Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari

Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari targets a seinen (young adult male) audience with a mix of occult fantasy, exorcist action, and character‑driven drama.

The story explores coexistence and conflict between humans and tsukumogami, spirits born from long‑used tools, through intense battles and emotional bonds.

The manga began in the magazine Miracle Jump in the May 2014 issue and ran there until the January 2016 issue.

It then moved to Ultra Jump, where it continued from the February 2016 issue to the July 2023 issue.

Shueisha published the series under the Young Jump Comics imprint, completing the story in 16 collected volumes and 99 chapters.

In 2023, the anime adaptation titled Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari aired its First Chapter from January to March and its Second Chapter from July to September.

The series centers on Hyoma Kunato, a young exorcist of the “Saenome” organization who specializes in dealing with tsukumogami.

Traumatized by the murder of his older brother and sister by a tsukumogami, Hyoma harbors deep hatred toward these spirits.

To make him confront his prejudice, his grandfather orders Hyoma to live for one year with Botan Nagatsuki, a young woman who treats tsukumogami as her beloved family.

Botan herself is the “vessel” of a powerful supernatural being called a Marebito, making her a critical figure for both humans and spirits.

As Hyoma moves into the Nagatsuki household, he meets the “Bridal Household Furnishings,” a group of powerful tsukumogami who protect Botan.

The story unfolds around battles with rogue tsukumogami, the political maneuvering of exorcist clans, and sinister schemes to awaken the Marebito inside Botan.

Saenome

The Saenome is a government‑affiliated exorcist organization under the Ministry of Divine Affairs.

Its job is to pacify, seal, or negotiate with tsukumogami to maintain balance between humans and spirits.

Most Saenome prefer dialogue and negotiation first and treat outright destruction as a last resort.

However, members like Hyoma initially lean heavily toward extermination due to personal trauma.

Tsukumogami

Tsukumogami are spirits that arise from tools and objects that have been used for many years.

Once awakened, they gain personalities, memories, and sometimes terrifying combat abilities.

Some tsukumogami coexist peacefully with humans; others become dangerous and must be sealed or destroyed.

The series treats them like a parallel species, with their own pride, attachments, and grudges.

Marebito

“Marebito” refers to a visiting godlike entity that serves as the life source of tsukumogami.

Botan secretly carries a Marebito within her, making her a “yorimashi,” or sacred vessel.

This hidden power attracts both protection and exploitation.

Various factions either want to guard her, awaken the Marebito, or harness its power for their own ends.

The Three Great Tsukumogami

The “Three Great Tsukumogami” are legendary, overwhelmingly powerful special‑case spirits, each tied to one of the major exorcist families.

They are:

The Bridal Household Furnishings (Nagatsuki family, originally under Kunato influence through “Bridal” lineage)

The Great Armor (Oogusoku, under the Tsuji family)

The Music Bureau (Gagakuryo, under the Yachimata family)

These beings have formal contracts with the Saenome and function as special‑exception tsukumogami with defined “duties.”

The Three Great Families

The “Three Great Families” are prestigious exorcist clans directly linked to the divine powers that govern tsukumogami affairs.

They are:

Kunato family (based in Tohoku, specialists in sealing and “Bridal” ties)

Tsuji family (linked to the Great Armor and special‑case tool spirits)

Yachimata family (based in Tokyo, linked to the Music Bureau and punitive forces)

Special‑exception tsukumogami such as the Bridal Household Furnishings, Great Armor, and Music Bureau are each placed under the oversight of one of these families.

Hyoma Kunato

Hyoma Kunato is the protagonist, a 21‑year‑old Saenome exorcist from the Kunato family.

He has a scar on his left cheek received from a tsukumogami attack on the day his older brother and sister were killed.

Hyoma is serious, stubborn, and straightforward, often coming off as intimidating to strangers.

When he gets flustered, his speech style becomes overly formal and old‑fashioned, which only makes him seem weirder.

After a tsukumogami killed his siblings, Hyoma developed a burning hatred for all tsukumogami.

He fights using the “drawer pulls” taken from his siblings’ sliding doors, turning these mementos into deadly sealing tools.

By age twelve he was already fighting tsukumogami in real battles.

At eighteen he defeated the “Oou Demon Tile,” a powerful tsukumogami in the Tohoku region said to rival the Three Great Tsukumogami.

Because of his one‑sided hatred, Hyoma struggles to trust people and spirits.

Over time, living with Botan and her tsukumogami family forces him to confront his prejudice and recognize that tsukumogami have “hearts” and feelings too.

Botan Nagatsuki

Botan Nagatsuki is the heroine and current head of the Nagatsuki family, a 20‑year‑old university student in Kyoto.

She joins a classical poetry club (based on the Hyakunin Isshu card game) and is nicknamed “Bon‑chan” by her friends.

Botan cherishes the tsukumogami she lives with and sees them genuinely as her family.

Unknown to most people, she is a “vessel” of a Marebito, making her incredibly important to both tsukumogami and exorcists.

Since childhood, Botan has constantly been watched by countless tsukumogami drawn to her Marebito.

This eerie attention made her an outcast among other children, leaving deep emotional scars.

She is not uninterested in romance, but she is afraid of falling in love and of losing people she cares about.

Because of a past kidnapping incident, she has trouble trusting others fully and fears being betrayed.

As a child, Botan was kidnapped by a man and woman claiming to be relatives.

During their escape, an accident triggered a temporary manifestation of the Marebito inside her, which in turn is implied to have set one of the Umbrella spirits (the Karakasa group) into motion.

The Bridal Household Furnishings

The Bridal Household Furnishings are a group of tsukumogami formed from wedding trousseau items.

They serve as the personal protectors and family of Botan Nagatsuki.

Haori

Haori is a tsukumogami of a formal overcoat, appearing as a bespectacled woman who wears a suit covered by a haori coat.

She acts as the coordinator and de facto leader of the Bridal Household Furnishings.

Calm and composed, Haori usually smiles gently and speaks politely.

However, when someone threatens Botan, she becomes absolutely ruthless like the rest of the group.

Her power allows her to manipulate cloth; she can stretch and move her haori at will during combat.

Using this, she restrains enemies, shields allies, and cuts down opponents with deceptively soft fabric.

Kushige

Kushige is the tsukumogami of a comb chest, appearing as a large, white‑haired, white‑bearded elderly man.

He is physically the largest of the Bridal Household Furnishings and refers to himself in an old‑fashioned “I.”

He rarely speaks and has a quiet voice, so it is unusual for others to hear him talk.

When Botan was a small child and the other Furnishings were away on “duty,” he was her main playmate.

Kushige constantly maintains powerful protective barriers around Botan and the mansion they live in.

Because this consumes most of his strength, he normally cannot take part in tsukumogami sealing missions.

During an attack by a Karakasa‑linked tsukumogami, Kushige was nearly destroyed but saved himself by sealing his soul into his comb chest.

While sealed, he could no longer protect Botan or the house, but later, after the Music Bureau is defeated, he finishes regenerating and returns to action.

Once he returns, he only maintains a barrier around Botan herself instead of the whole mansion.

This shift frees enough power that he can participate in direct battles alongside the others.

Kagami

Kagami is a mirror tsukumogami, appearing as a lively young girl.

She wears her emotions on her sleeve and calls Hyoma by “Mr.” while calling Haori and Yu with affectionate name endings.

She loves sweet alcoholic drinks, especially Kahlua milk, and uses a transformation ability to appear as an adult woman when drinking in public.

At first she is terrified of Hyoma due to his hostility toward tsukumogami.

During a special‑exception evaluation for a tsukumogami named Yagen, Kagami is attacked when Yagen misunderstands the situation.

Hyoma saves her, which completely changes her view of him and she becomes fond and supportive.

Kagami’s signature ability is to reveal truth with the “Demon‑Revealing Mirror.”

She can project a circular mirror on her forehead that shows a target’s past, true nature, and hidden qualities.

Suzuri

Suzuri is an inkstone tsukumogami, appearing as a young man with hair covering his right eye.

He is a certified first‑class tourism and culture guide and constantly tries to flirt with women, which irritates Hyoma.

Despite how it looks, Suzuri’s constant attempts to chat up women are partly because he wants human friends.

He tries to make Hyoma understand that tsukumogami have “hearts” and emotions, not just dangerous powers.

This perspective helps nudge Hyoma toward a more nuanced view of tsukumogami after a case involving Nagi.

In combat, Suzuri can liquefy his body into ink, nullifying attacks and blinding enemies by splashing or spreading ink.

Yu

Yu is a hairpin tsukumogami who appears as a young woman with her hair tied in a bun.

She adores Botan to an almost overprotective degree and is extremely affectionate.

Her first impression of Hyoma is poor, so she stays wary of him early on.

That said, her personality actually meshes well with Hyoma’s serious, straightforward nature.

Yu can wield a large hairpin as her main weapon, using it both in close combat and as a thrown spear.

She can also bind and imprison targets by “pinning” them with her hairpins and tying them up with invisible force.

Nagi

Nagi is a blade tsukumogami, appearing as a sharp‑featured young man with a rough, quick‑tempered personality.

He swears a lot and is blunt, but he treasures Botan deeply and calls her “Ojou,” meaning “young lady.”

Nagi respects anyone who genuinely cares about Botan’s wellbeing.

He enjoys metal music and prefers sake as his drink, giving him a tough, old‑school image.

When Hyoma first visits the Nagatsuki home, he accuses the Bridal Household Furnishings of manipulating Botan.

Enraged, Nagi challenges him outright to test Hyoma’s resolve.

After sensing Hyoma’s true determination to protect Botan, Nagi warms up and becomes one of the first to sign the petition allowing Hyoma to stay.

Nagi’s signature ability is transforming both arms into blades and summoning gigantic sword‑like structures from the ground, towering as tall as buildings.

Zouhei Kunato

Zouhei Kunato is Hyoma’s grandfather and head of the Kunato family, one of the Three Great Families.

He also serves as the seventh chief of the Saenome’s Marebito Countermeasures Division.

Zouhei champions negotiation with tsukumogami and treats violent sealing as the last resort.

Hyoma’s tendency to rush straight into forceful exorcisms gives him constant headaches.

To teach Hyoma the possibility of coexistence, Zouhei forces him to live with Botan and her tsukumogami for one year.

He presents this as a trial: if Hyoma fails, his future in the Saenome will be in jeopardy.

Hayato Kunato

Hayato Kunato is Hyoma’s older brother, a self‑proclaimed and widely recognized “battle genius.”

By age sixteen he was said to have surpassed Zouhei’s strength.

Hayato’s first‑person speech is brash and arrogant, matching his fearless combat style.

However, he is eventually killed by the tsukumogami Tenjitsu, who consumes his body and takes it over.

Kusui Kunato

Kusui Kunato is Hyoma’s older sister.

She is killed by a Karakasa‑linked tsukumogami, the same event that scars Hyoma’s face and heart.

Shuyou Kunato

Shuyou Kunato is a heavily muscled man and Hyoma’s cousin.

He serves as Zouhei’s bodyguard during high‑level meetings between the Three Great Families.

Hyoma affectionately calls him “Suu‑san” and looks up to him.

Within the Kunato family he is nicknamed the “Joker,” indicating his role as their ultimate secret weapon.

Shuyou can perform “Empty Void,” a top‑tier Kunato sealing technique usually requiring multiple exorcists, all by himself.

With this power, he blows off the left half of Kai’s body in battle.

Taiju Kadomori

Taiju Kadomori is the head of the Kadomori family and representative of the Saenome Kyoto branch.

Zouhei describes him as a “bird of prey wearing the skin of a crafty old man.”

Taiju views tsukumogami purely as tools and strips them of free will using ofuda (paper tags) to turn them into puppets.

He preys on his opponents’ weaknesses, dragging them into his pace with cold, ruthless logic.

He met Botan once when she was a child and remembers her then as someone who trusted no one.

Seeing how she has changed, surrounded by tsukumogami she calls family, leaves a complicated impression on him.

Tsubaki Kadomori

Tsubaki Kadomori is Taiju’s daughter, a 22‑year‑old combat addict.

Unlike Hyoma, who hates tsukumogami for killing his siblings, Tsubaki chases danger for the thrill of it.

She hunts the Karakasa killer who murdered Hayato and Kusui, driven by a reason she initially mistakes for mere thirst for excitement.

She specializes in combat using “formation tags,” manipulating battlefields with arrays of paper charms.

Tsubaki occasionally meets Yu at cafes, showing they share some quiet off‑duty friendship.

Later, when the Karakasa overloads her with corruption, Tsubaki finally realizes her true motivation: she simply loved Hayato and Kusui and could not accept their deaths.

Shota Kadomori

Shota Kadomori is Tsubaki’s oldest brother, whom Taiju calls “Matsu.”

He fights using talisman techniques and works in the protective charm development office, crafting new ofuda.

Umekichi Kadomori

Umekichi Kadomori is Tsubaki’s second brother, nicknamed “Ume” by Taiju.

He combines sealing arts with close‑quarters combat and is especially skilled at fighting using clothing as both shield and weapon.

Tsuji Hojo

Tsuji Hojo is the head of the Tsuji family, one of the Three Great Families.

She appears as a warm, easygoing grandmother but in reality is shrewd and formidable.

Hojo is the one who proposes that heirs of the Three Great Families take turns guarding Botan.

Beneath her soft exterior, she calculates how to balance power among the clans.

White Lily Tsuji

White Lily Tsuji is Hojo’s great‑granddaughter and designated heir to the Tsuji family.

She is a 17‑year‑old high‑school girl who presents as quiet and observant.

Kai describes her as a “watcher doll,” implying she has a specialized role or unusual abilities.

Hyoma notes that she has none of the usual “Smell” of the Saenome, making her hard to read.

When White Lily moves into the Nagatsuki house as Botan’s bodyguard, she brings an absurd number of boxes.

Roughly seventy percent of their contents turn out to be books, highlighting her studious, introverted nature.

During a ritual where the Bridal Household Furnishings are to be annihilated, White Lily helps Botan sabotage the spell.

She uses her own skills to interfere with the procedure, showing where her loyalties lie.

Jingai

Jingai is a man with his hair tied back who appears as Hojo’s bodyguard.

He was once the overall master of Saenome martial arts.

In truth, Jingai is not human at all.

He is the oldest special‑exception tsukumogami in Tsuji service, a drawer‑pull spirit deeply tied to the family’s history.

Kokutan Yachimata

Kokutan Yachimata is the head of the Tokyo‑based Yachimata family, one of the Three Great Families.

He is at the center of suspicions surrounding the separation of the Bridal Household Furnishings from Botan and a sequence of attacks carried out by his subordinate, the Music Bureau.

When confronted, Kokutan brushes off the accusations and claims ignorance.

He ignores his negligence in controlling his subordinates and instead demands praise for the emergence of phenomena like the “Living God” and the “Straw Seat Turners.”

Kokutan is aggressively confrontational and orders attacks even during official family meetings if he senses hostility.

White Lily later reveals him as the mastermind behind efforts to eliminate the Bridal Household Furnishings, and he is shown to willingly ally himself with the Karakasa group.

He has partly allowed one of the Karakasa spirits to consume his body, making him no longer fully human.

When he reveals his true form, he displays Karakasa‑like eyes and regrown limbs, including a left arm previously lost to a Tsuji family attack.

He wields the drawer pulls passed down from past Yachimata family heads as weapons.

The Karakasa entity fused with him is actually a “pseudo‑Karakasa,” more a concentrated seed of corruption than the original.

Sumire Yachimata

Sumire Yachimata is Kokutan’s daughter and the family’s designated successor.

She is nearly 20 years old and has scars around one eye, giving her a distinctive look.

Sumire has a strong sense of justice but is inflexible and bad at hiding things.

Inspired by a hero show she watched as a child, she longs to be a “hero of justice” herself.

While assigned to guard Botan, she secretly investigates the Nagatsuki mansion.

She finds Kunato‑style talismans but is attacked by an unknown enemy, leaving her unconscious.

The attack injures her left eye and costs her two fingers on her left hand.

She eventually recovers some function, but the trauma marks her deeply.

Benihi Yachimata

Benihi Yachimata is Kokutan’s towering, muscular wife and the chief of punitive executioners in the Yachimata family.

In the Three Great Families conference, she serves as Kokutan’s bodyguard.

Physically overwhelming, she can lift Nagi one‑handed and nearly crush his left arm effortlessly.

Benihi is a “demon child” born from generations of inbreeding designed to strengthen the family’s bloodline against ever‑stronger tsukumogami.

In battle, she wears tsukumogami as armor and weapons, fusing with them to amplify her already monstrous physical power.

She hails from a branch family, adding another layer of power politics inside the Yachimata clan.

Satsuki

Satsuki is Botan’s paternal aunt.

When Botan was seven, Satsuki arrived with a distant male relative to take the girl away from the Nagatsuki tsukumogami.

Satsuki genuinely wanted Botan to live a normal, happy human life away from the dangers of tsukumogami.

However, the man accompanying her turned on them, attacking them during their escape.

In the resulting incident, Satsuki is killed.

This tragedy and the Marebito’s brief awakening during the accident reshape Botan’s fate.

Natsuki and Megumi

Natsuki and Megumi are Botan’s university friends.

They represent her attempt to maintain a normal student life amid the supernatural chaos.

The Great Armor (Oogusoku)

The Great Armor is one of Kyoto’s Three Great Tsukumogami, associated with a place called Sano.

Its core manifestation is the special‑exception tsukumogami Kai.

Kai

Kai is a male special‑exception tsukumogami considered among the strongest individual spirits in existence.

He originated in the early Edo period and was recognized as a special‑exception due to his immense power, then sealed inside a barrier by Itsuki out of fear.

To pass the time in captivity, Kai enjoys “entertaining” visitors by teasing and testing them.

He once made a deal with the Saenome: he would accept long‑term confinement in exchange for the right to choose his visitors whenever he pleases, even if that means dragging them into his barrier for many years.

Fascinated by rumors about Hyoma, Kai obtains permission to meet him and gauge his strength.

He deliberately brings up the Karakasa incident to provoke Hyoma, forcing him to reveal his true fighting skills and emotional scars.

Unlike most tsukumogami, who can only wield the power of their single originating object, Kai can also command armors and related tools.

He is a noble spirit born from ancient war gear and constantly stores power in a divine “inner realm” in case of emergencies.

Itsuki

Itsuki is a tsukumogami of a sacred fence, appearing as a young girl.

She is one of the few beings capable of sealing Kai.

Itsuki’s ability is to create divine domains and trap targets inside them, completely neutralizing Kai without directly fighting.

She has almost no direct combat ability herself, but her sealing skill alone makes her indispensable.

The Music Bureau (Gagakuryo)

The Music Bureau is another of Kyoto’s Three Great Tsukumogami, associated with Honjo.

Because they are instrument spirits whose purpose is “to be heard by humans,” they tend to be more human‑friendly than other tsukumogami.

Tsumabiki

Tsumabiki is a string‑instrument tsukumogami, appearing as an elderly woman with an eyepatch on her right eye.

She refers to herself as “old granny” and fights by extending strings from her fingertips to slice and restrain enemies.

Fukie

Fukie is a wind‑instrument tsukumogami, appearing as a boy with a perpetually suspicious look that leads to frequent police stops.

He uses a horizontal flute to cast suggestions and illusions, making normal people forget tsukumogami incidents.

Fukie can even manipulate tsukumogami themselves and command large groups of them at once.

This makes him a terrifying force multiplier in large‑scale conflicts.

Tsuzumi

Tsuzumi is a drum tsukumogami with a loud, bombastic personality.

He is so enthusiastic that he literally spits when he talks.

Tsuzumi tries to explain the Music Bureau’s “path of rock” philosophy to Botan, treating music and battle as two sides of the same passionate coin.

When a Living God manifests, he is wounded and then annihilated simply for the “ugliness” of his injured form.

Straw Seat Turners (Warazama‑washi)

The Straw Seat Turners are a group of tsukumogami linked to Karakasa umbrella spirits.

They operate in the shadows to free the Marebito inside Botan.

Tenjitsu

Tenjitsu is a male tsukumogami wielding an indigo Karakasa.

He devours Hayato Kunato’s body and claims it as his own, becoming a deadly enemy of the Kunato family.

Among tsukumogami he is known as “Kunato‑Slayer,” a title that reflects both his deed and infamous reputation.

His activities and the trauma he inflicts on Hyoma drive much of the plot’s darkness.

Shigure

Shigure is a female tsukumogami allied with the Straw Seat Turners.

She plays a significant role in their operations around Botan and the Marebito.

Kogarashi

Kogarashi is a male tsukumogami who speaks in a feminine manner and cheerfully admits to eating his favorite things first.

He possesses Shuyou Kunato’s body to bypass powerful barriers, using the borrowed form to infiltrate protected areas.

Kai’s full‑power attack inflicts a fatal‑looking wound on Kogarashi, but he survives because he is a “netherworld‑leaning” tsukumogami closer to the other side.

He attempts to massacre the surrounding Saenome, but Aogi and Uchiki reconfigure the annihilation altar and destroy him.

Fubuki

Fubuki is a female tsukumogami with jagged teeth, fighting by twisting a Karakasa into a spiral spear.

The memories residing in her umbrella body are filled not with hatred but with warm impressions of sunlight and gentle warmth.

These surprisingly peaceful recollections hint that not all Karakasa‑linked spirits began as monsters.

Even among the Straw Seat Turners, her inner world is notably calm.

Sogenbi

Sogenbi is a group of tsukumogami whose tools were used for torture or execution.

They share a deep grudge against families like the Nagatsuki, who specialize in hunting rogue tsukumogami.

Hikaki

Hikaki is a fire‑poker tsukumogami, appearing as a mohawked man.

He despises the Bridal Household Furnishings, famous as “same‑species hunters,” and decides to wipe them out.

To that end, he leads fellow Sogenbi spirits including scissors (a kind of grasping tool), Koyori the twisted paper string, and Kaginawa the grappling hook in an assault on the Nagatsuki household.

Initially he barely cares about Hyoma, focusing only on killing the Furnishings.

After overhearing Nagi and the others discuss Hyoma’s growing strength and notoriety, Hikaki changes his mind.

Out of spite, he decides killing Hyoma first will be more satisfying.

Hikaki and his comrades treat murder as a game, slaughtering humans without a second thought.

This enrages Hyoma, who defeats them alongside the Bridal Household Furnishings.

Hainarashi

Hainarashi is an ash‑rake tsukumogami, a towering giant of a man and Hikaki’s “big brother” figure.

Upon learning that Hikaki and the others were defeated, he targets Botan for revenge.

He attacks Botan directly, seeing her as the heart of the Nagatsuki group.

Hyoma, Nagi, and Yu rush to the scene and together bring him down.

Hikikiri

Hikikiri is a saw tsukumogami taking the form of a man.

He embodies the cruel cutting edge of the Sogenbi group’s origins.

Shimoto

Shimoto is a muscular female tsukumogami associated with whipping.

Her presence drives home the Sogenbi’s theme of punishment tools turned vengeful.

Mushiro

Mushiro is a male tsukumogami originally a woven straw mat.

He fights alongside the other Sogenbi members in their vendetta against the Nagatsuki household.

Other Special‑Exception Tsukumogami

Koujibako

Koujibako is a tsukumogami born from a malted rice box, appearing as a very tall woman.

She is a special‑exception whose “duty” is brewing sake.

Nagi once visits her in search of a mythical liquor and challenges her to a drinking contest.

Since Nagi returns home carrying the treasured sake, it is implied he actually wins the match.

Hata

Hata is a tsukumogami of a hand loom, appearing as a man.

He is a special‑exception who weaves special cloth, including the protective garments worn by Saenome exorcists.

He uses thread spun by a spinning‑wheel tsukumogami to create fabric with its own will.

To wear the cloth properly, a Saenome must have the cloth accept them as its master, turning the outfit into a living defensive tool.

Aogi

Aogi is an iron fan tsukumogami working as a special‑exception information broker.

He teams up with Uchiki to handle internal investigations and espionage.

Aogi’s fan motif mirrors his ability to “fan out” information, contacts, and rumors.

His intelligence work often shapes the big strategic picture behind the scenes.

Uchiki

Uchiki is a twelve‑layered ceremonial robe tsukumogami, also a special‑exception and Aogi’s partner in information gathering.

He has a layered body, like stacked robes: sealing arts can only capture his outermost layer at a time.

When all twelve layers are present, Uchiki appears as a massively built man.

With only three or four layers, he looks like a slim woman, dramatically changing his silhouette.

Uchiki’s layered nature makes him exceptionally hard to imprison or destroy permanently.

In the battle against Kogarashi, he helps reconstruct the annihilation altar that ultimately wipes out the netherworld‑leaning tsukumogami.

Okuu

Okuu is a mansion tsukumogami, normally sealed and existing as an ordinary building.

In emergencies, he awakens, turning the entire house into a massive body that attacks intruders and protects the occupants.

The Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari anime aired in Japan in 2023, split into a First Chapter and a Second Chapter.

The series was produced by BN Pictures with Ryoichi Kimura as director and Keiichiro Ochi handling series composition.

Character designs were led by Shiori Fujisawa, with Yuka Shiga as sub‑character designer.

Action and prop design were handled by Satomi Watabe, Tetsuro Nireki, and Tsuneshito Oogi.

Art direction was by Hiroki Matsumoto, who also shared art setting duties with various studios.

Color design was led by Satoko Kimura, and Yoichi Oogami handled cinematography.

Editing was done by Kazuhiro Arai, and Hiromi Kikuta served as sound director.

The music was composed by John Kanda and XELIK, with production support from Bandai Namco Music Live and Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment.

The anime was produced by BN Pictures under planning and production by Shogakukan‑Shueisha Productions.

The production committee included companies such as BS11, Bandai Namco, Happinet Phantom Studio, and Lantis.

Broadcast and Streaming

The First Chapter aired from January to March 2023 on Tokyo MX and BS11, with AT‑X broadcasting slightly later.

The Second Chapter followed from July to September 2023 on the same networks plus Tochigi TV.

On Japanese streaming platforms, episodes were simulcast on ABEMA ahead of other services.

Later, they were available on major platforms including Amazon Prime Video, d Anime Store, Hulu, Netflix’s regional equivalents, U‑NEXT, and many more.

Outside of television, the anime was also streamed on services such as YouTube, Google Play, Rakuten TV, and others in Japan.

Many services offered catch‑up releases a few days after the TV airing.

Theme Songs

The First Chapter opening theme is “Koigokoro” (“Love Garment”) by ARCANA PROJECT.

The song was written by Sasa Ando, composed and arranged by John Kanda, with string arrangements by Ryunosuke Kasai.

The First Chapter ending theme is “rebind” performed by TRUE (Mihiro Karasawa).

Lyrics are by Mihiro Karasawa, composition by XELIK, and arrangement by h‑wonder with string arrangements by Yosuke Yamashita.

The Second Chapter opening theme is “Taga Tame” (“For Whom”) by Megatera Zero.

He wrote the lyrics and John Kanda composed and arranged the track.

The Second Chapter ending theme is “Private Room” by Azusa Tadokoro.

Lyrics are by Kosuke Ogi, while John Kanda again handles composition and arrangement.

Home Video

The anime was released on Blu‑ray in four volumes.

Volume 1 contains episodes 1–6 and Volume 2 contains episodes 7–12, covering the First Chapter.

Volume 3 contains episodes 13–18 and Volume 4 contains episodes 19–24, covering the Second Chapter.

Each release includes extras such as booklets and clean opening and ending videos in the Japanese market.

Web Radio: “Monono no Radio!”

A companion podcast titled “Monono no Radio!” launched on Spotify as a podcast in July 2023.

Episodes feature cast members discussing the series, characters, and recording anecdotes.

The first episode, released on July 14, is hosted by Yuki Takada (Botan) with guest Miyuki Sawashiro (Haori).

The second features Yoshihiro Kobayashi (Nagi) as host with Takuya Otsuka (Hyoma) as guest.

The third episode brings together Otsuka and Takada with guest Azusa Tadokoro (Itsuki).

The fourth features Takada as host with guests Yoshiki Nakajima (Suzuri) and Yoko Hikasa (Shigure).

Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari is written and illustrated by Onigunsou.

The series began in Shueisha’s Miracle Jump and then transferred to Ultra Jump, where it concluded after about nine years.

All 16 volumes were published under the Young Jump Comics label by Shueisha.

Below is the volume outline in narrative form:

Volume 1 was released in March 2015 and introduces Hyoma, Botan, and the basic Saenome and tsukumogami setting.

Volume 2 followed in April 2015, expanding the Bridal Household Furnishings’ dynamics and early conflicts.

Volume 3 came out in December 2015, continuing the Miracle Jump era.

Volume 4, released in May 2016, marks the early Ultra Jump period and deepens the Kyoto setting.

Volume 5, from December 2016, focuses on the Kadomori branch and Tsubaki’s role.

Volume 6, released in June 2017, features the Sogenbi’s aggressions and the strengthening of Hyoma’s ties to the Bridal Household Furnishings.

Volume 7, from January 2018, continues to explore the politics between exorcist families and special‑exception tsukumogami.

Volume 8, released in June 2018, introduces White Lily Tsuji and expands the role of the Three Great Families.

Volume 9, from January 2019, brings the Yachimata family into sharper focus, including Sumire and Benihi.

Volume 10, released in September 2019, escalates the conflicts between the Three Great Families and hints at Kokutan’s schemes.

Volume 11, from May 2020, explores the Kunato family’s hidden aces like Shuyou and the deeper history of special‑exception spirits.

Volume 12, released in January 2021, further develops Botan’s Marebito and the Straw Seat Turners’ threat.

Volume 13, from November 2021, moves toward the endgame of family politics and the Karakasa conspiracies.

Volume 14, released in May 2022, reveals Kokutan’s collusion with Karakasa and Tsubaki’s true feelings about her lost friends.

Volume 15, from January 2023, sets up the final confrontations among humans, tsukumogami, and the Marebito.

Volume 16, released in August 2023, concludes the story, resolving the fates of Hyoma, Botan, the Three Great Families, and the tsukumogami factions.