[1] The novel is set in a quiet neighborhood in Kyoto, Japan where, unbeknownst to the general public, children are mysteriously disappearing.

Two elementary school friends, Sayuri and Hisao, slowly come to realize that inauspicious, paranormal forces are at play in the most unlikely of places: the local playground.

As Toothless reveals the playground's secrets, Sayuri and Hisao slowly come to realize that the tragic events in their hometown are connected to its supernatural powers.

[7] Paste Magazine highlighted ANIMUS as "[…] a must-read for anyone invested in the next generation of horror hounds"[8] while Kirkus Reviews deemed it "an eerie graphic novel mystery that is bewildering and unnerving in the best way possible.

[11] The following year, it was selected by YALSA, a division of the American Library Association, as one of the 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.