There are plenty of horror movies for the public to enjoy, but what about anime fans? There are very few horror anime, but some anime series handle this medium very well. Horror anime is not scary in the traditional sense. It’s tackled from a different angle, with a mix of suspense, jump scares and an overall sense of dread mixed with a good storyline.
From realistic horror based on historical events such as Barefoot Gen to the supernatural border in Anotherthese horror titles are guaranteed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
8 Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is one of the most popular and horrifying anime series of the 21st century. This is mainly due to the outright shock value of the show, particularly with Titans.
In a heartbreaking scene, a young Eren Yeager and Mikasa fail to lift Carla, Eren’s mother, from their collapsed house. Powerless, he must watch as his swaying mother is mauled and eaten by a laughing Titan as her blood rains from the sky. This incident is one of the catalysts for Eren’s drive to strengthen and join the Survey Corps.
7 Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass offers a clear critique of modern society and human reliance on technology. One brutal scene in particular shows a woman on the phone walking down a busy street. She is approached by a masked stranger, whom she strokes. He then approaches her again, brandishing a hammer.
He attacks her as bystanders pull out their phones to record the attack. As she attacks her, a supposedly helpful AI robot appears and asks if she is “emergency” and needs to go to a medical facility. This scene deserves a spot on this list purely because of how terrifyingly realistic it is.
6 Mirai Nikki
Mirai Nikki focuses on a group of other people with a diary that allows them to predict the future. They are forced to compete in a Battle Royale scenario, with a time limit of 90 days, and must find and kill all other participants to win. The last remaining would become the successor to Deus Ex Machina, the God of Space and Time.
Two characters in particular stand out; Yukiteru Amano and Yuno Gasai. They formed an unlikely alliance, and Yuno acted as a bodyguard to protect Yukiteru. What’s really terrifying is the effort Yuno would make to stay with Yukiteru. She would commit any atrocity to save his life and be with him forever. She even goes so far as to brutally slaughter her alternate self to take her place.
5 Another
Another is an adult horror anime set in 1998 that focuses on a seemingly cursed class. It’s a gory horror similar to the Final destination franchisee. In AnotherThe students and people involved in grades 3-3 of Yomiyama North Junior High school suffer tragic and curiously fatal accidents. These events all started when a college student committed suicide and her classmates pretended to be alive as a coping mechanism.
One gruesome scene, in particular, shows a girl tripping down a flight of stairs and having her neck impaled by the tip of her own umbrella.
4 Tokyo Ghou
Dying for a gory horror? Look no further than Tokyo Ghou. Ken Kaneki was an ordinary college student until his life changed when he crossed paths with a hungry female ghoul. He becomes a half-creepy, half-human hybrid after an accident and a botched organ transplant.
A memorable scene in Tokyo Ghou is difficult for the audience to watch. Kaneki is repeatedly tortured by Jason, who forces him to count back from 1000 in groups of 7. If Kaneki failed, he would be tortured further. Horrific scenes show Jason ripping off Kaneki’s nails with pliers and even shoving a centipede in his ear.
3 Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
Corpse Party: Tortured Souls is a 4-episode OVA series inspired by the Japanese video game corpse party. It targets students at the Kisaragi Academy, formerly known as the cursed Heavenly Host Elementary, where many students and staff were murdered. Kisaragi’s students spent their last day with a friend, Mayu, who was transferring to another school. They performed a ritual to ensure that they would remain friends forever, creating the “Sachiko Forever” charm. The group of friends are all transported to an alternate dimension in Heavenly Host Elementary.
There are plenty of scary moments and a shock factor in this horrifying anime. A memorable moment is when Mayu encounters two ghost children, one of whom is missing half of her head. After the teacher begs Mayu to leave these kids alone, they grab Mayu and throw her against a wall in a fit of rage, with her guts splashing everywhere. Mayu’s recognizable purple hair clip hangs on the wall along with her guts.
2 Elf Song
Elves Lied explores the life of Lucy, a Diclonius who is a mutated human, born with horns and telekinetic powers. She was previously tortured, experimented with and imprisoned under armed guard due to her great supernatural power.
One scene shows Lucy’s escape from her asylum and how she achieved her freedom at a great cost to human life. She tears apart her guards (and her clothes) using only her mind. As a human head rolls at her feet, she can be heard quietly singing as she walks away from the carnage she has caused. Her frenzy continues as she walks unscathed through a hail of bullets, splitting her opponents in two.
Barefoot Gen is a historical anime film loosely based on the manga of the same name. It shows World War II in Japan through the innocent eyes of a child and the events surrounding the Hiroshima bomb. Heartbreakingly, it shows first hand the effects of the bomb.
In a flash of blinding light, the bomb literally melts away the skin, teeth and eyes of many civilians who were living peacefully just seconds ago. A disturbing scene shows a mother and child being vaporized. Even when she died, the mother was still reaching for her baby.
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