- In the 2007 series Rokuro-Kubi, a traditional yōkai spirit and Neko Musume get a part-time work in a school, where "Rokuko" falls in love with a college student. While Rokuko is worried that he'll be eventually repulsed by her non-human features (the tradition ability to stretch and elongate her neck), when she's forced to do so to call help, her human boyfriend claims that, to him, it doesn't matter if Rokuko is a human or a yōkai, but he'll always love her.
2018 series
- Mana's relationship with the inhabits of GeGeGe Forest sticks out. By being a sweet, friendly and persistent girl, she manages to get through to Kitarō and his friends, becoming a treasured part of their family. In particular, Neko Musume bonds immensely with her and is highly protective of Mana.
- Neko Musume has definite Tsundere tendencies. However, when Mana Inuyama calls her Big Sis Neko and Yūta, obviously in awe at her presence, claims she was every bit as lovely as Mana described her, she replaces her grouchy expression with a pleased, blushing little smile and swears friendship to both.
- Earlier in episode 2, Neko Musume came to the treehouse upon hearing that Kitaro had died, which thankfully wasn't the case thanks to Kitaro's chanchanko, made of the threads of his ancestors' souls, preventing the arrow from causing any severe injury to him. Upon seeing him alive, she leaves, but you know she cares for Kitaro despite the cold attitude.
- In episode 10, Neko Musume was asked by Kitaro and Medama Oyaji to house sit while they father/son duo go on vacation to a hot spring. She quickly gets bored, but upon seeing how dirty their house is, she decides to clean up. She even had an ImagineSpot, envisioning Kitaro happy to see everything sparkle. Toward the end, a grateful Kitaro offers to bring her along to their next hot spring trip. Neko Musume declines going to the hot springs, but would like to go overseas.
- Also in episode 10, Neko Musume sticks up for her friend, Hanako-san, by beating up a ghostly Stalker with a Crush, which counts as a Moment of Awesome as well.
- Kitarō, worried about Mana's welfare, tries to send her away, as hostile yōkai could harm her. She still tries to help, getting trapped in magic pillar. Kitarō goes into a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, viciously beating Tatanbō (who had just claimed he'd be immortal until his castle was standing) smashing the whole Yōkai Castle to reach the pillar where Mana is trapped, punching her free and hugging her to safety. Mana tearfully cries that she had never doubted Kitarō would come to save her, the whole while apologizing for having risked her life while Kitarō was trying to keep her safe.
- On the top of that, Mana is even more overjoyed when Kitarō stops trying to push her away, and instead of ordering her to stay away, he asks her to stay even closer so he could protect her more effectively.
- Yūta finds his way into GeGeGe Forest as he is so young, and being not only excited and glad to meet the youkai his grandma told him about, but getting along with them splendidly, like when told that Betobeto-san is behind him - his reaction is to stand aside, bow and courteously say "After you, Betobeto-san", like he is supposed to. Kitarō's friends clearly like him and are impressed by the respect he shows (taking a seed/acorn/cone notwithstanding). Now remember what Kitarō said about humans losing respect for youkai.
- The 2018 reveals the pre-rotting, pre-tiny status body Medama Oyaji had: a prettier, older, albino look-alike of his own son, wrapped in a tattered kimono instead of the tattered gakuran his son now wears. Even after losing beauty, power and his status as the last heir of the Ghost Tribe, his only regret doesn't regard himself: he keeps berating him because, dying before Kitarō was even born, he forced him to care for his diminutive new body and take over his role as the protector of Yōkai and Mankind, robbing his own son of a peaceful childhood.
- Kitarō consoles Medama-Oyaji by simply thanking for having kept thinking at him and protecting him for all those years.
- And in the same episode we see a grown man who is turned into a child in the dream world, totally robbed of his adult memories. What snaps him out of this seemingly unbreakable transformation? Seeing his son in danger. Later we see the two reunite and it is very sweet.
- Something similar happens just 2 episodes later: Mana's uncle has been turned into a Funa-Yurei, forcing him to be a servant of the episode's Monster of the Week. However, despite this transformation he saves Mana not once but TWICE! Making it quite clear that that the love for his niece completely overrides the yokai's mind control. Also doubles as a Moment of Awesome.
- The origins of the Shigeru Mizuki Road in the 2018 anime counterpart of Sakaiminato. While in the real world Sakaiminato has a Shigeru Mizuki Road, filled with bronze statues of every yōkai created by Shigeru Mizuki, plus the author and his wife, to honor his creativity and bolster tourism, the anime Sakaiminato has a similar Yōkai Road with a heartwarming reason. In the fictional universe one of the local yōkai, Kani-Bōzu, was once the guardian of a young princess, and despite the other yōkai warning him to avoid getting involved, he still did, and ended up being trapped and sealed for centuries while the enemies of his ward killed her. Upon being revived, Kani-Bōzu goes on a rampage, hoping to be slayed and put out of his misery. Kitarō had to oblige, but tells his story to the whole town of Saikaiminato, and the citizens agree to bring his body, now turned into a bronze statue, to guard forever the grave of the dead princess and fill the road with bronze statues of every friendly yōkai Kitarō knows, along with statues of Kitarō himself and his close family, to give Kani-Bōzu the friendship and the happiness he lacked in life.
- Crosses with Tear Jerker, but when Natsumi remembers her yokai friends from her youth, who tells her that she was never alone after both her mother and grandfather had died, she starts bawling and is comforted by Rokuro-Kubi who she hugs. By the end of the episode, Natsumi turns the apartment building into an apartment for yokai.
- During Halloween, when the western Vampire Carmilla attacks, Mana is out to celebrate the holiday with Neko Musume...dressed up as her friend, which ends up giving her a great deal of courage and fortitude.
- The fact that Nezumi-Otoko, despite getting conned out of everything he owns and left half-starved in a trash-heap, still cherishes his brief and unconsummated marriage to Sekiyo, and believes that the fact that she didn't steal the wedding-ring from him means that their relationship meant something to her, however small. Somehow, an episode centered around him manages to be genuinely romantic.
- In episode 49, Rat Man giving Kitaro a Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! speech after Nanashi seemingly kills Daddy Eyeball.
- How Mana stops Nanashi. She gives him something he never had: love and a name.
- At the end of the episode, Kitaro brings Neko-chan back from the Underworld...but she's come back as a child!
- Then just as we think Death Is Cheap, other elder yokai point out they were damn sure her soul was annihilated... Kitaro brushes off the concern. Until we learn that Kitaro made a bargain with King Enma... Kitaro went To Hell and Back for Neko-musume, and was willing to put his soul on the line for her.
- Episode 62 has Rei Isurugi questioning Kitaro why he would spare Ratman despite the former destroying plenty of evil yokai, with Kitaro giving one good Shut Up, Hannibal! that both awesome and heartwarming.Kitaro: A world where those like him can't live... That's what I hate the most! If Ratman makes mistakes, I'll be angry and punish him. but... If he suffers and shows remorse, I'd like to forgive him. I want to be someone who can forgive!Ratman: Kitaro...Rei Isurugi: You're soft, Gegege no Kitaro!Kitaro: I know that! but, being unable to forgive the evil... thinking they should all be killed...to deny those who are different and to only allow those similars to you... to be unable to see how absurd that is...That's what I fear the most.
- After getting her memories back, the now older Mana plans to have a reunion with all her youkai friends at the youkai bathhouse. She can even be heard humming the show's theme.
