Horror by Way of Anime

It’s Halloween again! The time for all the ghosts and ghouls to emerge from the shadows and walk the night. During this time of year, you will find many lists recommending what to consume to enhance your personal spooky season. The best scary books, movies, and TV shows will find their way onto one “Top Ten for Halloween” list or another.

However, I haven’t seen many people putting together anime titles that are great for giving you a fright. So I decided to make one myself. If you are familiar with anime, you know it is a medium that can cover a lot of territory. From One Piece to Spirited Away, intense battles to slice-of-life dramas. Anime has it all, and yes, that includes horror.

Here are some of my favorite horror anime. Check out one of these titles if you want to experience some animated chills.

Another: When Kouichi returns to school after an illness, there seems to be a new girl in class that only he can see. At first, he wonders if she might be in his imagination. However, it turns out she is very real. Unfortunately, to acknowledge her presence could bring disaster to the entire class. This series is perfect for fans of movies like Final Destination.

Castlevania: Dracula takes on the humans after his wife is burned at the stake. Now Trevor Belmont, the last living member of a clan of monster hunters, must help fight Dracula’s rising minions. Vampire lovers should delight in this series.

Black Butler: Young Ciel makes a deal with the demon Sebastian in order to escape the sadistic cult he was sold to and avenge his family. He returns to society with Sebastian, who is ready to take his soul when the time comes. Think of an anime version of Doctor Faustus.

Ghost Hunt: A young high school student joins the Shibuya Psychic Research team and helps them in exploring all things paranormal. If you love Ghost Hunters, this one is for you.

School Live: Yuki loves her school, which has only one rule: don’t go home. That’s because a zombie outbreak has destroyed the city. Yuki, however, seems completely oblivious to this fact. Great for fans of The Walking Dead.

Tokyo Ghoul: In a world where ghouls (flesh-eating monsters) exist with humans, what happens when Ken becomes a half-ghoul after being bitten by his date? Forced to learn about ghoul society and keep his identity hidden from his human friends, Ken must figure out how to survive both worlds.

There are many other great anime titles in the horror genre. Attack on Titan and Erased are two that you can find on streaming services. Though beware, many of these titles are not for children or the faint of heart.

Happy Halloween!

Pamela M.
Antioch Branch