In/Spectre
In/Spectre
Now Showing

In/Spectre

7.7
Yr 2020
Rt 24m
Status Ended
Animation Comedy Mystery Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Your Verdict
Unrated

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Series Brief

Overview

Kotoko Iwanaga became the god of wisdom to the supernatural beings and spends her days solving problems for them. However, the boy who she fell head over heels for, Kuro Sakuragawa, is someone that is feared by all supernatural creatures. The two of them face various mysterious incidents involving the supernatural in this love x romance x mystery series. Where will these fantastical incidents lead them and what will happen with Kotoko’s crush?

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 62 /100

In/Spectre generated moderate interest among critics thanks to its supernatural premise, distinctive visual style, and the engaging premise of a goddess of wisdom acting as a mediator for spirits. Early episodes were praised for setting up a curious blend of mystery, horror, and relationship dynamics, drawing comparisons to dialogue-heavy yokai and supernatural shows.

However, overall consensus was tempered by pacing issues and an increasingly talk-heavy narrative. Reviewers noted that the show often leaned away from actual physical stakes or energetic action in favor of protracted discussions and strategy debates. The central romance and character dynamics also drew mixed reactions, leaving critics feeling the series did not quite live up to its promising initial setup.

“In/Spectre filled that niche, as something of a cross between Bakemonogatari and Natsume’s Book of Friends.”

“Instead, the gradual pacing results in a series that comes across as a bizarre Frankenstein blend of a Dragon Ball Z fight and a debate club...”

“In/Spectre had a lot of potential. It’s a series with a lot of things going for it, from the well-regarded past works of the creator to the attractive character designs and spooky setup.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Crunchyroll
US • CA • UK
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
US • CA • UK
Why fans love it

Adapted from a manga, this 2020 supernatural anime builds its appeal around an oddly matched duo. Kotoko Iwanaga serves as an official god of wisdom to spirits and creatures, untangling strange crises in their hidden realm. Tagging along is Kuro Sakuragawa—featuring voice work from Mamoru Miyano—a boy who terrifies the very phantasms Kotoko protects, yet remains the sole target of her unabashed romantic crush.

The series thrives on the collision of comedy, fantasy, and shounen mystery investigation. Rather than relying on simple monster brawls, the narrative hinges on Kotoko's bizarre inquiries and the deadpan dynamic between the two leads. The distinct charm comes from watching eerie supernatural dilemmas unfold right alongside Kotoko's persistent pursuit of romance, turning every otherworldly incident into an entertaining blend of problem-solving and flirtation.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 63
Regulars 7
Longest run 15 eps
Akari Kito
Akari Kito
as Kotoko Iwanaga (voice)
Mamoru Miyano
Mamoru Miyano
as Kuro Sakuragawa (voice)
Mayumi Saco
Mayumi Saco
as Rikka Sakuragawa (voice)
7 episodes
Aoi Yuki
Aoi Yuki
as Yuki-Onna (voice)
3 episodes
Makoto Furukawa
Makoto Furukawa
as Muroi Masayuki (voice)
3 episodes
Kouki Miyata
Kouki Miyata
as Guardian Serpent (voice)
2 episodes
Nobuo Tobita
Nobuo Tobita
as Tree Spirit Gen'ichiro (voice)
1 episode
Kosuke Echigoya
Kosuke Echigoya
as President (voice)
1 episode
Show 55 more
Sayaka Kitahara as Nurse C (voice) 2 episodes Rena Maeda as Anonymous (voice) 10 episodes Manami Hanawa as Black Komainu (voice) 15 episodes Genta Nakamura as Ayakashi (voice) 12 episodes Yoshimitsu Shimoyama as Ochimusha [Fallen warrior] (voice) 9 episodes Hiroki Goto as Bake-danuki (voice) 8 episodes Kaori Motoyama as White Komainu (voice) 15 episodes Shuichiro Umeda as Pseudonym (voice) 3 episodes Yuki Ominami as Sumi Otonashi (voice) 6 episodes Yuji Murai as Nameless (voice) 4 episodes Hiroki Matsukawa as Mayor (voice) 2 episodes Takayuki Nakatsukasa as Nameless (voice) 3 episodes Nanami Yamashita as Girl A (voice) 1 episode Takaaki Torashima as Karin's father (voice) 5 episodes Tomohiro Yamaguchi as Pseudonym (voice) 5 episodes Yuuki Shin as Ghost (voice) 1 episode Yoji Ueda as Yokai (voice) 1 episode Shinjirou Gouda as New hospital director (voice) 3 episodes Takashi Matsuyama as Detective Furukawa (voice) 2 episodes Saya Hirose as Nagisa Iizuka (voice) 2 episodes Joichiro Yoshida as Detective (voice) 1 episode Yoshikazu Nakadai as Lawyer (voice) 1 episode Miyako Kobayashi as Ayakashi (voice) 1 episode Baron Yamazaki as Announcer (voice) 1 episode Love Morinaga as Comedian 1 (voice) 2 episodes Murayama J Sarshi as Comedian 2 (voice) 2 episodes Yasuhiro Kikuchi as Zenta Tohira (voice) 2 episodes Tomosa Murata as Female Ghost (voice) 1 episode Shinnosuke Musashi as Man A (voice) 1 episode Taichi Takeda as Man B (voice) 1 episode Mayumi Tsukishima as Ayakashi (voice) 1 episode Ruka Shoji as Ayakashi (voice) 1 episode Hiroshi Yanaka as Goichi Otonashi (voice) 3 episodes Naoya Uchida as Susumu Otonashi (voice) 4 episodes Manaka Iwami as Rion Otonashi (voice) 4 episodes Masaki Terasoma as Koya Fujinuma (voice) 3 episodes Hisao Egawa as Ryoma Otonashi (voice) 3 episodes Shinji Kawada as Fubuki / Man (voice) 2 episodes Nodoka Hasegawa as Kaoruko Otonashi (voice) 2 episodes Yuki Ishikari as Susumu Otonashi (flashback) (voice) 2 episodes Katsumi Fukuhara as Ryoma Otonashi (flashback) (voice) 1 episode Daichi Furusawa as Company employee A (voice) 1 episode Ryosuke Tamura as Company employee B (voice) 1 episode Miho Tabata as Company employee C (voice) 1 episode Hiroki Takahashi as Takaya Kajio (voice) 1 episode Takuya Eguchi as Ryotaro Jujoji (voice) 1 episode Ai Kaneta as Proprietress (voice) 1 episode Shimba Tsuchiya as Kazuyuki Konno (voice) 1 episode Kana Ichinose as Marumi Oki (voice) 1 episode Tomoko Miyadera as Tae Shimai (voice) 2 episodes Tomokazu Sugita as Bake-neko (voice) 2 episodes Sumire Uesaka as Karin Nanase (voice) 4 episodes Kenji Hamada as Detective Terada (voice) 6 episodes Masato Niwa as Man C (voice) 1 episode Misato Fukuen as Saki Yumihara (voice) 10 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where In/Spectre overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

based on novel or book immortality investigation supernatural romance premonition creature based on manga spirit demon supernatural investigation japanese folklore youkai japanese mythology shounen anime duo disabled person supernatural power supernatural ability romantic
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 12, 2020
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
24 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
202