The Dark Side of High School: A Look at 'High School DxD' and Other Occult-Themed Anime

In a world where supernatural beings walk among mortals, adolescence can be particularly challenging for certain students. This is certainly true for our protagonist, Issei Hyodo, in the popular anime series 'High School Dxd'. Joining his classmates are a cast of powerful female demons-in-training at the prestigious (and somewhat hellish) academy known as -to-sokou no Hama-tsubame Academy- or simply, -Holo-.

Issei's life takes an unexpected turn when he is brutally murdered by his ex-girlfriend after spending their first anniversary together. However, instead of being sent to the depths of purgatory (or heaven), Isseis soul awakens in a world very similar yet decidedly more demon-inclined than our own: the realm of Hell.

Herein lies where things get really interesting for poor ol' Issei as he soon finds himself bound by contract to serve an incubus named -Rias- who just so happens to be the most beautiful girl (and strongest being) at his new school. But don't worry, folks; this isn-

Of course, 'High School DxD's' blend of action-packed harem comedy and dark supernatural themes wouldnt be complete without a healthy dose of ecchi fan service thrown into the mix.

But what about other great anime that explore similar - shall we say? - macabre subject matter?

One such series is 'Re:Zero', which follows our protagonist, Subaru Nadeshiro as he awakens each day at an uncertain point in time with no memory of his previous life. As fate (or rather, the cruel whims of a mysterious being known only as 'Dead) continues to toy with him, poor old Subie finds himself reliving- and retrying -the same day over and over again.

But be warned: this particular anime does not pull any punches when it comes to graphic violence or mature themes. So if youre easily grossed out by gore-soaked battles between possessed high school students, then maybe its best you look elsewhere...

Lastly we have the highly-rated (and somewhat disturbing) series 'The Irregular at Magic Academy', which follows our protagonist as he enrolls in a prestigious magical academy despite having absolutely no innate magic abilities whatsoever. But dont let that fool you folks; sometimes being an outsider can actually work to your advantage - especially when youre surrounded by powerful mages who are more than happy to use any means necessary to prove their superiority over others...

So there you have it: just a small sampling of the many fantastic anime series out there that combine elements of dark fantasy, supernatural mystery- and plenty of eye-candy for good measure. So grab some popcorn (or whatever your vice may be), sit back relax -and get ready to enter... The Dark Side Of High School!

Highschool of the dead gelbooru