Top 10 Horror Based Anime
Boo! Scared yet? You will be. If there is one thing anime is good at, its delivering suspense, and suspense and horror goes hand in hand. From the twisted minds of anime visionaries like Kouta Hirano and Satoshi Kon come some of the scariest series ever put on screen. Prepare to be terrified, and join http://www.watchmojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 horror based anime.
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#10: Serial Experiments Lain” (1998)
Kicking off our list is this unusual anime set in a world where a virtual reality network called ‘Wired’ has begun to evolve into a wire-less system of virtual communication between everyone on Earth. This wireless cloud of information sharing has begun to pick away at the wall that separates the digital from reality, as the two concepts begin to merge into a new existence. A very dark and disturbing series, the fear in this one comes from the ever present feeling of loneliness and possibility of losing your mind without knowing it had happened.
#9: “Hell Girl” (2005-09)
You want someone out of you life and, well, dead? Hell Girl has you covered. Just simply log on to her website at midnight and she will deliver that person straight to hell. The cost? Just your soul, you don’t need that anymore anyway. With a different story each episode, Hell Girl shows us how far people will go for revenge. While some story moments tend to repeat themselves, this is definitely a series every horror fan should watch.
#8: “Perfect Blue” (1997)
For our next entry we dive into the mind of Japanese animator Satoshi Kon. In his directorial debut, Perfect Blue tells the story of Mima Kiragoe, one of the founding members of J-Pop group CHAM! who decides to leave the group and become a risqué actress. Naturally, a deranged fan begins to stalk her and eventually ruins her life. As with the majority of Kon’s work, the film blurs the line between reality and fantasy, descending deeper into madness. Need help staying up all night? Just watch this one.
#7: “Pet Shop of Horrors” (1999)
If you are looking for short, sweet and horrifying, look no further. Our next entry focuses on the daily events of the mysterious Count D, caretaker extraordinaire of his pet shop in the Los Angeles Chinatown. With only four episodes, Pet Shop of Horrors cements itself as a staple in the horror genre, due to the charismatic yet equally terrifying Count D. Adopting one of his unique pets comes with a contract; just read the terms and conditions carefully, or else…
#6: “Shiki” (2010)
This wouldn’t be much of a list if we didn’t include vampires. Shiki brings us the stereotypical vampire premise; a clan of vampires move into a quiet town in the countryside and, surprise surprise, the locals start to mysteriously die off. Sound simple? It is. But, with horrific imagery and a great lead character in Natsuno Yuuki, this is an anime for anyone who is a fan of classic horror.
#5: “Boogiepop Phantom” (2000)
This is a series that you can watch over and over and catch something new every time. A series with a silly name, Boogiepop Phantom tell the story of a large variety of people who are connected to a series of murders five years prior. The series doesn’t mess around, as it will confuse you, scare you, yet tug on your heart strings at the same time. Boogiepop Phantom is a difficult series to describe, you have to see it for yourself.
#4: “Corpse Party” (2013)
What kind of horror party is it without corpses? Set in modern day Japan, Corpse Party targets a group of students who are attending a haunted high school and are transported to an alternate dimension, a place full of accidental death and murder. Originally beginning as a series of video games, it was eventually adapted into a short five episode series. What the series lacks in character development and mystery it makes up for in gore, unbelievable screams, and maniacal laughter that will haunt you for a long time.
#3: “Hellsing Ultimate” (2001-12)
Are you a fan of bad-ass, glitter-free vampires that can rip you apart? We sure are. In this original video animation series, viewers follow Alucard, a vampire proudly serving the Hellsing organization and protecting Great Britain from everything that goes bump in the night. And Nazis. While we thought the original Hellsing series was great, consider it just the tip for Ultimate. This time around we ramp up the gore, the action, and our favorite police girl is even more outrageous than ever.
#2: “Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni” (2006-07)
Who thought something so cute and comedic could disturb the living hell out of you. Also known as “Higurashi: When They Cry”, the story centers on a small group of friends who live in a Japanese village with a strange tradition; annual murders. Initially coming off as comedic, the series takes a serious turn for the dark and it will continue to screw with your mind. This entry is more lax on the gore, taking a psychological horror approach to disturb viewers instead.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Deadman Wonderland” (2011)
“Future Diary” (2011-12)
“Paranoia Agent” (2004)
“Demon City Shinjuku” (1988)
#1: “Another” (2012)
Welcome to anime meets “Final Destination”. “Another” focuses on schoolboy Kōichi Sakakibara who gets swept up in a series of grisly deaths stemming from the mysterious death of another child years prior. Definitely as much of a slow burning mystery as it is a horror, investing into this series definitely pays off. “Another” gives horror fans tons of gruesome deaths, creepy girls, and plenty of red.
Do you agree with our list? What horror anime turned your dreams into nightmares? For more bone-chilling top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.