8+ Best Anime Like Mushishi Zoku Shou 2

If you loved Mushishi Zoku Shou 2, chances are you'll really enjoy Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1, MUSHI-SHI and the others too. They share that same energy—whether it's the intense Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Psychological, Slice of Life, Supernatural, or just the vibe that keeps you hooked. While you wait for the next episode to drop, it’s the perfect time to explore something new that still feels familiar. These picks aren't just similar—they're fan favorites for a reason, and they might just become your next obsession.

1. Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1

Synonyms: Natsume Yujincho, นัตสึเมะกับบันทึกพิศวง, Hữu Nhân Sổ - Natsume Yuujinchou, O Livro de Amigos de Natsume

Natsume has always been an outcast because he inherited his grandmother's ability to see yokai. After moving to his grandmother's hometown and accidentally releasing a yokai imprisoned in a Lucky Cat statue, he learns about his grandmother's "Book of Friends," which contains the names of the yokai she defeated, and allows its wielder to command the yokai named within. Since then, yokai now visit him on a daily basis, seeking to either get their names back or take possession of the Book of Friends. (Source: NIS America)

2. MUSHI-SHI

Synonyms: מושישי, กีฏจารย์กับอาถรรพ์แมลงพิสดาร

Neither good nor evil, they are life in its purest form. Vulgar and strange, they have inspired fear in humans since the dawn of time and have, over the ages, come to be known as "mushi." The stories of the Mushi and the people they affect are all linked together by a traveling Mushi-shi, or "Mushi Master," who seeks rare Mushi sightings and uses his shaman-like knowledge of Mushi to help the affected people. What are the Mushi and what do they want? (Source: Funimation)

3. Mononoke

Synonyms: None

Mononoke is a spin-off of the Bakeneko story arc of Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror. It follows the Medicine Seller as he deals with various spirits or "Mononoke" in feudal Japan. Just like in the Bakeneko story, he combats with a series of tools and his vast knowledge of the supernatural on his side, but can only slay the Mononoke when he uncovers its form (Katachi), the truth behind its appearance (Makoto) and the reason for its unusual behavior (Kotowari). (Source: Wikipedia)

4. Spirited Away

Synonyms: Le Voyage de Chihiro, La Città Incantata, El Viaje de Chihiro, Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland

On the way to their new home, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino's family stumbles upon a deserted theme park. Intrigued, the family investigates the park, though unbeknownst to them, it is secretly inhabited by spirits who sleep by day and appear at night. When Chihiro's mother and father eat food from a restaurant in the street, angry spirits turn them into pigs. Furthermore, a wide sea has appeared between the spirit world and the human one, trapping Chihiro, the sole human, in a land of spirits. Luckily for her though, a mysterious boy named Haku appears, claiming to know her from the past. Under his instructions, Chihiro secures a job in the bathhouse where Haku works. With only her courage and some new found friends to aid her, Chihiro embarks on a journey to turn her parents back to their original forms and return home.

5. MUSHI-SHI The Next Passage

Synonyms: Mushi-shi Zoku Shou, Mushishi Zokushou, Mushishi: The Next Chapter

They existed long before anyone can remember. They are simple and strange in nature, not resembling any other plant or animal in this world. In ancient times, people revered these bizarre creatures and called them "Mushi." People once again began to believe in the existence of these "Mushi" when they began affecting their lives in inexplicable ways. The one who connects the world of "Mushi" to the world of humans—they were called the "Mushi-shi." All life exists not to hinder others in this world. They are simply there to live as they were meant to. (Source: Aniplex of America)

6. Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Synonyms: Ayakashi - Samurai Horror Tales

A collection of three classic Japanese horror stories: "Yotsuya Kaidan," the story of a wife betrayed by her husband who seeks vengeance even in death. "Tenshu Monogatari," the story of forbidden love between a goddess and a human, and "Bakeneko," the story of a mysterious cat monster with a vendetta against a certain family.

7. Princess Mononoke

Synonyms: La Princesa Mononoke, Księżniczka Mononoke, Principessa Mononoke, الأميرة مونونوكي

A calm village residing in the mountains comes under attack from a demon-possessed boar one day. Ashitaka, a young man and prince of the tribe, engages the creature in an attempt to save his village. During the battle, the boar bites him on the arm, leaving it blackened and cursed. Following his village's traditions, Ashitaka is exiled and becomes a wanderer, looking for a solution to the curse before it engulfs him. Iron Town is a fortress under the leadership of Lady Eboshi. Through the clearing of the surrounding forests, Iron Town produces large amounts of Ironsand, used for gunpowder and other machinery. However, because of the forests destruction, nearby animal clans seek revenge led by a human girl of the Wolf clan called San. When Ashitaka comes to Iron Town, he discovers the area consumed in battle. Horrified, he attempts to create peace and befriend the Wolf Clan. However, after the forest's eradication and the ongoing war between Human and Beast, will the Spirit of the Forest be forgiving and accept Ashitaka's request to expel his curse? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

8. Zettai Shounen

Synonyms: Absolute Boy, Zettai Shonen

Aizawa Ayumu is a young boy, who is sent to a small town called Tana to live with his father for a while. Even though he doesn't want to go, he agrees to do so when his mother offers him a mountain bike. Ayumu used to live in Tana before, and now his memories of the time are shrouded in mystery - apparently something happened when he was a child. Enter Miku, a young girl who knows more than she tells, weird glowing lights floating around, reflections of UFOish objects in the eyes of cats and dogs, a nosy female announcer, a forest with a mysterious past, and a weird boy called Wakkun, who wears the clothes Ayumu used to when he was a child, and you get the world of Zettai Shonen, where mysteries remain mysteries amidst a slow, normal, everyday life. (Source: Anime News Network)

9. Onmyoji

Synonyms: None

Yearning, obsession, burning desire… When people’s uncontrollable emotions begin to overflow, that is when they become demons. In prosperous ancient Kyoto, court musician Minamoto Hiromasa, grandson of Emperor Daigo, visits the residence of the official onmyoji — the yin-yang diviners — in hopes of unraveling the mysteries of the demons that disturb the city. While there, he is introduced to a man perfectly suited for untangling these enigmas: the great onmyoji Abe Seimei, a man cloaked in an otherworldly aura. Hiromasa is vexed by Seimei’s lack of interest in the mundane world and his reluctance to help, but the two of them confront the demons at the cause of the incidents. They eventually find the onmyoji Ashiya Doman, who lurks in the shadows of the demons. Seimei and Hiromasa are joined by Hiromasa’s flute teacher Imperial Prince Atsumi, the emperor’s onmyoji Kamo Yasunori, and Lady Tsuyuko, who comes to accompany them as a result of a particular case. As their emotions intertwine like threads, will Seimei and Hiromasa be able to restore peace to the capital? The ordeal of these mismatched friends destined to share the same fate begins now. (Source: Netflix Anime)

If you're anything like me, once you finish something amazing like Mushishi Zoku Shou 2, you're left wondering—what now? Luckily, there’s a whole world of stories out there that give off the same energy, whether it’s the intense fights, emotional backstories, or just that feeling of being completely hooked. The titles like Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1, MUSHI-SHI... I’ve shared aren’t just similar—they feel right. They hit that same nerve that made Mushishi Zoku Shou 2 special in the first place. Of course, everyone’s taste is different, but I really think you’ll find something here that pulls you in. And hey—if you’ve got a favorite that didn’t make the list, I’d love to hear about it. I’m always looking for my next obsession.