation, Japanese mythos remains a constant. The ethnic absorption of diverse Japanese traditions and philosophies into the story’s setting is a major source of delight for those who look forward to watching animated series. The plot’s use of Japanese folklore appears to be very clear.
Due to its stunning aesthetics, Demon Slayer is currently regarded as being one of the finest animated series yet created. The story, which is defined in the Taisho period, centers on Tanjiro Kamado, which aspires to become a demon slayer upon witnessing the massacre of his parents and the transformation of his younger sister, Nezuko, into something like a monster.
An aspect that prominently references folklore is that Tanjiro’s adversaries, also referred to as spirits, are actually the renowned Oni. The violet blossoms in Anime generally referred to as wisteria blooms, are again referred to as Blossoms of mortality and have an ancient legacy in Japan.
3. Spirited Away
The movie takes place at a sauna wherein deities and spirit guides frequently take baths.
Spirited Away contains all of Hayao Miyazaki’s greatest storytelling techniques, which he uses to create outstanding tales by infusing them with the folkloric qualities of Japan.
Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli’s most well-liked picture, is the tale of youngster Chihiro. She travels to the afterlife to assist her family in returning to their former selves ever since a witch turned them into swine.
Chihiro needs to muster unexpected courage as she explores a sauna inhabited by a variety of mythical Japanese critters in an effort to discover a means of returning to the former realm with her healed family. Japanese-based Ritual ideals are strongly reflected in the Anime Spirited Away.
Spirited Away shares a similar assumption that is the persistence of themes, although it does not totally concentrate on one particular aspect of Japanese folklore.
4. Princess Mononoke
During the fourteenth century, Princess Mononoke actually took place. A youthful Emishi royal entitled Ashitaka sets off toward the Western world in search of a remedy after being afflicted by a boar demon.
Along his journey, he comes across people exploiting a woodland and San, a wild girl that defends the woods and the creatures that live there. Despite Ashitaka’s best efforts to mediate a settlement, a conflict between specific naturally occurring forces and humankind looms.
The story takes place in an era when humans and supernatural beings lived side by side. Shintoism holds that everything, including trees, contains a soul referred to as kami. The woodland is ruled over by the Sacred Grove Spirits, a mammal deity during the day and a huge Nightwalker-like yokai at midnight.
The woodland is home to countless Kodama or gentle miniature supernatural beings. The intelligent creatures and enraged Nightwalker are mother nature’s retaliation against mankind for its wasteful use of the environment’s assets.
5. Sarazanmai
In order to create the bizarre and powerful vision for this animated series, Kunihiki Ikuhara drew inspiration from the legend of the amphibian frog-like spirits of Japan’s dungeons.
Three guys who smash a kappa sculpture unintentionally discover that they have become accursed. And then, they joined the group’s patron divinity to fight a true spiritual menace towards the Earth. The guys convert into mythological beasts in compensation for a kappa’s unique food in order to fight the different hideous embodiments of folk’s worst fantasies.
Sarazanmai is just one of the Anime with fantastic sakuga and the type of series elegance that can only arise out of an Ikuhara animation.
Final Verdict
- Watching mythology-based Anime helps you know about the culture and traditions of any particular place and gives you a chance to take a closer look at their lifestyles.
- Such kind of Anime series usually involves a group of authoritative creatures that are shown as good versus a group of evil ones also called demons or evil spirits.
- There usually exists a continuous conflict between both powers.
- The above article also contains a list of some notable series whose main focus is the mythology of Japan.
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