While it might seem like Ghost Stories was only acting on the emerging J-Horror trend, this 2000 anime was in fact another adaptation of Tōru Tsunemitsu’s popular series of children’s books. After four live-action films based on the teacher-turned-author’s books, animation was the obvious next step. The anime — technically the second after a standalone ’96 Ova — has since gone on to become a favorite among Western audiences, although not for reasons the Japanese showrunners could have expected. No, this series is best remembered for its off-the-wall English adaptation that many fans liken to South Park.

Admittedly, Ghost Stories didn’t leave a big mark upon and after its initial release (other than a controversy regarding the ultimately unaired Kuchisake-onna episode). In its defense, though, many anime back then had a hard time standing out or living up to new expectations. As a reminder, that previous decade gave rise to...