Many beloved anime series, like Inuyasha and The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, are based on Japanese folklore and mythology, focusing on stories about yokai, kami, and spirits. These anime series garnered a strong fan-based in Japan and other international countries, bringing forth curiosity about East Asian folklore and culture to its audiences.

Since anime about Asian folklore is popular, you would assume that anime incorporating Western folklore and myths from other countries is also popular among audiences. Yet, this doesn't seem to be the case. The Seven Deadly Sins and Burn The Witch have caught viewers' attention (mainly for their action-packed sequences and storylines) but have yet to make a lasting impression -- especially when compared to series involving yokai and other East Asian supernatural entities, such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Bleach. Thus, let’s explore why there is a lackluster response to anime influenced by Western folklore and why there should be more push for its popularity.

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Familiarity & Exposure to East Asian Folklore Captivates Audiences

Anime aims to make a profit through manga, merchandise, and special events. To guarantee an anime series is successful, studios research the latest trends and interests, which is local to viewers in Japan. Hence, it shouldn't be a surprise that series like Inuyasha and Jujutsu Kaisen are popular among Japanese viewers because it refers to folklore from their own country, and is therefore relatable.

For example, in season one of Demon Slayer, Tanjiro Kamado and his friends had to fight a family of demon spiders. The spider demon mother (kumo-oni haha)'s character design was inspired by jorogumo, a well-known yokai in Japanese folklore. Jorogumo is a demon spider that can shape-shift into a beautiful woman and seduces men. Similarly, in Jujutsu Kaisen, Jujutsu Sorcerers like Yuji Itadori are tasked with destroying cursed objects containing evil spirits that wreak havoc on humanity. Jujutsu Kaisen takes on an extreme form of the tsukumogami folklore stories. Tsukumogami are objects that have acquired a harmless spirit or entity residing within them. In Jujutsu Kaisen, the concept of the tsukumogami is taken to the extreme, where these objects are possessed by negative spiritual energy.

One speculative reason why series like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen are popular among Japanese fans is that they are based on folklore and mythology that Japanese people have known since childhood; however, a series like The Seven Deadly Sins, which focuses on a group of knights that represent the seven deadly sins in Christianity and features literary tropes from Arthurian Romance, can be a bit difficult to enjoy if you aren't familiar with the stories that inspired the series.

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Why Doesn't the Hype Transcend For Western Folklore-Inspired Anime?

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Arguably though, shonen anime series based on Western folklore are still popular, presumably due to action scenes and other tactics, such as fan service and comedy. This is not the case for shows in which the dominant genre is romance or slice of life, such as The Ancient Magus' Bride and Sugar Apple Fairy Tale.

The lack of interest in these series could be due to not fleshing out the fantastical world-building that inhabit these stories. The Ancient Magus' Bride is a series that introduces several supporting characters with complex backgrounds, each deserving their own side stories. For example, in The Ancient Magus' Bride, viewers are introduced to characters such as Oberon, the Faerie King; and his wife, Titania, the Faerie Queen; both of whom play intricate parts in the main story but are also worthy of having their own side stories.

Series like The Ancient Magus' Bride, follow suit of many popular Western folklore media, creating a vast and exhaustive world with complex characters à la Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, these series cannot fully explore the world and its characters in just a few episodes and therefore tend to leave some storylines unresolved, which may significantly impact viewer interest.

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Even if these series may feel a bit dry in character development, Western folklore-inspired anime shouldn't be overlooked, given that they could introduce audiences to Western lore and myths. For example, in Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, the series explores supernatural entities often overlooked in western folklore, such as fairies like Shalle Fen Shalle. Another example is the visual novel-based anime, Kamigami no Asobi. The main character, Yui Kusanagi, attends a school alongside divine beings based on several popular mythological gods and spirits, such as Hades and Thor.

Although these series do not depict the actual myths they are based on, they expose viewers to western mythology and folklore. It is similar to how foreign viewers get excited when learning about Japanese folklore while watching a series like Demon Slayer. There's an exchange of cultural knowledge, where Western fans can learn about Japanese folklore and vice versa. Thus, even if western folklore anime isn't as popular, it should be acknowledged as a sub-genre that can garner cultural curiosity.