It’s Spooky Season! – Day 1: Healer Girl Episode 10

While it may be the case that, for some of us, our anticipation of Halloween never really wanes, once the calendar flips to the month of October it finally feels reasonable to get hyped up over pumpkins and skeletons. And though Halloween isn’t a holiday native to Japan, judging by its presence as a background motif in media ranging from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie to Odd Taxi, it’s certainly cemented its unique place in the country’s culture. There are several anime that deal directly with the holiday, and many more that make for good watching for those of us who enjoy getting into the mood while indulging in our favorite hobby.

I’ll be spending the month (or at least as many days as I can manage) giving out some of my personal recommendations for spooky anime (and perhaps some manga if I happen to be so motivated). Most of these are just fun and mildly seasonally-appropriate, but there are some genuine spooks sprinkled throughout. While there might be some familiar entries in the list, I’m trying my best to dig a little bit for some surprises, so hopefully folks will find a few new things they weren’t aware of previously. Note: most of these should be fairly easy to find on streaming or disc, and I’ll make note of where to watch them if that’s the case. If they’re not legally available in the US, however, I’ll leave it to you to find them on your own.

The first episode that came to mind when I was coming up with this list was Healer Girl episode 10. Healer Girl is a series that I gather most people slept on when it was being released, and it’s a shame; not only is it an original story, the series is fun and charming while also being a full-fledged musical with a few genuine earworms (I dare anyone reading to watch episode 3 without the song the characters sing during the foot race getting stuck in your head).

The series focuses on three young girls – Kana, Hibiki, and Reimi – who at the beginning of the story are apprentice healers in training. In this setting, healers, who provide their healing using the magical powers of song, serve a function complimentary to science and medicine (a fact which makes for an interesting story element throughout). As the three girls increase their singing skills and work toward licensure, they also undergo personal growth.

Episode 10 focuses on Hibiki. As a child, her family was close to Ria, with whom the girls are training. Ria’s skill is obvious – she’s a full-fledged professional healer whose magic often seems effortless to those who aren’t nearly as experienced. In her younger days, Hibiki looked up to Ria. Nowadays, however, while balancing on the cusp of becoming a licensed healer in her own right, Hibiki can’t help but compare herself unfavorably to Ria. Never mind the age gap and gap in experience – as many of us can attest to, oftentimes these feelings aren’t at all rational, and comparison is the thief of joy.

Hibiki’s story serves as the meat of this episode, but the B story is a fun Halloween romp during which the girls collaborate on an event at the clinic. Not only do they have to figure out their own costumes, but they also decide to put together treat bags for the local kids and develop a special musical performance. Here Hibiki learns to go outside of her comfort zone and volunteer as the “center” (from idol culture, it’s the group member who inhabits the featured position) for the group’s performance.

The episode does a great job of balancing the two aspects of the story, which is something that can also be said for the series as a whole. Though it’s often cute and funny, it also understands the hearts of its characters and takes them seriously as individuals.

On the continuum from “fun” to “terrifying” this episode is squarely in the “fun” zone, as is the series as a whole. But if you’re someone who’s easily squicked by jump scares or gore, this is an option that avoids both while still being immersed in the spirit of the holiday.

Healer Girl is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

You may also enjoy: Flying Witch