Kekkaishi, a 2006 anime produced by Sunrise, follows Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, heirs to rival kekkaishi families who use barrier magic to protect their school—built on sacred land—from invading ayakashi demons. At its core, the series explores intricate power systems like kekkai barriers, underdog protagonists who grow through personal and familial rivalries, and narratives that subvert expectations by blending high-stakes supernatural battles with emotional depth and subtle romance.
These 15 underrated anime deserve more attention for capturing similar vibes, offering fresh takes on supernatural guardianship, character-driven rivalries, and innovative magic systems that reward patient viewers seeking alternatives to mainstream hits.
1. Ushio to Tora (2015)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
MAL Rating: 7.56.
Episode Count: 39.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Satoshi Nishimura at Studio MAPPA and Voln; based on Kazuhiro Fujita’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Anime at the 2016 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Ushio Aotsuki, a boy who discovers a spear-wielding demon tiger named Tora sealed in his family’s temple, teams up with the beast to battle yokai threats while uncovering his own yokai-slaying heritage. As their uneasy alliance evolves, Ushio faces escalating supernatural dangers that test his resolve and family legacy.
Similar to Kekkaishi, it features a young protagonist honing magical abilities amid yokai invasions, with themes of reluctant partnerships mirroring the Sumimura-Yukimura rivalry, plus underdog growth through barrier-like defenses and subversion of hero-demon dynamics.
2. Nurarihyon no Mago (2010)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
MAL Rating: 7.59.
Episode Count: 48 (across two seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Junji Nishimura at Studio Deen; music by Kohei Tanaka.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best Shonen Manga at the 2011 Shogakukan Manga Awards (for the source material).
Rikuo Nura, a quarter-yokai heir to a powerful clan, struggles with his dual human-yokai identity while protecting his territory from rival factions and supernatural intruders. As he awakens his powers, Rikuo leads his clan against escalating threats, balancing school life with yokai politics.
It echoes Kekkaishi’s underdog story through Rikuo’s growth in a family of guardians, with similar power systems involving yokai barriers and rivalries that subvert expectations of heroism.
3. Fukigen na Mononokean (2016)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.42.
Episode Count: 26 (across two seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Akira Iwanaga at Pierrot Plus; based on Kiki Waka’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A (underrated gem with cult following).
High schooler Hanae Ashiya, possessed by a yokai, seeks help from exorcist Haruitsuki Abeno, leading to a partnership where they guide lost spirits to the underworld using magical barriers. Their work uncovers deeper supernatural mysteries tied to yokai realms.
Like Kekkaishi, it emphasizes barrier-based exorcism and character development through a reluctant rivalry-turned-friendship, subverting typical shonen tropes with emotional, underdog narratives.
4. Beyond the Boundary (2013)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE, Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.73.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Taichi Ishidate at Kyoto Animation; character designs by Miku Kadowaki.
Awards/Recognition: Won Animation of the Year at the 2014 Tokyo Anime Awards.
Akihito Kanbara, an immortal half-yomu, teams up with spirit world warrior Mirai Kuriyama to battle invading yomu using blood-based barriers and weapons. Their alliance reveals hidden truths about their powers and the boundary between worlds.
It shares Kekkaishi’s focus on protective barriers against supernatural entities, with underdog protagonists subverting expectations through personal growth and rival dynamics.
5. Tactics (2004)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll (limited regions).
MAL Rating: 7.26.
Episode Count: 25.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hiroshi Watanabe at Studio Deen; based on Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Folklorist Kantarou Ichinomiya, who can see yokai, recruits a powerful tengu named Haruka to exorcise spirits and solve supernatural mysteries. Their partnership evolves amid escalating threats from ancient entities.
Similarities include yokai guardianship with barrier magic, underdog character arcs, and narrative subversion through folklore-inspired rivalries.
6. Ghost Hunt (2006)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.75.
Episode Count: 25.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Rei Mano at J.C. Staff; based on Fuyumi Ono’s novels.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Mai Taniyama joins a paranormal investigation team led by Kazuya Shibuya, using psychic abilities and barriers to combat haunted sites and malevolent spirits. Cases escalate into life-threatening supernatural battles.
It mirrors Kekkaishi’s investigative supernatural action, with power systems focused on barriers and underdog growth subverting horror expectations.
7. Shakugan no Shana (2005)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 7.44.
Episode Count: 72 (across three seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Takashi Watanabe at J.C. Staff; music by Ko Otani.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Yuji Sakai discovers he’s a Torch—a fading existence—and allies with Flame Haze Shana to battle Crimson Denizens using flame-based barriers. Their fight protects the balance between worlds.
Like Kekkaishi, it features underdog protagonists mastering protective powers, with rivalries and subverted expectations in a structured magic system.
8. World Trigger (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Netflix.
MAL Rating: 7.57.
Episode Count: 99 (across three seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Mitsuru Hongo at Toei Animation; based on Daisuke Ashihara’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Osamu Mikumo uses trigger technology to defend against Neighbor invasions, teaming with transfer student Yuma Kuga in a barrier-focused agency. They rise through ranks amid interstellar threats.
It parallels Kekkaishi’s barrier magic and underdog stories, subverting shonen norms with strategic rivalries and character development.
9. Flame of Recca (1997)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll (limited).
MAL Rating: 7.33.
Episode Count: 42.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Noriyuki Abe at Studio Pierrot; based on Nobuyuki Anzai’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Recca Hanabishi, a modern ninja with fire manipulation, enters a tournament to protect his friends and uncover his clan’s secrets. Battles involve magical artifacts and rival clans.
Similar to Kekkaishi, it emphasizes family rivalries, underdog growth, and power systems with barrier-like defenses subverting tournament tropes.
10. The Law of Ueki (2005)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.71.
Episode Count: 51.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hiroshi Watanabe at Studio Deen; based on Tsubasa Fukuchi’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Kosuke Ueki gains the power to turn trash into trees in a celestial tournament, fighting rivals with unique abilities to become the next God. He balances justice with escalating battles.
It shares Kekkaishi’s underdog narrative and creative power systems, subverting expectations through moral growth and rival dynamics.
11. Darker than Black (2007)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, Hulu.
MAL Rating: 8.05.
Episode Count: 37 (across two seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Tensai Okamura at Bones; music by Yoko Kanno.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best Original Anime at the 2007 Tokyo Anime Awards.
Hei, a Contractor with electricity powers, operates in a world altered by supernatural gates, using abilities with personal costs in covert missions. Alliances form amid global conspiracies.
Like Kekkaishi, it explores structured supernatural powers and underdog subversion, with barrier motifs in a character-driven story.
12. Hellsing (2001)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
MAL Rating: 7.48.
Episode Count: 13.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Umanosuke Iida at Gonzo; based on Kouta Hirano’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Alucard, a vampire hunter for the Hellsing Organization, battles undead threats with draconic powers and barriers. He mentors police officer Seras Victoria in supernatural warfare.
It echoes Kekkaishi’s guardian themes, with underdog development and rivalries subverting vampire lore.
13. Natsume’s Book of Friends (2008)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 8.30.
Episode Count: 74 (across six seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Takahiro Omori at Brain’s Base/Shuka; based on Yuki Midorikawa’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Takashi Natsume inherits a book binding yokai names and, with bodyguard Madara, releases them while fending off threats. He navigates his lonely heritage through encounters.
Similarities include yokai interactions and barrier-like protections, with emotional underdog growth subverting supernatural slice-of-life.
14. Blood Lad (2013)
Current Streaming Availability: Hulu, Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.25.
Episode Count: 10.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Shigeyuki Miya at Brain’s Base; based on Yuuki Kodama’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Staz Charlie Blood, a vampire boss in the demon world, helps human girl Fuyumi Yanagi return home while battling territorial rivals. Their journey uncovers portal magic secrets.
It mirrors Kekkaishi’s supernatural guardianship and rivalries, subverting expectations with humorous underdog arcs.
15. When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 6.83.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Masanori Takahashi at Trigger; based on Kota Nozomi’s light novels.
Awards/Recognition: N/A.
Literature club members gain random superpowers and navigate school life while clashing with others in mock battles. Powers lead to personal growth and rivalries.
Like Kekkaishi, it features everyday settings with magical powers, underdog subversion, and character development through rival dynamics.
Why These Anime Work for Kekkaishi Fans
These selections resonate with Kekkaishi’s blend of barrier-centric power systems, underdog protagonists who evolve through rivalries, and narratives that cleverly subvert shonen expectations, all while remaining underrated gems that offer fresh supernatural thrills without mainstream hype. They mix older classics like Flame of Recca with recent entries like Fukigen na Mononokean, providing emotional depth, strategic battles, and unique animation styles that highlight character growth over spectacle. For fans craving more hidden guardians and yokai lore, these series deliver engaging alternatives that deserve a spotlight.
