By: AC Recio
Halloween is the time to wear outlandish costumes, tell scary stories, and celebrate with devilish glee. But more than being a night of ghoulish celebration, Halloween is a time that’s often associated with the season it falls on – autumn. Despite more than half the world not having four seasons, we can’t help but associate Halloween with falling orange leaves, small sleepy towns, and that unplaceable feeling of melancholy in the air. And just as we welcome Halloween from the comfortable silence of our homes, we share with you High Five animated series that capture the spirit of the season.
Gravity Falls
If I had one word to describe Gravity Falls, it would be “delightful.” The series follows 12-year old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines as they spend summer with their great uncle Stan in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Initially apprehensive of staying in the middle of the wilderness, the twins begin to unravel the secrets of the town with the help of a cryptic journal they find in the forest.
Gravity Falls plays out like a normal “monster of the week” series, but with a thread of clues connecting each episode to a bigger mystery waiting to be uncovered. The setting is a quaint little town, with each of the residents having their own secrets and motivations. And while all of this is intriguing enough, what really makes the series stand out is its emotional core and the relationships formed between the characters.
Gravity Falls is a cute and funny series with emotional depth and a mystery that you genuinely want to witness unfold until the end.
Mushishi
If you want a meditative series with lush visuals and a unique premise then Mushishi is the anime for you. Central to the series is the concept of mushi – primitive lifeforms which are invisible to most people due to their ethereal nature. Like all creatures, mushi are merely trying to survive in the environments they are born in, but because they have supernatural abilities, these creatures often cause trouble for ordinary citizens who want nothing more than to live normal lives.
The series follows Ginko, one of the few people who can see mushi. Because of this ability, Ginko becomes a mushi master (mushi-shi) who travels across the forests and towns of Edo/Meiji era Japan to protect people from the potential harms that can come from the existence of mushi.
Mushishi explores themes of loss and suffering, the sanctity of life, and maintaining balance and harmony with nature. It has its fair share of visual and supernatural horror, and genuine bittersweet and tear-jerking moments, but despite how dark the series can get, Mushishi has an overall tranquility that permeates each episode and makes it a soothing watch.
Over The Garden Wall
“How the gentle wind beckons through the leaves as autumn colors fall,” sings a frog while it plays a vintage upright piano – this is how we’re introduced to Over The Garden Wall, a miniseries about two brothers trying to find their way home. The brothers – the older and serious Wirt and the younger and carefree Greg – encounter strange people and creatures on their journey, making for fun and disconcerting adventures that are a joy to watch.
The series is often compared to Mushishi in terms of setting and mood – both are vaguely set in 19th century forests and have a sense of tranquility from their immersion in nature. And while this is true, Over The Garden Wall has a more unsettling feeling about it. Something isn’t right and you want to find out why, but nevertheless you enjoy the ride.
The miniseries is composed of 10 episodes, with each episode running for 11 minutes. In this short period of time, Over The Garden Wall takes you through a timeless Americana folktale, exploring themes of life and death and deepening the bond between the brothers and their bluebird companion Beatrice. With a total runtime of 110 minutes, this surreal series deserves its place in the coming-of-age canon by showing us how quality can trump quantity.
Haibane Renmei
Much like the previous anime entry on this list, Haibane Renmei is a soothing series in an idyllic setting. But unlike Mushishi, this series explores depression and grief, which gives its comforting atmosphere a dark turn.
Haibane Renmei follows Rakka, a newborn Haibane or ash-winged being, as she tries to grow accustomed to her new home, the strange town of Glie. Just as Rakka becomes closer with her fellow Haibane, mysterious disappearances begin haunting the town. And while the residents of Glie have no idea why this is happening, their longing for answers and meaning lead them to search for salvation.
While this series isn’t very Halloween-like in the traditional sense, it captures the essence of the season through its dreamy imagery, quiet setting and melancholic air. Haibane Renmei tackles mature themes of guilt, forgiveness and self-acceptance through religious metaphors, and it does so in a genuine and non-preaching way that gives you a well-earned sense of relief and comfort when the series ends.
Hilda
Hilda is a series about the eponymous protagonist and her adventures in Trollberg, a city where mundane meets fantasy. Similar to Gravity Falls, Hilda might be the only other entry in this list that’s clearly aimed at a younger audience, with the aforementioned main character embodying all aspects we’ve come to expect from a traditional protagonist – brave, kind and stubborn. But this doesn’t stop this series from being enjoyable to people of all ages.
Inspired by Scandinavian folklore, the series is colorful, nostalgic and moving, showing us that adventure can be found in the most unexpected places. What makes this show unique is how it focuses on personal growth and emotional maturity – although Hilda is just a kid, she is able to resolve conflicts between giants, elves, trolls and other mystical beings by listening to others, learning from her mistakes, and eventually doing what’s best for everyone involved. You might feel too old to watch a show like this, but sometimes we all need something like Hilda to remind us that even ordinary people can overcome the toughest trials through determination, communication and compromise.
Will you be watching any of these series or do you have recommendations of your own? Share it with us in the comments section below!