Horror anime focusing on a main character being haunted by a ghost and dealing with horror are actually not that common. However, more light-hearted anime about characters living happily with ghosts are quite plentiful.

Maybe it's some kind of coping mechanism for a country so steeped in supernatural knowledge to turn scary things into comedy, or maybe the creators think no one would actually stay in a house with a scary ghost in a way that would be believable. Regardless, if you're looking for anime recommendations about living with ghosts, follow along below.

Anime about living with ghosts

The Buried Treasure of Nanana

Nanana's Buried Treasure is one of those underrated anime series that will forever remain underrated because it laid the foundation for an epic story but needed more than one season to take off.

This series follows a guy who moves into his new school dorm only to discover that a girl is already living there. He also discovers that it's not that she's squatting there, but rather a ghost haunting the room after her unsolved murder a decade earlier.

This cute ghost tells him that before her death, she, an avid adventurer, hid items of magnificent power all over the city, and it is believed that this treasure hunt led to her death. She sets this ordinary student on an epic treasure hunt full of danger, betrayal and intrigue.

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs

Hot springs and ghosts – two things that seem so diametrically opposed to each other, but both are things that harem anime love to play with. Although Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs is the only one that does both at the same time.

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs follows a psychic who takes a job exorcising a haunted boarding house and hot springs in the hopes of getting a cheap place to stay. However, what he finds there is not a scary, malicious ghost, but rather a cute, adorable ghost. What's more, the other residents, all supernatural in their own way, seem to know about her.

Anohana – The flower we saw that day

Anohana is one of the rarer ghost-based anime that deals with real tragedy. While it has its moments, there aren’t many laughs in this one. Save the barrel, though, you might fill it with tears.

Anohana tells the story of a group of childhood friends who suffer the loss of one of their friends in a tragic accident. Shattered by the event in one way or another, the group of friends split up as teenagers. It is not until that dead friend appears as a ghost that they come together to try to fulfill his wish.

Keep your tissues handy as the characters deal with their various emotional issues, all while unraveling the mystery of what exactly this friendly ghost child really wants.

Rokujyoma Invaders

When it comes to hauntings, Invaders of the Rokujyoma really puts them head to head. It’s not just one spirit haunting a room, but a whole pack of them. That’s okay, though. This is a harem anime.

The Invaders of the Rokujyoma puts as much effort into the plot as most harem anime series. It follows a guy who rents a room that is cheap, but ends up being cheap because the large amount of spiritual energy surrounding the room attracts tons of spirits.

From there, he is bombarded not only by ghosts, but by all sorts of supernatural things that happen to be beautiful girls. They also end up feeling right at home.

Natsuyuki's Meeting

When it comes to anime about living with ghosts, they tend to be pretty impersonal. The characters didn’t know the ghosts in life, so they don’t have much of an emotional attachment to them after death. Natsuyuki Rendezvous tells a story of emotional attachment.

This series follows a guy who falls in love with a woman who owns a flower shop, so much so that he gets a job there. He discovers that not only is she a grieving widow, but she is also haunted by the ghost of her dead husband, who constantly blocks his efforts to get closer to her.

While there is some comedy in someone being constantly turned off in romantic endeavors by a ghost, this series is a pretty touching romance about letting go and moving on.

Elegant Yokai Life Apartment

The premise of Elegant Yokai Apartment Life is familiar at this point on the list. It follows a guy who, not wanting to be a burden, gets the cheapest dorm room he can find. It turns out the dorm is cheap because it’s home to ghosts and all sorts of supernatural beings.

Unlike other series where the main character learns to happily coexist with everyone, Elegant Yokai Apartment Life features the main character meeting another resident who knows a number of techniques for removing particularly frightening or troublesome spirits and ghosts.

Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost

While the concept of an overworked office lady being haunted by a childish ghost is naturally sad when you think about it, Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost doesn't really acknowledge it. Instead, it becomes more like a cute iyashikei anime where the young ghost tries to scare Shachiku out of the office so the lady can get some rest.

While the series starts off with the couple meeting in the office and the ghost child starting to take care of the office lady, eventually the ghost leaves that building and moves in with her. It's a cute iyashikei like Meddlesome Kitsune Senko-san, but for overworked women.

Mieruko-chan

Mieruko-chan is probably the closest thing you can get to a horror anime on this list.

This series follows a girl who manifests the ability to see ghosts, and she sees them everywhere – at home, at school, in the bathroom – everywhere. Unlike the ghosts in all the anime mentioned above, the ghosts in Mieruko-chan are often legitimately creepy, and the main character actively pretends not to see them so that they don’t become more aggressive towards her.

While the ghosts in Mieruko-chan are creepy, the horror of it is often undercut by comedy or, surprisingly, lewdness. The ecchi isn't graphic, but it's there, etched between the obvious panty lines and the lingering gazes of the camera.

Do you have any more anime recommendations about living with ghosts? Let fans know in the comments section below.