There is nothing more entertaining than a heart-wrenching horror added as a main course. In the anime world, the word horror is described in a rather intriguing way, since their way of portraying the horrors of the world, whether in a strange way or not, can bring joy to some twisted, wretched souls out there. However, in anime, you don’t find the classical horror portrayed in movies—a serial killer, zombie, or just a plain ghost story. Those scenarios can get a tad boring after sometime, once those twisted souls get used to it. Today, we bring you the top ten of horror anime that are either trendy, well-know, or buried in a six feet underground hole for its old age.
10. Jigoku Shoujo
Episodes: 26 | Aired: Oct 5, 2005 to Apr 5, 2006 | Duration: 25 min. per ep.
Rate: 7.8/10
What if hell was closer to you as a website was? Just one click away and your grudge against that special someone is carried out gruesomely, just how you like it. Jigoku Shoujo—Hell Girl—holds a story where those who hold powerful grudges against someone, those are the only ones who can access the hotline to hell at midnight. All the site has is a saying written in black, “I will exact your vengeance.” As simple as that.
The story of Hell Girl portrays Ai Enma as the one who carries out the revenge of those who wouldn’t get their hands dirty—using her three straw dolls,— not caring if that person deserves punishment or not, only caring about whether that person’s cause is worth her while. the only payment Ai Enma gets is the person’s soul condemned to an afterlife in hell.
9. Elfen Lied
Episodes: 13 | Aired: Jul 25, 2004 to Oct 17, 2004 | Duration: 25 min. per ep.
Rate: 7.9/10
Hell broke loose, or just Lucy, the queen of Diclonius, a breed of humans with horns, special psychic abilities called vectors. Elfen Lied is considered one of the classic horror anime out there for its gory, cruel, messed up world. These Diclonius are locked up and isolated from society by the government for people’s safety.
Lucy breaks loose, with a lot of hatred surging through her veins like a stream, and starts her bloodshed on everyone and anyone who dared to step and block her way to freedom. However, the poor girl receives a shot to the head during her escape and falls unconscious, resulting her with a head injury and a split personality. One that was as harmless as a little child, and other full of hatred for mankind and the people responsible of torturing her. Despite the gory theme, Elfen Lied has one of the saddest stories ever.
8. Another
Episodes: 12 | Aired: Jan 10, 2012 to Mar 27, 2012 | Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rate: 7.9/10
Another equals horror. Ever since the incident in 1972, where a girl in Yomiyama North Middle School’s class 3-3 passed away during the school year, things have never been the same for that school. It’s been destined to be as gloomy, dark as the day Misaki died in.
Kouichi Sakakibara, a new transfer student goes to the same class Misaki used to be in, not knowing the history behind the school’s misfortune. The 15-year-old boy, curious, feels drawn to the mysterious girl who wears an eye-patch and goes with the name Misaki Mei. He doesn’t realize at first that he is the only one who can see the girl, but slowly, his eye catches that nobody pays attention to her like she were invisible, a ghost. Then everything starts hitting the fan, a round of unraveled murders come back again and haunt the student’s souls, just like another round of Final Destination.
7. Ghost Hunt
Episodes: 25 | Aired: Oct 4, 2006 to Mar 28, 2007 | Duration: 25 min. per ep.
Rate: 8/10
By the title, anyone can take a guess about what’s in Ghost Hunt’s sleeve. It ‘s all about hunting ghosts. Taniyama Mai, one of the main characters, has a thing for ghost stories, she and her friends. Though, it may not be as scary as a good old scary movie, but its gripping story will capture your attention right away.
Ghost Hunt follows the story of Mai breaking in to an abandoned school building, successfully interrupting an ongoing investigation by Shibuya Kazuya, a 17-year- old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. Due to Mai being a klutz, she accidently breaks a camera and injures his assistant, so Kazuya, forcefully, hires Mai to be his assistant in the meantime. Mai’s love for ghost stories may just turn to be real, revolving death real.
6. Shiki
Episodes: 22 | Aired: Jul 9, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010 | Duration: 23 min. per ep.
Rate: 8/10
Shiki has an intriguing story behind that colorful animation and cheerful voices. It bestows the viewer with an alive the devil wears Prada or the devil. Or rather wears a meat-suit just like anybody else. Its striking story is written tragically, yet beautifully with so much depth in between the lines. Shiki develops the aspect that man is only a weak thread away from becoming the devil himself. When confusion hits deeply within the soul that no longer can people distinguish between good and evil.
Shiki’s story starts with the young doctor Toshio Ozaki. He who is suddenly hit by the idea of doubt between nature and disease. He decides to power off his humanity. Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial youth from a village is shock-stricken by his friend’s sudden death. Only then Yuuki realizes the true meaning of friendship as his tragedy commences. However there is one other obstacle that came before the unsual combo of Natsuno and Toshio. That combination forms the Shiki that decide to haunt their town. Leaving the pair to contemplate saving Satoba before it’s consumed by the vampires—the Shiki.
5. Tokyo Ghoul
Episodes: 12 | Aired: Jul 4, 2014 to Sep 19, 2014 | Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rate: 8.1/10
Whenever the word Ghoul rings the bell, it does not give a pleasant feeling ever, much less a world where Ghouls are very much like humans but stronger and faster. Kaneki Ken, a real life tragedy. Kaneki basically equals tragedies, one after another.
Tokyo Ghoul presents a story with the main protagonist Kaneki Ken, who is a typical shy bookworm that fell for the wrong girl, a ghoul. Ghouls never play with their food, unless it’s just fun to watch them scream and wail like a banshee. Kaneki Ken finds himself in a world where he no longer belongs to. He is now a hybrid—both human and ghoul. Much to his disdain, he has to learn how to fight, survive, and eat. He’ll become the next cannibal, providing the viewers with life lessons. Horrifying ones that will truly hit you close to home.
4. When They Cry
Episodes: 26 | Aired: Apr 5, 2006 to Sep 27, 2006 | Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rate: 8.1/10
In a world where innocence is just a façade used to lure a prey to the predator. Certainly, no child or cute girl can be trusted anymore. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni brings an upbeat story of horror made by seemingly girls. Who’re dressed up in cute dresses. But they’d turn into killers once you peel off that unnecessary mask.
Keiichi Maebara decides to settle in a quiet village of Hinamizawa. Keiichi tries to spend his carefree days as smoothly as he could. Yet once he’s hit by shocking news about a series of murders, much to his disdain, turn his life upside down. Being the curious cat he is, Keiichi asks his friends. Though, they either give him the silent treatment or just act all weird on him. That leads to Keiichi trying to uncover the truth all by himself. Without realizing what he just got himself into and the madness; paranoia that he will lurk in.
3. Mononoke
Episodes: 12 | Aired: Jul 13, 2007 to Sep 28, 2007 | Duration: 22 min. per ep.
Rate: 8.4/10
Spirits always needed an exorcism and poof, they’re done. However, in Mononoke, it isn’t that simple. Mononoke’s story presents the story of the Medicine Seller, the lowest of societ in the Edo era of Japan. The Medicine Seller is a deadly master of occult who wanders the land in search for Mononoke spirits to slay.
The Medicine Seller, although deadly, cannot possibly perform an exorcism without learning the secrets of the spirits, its form and its truth. Only then, can he use his sword against it and kill it for good. His job never been so hard, considering that he has to investigate, even on psychological levels to perform his ritual of exorcism, earning a lot of bloodshed.
2. Attack on Titan
Episodes: 25 | Aired: Apr 7, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013 | Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rate: 8.5/10
The second on the list is quite a stranger to horror, as it does not bring you the usual element of horror we always thrive on. It presents cruelty life at its best. While there are multiple things that might seem horrifying to any person, there is no match to getting eaten by a huge, monstrous titan that only feeds for its own pleasure. Despair, sadness, anguish may not be sufficient to describe such an anime as Attack on Titan.
Its story follows the main protagonist Eren Yaeger, a young, hot-headed boy who years to eradicate all titans from existence. Eren’s life has never been easy, as he witnessed what must’ve been the most horrendous sight he’d ever see in his life—his mother getting eaten by a smiling titan. He, his friend Armin Arlet, and his adopted sister Mikasa, together, go through misfortunes and become soldiers in the military, stepping closer to Eren’s dream of killing any titans left, cleansing the whole world. What they did not realize was how tough that road was, and how bumpy it might get after so much death.
1. Parasyte – Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
Episodes: 24 | Aired: Oct 9, 2014 to Mar 26, 2015 | Duration: 23 min. per ep.
Rate: 8.6/10
Decisions, decisions! It’s hard when your body is invaded by aliens, parasites that feed on the weak-willed, weak-minded people. There is nothing more horrifying than seeing people getting consumed by parasites that resided in their head, altering them 360 degrees.
The story of Parasyte, well-written, introduces the main protagonist Shinichi Izumi, who is just another typical teenage boy in a quiet neighborhood. However, as the invaders came, his quiet is long forgotten. As it becomes swarmed with parasites eating people’s brains up, Shinishi being one of them, but he is quite a fighter, so the parasite settled for a part of his body instead, his hand. He is met by hardships, blood spill and death whenever he goes. He has to make decisions, witness horrifying scenes that will alter him as well.
