Imagine you step off a rickety ferry in old Edo, umbrella dripping, lanterns swaying — but instead of polite merchants you get karaoke duels, demon hunters, rebel samurai, and one very opinionated medicine seller. Edo in anime is equal parts poetry and chaos: political intrigue, ghost stories, sword-fights, weird monsters, and surprisingly modern vibes. Here’s 15 anime that take place in the Edo-Period that capture all of the flavors — some realistic, some supernatural, all dramatic.

1. Samurai Champloo — 9.8 / 10

A stylish, anachronistic trip through an alternate Edo — samurai vibes mixed with hip-hop, kinetic fights, and a killer soundtrack. A must-watch for style and character dynamics.

2. Gintama — 9.6 / 10

Late-Edo, but aliens showed up and messed everything up. Comedy, parody, absurdity — yet also deep emotional arcs when it wants to be. If you like jokes that suddenly turn into tearjerkers, this is it.

3. Basilisk — 9.0 / 10

Ninja clans, forbidden love, and a brutal death-match tied to Tokugawa succession politics — moody, tragic, and violent in all the right ways.

4. Rurouni Kenshin — 9.2 / 10

A samurai who swore never to kill again — the story starts in the early Meiji era but is rooted in the Bakumatsu (late-Edo) conflicts. Great swordplay + strong emotional stakes.

5. Mononoke — 8.8 / 10

A visually hypnotic supernatural detective series (the Medicine Seller) that solves spirit/curse cases across Edo—heavy on atmosphere, haunting visuals, and folklore. Highly recommended for an eerie Edo mood.

6. Onihei (Onihei Hankachō) — 8.1 / 10

A grounded, episodic crime drama centered on Heizo Hasegawa, head of an arson/thief suppression unit in Edo. Polished, mature, deeply historical-feeling.

7. House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyō) — 8.0 / 10

A quiet, character-driven tale of a timid rōnin drawn into a mysterious gang. Slow, melancholic, and emotionally rich — great when you want mood over action.

8. Peacemaker Kurogane — 8.2 / 10

Set in the Bakumatsu (the chaotic end of the Edo shogunate), this is historical fiction focused on the Shinsengumi — good for those who want a more realistic samurai/political era story.

9. Amatsuki — 7.8 / 10

A modern kid time-slips into a living Edo museum full of yokai and conspiracies. Mixes historical settings with supernatural/time-travel — fun if you like fish-out-of-water + folklore.

10. Ninja Scroll — 8.5 / 10

A classic violent fantasy-samurai movie (and later prequels) with roaming swordsmen, conspiracies, and supernatural enemies — feels like grim Edo-era pulp.

11. Blade of the Immortal — 8.6 / 10

A long, morally complex samurai tale following an immortal swordsman and a revenge-seeking girl — gritty, bloody, and emotionally heavy; often placed around late-Edo-era settings.

12. Shigurui: Death Frenzy — 8.0 / 10

Extremely brutal, artistically intense, and focused on samurai duels and honor. Not for the faint of heart — very raw depiction of samurai life and obsession.

13. Hakuōki — 8.0 / 10

A romanticized, supernatural-tinged retelling of the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu. Great if you want historical figures + bishonen aesthetics + political drama.

14. Jōjū Senjin!! Mushibugyō (Mushibugyō) — 7.6 / 10

Set in an alternate Edo where giant insects threaten the city — a shogunate “Mushi Magistrate” protects Edo. Fun mashup of Edo politics and monster-of-the-week action.

15. Blue Eye Samurai — 8.4 / 10

A recent (Netflix) English-language animated series set in 17th-century Edo-period Japan that follows a mixed-heritage swordswoman on a revenge quest. Stylish, modern sensibilities, and notable for bringing a fresh Western view on an Edo setting.

Quick watch-buckets

• Visually bold & trippy: Mononoke, Samurai Champloo
• Comedy + Edo parody: Gintama
• Gritty samurai drama: Shigurui, Blade of the Immortal, Basilisk
• Historical/realistic: Onihei, Peacemaker Kurogane, Hakuōki
• Supernatural / folklore: Mononoke, Amatsuki, Mushibugyō
• Modern/Western take on Edo: Blue Eye Samurai

And there you have it — your Edo-period anime toolkit!
From hip-hop samurai to alien-infested Edo chaos to samurai politics, these shows will transport you straight into old Japan with style.

Image credit Gallop, Studio Deen