Tonari no Yōkai-san ("The Yōkai Next to Me") is a supernatural Slice of Life manga, written and illustrated by noho. Originally self-published on Twitter in 2017, it was later serialized in Mato Grosso from 2018 to 2022 and compiled into four volumes (and one extra side story).
The story takes place in a town called Fuchigamori, somewhere in the rural parts of Japan, where the locals live their daily lives alongside Youkai who have also lived in the area for many years. It starts with Buchio being reincarnated as a nekomata.
In April 2024, an anime adaptation by Liden Films was shown in Japan (and overseas by Crunchyroll), directed by Aimi Yamauchi and written by Tomoko Konparu.
Tonari no Yōkai-san contains examples of:
- Acrophobic Bird: Jiro would rather walk or take the bus than fly. When asked why by Mu-chan, he claims flying is quite tiring, like a human running at full speed all the time.
- Benevolent Monsters: A lot of the Yōkai in this series are much friendlier and less dangerous than how they are traditionally depicted in the classic folk tales. One particular example: Jiro the Tengu is rather easygoing and good friends with his human neighbors, in particular their daughter Mu-chan. A far cry from the demonic tricksters or violently territorial beings they are known to be in classic mythology. Hanako, the ghost who supposedly haunts female restrooms, is a student in the local school who double as a guidance counselor to her fellow classmates.
- Dragons Are Divine: In this setting, dragons are gods. One of them is friends with Tazenbo and visits the town every now and then. Because she works close to humans, she also assumes the form of an idol to make herself approachable.
- Fish out of Water: Buchiou suddenly turning into a nekomata makes him new to the entire world of Yōkai, something he is still adjusting to. This way, he also acts as an Audience Surrogate, introducing the viewer to the world of Yōkai.
- Food Porn: There's a few closeup shots of Mutsumi and Jiro making Inari sushi. However, they don't eat it since it's offered for the deity in an altar.
- Maou: Sanmoto is one, he is a TV Star, politician, and very influent among Yokai. In this setting, Demon King seems to be a category of Youkai from another world.
- Nue: Buchio encounters a nue in the back roads of Fuchigamori with Takumi, said to bring misfortune when one hears its cry. The former had to disguise himself as an archer to force the nue to go back to the bushes.
- Older Than They Look: Jiro is older than 150 years, but his friendly personality, as well as being often accompanied by his much older grandfather, makes people think he is much younger.
- Police Are Useless: The local police in Fuchigamori aren't able to help those who filed missing persons report if it's suspected to be a spirited away case due to a lack of resources needed to do a proper investigation.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: The locals (and visitors) to Fuchigamori aren't startled by the presence of various youkai who live in the town.
- Urban Fantasy: The story takes place in a town called Fuchigamori, somewhere in the rural parts of Japan, where the locals live their daily lives alongside Youkai who have also lived in the area for many years.
- Wham Shot: "Episode 1" (corresponds to chapter 10) has Mu-chan see a black mass in the bushes.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: It's not clear where in Japan Fuchigamori is.
- Would Hurt a Child: In the battle against the White Serpent, Jiro defeated her by killing the unborn child in her belly, something for which she carried a grudge and swore revenge for centuries. Jiro recognizes that what he did was awful in the present day and tries to help the serpent, even to the point of offering himself up to be targeted by her revenge without resistance.
