How Folklore Spirited Anime Away

How Folklore Spirited Anime Away

From Imaginary Worlds by Eric Molinsky | Daylight Media

June 3, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode explores the influence of yōkai from folklore on anime and manga, featuring discussions with scholars on their cultural significance.

Anime and manga are a global phenomenon, and their popularity continues to grow. Many of these stories are populated by supernatural beings called yōkai. Even though yōkai can be portrayed as ghosts, demons, or monsters, they're rarely purely good or evil. We trace the history of yōkai from ancient folklore to Studio Ghibli films and shows like Dan Da Dan. I talk with scholars Kaitlyn Ugoretz, Deborah Shamoon, and Michael Dylan Foster about why these supernatural beings have captured people's imaginations, how they became central to modern pop culture, and the role they play in Japan even in times of national emergency. Deborah’s book, “Text and Image: Making Meaning in Manga and Comics” is available in the Fall. Kaitlyn’s YouTube channel is Eat Pray Anime. Michael Dylan Foster wrote several books on yōkai To support the show, you can donate on Patreon where you get access to the ad-free version and our companion show Between Imaginary Worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Eric Molinsky

Guests: Kaitlyn Ugoretz, Deborah Shamoon, Michael Dylan Foster

Topics covered

  • anime
  • manga
  • yōkai
  • folklore
  • pop culture
  • supernatural beings

Keywords

  • yōkai
  • anime
  • manga
  • folklore
  • supernatural
  • pop culture
  • Studio Ghibli
  • Japan

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Studio Ghibli, Eat Pray Anime

Books & works: Text and Image: Making Meaning in Manga and Comics

More episodes of Imaginary Worlds

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Imaginary Worlds podcast page.