For those of us who love when things go “bump” in the night, never fear. There exists an entire genre of anime dedicated to the gross, gory, and downright terrifying. As we start 2024, let’s take a moment to look back on the recent additions to the horror anime genre.
10. Yamishibai
Yamishibai stands as a collection of short ghost stories told in the way of traditional Japanese story-telling. Each episode is short, but packed with classic lore and spooks to make it a classic of the horror category.
While Yamishibai has been around for a few years now, the 10th season premiered in 2022 and the 11th premiered back in July 2023, making it worthy of this list. The individualistic nature of each episode and the short run times make it easy to binge while still getting your heart rate up as you engage in a range of spooks, from traditional ghost tales to suspense-filled haunts.
A figure lurks in the darkness, terrorizing a young girl.
9. Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre
Fans of Junji Ito can rejoice in this anthology of classic Junji tales brought to the screen in Japanese Tales of the Macabre. Like Yamishibai, Japanese Tales of the Macabre feature individualistic episodes that bring Junji Ito’s classic tales to life. From murders, mental illness, and mysterious sea creatures, each episode is filled with a sense of suspense that will keep watchers on their toes, easily earning this anime’s spot on the list.
A woman splits into two as she descends into madness.
8. Made in Abyss
Orphan Riko lives in the town of Orth, a seemingly normal town with a twist - the town overlooks a deep, dark hole in the ground known only as the “abyss”. Those who enter the abyss rarely come back out, and if they do they aren’t ever quite the same. Mysterious civilizations, creatures, creations, and more await Riko as she decides to brave the abyss and discover what happened to her mother, accompanied by a half-robot, half-human boy who bears a strange resemblance to herself.
Based on the award-winning manga, Made in Abyss is suspenseful, haunting, spooky, violent, and mysterious. While edging more on the side of dark fantasy, there is still plenty within the series for horror lovers to enjoy. Originally premiering in 2020 with a second season in 2022, new fans can rest assured that a third season has been confirmed, making now a great time to get caught up.
The young adventurers descend into hell on earth.
7. Nanashi Kaidan
Remember being a kid, and thinking you see monsters at every turn? You hear a movement under the bed, and a thump in the closet, and your mother pats your head and tells you it’s just the pipes in the old house, and to go back to sleep. Eventually, you stop hearing things, stop seeing things, and the creepy things in the night disappear.
Nanashi Kaidan takes those uneasy feelings of “something out there” that only children feel and turns them into a series of short stories sure to have you questioning your childhood and once more checking under your bed for monsters.
A child remains still as a formless ghost surrounds him.
6. Feast of Amrita
High schooler Tamahi and his classmates are walking home from school when they pass someone falling from an apartment building. They rush to the scene only to find it completely deserted, but with the strange feeling of being watched, the students get drawn into something they could never expect.
With twists and turns, this psychological horror leads the watcher on a journey through fear and doubt as Tamahi unravels the secrets around her.
A high-school girl is torn between delving into the horror in front of her or running away.
5. Mieruko-chan
Miko is determined not to be the main character. Yes, she can see ghosts. No, she doesn’t want to do anything about it. Unfortunately, life doesn’t quite have the same plans for her. As Miko does her best to ignore her newfound ability, she gets drawn deeper and deeper into the world of the supernatural as she strives to protect those around her.
Mieruko-chan, while a more light-hearted addition to the list, features many nods to classic horror in the way the ghosts are depicted and the different evils that Miko has to face in order to continue living her peaceful high school life. With horror cut with comedy, Mieruko-chan is a spooky anime palatable to a wider audience of anime fans.
A girl steadfastly ignores the ghosts around her.
4. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Akira Tendo is your typical office worker. Bored with the mundanity of life, Akira longs for change but lacks the drive to initiate it himself. Fate decides to take this into its own hands as a full-blown zombie apocalypse breaks out in Tokyo. Faced with the inevitable eventuality of being turned into a zombie, Akira begins to fulfill his bucket list of things to do before he becomes a brain-obsessed monster.
Zombies, gore, humor and more - Zom 100 has a little bit of everything wrapped up into one package sure to delight horror fans anywhere. With a quirky cast, looming apocalypse, and threat of impending death, watchers are quickly drawn into the story and looking for more.
A young boy has the time of his life in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
3. Shadow House
In a dark mansion upon a hill live the shadow denizens, attended to by their Living Doll partners amidst the hallways of the manor. The Living Dolls mimic their masters closely, with one stark difference - the Shadow Masters don’t have a face. One such doll, Emilico, and her mistress Kate grow closer as mysterious events begin to befall them. Together, they must unravel the secrets of the mansion, the shadows, and their Dolls.
From the setting itself, the presence of the dolls, and the mysteries of the masters and the shadows they live in, Shadow House holds all the hallmarks to make any horror fan happy and draw watchers in episode after episode.
Young dolls dance with their shadow masters as something lurks unseen.
2. Dark Gathering
Keitarou Gentoga hates ghosts. Absolutely hates them. Too bad he has an almost uncanny ability to attract them. Ignoring his attraction to the supernatural, Keitarou takes a job as a tutor to child prodigy, Yayoi Hazuki. Unfortunately, this will not be the respite from his ghostly activities that Keitarou longs for, as Yayoi has her own agenda. She needs Keitarou’s help to solve the mystery of her mother’s vanishing, and she’s going to get it.
From a reluctant main character to ghosts and vanishings, Dark Gathering combines the darkness of the supernatural with the suspense of classic ghost-horror tales into an anime fit for any horror fan.
A child cries in desperation as they become possessed.
1. Chainsaw Man
Denji is just your typical impoverished man with a demon dog. Typical. Until one day Denji takes a job that goes south, and in an attempt to save him, his demon dog (Pochita, by the way), partially fuses with him and gives Denji the ability to transform parts of his body into chainsaws. In a world where Devils are born from human fears, Denji must now work to fight against Devils to protect Japan from threats.
Classified as a “comedy horror”, Chainsaw Man has quickly catapulted to popularity based on its gory visuals, unique premise, and interludes of humor amidst the dark events that characterize the anime. With a solid balance of horror, action, and dark fantasy, Chainsaw Man is a must-watch.
Denji fully merges with his demon dog and sprouts a chainsaw head.
