Let’s be completely honest: SpiritPact (灵契 / Ling Qi) is a bit of a chaotic masterpiece.
When the first season dropped back in 2016 under Haoliners Animation League, it wore its budgetary constraints on its sleeve. The animation was frequently rough around the edges, the pacing was a wild pendulum swinging between slapstick comedy and heavy melodrama, and it took a while to find its footing.
Yet, for those who stuck around for Season 2 (Bond of the Underworld), the payoff was immense. The production values got a massive glow-up, the tragic backstories deepened, and the core dynamic between the poverty-stricken ghost Yang Jinghua and the powerful, stoic exorcist Duanmu Xi became unforgettable. It proved that a series doesn’t have to be technically flawless to completely steal your heart with its emotional stakes, urban folklore, and fierce, soul-binding loyalty.
If you’ve been chasing that exact high—the dark spiritual politics, the exorcisms, and the complex “ride-or-die” partnerships—here are 10 supernatural anime and donghua that belong on your radar.
The Donghua Essentials (Chinese Animation)
1. Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation)
If SpiritPact introduced you to the concept of fated spiritual bonds, Mo Dao Zu Shi is the gold standard you need to experience next.
- The Vibe: High-fantasy cultivation, necromancy, and ancient clan politics.
If you were frustrated by the visual limitations of early SpiritPact, B.CMAY PICTURES’ staggering 2D animation here will be a breath of fresh air. It follows Wei Wuxian, an unorthodox cultivator who controls the dead, and Lan Wangji, a rigidly moral, high-status cultivator. The story bounces across a sprawling timeline of war, betrayal, and deep, quiet devotion. It can be lore-heavy and hard to follow at first glance, but the staggering emotional payoffs and elite action set pieces make it unmissable.
2. Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu)
- The Vibe: Gods, ghosts, and centuries of absolute devotion.
This series leans heavily into the “powerful entity fiercely protecting an underdog” dynamic, but flips the script on the power scale. Xie Lian is a twice-banished, joke-of-the-heavens martial god who keeps getting stuck with dirty work, while Hua Cheng is a terrifyingly powerful Ghost King who has waited 800 years for him. While the pacing in the middle stretches can occasionally feel a bit slow as it sets up its grand mythology, the sheer tenderness of the central relationship and the incredible world-building make it a breathtaking watch.
3. Legend of Exorcism (Tian Bao Fu Yao Lu)
- The Vibe: Gritty 3D CGI, historical action, and demon hunting.
If your favorite part of SpiritPact was the actual business of fighting evil entities and dealing with curses, this Sparkly Key production delivers. Set in a stylized Tang Dynasty, it follows an elite exorcism department. It utilizes a highly detailed 3D CGI style that might feel jarring if you are purely a 2D fan, but once you adjust, the choreography of the battle sequences and the natural, unforced chemistry between the male leads make it an addictive urban fantasy.
4. Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire (Lie Huo Jiao Chou)
- The Vibe: Modern urban fantasy, ancient curses, and secret magical bureaus.
This is the closest narrative spiritual successor to SpiritPact’s modern setup. It features the director of a supernatural containment bureau and a reawakened ancient emperor whose fates are inextricably tangled. The plot moves at a breakneck speed—sometimes to its own detriment, leaving you to piece together the magic system on the fly—but it anchors itself with a beautifully angsty, complex dynamic between its leads that carries the show through its rougher narrative transitions.
5. Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)
- The Vibe: Modern sci-fi thriller, time travel, and intense codependency.
Okay, there are no ancient exorcists or traditional folklore talismans here. Why is it on the list? Because it perfectly captures the essence of two modern partners whose lives are utterly intertwined. Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a photo studio and jump through time to fulfill client requests. It starts as a monster-of-the-week mystery but quickly snowballs into a high-stakes psychological thriller. It’s an emotional rollercoaster where the unwavering loyalty between the two leads is the beating heart of the entire show.
The Anime Counterparts (Japanese Animation)
6. Noragami
If you want a plot that sounds almost identical to SpiritPact but executed with a classic, high-energy Japanese urban fantasy flair, this is your immediate next stop.
- The Vibe: Modern supernatural comedy hiding a very dark underbelly.
Yato is a penniless, forgotten deity who takes odd jobs for 5 yen. He forms a literal soul contract with a human spirit, Yukine, who becomes his “Regalia”—a weapon forged from a soul. Studio Bones brings their signature fluid animation to the fight scenes. While the anime inserts a bit of standard shounen comedy filler that can distract from the core plot, the exploration of family trauma, generational curses, and the symbiotic master-servant bond is elite.
7. The Case Study of Vanitas (Vanitas no Carte)
- The Vibe: Gothic steampunk, vampires, and forced partnerships.
If the chaotic, bickering, yet fiercely protective energy of Jinghua and Duanmu Xi was what kept you watching, Vanitas and Noé will be your new obsession. A human wielding a cursed grimoire and a noble vampire are forced into an alliance to cure a spiritual malady affecting vampires. Produced by Studio Bones, it is incredibly stylish, lush, and dramatic. The plot can occasionally get lost in its own theatricality, but the sheer charisma and explosive chemistry of the leads make it impossible to look away.
8. Tactics
- The Vibe: Mid-2000s folklore nostalgia and master-servant contracts.
A bit of a hidden gem from Studio Deen, Tactics follows Kantarou, an eccentric folklorist and exorcist who accidentally unseals Haruka, a legendary, incredibly powerful demon-eating tengu. Haruka is bound to become his servant. Because it aired in the mid-2000s, the animation style is undeniably dated and follows a more episodic structure. However, underneath the vintage charm lies a deeply compelling, complex power dynamic that explores what it truly means to “own” a spirit’s loyalty.
9. Beyond the Boundary (Kyoukai no Kanata)
- The Vibe: High-budget urban dark fantasy and cursed lineages.
Kyoto Animation brings their top-tier, cinematic visual flair to this story about a spirit world warrior who manipulates her own blood as a weapon, and an immortal, half-human spirit creature boy. While it centers on a male-female romantic dynamic rather than a bromance, it shares SpiritPact‘s DNA of dealing with dark spiritual duties, heavily ostracized protagonists, and the heavy burden of keeping each other alive against a hostile supernatural world.
10. The Betrayal Knows My Name (Uraboku)
- The Vibe: Dark supernatural melodrama, reincarnation, and ancient clan wars.
Yuki is a teenager with mysterious spiritual powers who crosses paths with Luka, a gorgeous, high-ranking demon who has protected Yuki across multiple past lifetimes. It is unapologetic, moody supernatural melodrama with heavy shounen-ai undertones. It can occasionally lean into cliché anime tropes of its era, but if you want ancient family bloodfeuds, dramatic declarations of eternal protection, and dark urban fantasy, it hits every single mark.
Where to Start?
- If you want an immaculate, high-tier story that mirrors the deep, complex bond of SpiritPact: Go with Mo Dao Zu Shi.
- If you want something modern, snappy, and structurally similar with soul-weapon mechanics: Dive into Noragami.
Which one are you adding to your watchlist first? Let me know in the comments below!