Hyakkiyakou: Warashi

After checking into a traditional Japanese inn, a young woman quickly realizes she's not alone — a zashiki-warashi, a mischievous household spirit from Japanese folklore, has taken an interest in her. These spirits are said to bring good fortune to the homes they inhabit, though this particular encounter takes things in a decidedly adult direction. That's the setup for this 2000 OVA, based on a manga by Ajisu Abeba, and it leans fully into its hentai genre while using authentic folklore as its backdrop. What makes it mildly interesting beyond its obvious purpose is that zashiki-warashi mythology is genuinely woven into the story rather than just dropped as window dressing. The traditional inn setting, the spirit lore, the supernatural dynamic — it has a coherent atmosphere that feels grounded in actual Japanese folk belief. The animation reflects its era, which either reads as nostalgic or dated depending on your tolerance for late-90s OVA aesthetics. If you've enjoyed supernatural folklore titles like Mononoke or Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales and are curious what that aesthetic looks like filtered through adult content, this scratches that specific niche. It's closer in spirit to something like The House Spirit Tatami-chan in premise, just with very different intentions. At one episode, it's a short commitment. Don't go in expecting deep storytelling — go in knowing exactly what it is, and it delivers on its own terms.