Mononoke (モノノ怪) is a Japanese avant-garde anime television series produced by Toei Animation. It is a spin-off of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, a horror anthology series from 2006. Mononoke follows the adventures of the medicine seller as he confronts various supernatural dangers. The story takes place during the transition from the Edo period to the Meiji Era in Japan, where society is divided into four classes. The Samurai class is the highest, while the medicine seller belongs to the lowest class of merchants. It surprises many characters in the series that the medicine seller carries a sword, as only Samurai were allowed to do so.