While anime and horror might not go together as much as we’d like, there are still plenty of examples of anime series and films that don’t get the treatment they deserve. As the spooky season marches on this October, now seems like the right time to revisit some anime stories that simply didn’t get the attention they deserve, explain what made them as dark as they are, and explain why these are properties that demand your attention. Luckily, it wasn’t too difficult to find some gruesome, mature examples of anime that both make viewers’ skin crawl while also not garnering nearly enough recognition.
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First, let’s set some ground rules for our list. To start, we’re going to avoid some of the bigger examples of dark anime that have been released in the past, so don’t expect shows like Berserk and/or Jujutsu Kaisen to make this list. While there will certainly be fans of the anime series and films that we mention, our list is to bring more light to these anime classics and hopefully get more eyes on the dark material. With all this being said, let’s get our list started with one of our personal favorites.
7.) Inuyashiki
Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Inuyashiki, for those who might not be familiar with this black as pitch anime, follows the story of both an older salaryman and a young teenager who acquire super-powered robot bodies. Thanks to being struck by an alien spaceship, the two are spared, thanks to the alien technology used to bring them back to life. Inuyashiki Ichiro, the older gentleman in this equation, attempts to use his power to better mankind and save whom he can. Unfortunately, the teenage Shishigami Hiro takes a far different approach to his god-like power.
Shishigami’s opening salvo with his technological quirks is one of the most disturbing scenes in anime history, choosing a house at random and gruesomely murdering the family inside. While Hiro would eventually learn to better himself, said lesson came at the cost of quite a few lives, and many of the scenes themselves are quite hard to watch. At times, Inuyashiki can be quite life-affirming, but when the anime wants to get dark, boy oh boy does it get dark.
6.) Devilman Crybaby
Where To Watch: Netflix
One of the more popular picks on this list, Devilman: Crybaby, should get more notoriety in general, especially when anime fans are looking for something dark and depressing to watch during the Halloween season. The Netflix series, from Science SARU, doesn’t just have creatures and malevolent forces that make a viewer’s skin crawl; Devilman has subject matter that squarely puts it in the “dark anime” category. On top of the death and destruction that befalls Akira Fudo, the ending of the series is one of the most nihilistic in anime history.
Devilman: Crybaby has been a fan-favorite, but the combination of stellar animation and unique storytelling should put it on the same level as heavyweights like Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and others. The Science SARU series makes for a mature romp that re-energizes a past franchise in a brand new way and easily earns its place on our list.
5.) Paranoia Agent
Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Arguably, the best entry on our list is Paranoia Agent, the series from legendary director Satoshi Kon that often feels like it isn’t spoken in the same breath as many of the other works from the creator. The series that first introduced the world to “Little Slugger” is one that almost works as something of an anthology, eventually tying together many of the characters and scenarios introduced in this dark world. While the arcs themselves can vary in quality, Paranoia Agent was a fantastic horror series that blended the cerebral with the supernatural.
The Satoshi Kon series feels like a mix between Twin Peaks and Tales From The Crypt, and while it is well-regarded in the anime world as a whole, we feel as though this one should still be talked about to this day. Even though it has been decades since Little Slugger first started tapping his victims with his trusty baseball bat, this series can still be enjoyed by newcomers to the anime world or even to horror fans in general.
4.) Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories
Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories should be on this list simply for the fact that the anime has so many episodes to its name, but is still not mentioned nearly as much as it should be in the horror department. Housing a staggering fifteen seasons, rounding the corner to housing nearly two hundred episodes, Yamishibai works as a horror anthology with a unique art style that needs to be seen to be believed. While it might not as seen as much popularity in the West as it did across the ocean, Yamishibai is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the supernatural.
As mentioned earlier, this series is an anthology show, so don’t feel overwhelmed by the episode count. There might be some episodes that shine a little brighter than others, but the show’s “Crypt Keeper,” aka an elderly man sporting a creepy, yellow mask, always makes an appearance to discuss new spooky stories.
3.) Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack
With so many examples of anime adaptations that didn’t work in relation to Junji Ito’s vast library, it’s surprising to see that Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack isn’t given the shine it deserves in the horror department. To start, the story and creatures of Gyo are some of the most skin-crawling of any anime franchise, and this film does a solid enough job at depicting Ito’s artwork in motion. This is helped by the fact that Ufotable, the same studio that brought Demon Slayer to life, was in charge of bringing the story to the screen.
To this day, it can often be difficult to try to come to grips with the aquatic monstrosities that were born from Junji Ito’s mind, but they work well here. While there are certainly complaints to be made with Junji Ito adaptations like Uzumaki, The Junji Ito Collection, and Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, Gyo feels like a movie that dodges many of the same downfalls of these adaptations. Unfortunately, finding this one to watch might prove to be a little difficult, as it’s not currently available to stream on any of the usual streaming services.
2.) Blood-C
The Blood franchise might have started as a young girl slaying vampires, but Blood-C took things up to the next level. You might have actually seen scenes from this series on your social media feed because the story of Saya Kisaragi and her fight against demonic monstrosities has scenes that might even put Terrifier’s Art the Clown to shame. Brought to life by Production I.G., the studio responsible for Kaiju No. 8 and Haikyu, the production house certainly held nothing back when it came to showing how dark this series could get when it wanted to. It’s hard to even describe some of the ways that characters are dispatched with in this series, but if you’re looking for an ultra-violent anime, this might be the one for you.
Unfortunately, much like Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack, finding Blood-C on a streaming service is going to be a little difficult. While it isn’t confirmed why Saya’s story is difficult to watch, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the gory scenes of the anime were a big part of the series disappearing from the small screen.
1.) Another
Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Luckily, Another can be viewed on Crunchyroll, and makes for a dark anime series that earns its place on this list. Focusing on a haunted classroom that sees several deaths taking place, often in a gruesome and grotesque fashion, the students of said class attempt to decipher the cause of death for their fellow students. If you’re looking for a good mystery anime that has quite a few unnerving death scenes, Another might be worth your time this Halloween.
What do you think of our creepy anime list? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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