People have been drawn to the horror genre since the beginning of storytelling. Being scared is the only thing people enjoy more than laughing. Anime has a distinct horror flavour that differs from western tropes and cliches. A violent, spine-chilling anime can take those who enjoy being scared to new heights of fear and revulsion. This list contains the best of the worst titles. They’re truly grotesque and go beyond the pale of decency. Look no further if you want a story that is as disgusting and bloody as it is riveting and suspenseful.
1. Tokyo Ghoul
A sinister threat is invading Tokyo: flesh-eating “ghouls” who look exactly like humans and blend in. Ken Kaneki, a reserved college student, hides his face in his books to avoid hearing about the growing crisis. When an attractive woman named Rize Kamishiro approaches him and asks him out on a date, his solitude is shattered.
Kaneki discovers while walking Rize home that she isn’t as sweet as she appears, and that she has led him on with sinister intent. He awakens in a hospital after a tragic struggle to learn that his life was saved by transplanting the now-deceased Rize’s organs into his own body.
Kaneki’s body begins to change horrifyingly, transforming him into a human-ghoul hybrid. Kaneki clings to his humanity as he embarks on his new dreadful journey in the evolving bloody conflict between society’s new monsters and the government agents who hunt them.
2. Parasyte: The Maxim
They appeared out of nowhere: parasitic aliens who descended on Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into vulnerable targets’ brains. In order to feed on unsuspecting prey, these insatiable beings gain complete control of their host and can morph into a variety of forms.
Shinichi Izumi, a sixteen-year-old high school student, becomes infected with one of these parasites, but it does not take over his brain, instead landing in his right hand. Because it is unable to relocate, the parasite, now known as Migi, must rely on Shinichi to survive. As a result, the pair is forced to coexist in an uneasy manner and must defend themselves from hostile parasites hoping to eradicate this new threat to their species.
3. Another
Transfer student Kouichi Sakakibara returns to Yomiyama North Junior High after missing the first month of school due to illness. Among his new classmates, he is strangely drawn to Mei Misaki, a reserved girl with an eyepatch whom he met in the hospital while he was away. But none of his classmates are aware of her existence; they caution him not to become acquainted with things that do not exist. Despite their warnings, Kouichi befriends Mei, only to discover the sinister truth behind his friends’ fears.
The ominous rumours centre on a former student from class 3-3. No one, however, will tell Kouichi the entire story of what happened. Kouichi becomes engrossed in the curse that afflicts his class and sets out to discover its connection to his new friend. As a series of tragedies unfold around them, it is up to Kouichi, Mei, and their classmates to solve the eerie mystery—but doing so will cost them dearly.
4. Elfen Lied
Lucy is a “Diclonius” human, born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands, which makes her a victim of the government’s inhumane scientific experimentation. However, when an opportunity to flee presents itself, Lucy, corrupted by confinement and torture, unleashes a torrent of bloodshed as she flees her captors.
During her breakout, she suffers a crippling head injury, which leaves her with a split personality: a harmless child with limited speech capacity. In this state, she comes across two college students, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, who unknowingly take in an injured fugitive, unaware of her murderous tendencies. This act of kindness will transform their lives, as they are soon drawn into the shadowy world of government secrecy and conspiracy.
5. Highschool of the Dead
The dead began to rise unexpectedly, and Japan was thrown into complete chaos. Takashi Kimuro is forced to kill his best friend when he is bitten and joins the ranks of the walking dead as these monsters terrorise a high school. They narrowly escape their death trap of a school, vowing to protect Rei Miyamoto, the girlfriend of the man he just executed, only to be greeted by a society that has already fallen.
Takashi and Rei soon join forces with other students on a journey to find their family members and discover what caused this massive pandemic. Saeko Busujima, the beautiful president of the Kendo Club, Kouta Hirano, an otaku with a gun fetish, Saya Takagi, the daughter of an influential politician, and Shizuka Marikawa, their hot school nurse, join them. Will the combined strength of these individuals be sufficient to defeat the undead apocalypse?
6. Deadman Wonderland
It appeared that Ganta Igarashi and his classmates were about to embark on a class field trip to Deadman Wonderland, a prison amusement park where convicts perform dangerous acts for the amusement of onlookers. Ganta’s life, however, is quickly turned upside down when his entire class is massacred by a mysterious man in red. Ganta is sent to the very jail he was supposed to visit after being framed for the incident and sentenced to death.
But Ganta’s nightmare is just getting started.
The young protagonist is thrown into a world of sadistic inmates and enigmatic powers, where he must live in constant fear of the lethal collar placed around his neck, which can only be slowed by winning the prison’s deathly games. Ganta must bet his life to survive in Deadman Wonderland, a ruthless place where it’s not always easy to tell friend from foe, all while trying to find the mysterious “Red Man” and clear his name.
7. Devilman: Crybaby
Without a living host, demons cannot take shape. However, if a person’s will is strong enough, they can overcome the demon and claim its power, becoming a Devilman.
Akira Fudou has always been frail and unassuming, with a bleeding heart. So when his childhood friend Ryou Asuka asks for his assistance in locating devils, Akira gladly accepts. To Akira’s surprise, the destination is Sabbath: an immoral party of debauchery and degeneracy. In the midst of bloodshed and death, demons possess the revellers, transforming their bodies into grotesque monsters and wreaking havoc. Akira unwittingly merges with the devil Amon and becomes a Devilman, gaining the power to defeat the remaining demons in his reckless attempt to save his best friend.
Despite the fact that it gives him great power, this new alliance awakens an insatiable and primal part of Akira. Akira, who has a devil’s body but a crybaby heart, works alongside Ryou to destroy those who harm humanity and his loved ones.
8. Higurashi: When They Cry
Rika Furude and her friends live in the small mountain village of Hinamizawa; in June 1983, they accept transfer student Keiichi Maebara, making him the only boy in their group. They have fun playing games after school and living their lives to the fullest every day. Despite this seemingly normal routine, Keiichi begins to notice odd behaviour from his friends, who appear to be concealing the town’s dark secrets from him.
Other people are watching these increasingly unsettling events unfold and remembering all the times this and other similar stories have played out. This person decides to use their knowledge to repair these broken worlds. When certain variables change, the individual is confronted with a terrifying realisation: they have no idea what to expect or how to prevent the impending tragedy.
9. Hellsing
Hellsing, a supernatural threat response organisation, is called in to eliminate a vampire who is turning the villagers of Cheddar into ghouls. To put an end to this, the organization’s leader, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, dispatches her most formidable asset: Alucard, a powerful vampire.
Alucard, armed only with a single handgun, wreaks havoc on the monsters that plague Cheddar. Seras Victoria, a young police officer, is caught up in the chaos and is fatally injured as a result. Alucard, feeling sorry for the girl, gives her the option of dying as a human or living on as a vampire. Seras accepts his offer and begins a new life as a Hellsing member.
Seras struggles with the fact that she is no longer human, despite her decision. Nonetheless, if she is to survive on the front lines of the battle between humans and the supernatural, she must embrace her identity as a creature of the night as soon as possible.
10. Akira
Japan, 1988. An explosion caused by a young boy with psychic abilities tears through Tokyo, lighting the fuse that will lead to World War III. To prevent further devastation, he is apprehended and taken into custody, never to be heard from again. In its place now, in the year 2019, stands a restored version of the city known as Neo-Tokyo—an area rife with gang violence and terrorism against the current government. Shoutarou Kaneda leads “the Capsules,” a ragtag group known for riding large, custom motorcycles and constantly clashing with their adversaries “the Clowns.”
During one of these battles, Shoutarou’s best friend Tetsuo Shima is involved in an accident with an esper who has escaped from a government institution and is now on the streets of Tokyo. Tetsuo begins to develop his own mysterious abilities as the government attempts to quarantine this latest psychic in a desperate attempt to prevent him from unleashing the destructive power that could bring the city to its knees once again.
11. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
The world is in the midst of the industrial revolution when horrific creatures emerge from a mysterious virus, ripping through human flesh to satisfy their insatiable appetite. The only way to kill these “Kabane” beings is to destroy their steel-coated hearts. However, if one of these monsters bites the victim, the victim is doomed to a fate worse than death, as the fallen rise once more to join the ranks of the undead.
Only the most fortified civilizations have survived this turmoil, such as Hinomoto, where mankind has built a massive wall to protect themselves from the endless hordes of Kabane. The only way into these massive fortresses is via heavily armoured trains serviced and built by young men like Ikoma. Ikoma eagerly awaits the day when he will be able to fight using his new invention, which he believes will easily pierce through the hearts of Kabane. He has no idea, however, that his opportunity will come much sooner than he expected…
12. From the New World
Saki Watanabe, 12, has just awakened to her psychic powers in the town of Kamisu 66 and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. Unease looms, however, as Saki begins to wonder about the fate of those who are unable to awaken to their powers, and the children become involved in secretive matters such as the rumoured Tainted Cats, who are said to abduct children.
Shinsekai yori tells the story of Saki and her friends as they grow into their roles in the ostensibly utopian society. Accepting these roles, however, may be difficult when confronted with society’s dark and shocking truths, as well as the impending chaos caused by the new world.
13. Angels of Death
Rachel Gardner wishes to die with dead and lifeless eyes. She wakes up in a building’s basement with no idea how or why she got there. She comes across a bandaged murderer named Zack who is attempting to flee. Rachel and Zack set out to ascend through the building floor by floor until they escape, with Zack promising to kill her as soon as he is free.
However, as they progress upward, they meet more twisted people, all of whom appear to be acquainted with Rachel. What is her relationship to the building, and why was she assigned to it? With a new boss on each floor, will Rachel and Zack be able to fulfil their wishes?
14. Perfect Blue
CHAM!, a Japanese idol group, has spent the last two years entertaining its fans. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and CHAM! will lose one of its members, Mima Kirigoe, to pursue her acting career. While Mima’s decision has received mixed reactions, she hopes her fans will continue to support her.
Mima’s life, however, begins to change dramatically after she leaves the group. She takes on a role in a crime drama series in order to shed her pop-idol image, and her career as an actress gradually becomes more demanding and taxing for both Mima and her manager, Rumi Hidaka. To add to Mima’s growing unease, an obsessed fan, unable to accept that Mima is no longer an innocent idol, begins stalking her; a new anonymous website begins to meticulously impersonate her life; and CHAM! appears to be doing better without her. Each disturbing development causes Mima to become increasingly deranged and unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy.
15. Sankarea: Undying Love
Chihiro Furuya, a zombie-obsessed child, has desired an undead girlfriend since he was a child. Soon after, his fascination with zombies comes in handy when his cat Baabu is run over, prompting Chihiro to attempt to create a resurrection potion and bring him back to life. Every day, he sees a rich girl named Rea Sanka yelling into an old well about her oppressive life. Chihiro is persuaded to persevere in saving Baabu after meeting and bonding with her. He eventually succeeds, thanks to the poisonous hydrangea flowers from Rea’s family garden.
Rea drinks the resurrection potion, oblivious to the potion’s success and seeking to escape the burdens of her life, believing she will die. Though it does not kill her, the effects linger, and her death in a fatal accident causes her to reincarnate as a zombie. Rea tries to adjust to her new—albeit undead—life with the help of Chihiro.
16. Shiki
Life is idyllic and unassuming in Sotoba, a small town where everyone knows everyone. However, tragedy strikes when Megumi Shimizu, a young girl with high hopes, dies unexpectedly from an unknown illness. As more unexplained deaths occur around the village during the hot summer months, the town’s doctor, Toshio Ozaki, begins to suspect that something more sinister than a simple disease is at work.
Toshio joins forces with Natsuno Yuuki, an apathetic and aloof adolescent, and Kaori and Akira Tanaka, two of Megumi’s friends, to solve the dark mystery surrounding the deaths in Sotoba. The investigation leads them to an eerie secret concerning the new family in the Kanemasa mansion as a result of their combined efforts.
17. Ajin
Mysterious immortal humans known as “Ajin” first appeared in Africa 17 years ago. When they were discovered, they were labelled as a threat to humanity because they could use their powers for evil and could not be destroyed. Since then, whenever an Ajin is discovered in society, they must be arrested and taken into custody right away.
Kei Nagai, a high school student studying hard to become a doctor, knows very little about Ajin, having only seen them in the news on occasion. Students are taught that these creatures are not human, but Kei does not pay attention in class. As a result, his dangerously limited understanding of the subject becomes completely irrelevant when he survives an accident that was supposed to kill him, signalling his rebirth as an Ajin and the beginning of his days of torment. However, as he finds himself alone and on the run from the entire world, Kei quickly realises that more of his species may be much closer than he believes.
18. Paprika
Dreams can provide an incredible window into one’s psyche, revealing one’s deepest desires, aspirations, and repressed memories. One hopeful tech lab has been working on the “DC Mini,” a device with the ability to delve into other people’s dreams. Atsuko Chiba and Kosaku Tokita have worked tirelessly to develop this technology in the hopes of using it to deeply explore patients’ minds and aid in the treatment of psychological disorders.
However, having access to the most private parts of someone’s mind comes with a great deal of responsibility. In the wrong hands, the DC Mini could be used for psychological terrorism, causing mental breakdowns in targets. When this technology is stolen and the people around them begin to behave strangely, Atsuko and Kosaku realise they have a serious problem on their hands. They search both the real and dream worlds for their mental terrorist, enlisting the assistance of Officer Konakawa, who has been receiving this experimental therapy.
19. Dorohedoro
The name Hole, which refers to a dark, decaying, and disorderly neighbourhood where the strong prey on the weak and death is common, is apt. It is a realm that is separate from law and ethics, and it serves as a testing ground for the magical users who dominate it. As a race at the pinnacle of their society, the magic users regard the residents of Hole as nothing more than insects. The powerless Hole dwellers are murdered, mutilated, and subjected to experiments on a daily basis in the halls of Hole’s hospital.
With free access to and from the cesspool and little challenge to their authority, the magic users appear invincible to most—with the exception of a few. Kaiman, who is more reptile than human, is one such person. He pursues them with zeal, armed only with a trusted pair of bayonets and his immunity to magic. Cursed by his appearance and plagued by nightmares, magic users are his only hope of returning to normalcy. With his stomach as his main obstacle, his female companion Nikaidou, who owns the restaurant Hungry Bug, is his greatest ally.
20. School-Live!
Yuki Takeya, a carefree high school junior, looks forward to the School Living Club every day. The club, which consists of the president Yuuri Wakasa, the athletic Kurumi Ebisuzawa, the mature Miki Naoki, the supervising teacher Megumi Sakura, and club dog Taroumaru, takes pride in making the most of school life. There is only one rule that all club members must follow: they must spend their entire lives on school grounds.
Gakkougurashi! follows the School Living Club’s adventures as they promote independence and self-determination during their lively time at Megurigaoka Private High School.
21. Mieruko-chan
Miko Yotsuya’s eyes well up as she focuses on a single spot on her phone, ignoring yet another dreadful, horrific monster in her face and uttering the disturbing words, “Can you see me?” Miko had previously enjoyed her unassuming high school days, with late-night horror shows only serving as a form of entertainment. But, since that fateful day, she has been the only person to notice the invisible monsters roaming freely among humans.
Miko makes a brave decision: she will never, under any circumstances, acknowledge the presence of the dreadful spectres. Even if she pretends they don’t exist, she can see how they bother the people around her, particularly her best friend, the energetic and lovely Hana Yurikawa. Miko does her best to continue her school life and avoid any troublesome crisis in order to protect them from the monsters’ annoyances—even when they scare her to tears.
22. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
Seikyou Private Academy, built on the intrigue of traditional occult myths, has a dark past: for 60 years, it has been haunted by Yuuko, a young woman who mysteriously died in the basement of the old school building. Yuuko, who has no recollection of her life or death, finds and leads the Paranormal Investigations Club in search of answers.
Yuuko clings to diligent freshman Teiichi Niiya, who can see the odd ghost, after a chance meeting; they quickly become close, and he decides to help her. They delve deep into the infamous Seven Mysteries of the storied school with Kirie Kanoe, Yuuko’s relative, and the oblivious second year Momoe Okonogi.
Tasogare Otome x Amnesia is a one-of-a-kind story about students banding together to shed light on their school’s paranormal happenings, all while getting closer to the truth behind Yuuko’s death.
23. Blood+
Saya Otonashi appears to be an ordinary girl living in Okinawa City with her adoptive family. Her only distinguishing features are anaemia and the inability to recall anything beyond the previous year of her life.
Saya’s forgotten past, however, quickly comes back to haunt her—one night at school, she is attacked by a creature that feeds on human blood. When all seems lost, a mysterious man named Haji appears and temporarily repels the creature. When her rescuer forces her to drink his blood, Saya enters a trance and easily defeats the monster, using her own blood as a catalyst.
Saya then discovers Red Shield, an organisation founded solely for the purpose of defeating the hellish beasts. Saya and Haji must now collaborate with Red Shield to defeat these terrifying monsters and uncover the secrets of the girl’s past.
24. Corpse Party: Missing Footage
Someday, a group of classmates will perform the Happy Sachiko charm after school. This paper doll ritual is supposed to keep them friends forever, but if they do it incorrectly, they will be dragged down into a dilapidated phantom of Tenjin Elementary School, which was demolished years ago. The students will have to solve the mystery of the haunted school in order to escape alive until they can reunite and perform the charm correctly.
Prior to that fateful night, the friends led ordinary lives. Corpse Party: Missing Footage delves into the students’ lives the day before they were plunged into a waking nightmare.
25. Hell Girl
It is said that those seeking vengeance should dig two graves—especially those who use the Hell Correspondence website. This ominous web domain becomes accessible at midnight, and whoever enters the name of their grudge will be visited by Ai Enma, the Hell Girl. Ai explains that while she will send the target’s soul to hell, the requester will also die in hell.
That price is far too high for some; for others, where they will spend their afterlife has no bearing on their current, day-to-day hell. But one thing is certain: the Hell Girl will always be available to those seeking vengeance while stoically carrying souls into the darkness.
26. Gantz
Did you think your life was bad? Death can be worse at times. There is no salvation, no peace, and no god waiting to take you into their care. But wait a minute, a god? Perhaps you’re referring to the large black ball that has become trapped in the room with you. Now you’re trapped in a game, fighting green aliens and robot monsters for your life.
When Kei Kurono is killed, he finds himself in the middle of such a game—a test of his abilities, morals, and will to live. His life is not his own; his death is spat upon and trampled on repeatedly. What if he refuses to listen? God only knows.
A word of caution: Gantz is not for the faint of heart, nor is it as simple as it appears. Gore, rape, and violence are prevalent, as are depictions of greed, violence, and all of society’s ugliness.
27. Blood-C
Saya Kisaragi lives a double life as a peaceful schoolgirl by day and a fearsome monster slayer by night. She vanquishes every monster that dares to threaten her peaceful little village, armed with a ceremonial sword given to her by her father for sacred tasks. But, all too soon, Saya’s reality and everything she believes to be true are put to the test when she overhears the monsters discussing a broken covenant—something she is unaware of. Then, unexpectedly, a strange dog appears and asks her who she promised to protect the village, curious what would happen if she broke that promise.
We journey with Saya through her struggle to find a way to the truth in a village where nothing is as it seems, tormented by unexplainable visions and her world unravelling around her.
28. Berserk
Guts, also known as the Black Swordsman, is a young travelling mercenary distinguished by the large greatsword he carries. He takes the jobs that pay the most, but he never stays with one group for long—that is, until he meets the Band of the Hawk. Guts is ambushed after finishing a job and crushes many of its members in combat. Griffith, the leader and founder of The Band of the Falcon, takes an interest in Guts and challenges him to a duel. Griffith defeats Guts in one blow, while the others are no match for him.
Guts awakens two days after being incapacitated and taken to the Band of the Hawk’s camp to recover.
He confronts Griffith, and the two fight once more, but this time with a catch: if Guts loses, he must join the Band of the Falcon. Guts loses the fight due to his new injuries and is inducted by Griffith.
Guts has risen through the ranks of the Band of the Hawk’s command in just three years. On the battlefield, he is second only to Griffith in combat prowess, taking on large groups of enemies on his own. The Band of the Hawk dominates every battle they participate in, thanks to Guts’ immense strength and Griffith’s leadership. But something sinister lurks in the shadows, threatening Guts’ life for good.
29. Mononoke
The “Medicine Seller” is a lethal and mysterious occult master who travels feudal Japan in search of malevolent spirits known as “mononoke” to slay. When he finds one of these spirits, he cannot simply kill it; instead, he must first learn its Form, Truth, and Reason in order to wield the mighty Exorcism Sword and fight it. He must begin his strange exorcisms with intense psychological analysis and careful investigative work—a dangerous step because he must first confront and learn about the mononoke before he can defeat it.
The journey of the Medicine Seller leads him to an old-fashioned inn where Shino, a pregnant woman, has finally found a place to rest. The owner has reluctantly placed her in the last vacant room; however, as she settles in, it quickly becomes clear that the room is infested by the Zashiki Warashi, a lethal band of mononoke. The Medicine Seller begins his investigation with the hunter’s intuition to discover the Form, Truth, and Reason before the Zashiki Warashi can kill again.
30. High-Rise Invasion
After seeing a man’s head cracked open with an axe, 16-year-old Yuri Honjou flees from the masked assailant, only to discover she’s trapped in an abandoned building with every door mysteriously locked. Yuri runs to the rooftop, desperate for a way out, but she finds herself in a world devoid of life, surrounded by high-rise buildings. Despite her despair, Yuri is determined to find her brother and escape once she discovers he is also in this strange place.
However, she soon discovers that there are more masked murderers in the area, eager to terrorise their newfound victims and satisfy their sickest desires, leaving Yuri to wonder if they will survive.
31. King’s Game
Transferring to a new school can be difficult, especially if you don’t want to make any new friends, as Nobuaki Kanazawa does. When his class receives a text from “The King,” the reason for his antisocial behaviour becomes clear. Instructions for the “King’s Game” are included, and all class members must participate. Those who refuse to play, quit halfway, or do not follow an order within the allotted time of 24 hours will be executed.
Nobuaki, who has played the game before and witnessed the deaths of those around him, tries to warn his oblivious classmates. Unfortunately, they only believe him after the first casualties of the King’s Game. Stuck in a horrific situation with no way out, Nobuaki must choose between putting his own survival above those around him and doing what he couldn’t do before: saving his classmates.
32. Ghost Hunt
Taniyama Mai and her friends enjoy telling ghost stories at school. There appears to be an abandoned school building on their campus that has been the subject of numerous ghost stories. A mysterious male figure interrupts them during the story. Shibuya Kazuya, a 17-year-old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company, is the person in question. The principal asked him to look into the stories surrounding the abandoned school building.
The following day, on her way to school, Mai passes the school in question. She is surprised by Kazuya’s assistant while examining a strange camera she discovered inside. Mai, unknowingly interfering with the investigation, breaks the camera, injuring Kazuya’s assistant.
Kazuya hires Mai against her will in order to pay for the camera and replace his injured assistant. Mai begins to learn about the paranormal world and the profession of ghost hunting from that point on.
33. Terra Formars
During the twenty-first century, humanity attempted to colonise Mars by sending two species capable of surviving the planet’s harsh environment to terraform it—algae and cockroaches. They did not, however, anticipate the species’ remarkable ability to adapt. A lethal disease known as the Alien Engine Virus has arrived on Earth in the 26th century, and the cure is thought to be found only on Mars. The problem is that “Terraformars,” incredibly powerful and intelligent humanoid cockroaches that mutated from those originally sent to Mars, have taken over the planet in the present.
The Annex I team, comprised of a hundred men and women genetically enhanced with characteristics of powerful organisms from Earth, has been dispatched to Mars on a mission to discover the source of the Alien Engine Virus and aid in the cure of humanity—marking the beginning of the crew’s fight for survival.
34. The Lost Village
A bus full of eccentric people is on its way to Nanaki Village, an urban legend where one can supposedly start over and live a perfect life. While many people have different theories about why the village cannot be found on any map, or why even the police can’t find it, they all look forward to their new lives and what awaits them once they arrive.
After a few mishaps, they arrive at Nanaki Village, only to find it completely deserted. It has been vacant for at least a year, based on the state of disrepair. However, secrets are soon revealed when some of the group go missing while exploring the village, and in the midst of the chaos, they discover bloody claw marks in a forest. Will they ever be able to figure out the truth behind this lost village as mistrust and infighting erupt?
35. Umineko: When They Cry
Umineko no Naku Koro ni is the third instalment in 07th Expansion’s highly popular When They Cry series. It takes place on the island of Rokkenjima, which is owned by the immensely wealthy Ushiromiya family. As is customary each year, the entire family is gathering on the island for a conference to discuss each person’s current financial situation. Because of the family head’s poor health, this year focuses on the family head’s inheritance and how it will be distributed.
The family, however, is unaware that the distribution of his fortune is the least of Ushiromiya Kinzou’s (family head) concerns for this year’s family conference. Kinzou is desperate to meet his life’s true love, the Golden Witch, Beatrice, one last time after his longtime friend and physician informs him that his end is near. Kinzou, who has spent much of his later life immersed in black magic, organises a ceremony to resurrect his beloved upon his family’s arrival on Rokkenjima. Soon after, the family is trapped on the island by a violent typhoon, and a series of mysterious murders begins, forcing the eighteen people on the island to fight for their lives in a deadly battle between fantasy and reality.
36. Pupa
Utsutsu and Yume Hasegawa, abandoned by their abusive parents and with only each other to rely on, are led astray by beautiful red butterflies that have appeared in their world. These crimson-winged heralds, unbeknownst to them, are heralding the start of a cannibalistic nightmare—a mysterious virus known as Pupa is about to hatch.
Yume undergoes a grotesque metamorphosis into a monstrous creature with an insatiable desire for flesh after succumbing to the full effects of Pupa; Utsutsu, on the other hand, is only partially affected, gaining remarkable regenerative powers instead. Utsutsu is reaffirming his resolve to keep the promise he made to himself years ago, and is willing to give up everything to always be there for his precious little sister.
Pupa tells the story of a caring brother’s desperate attempts to save his sister while also protecting the rest of the world from her insatiable hunger.
37. Ghost Stories
A certain student banished all of the ghosts in a haunted schoolhouse years ago. They’ve returned—and they’re out for vengeance…
Satsuki and Keiichirou Miyanoshita are two siblings who have recently lost their mother. After relocating to their mother’s hometown, they discover that the local school to which they have transferred is an old structure that is said to be haunted. Despite dismissing it at first as a silly rumour, the two soon discover that ghosts are real and that they are after them! Gakkou no Kaidan is the creepy story of these siblings and their newfound friends as they try to survive the school’s ghosts with a little help from their pet cat.
38. Danganronpa: The Animation
Makoto Naegi, a teenager with no exceptional talent, is surprised to learn that he has been accepted into Hope’s Peak Private Academy, an elite school that attracts the best students from a variety of fields. Despite his belief that his admission was a fluke, Naegi is thrilled to be attending a university known for ensuring the success of its graduates. He enters the prestigious academy’s front doors, determined.
However, after losing consciousness inside, Naegi awakens in what appears to be an abandoned classroom. Naegi begins to explore, unsure how he got there, and is surprised to find his classmates gathered in the gym. While everyone is trying to figure out what happened, they are confronted by the school principal—Monokuma, a robotic teddy bear. The mysterious toy explains that the freshmen are trapped inside the school and have only one way out—kill a classmate without being noticed.
Tension rises as Naegi and his classmates realise they must choose between participating in Monokuma’s killing game and living together in the school for the rest of their lives.
39. Lunar Legend Tsukihime
Shiki Toono awakens in a hospital ward, able to see invisible lines. When these thin threads, which make up all matter in Shingetsutan, are severed, they instantly destroy an object. Shiki discovers that tracing the lines of something leads to its destruction. Shiki lives his sophomore year in peace while keeping his supernatural vision hidden. This peace, however, is short-lived when Shiki comes across a mysterious woman with bright red eyes on his way home from school.
He appears to kill the woman after a sudden psychotic lapse, and then passes out. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Shiki is attacked the next day by a pair of demonic hounds—faced with certain death, Shiki is saved by the timely arrival of the same woman from the day before. Arcueid Brunestud, a vampire princess, introduces herself. Shiki and Arcueid decide to work together to discover the truth about their ancestors and the recent string of murders in town.
40. The Junji Ito Collection
Mysterious horrors lurk in the darkest shadows of every corner, both during the day and at night. They are inexplicable, unavoidable, and unbeatable. Prepare yourself, or you may become their next victim.
As traumatising tales of unparalleled terror unfold, sit back in terror. Tales include a cursed jade carving that opens holes all over its victims’ bodies, deep nightmares that last decades, an attractive spirit at a misty crossroads who gives cursed advice, and a slug that grows inside a girl’s mouth. Be cautious of the Itou Junji’s terrifying supernatural tales: These are not for the faint of heart.
41. Zombie-Loan
Do you have any idea when you’re going to die? Michiru Kita can see a “ring of death” on the necks of those around her, and the darker the ring, the closer one is to death.
She notices two boys in her class, Chika Akatsuki and Shito Tachibana, who have completely black rings one day. She discovers their secret while trying to warn them of their impending demise: they are already dead but are kept alive thanks to a contract with Zombie-Loan, a mysterious loan office. Of course, nothing comes free, as the boys must hunt down and kill zombies to repay their debt. When they discover Michiru has “Shinigami Eyes,” they drag her into their crazy world.
42. Zetman
The plot begins with a fight between two rival heroes, ZET and ALPHAS, and then follows their origins – Jin Kanzaki, a young man with the ability to transform into a superhuman being known as ZET, and Kouga Amagi, a young man with a strong sense of justice who fights using technology as ALPHAS.
The fates of these two men and those around them are intertwined as they battle to protect humanity and destroy monstrous abominations known as Players.
43. Psychic Detective Yakumo
Haruka Ozawa’s sophomore year is becoming increasingly terrifying. One of her friends has been possessed, another has committed suicide, and Haruka may be the next to fail the still-breathing test. Her only way out of this potentially fatal situation? Yakumo Saito, a mysterious red-eyed student born with the ability to see and communicate with the dead. However, the deceased do not always cease to exist, and some killers are more than willing to kill again in order to prevent dead men from telling any more tales.
That doesn’t stop Haruka from unearthing long-buried secrets, and there’s more evidence of bodies being exhumed by both Yakumo’s police contact and an investigative journalist with a freshly made corpse in her closet! Can this unlikely pair of paranormal detectives solve the ultimate dead case files, or will they end up in cold storage?
44. The Promised Neverland
The Grace Field House, surrounded by a forest and with a gated entrance, is inhabited by orphans who happily live together as one big family, cared for by their “Mama,” Isabella. Although they are required to take tests on a daily basis, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage—a rule they are expected to follow regardless. However, all good things must come to an end, as a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family every few months, never to be heard from again.
The three oldest siblings, on the other hand, have their doubts about what is going on at the orphanage, and they are about to discover the cruel fate that awaits the children at Grace Field, including the twisted nature of their beloved Mama.
45. Corpse Princess: Aka
Makina Hoshimura becomes a Shikabane Hime, a living corpse contracted to the Kougon Cult, after being brutally murdered along with her family, in order to exact revenge on the mysterious undead organisation responsible for her death. Keisei Tagami, her contracted priest and former friend, assists her in this task. This series follows Keisei’s younger brother Ouri, a boy with an unusual attraction to death who gradually discovers his brother’s secret and is drawn into the world of the Shikabanes.
46. Ninja Scroll
Jubei Kibagami is an itinerant swordsman-for-hire in feudal Japan. He has no patience for warring political factions and their schemes after a previous betrayal left him masterless. Unfortunately, his past and political intrigue collide when he meets and saves a female ninja named Kagero from a man who can turn his body stone-hard.
Kagero, the sole survivor of a ninja clan, continues her team’s final mission: to investigate a mysterious plague that wiped out an entire village.
Jubei is adamantly opposed to this, but the stone-like man’s allies, a group of ninja with supernatural abilities known as the Devils of Kimon, make that difficult. To make matters worse, a government spy poisons Jubei and promises him an antidote if he can uncover the true intentions of the Devils of Kimon and their link to the plague. The trail leads to shadow leaders, a government overthrow plot, and a man Jubei thought he’d never see again.
47. Favorite
The enigmatic, yellow-masked Storyteller is a man whose true identity and origins are unknown. He appears at dusk in a gathering of children and recites sinister tales based on Japanese urban legends, which his young audience eerily absorbs. The Storyteller, on the other hand, is no ordinary storyteller. He adds visuals to his already insane narration by incorporating a kamishibai, a traditional paper-scrolling device.
Yami Shibai is a collection of short horror stories that begins with a bachelor who, after moving into a new apartment, immediately notices a malevolent glare being pressed into him. A single talisman rests on his ceiling, but he has no way of knowing it is one of the few safeguards keeping him from falling into a bottomless pit of agony. As the Storyteller’s audience is drawn into the vicious world of his words, each story becomes more terrifying, appalling, and sickening than the last.
48. Kurozuka
The story follows Kuro, a swordsman who falls in love with Kuromitsu, an immortal vampire, from 12th century Japan to futuristic post-apocalyptic Japan. Kuro is about to become immortal when he is betrayed by his servant Benkei, a secret member of the Red Imperial Army, leaving him unconscious until he awakens in the future to find a ravaged post-nuclear Japan under Red Army control. Kuro is adamant about taking on the army and finding his immortal love.
49. Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho: Tou Dai Ni Maku
The battle with Tendou Kodzunu is over, and the Magami Five begin to plan for their adult futures as they approach senior graduation. However, life in Tokyo is far from tranquil…
The Twelve Heavenly Generals of the Martial Fist, an underground assassin group, begins to move against those defending the city from demons. Normally rumoured to assassinate criminals who were unable to be apprehended by ordinary law, the Martial Fist has now targeted Tatsuma Hiyuu, Kyouichi Houraiji, Aoi Misato, Komaki Sakurai, Yuuya Daigo, and Hisui Kisaragi.
What is the point of this heinous turn of events? And who ordered the assassination? New threats emerge as others awakened to the Ryumyaku’s powers seek out the Magami children – and old friends now return as enemies.
As the Stars of Fate begin to merge, destiny will collide; Yin and Yang will meet. And soon, the shadowy figure pulling the strings will be revealed, in an attempt to level Tokyo and awaken the Vessel of the Golden Dragon.
50. Blue Gender
Blue Gender takes place in the not-too-distant future, in a world where humanity has suffered greatly. The Blue, a race of bug-like aliens who colonised Earth and pushed humans aside, have replaced humans at the top of the food chain. Second Earth, a space station, has been built as a safe haven for humans in the hopes of one day reclaiming the Earth.
Yuji Kaido was cryogenically frozen after contracting the disease B-Cells. When he awakens, he joins a group of soldiers who have come to Earth to rescue him. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned on their journey back to Second Earth.
Yuji and the fighters from Second Earth will have to deal with the horrors of fighting a bloody war in order to survive. Will they be able to reclaim Earth without losing their humanity in the process?
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Top 15 Best Psychological Horror Anime Series
