Gugure! Kokkuri-san: Complete Collection

An absurdist comedy-fantasy based on a manga series by female artist-writer Midori Endo, Gugure! Kokkuri-san centers on noodle-obsessed loner schoolgirl Kohina, who is so alienated that she pretends to be an emotionless doll (and the character is drawn in super-cute "moe" style to match). Kohina performs a folk-legend ceremony to summon a traditional Shinto fox spirit, and winds up with Kokkuri, a mischievous entity who decides that odd misfit Kohina needs him as a heroic protector. Other supernatural beings materialize to compete for spooky Kohina's attention, including a jaded dog spirit, a "tanuki" or household ghost in the form of an old vagrant, and even a classmate who seems to be a stereotypical UFO alien. Spirits can arbitrarily change shape or gender (enabling mild fan service). Along the way, the material quotes from John Carpenter's Halloween and Steven Spielberg's E.T. for yuks, while also serving up obscure Japanese references and inside jokes. Compiling all 12 episodes from 2014 in separate DVD and Blu-ray editions, rated TV-14, and presented in Japanese with English subtitles, this odd but thoroughly amiable anime series is recommended. (C. Cassady)