The term “horror” brings up a slew of terrifying imagery. At the same time, horror is terrifying, exhilarating, and paralyzing.
Anime is comparable to spooky television shows and films, both of which have their masterpieces and flops. Horror, on the other hand, is an area where the medium shines.
People have been drawn to the horror genre since the beginning of storytelling. The only thing that people enjoy more than laughing is being afraid. Horror in anime is distinct from cliches and tropes found in the West.
Horror anime can elicit new degrees of fear and revulsion in individuals who enjoy being scared. Look no further if you want a story that is both repulsive and bloody, as well as intriguing and exciting.
If Halloween is approaching or you just want to watch something especially frightening, here’s a list of some of the most spine-tingling, terrifying anime shows out today.
There is no going back once you have entered the world of terrifying anime!
Monster
Neurosurgeon Kenzou Tenma, who is engaged to the daughter of his hospital’s director, is well on his way to becoming one of the hospital’s top doctors. One night, a seemingly insignificant event changes Dr. Tenma’s life forever. As he prepares to perform surgery on someone, the hospital director instructs him to perform life-saving brain surgery on a famous performer instead.
Tenma’s colleagues, fiancée, and the hospital director applaud his accomplishment; however, a poor immigrant worker is killed because of the switch, causing Tenma to have a crisis of conscience.
In a similar situation, Dr. Tenma chooses to operate on the young boy Johan Liebert rather than the mayor. It is unfortunate that this decision has serious ramifications for Dr. Tenma- losing his social status is one of them. Dr. Tenma’s position was restored following the mysterious deaths of the director and two other doctors. Having no evidence to convict him, he is released and becomes the hospital’s director.
Dr. Tenma’s past comes back to haunt him nine years later when he saves the life of a criminal. He once more faces the monster he operated on. He now needs to make amends for the havoc caused by the one he saved.
“Monster” is a work of exceptional writing. It is a slow burn that intelligently captivates the viewer with moments of shock, awe, and depravity, which are skillfully combined with well-executed anticipation and proper denouement. As soon as the series establishes the setting and many of the characters, the series gets into a rollercoaster of action, suspense, and character development.
Yakusoku no Neverland
Grace Field House is surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance and its residents are orphans living happily together as a family, cared for by their “Mama,” Isabella. Even though they must take tests daily, the children are allowed to spend their time as they wish, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage – a rule they are expected to follow no matter what.
The good times must, however, end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with a new family, never to be heard from again.
The three oldest siblings, however, have their suspicions about what is actually happening at the orphanage. Soon they learn about the cruel fate in store for the children at Grace Field, as well as Mama’s twisted nature.
Anime does not do well with horror for the simple reason that it’s very hard to make animation straight-up scary. Nevertheless, they can still be creepy and eerie and that’s where Neverland excels.
It has one of those truly great opening episodes that hook you from the very start, showcasing the lovely and cheerful Grace Field Orphanage filled with children who love spending their time there until the rather shocking truth of the whole situation is revealed at the end of the first episode, capturing the attention of the viewer immediately.
The direction is quite simply superb, both in terms of engaging the viewers in the main characters’ situation and to be wanting to cheer for them.
Kenpuu Denki Berserk
A young mercenary known only as Guts was born from the corpse of his mother. Day after day, he sacrifices his life just to make enough to get by, moving from one bloodshed to the next.
A short while after Guts clashes with the mercenaries from the Band of the Hawk, Griffith, nicknamed the “White Hawk,” recruits him. As he quickly ascends to become Griffith’s head of operations, Guts proves to be a powerful force of his own, taking Midland by storm. As the band strives for recognition, Guts slowly realizes that the world is not as black-and-white as he once believed.
Taking place in the medieval era, “Kenpuu Denki Berserk” follows one man’s attempt to find his own path as he supports another’s power lust, and an unimaginable tragedy that turns the wheels of fate.
This is a tale of a world filled with evil and brutality, of dreams and despair, where people struggle amidst all that and define the meaning of their lives. It’s slow for friendship and love to come, but when they do, they’ll bring tears to your eyes, for the relationships forged in Berserk are more meaningful than any you’ll find in anime.
This anime’s greatest strengths are its story and characters. Both develop simultaneously, making Berserk’s world very intriguing. Many of the typical anime cliches are avoided, which greatly enhances the effectiveness of the story and character development. Berserk captures a great deal of realism for an anime with its unique and lively world.
Perfect Blue
CHAM! is a Japanese idol group that has spent the last two years entertaining its fans. There will be an end to all good things and CHAM! must see its member, Mima Kirigoe, leave the group to pursue acting. Mima’s choice has been met with mixed reactions but she hopes that her fans will continue to support her.
After she leaves the group, Mima’s life changes drastically. Her career as an actress becomes increasingly demanding and taxing for both Mima and her manager, Rumi Hidaka, as she seeks to shed her pop-idol image.
Adding to Mima’s growing unease, an obsessed fan can’t accept that she is no longer an innocent idol; a new anonymous website begins to imitate her life with intricate details and CHAM! also seems to be doing better without her. Mima becomes increasingly unhinged and unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy with each new disturbing development.
There are a number of topics explored in the story that few other works in the genre do, including the loss of innocence and the perception of reality. Mima’s life is slowly revealed to the viewer as they become immersed in the twisted world that she lives in.
“Perfect Blue” appeals to so many psychological elements and has such a complex setup that it can be viewed over and over again, noticing new things each time. The second watch can be even better than the first; once you know the end, you can trace the story backward to the origin.
Mononoke
A deadly occult master, “The Medicine Seller” travels through feudal Japan in search of malevolent spirits called “Mononoke” to slay. When he encounters one of these spirits, he cannot kill it instantly; he must first understand its Form, Truth, and Reason in order to fight it with the Exorcism Sword.
The strange exorcisms he performs must be preceded by intense psychological analysis and careful investigation- an extremely dangerous step, as he must first interact with and learn about the Mononoke before he can even defeat it.
The Medicine Seller ends up at an old-fashioned inn where Shino, a pregnant woman, has finally found a resting place. She has been reluctantly assigned the last vacant room, but as she settles in, it quickly becomes apparent that this room is overrun by a lethal band of mononoke, the Zashiki Warashi. The Medicine Seller begins his search with his hunter’s intuition in order to find the Form, Truth, and Reason to stop the Zashiki Warashi from killing again.
The art in this series tells the story. It is experimental and has its own style. The series is especially beautiful visually and thematically.
The series has excellent writing and direction that really immerses you in the story. At the beginning of each arc, new characters are introduced and are well fleshed out. The Medicine Seller, Kusuriuri, is the only recurring character and is mysterious as always with each new arc. Each new environment is unique, colorful, and captivating.
Hellsing Ultimate
There are beings of darkness and evil that stalk the night, devouring those unfortunate enough to fall into their grasp. Hellsing, meanwhile, is dedicated to destroying these supernatural forces that threaten humanity’s existence. The group’s leader is Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who commands a powerful military and lives her life fighting the undead.
Despite her vast army, Integra’s most powerful weapon is the vampire Alucard, who works as a Hellsing exterminator against his own kind. Alucard faces all those who stand against Hellsing whether they are good or evil, with the aid of Seras Victoria.
“Hellsing Ultimate” shows that appearances are often deceptive and that sometimes the greatest weapon is one’s worst nightmare. The show features everything you’d expect from a vampire series, featuring the greatest vampire of all time: Dracula. Alucard is the name we know him by in this series.
A show like this will have you eagerly awaiting the next episode. This well-rounded product is filled with intrigue, betrayal, conspiracy, gore, sarcastic humor, and plenty of action. Almost panel for panel, the OVA follows the manga exactly. Every installment is a visual spectacle, covering the events of one volume of work. All of these things combine into what a vampire series should stand for: Blood, gore, and even more blood.
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
Parasitic aliens descend upon Earth and quickly infiltrate humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable humans. Their insatiable appetites make them capable of morphing into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.
One of these parasites infects sixteen-year-old Shinichi Izumi, but the parasite does not reach his brain, instead of taking over his right hand. To stay alive, the parasite, which has now been named Migi, must depend on Shinichi. They are thus forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from parasites that hope to eradicate their new threat.
It’s probably something you’ve heard of in classic sci-fi stories; the idea that aliens can snatch our bodies to mimic us and walk among us. Based on science fiction and body horror, Kiseijuu takes full swing with its premise. Kiseijuu’s opening episodes really set the bar high with its engaging premise.
It is the ability of this series to convey human nature and focus on more than just outlandish battles for survival that makes it stand out quite a bit. While balancing out how the parasites behave, it shows the best and worst of what humans can do.
Sometimes there’s a sense of similarity, while other times, there’s a stark contrast. As the story progresses, Shinichi undergoes major changes due to certain events that leave him with tragic scars, both physically and mentally.
Shinsekai Yori
Saki Watanabe, a 12-year-old living in Kamisu 66, is newly awakened to her psychic powers and is relieved to join her friends – the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the upbeat Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires – at Sage Academy, a school for psychics.
Saki, however, begins to wonder about the fate of those who cannot awaken to their powers, and the children begin to become involved in mysterious matters such as that of the Tainted Cats that allegedly abduct children.
Saki and her friends’ journeys, toward what appears to be a utopia is a part of “Shinsekai Yori”, a unique coming-of-age story. In the face of shocking truths about society and the impending havoc of the new world, accepting these roles may not be easy.
The plot flows smoothly from episode to episode and just as we are about to reach the climax, a plot twist occurs, which changes the whole story in a way you wouldn’t expect.
In this anime, Saki stands out as the shining star. A proper illustration of character development is the fact that the main characters start out as children and end up as adults. Twenty-five episodes of an anime may not seem like enough time to develop characters from children to adults.
This is, however, a feat very well pulled off by “Shinsekai Yori”. A character doesn’t behave one way and then the polar opposite in the next episode; everything is explained and shown very well.
Akira
The year was 1988 in Japan. An explosion triggered by the psychic powers of a young boy tears through Tokyo and ignites the fuse that causes World War III. To prevent any further devastation, he is taken into custody and never heard from again.
There now stands, in the year 2019, a restored version of the city known as Neo-Tokyo — an area rife with the gang and terrorist violence against the government. Here, Shoutarou Kaneda commands “the Capsules,” a group of misfits who ride huge motorcycles and keep an eye on their rival group, “the Clowns.”
Shoutarou’s best friend Tetsuo Shima is caught in an accident with an esper who has escaped confinement from a government institution in the course of one of these battles. While Tetsuo develops mysterious abilities from this encounter, he is quarantined by the government in an effort to prevent him from unleashing a destructive force that could once again bring the city to its knees.
There is no doubt that “Akira” is one of the best anime films of all time and is a classic that must be seen by anyone interested in anime or thinking about getting into anime or who is already a fan but hasn’t seen it yet.
If you like action or complex stories, then you will enjoy “Akira”; it’s a solid mixture of both, never giving too much of one and too little of the other. And while you probably won’t fully understand the story from the movie or relate with some of the characters, it’s a minor spot on a beautiful work of art.
Dorohedoro
The district called ‘Hole’ is dark, decrepit, and disorderly, where the strong prey on the weak and death is commonplace. As a realm separate from law and ethics, it is a testing ground for magic users. According to the magic users who occupy the highest rungs in their society, the denizens of Hole are no more than insects. The powerless Hole dwellers are brutally murdered, mutilated, and used as experiments without a second thought.
With free access to and from the cesspool and little challenge to their authority, the magical users appear invincible to the majority- with a few exceptions. For example, Kaiman is more of a reptile than a man. With only a pair of bayonets and his immunity to magic, he pursues them heedlessly, searching for answers.
Tormented by nightmares and cursed by his appearance, magic users are his only hope for restoring his life to normality. Nikaidou, the owner of the restaurant Hungry Bug, is his greatest ally since his stomach is his biggest obstacle.
This dark comedy blends humor and lightheartedness with death and carnage in a gritty world of hellish design. Featuring many twists and turns as it follows the lives of Hole’s residents, it creates an unearthly world with a dreary appearance that does not appeal to the squeamish or easily disturbed.
“Dorohedoro” is best known for its characters along with the story. None of the characters can be pigeonholed. Right and wrong are not clearly delineated. Every character, even minor ones, has great dynamics and brings something to the show.
Paprika
Dreams can offer a fascinating glimpse into the psyche, revealing one’s deepest desires, aspirations, and repressed memories. The “DC Mini” has been developed by a tech lab hoping to tap into the dreams of others. Atsuko Chiba and Kosaku Tokita have been developing this technology with the hope of using it to explore patients’ minds in-depth and cure them of their psychological disorders.
Knowing the deepest corners of a person’s mind, however, comes with tremendous responsibility. DC Minis could be used by the wrong hands as a form of psychological terrorism and cause mental breakdowns in their victims.
Atsuko and Kosaku understand they have a serious problem on their hands when someone steals this technology and people start acting strangely around them. With the assistance of Officer Konakawa, who has been receiving experimental therapy, the team searches both the real and dream worlds for their mental terrorist.
There is a seamless transition in the film between dream and reality. It is almost impossible to discern between delusion and reality when the DC Mini is able to enter or invade people’s dreams and minds.
Occasionally, scenes appear to take place in reality until something strange occurs and reveals that it is a dream instead. As characters become delusional and erratic as the wall dissolves, they slip into madness.
“Paprika” is an eye-catching, cerebral extravaganza that never fails to impress. This eye candy raises some interesting questions about dreams and the human psyche.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
After moving to the quiet little village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983, Keiichi Maebara quickly becomes inseparable from fellow schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude. Despite their seemingly idyllic life, there is darkness beneath the surface.
Keiichi learns the local legends surrounding the village’s annual festival while preparing for the festival. He discovers that the village has been the scene of several murders and disappearances in recent years. They all seem linked to the festival and Oyashiro, the village’s patron deity. Despite Keiichi’s attempts to ask about these incidents, his new friends remain suspiciously silent and refuse to answer.
A series of bizarre events occur and he begins to wonder if there is anything else his friends are hiding from him and whether he can trust them at all.
The story of “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni” is one that stretches across several arcs beginning with Keiichi, as madness and paranoia take root in his heart.
In Higurashi, you are essentially the scientist. Each of its arcs begins in exactly the same place. The pace is excellent, and the suspense is exciting. You know terrible things are going to happen, but you don’t know what exactly.
Each arc you see reveals a few more clues, and you formulate a new theory only to find it shattered by another totally unexpected horror in the very same arc. The beauty of Higurashi is that in a mystery of such a grand scale, every detail is meticulous, and while every bloody event seems random at first, they all eventually fall into place.
Vampire Hunter D (2000)
It revolves around D, the infamous “dhampir,” who is born to a vampire father and human mother but is an outcast and a renowned vampire hunter. Due to his skill in hunting creatures of the night, he is accepted among humans, allowing him to locate Charlotte Elbourne, a lovely daughter from an affluent family who has been mysteriously kidnapped.
The hunt continues after the sunsets! Charlotte’s father offers a handsome bounty be she dead or alive, which D readily accepts, even with the notorious Markus brothers and their gang of bounty hunters also searching for Charlotte.
Unbeknown to all, a sinister evil has been quietly manipulating their every move and has set a chilling trap that no one will expect and few will survive. When the tables are turned and the secrets revealed, the hunters may become the hunted!
Though the plot appears simple at first glance, it is filled with beautiful layers of character development. Throughout the film, all of the characters exude charm and style. An anime movie like “Vampire Hunter D” delivers everything it promises and then some.
While it is not the first anime to feature vampires, it portrays them in a way that at the time was incredibly intriguing and offered a vampire anime experience unlike any other.
While these characters begin as usual archetypes for the supernatural vampire/hunter genre, by the end, they break free from that mold. They show vampires in both ways, so people who like both styles of vampires won’t be disappointed.
Tokyo Ghoul
The city of Tokyo has become cruel and merciless – a place where “ghouls” live alongside people. This once great metropolis is constantly in danger from these bloodthirsty savages. These ghouls pose the greatest threat because of their ability to blend in and masquerade as humans.
The story of “Tokyo Ghoul” focuses on Ken Kaneki, a shy and bookish college student who is attracted instantly to Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like himself. Unfortunately, Rize is not as she seems, and this unfortunate meeting pushes Kaneki into the darkness of the ghouls’ inhuman world. Kaneki is saved by the mysterious waitress Touka Kirishima and thus begins his new, secret life as a half-ghoul/half-human who must integrate into both societies.
Did you ever think you’d root for man-eaters in an anime? If you didn’t, “Tokyo Ghoul” is here to prove you wrong. One of the best anime series, “Tokyo Ghoul” will keep you on your toes the whole time. Despite its darkness and gore, it will most likely appeal to horror fans, though it can also be enjoyed by non-horror fans.
Though the concept of getting new powers and meeting new people is not new to anime, “Tokyo Ghoul” does it in an efficient way. It discusses how there is no clear distinction between good and evil, and it is all a matter of perspective. In general, this reminds us that we should not jump to conclusions before considering other people’s circumstances.
Devilman: Crybaby
Without a living host, devils cannot take form. It is possible for an individual to overcome the demon and become a Devilman if their will is strong enough.
Akira Fudou has always been weak and unassuming, but he has a bleeding heart. When Akira’s childhood friend Ryou Asuka asks for his help in uncovering devils, he happily agrees. Nevertheless, Akira’s surprise is that the place they go to is Sabbath: an immoral party of debauchery and degeneracy.
In the midst of bloodshed and death, demons possess the partygoers, turning them into monstrous creatures. Akira merges with the devil Amon in a reckless attempt to save his best friend, becoming a Devilman with the power to defeat the remaining demons.
This new partnership grants Akira great power, but it awakens an insatiable and primal part of him. Like a demon with a crybaby’s heart, Akira works with Ryou, destroying those that harm humanity.
Crybaby is a very good story, the pacing is solid throughout and it manages to end on a satisfying note, which is hard to achieve in many modern shows.
There are a lot of amazing characters in this anime, and every single one of them is well thought out, deliberate, consistent, and interesting. Miki and Ryou are amazing characters, and Akira is perhaps one of the best characters seen in a long time; he doesn’t fit into any general category, he is unique, and his relationships with the other characters are just wonderful.
Ghost Hunt
Taniyama Mai and her friends enjoy exchanging ghost stories at school. Their campus has an abandoned school building that is the subject of many ghost stories. They are interrupted in the middle of the story by a mysterious male figure.
Shibuya Kazuya, a 17-year-old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company turns out to be the person. The principal had asked him to investigate the tales surrounding the abandoned school building.
Mai passes the school building on her way to school the next day. Kazuya’s assistant surprises her while she examines the strange camera inside. Her unintentional interference breaks the camera and Kazuya’s assistant gets hurt.
Kazuya forcedly hires Mai so he can pay for the camera and replace his injured assistant. Mai starts to learn about the paranormal world and the profession of ghost hunting at that point.
This series’ greatest assets are the characters’ rich and engaging personalities and their memorable interactions. It’s one of the main reasons you watch episode after episode.
The storyline is superb and the arcs are usually kept to 3 to 4 episodes. This keeps the series watchable without frustrating the viewer waiting for an arc or storyline to end.
Each episode, or case, is filled with twists that keep you guessing and wondering what’s going to happen next. You’re never disappointed. In addition, each case is extremely different from the others, so there is a lot of variation in the outcome.
Shiki
In the quiet village of Sotoba, fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu suddenly dies, starting what appears to be a ferocious outbreak that turns the hot summer into a season of chaos and terror.
Toshio Ozaki, a young doctor, questions the cause of the disease and realizes that in order to find the truth, he must give up his humanity. During this time, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial city youth is haunted by the sudden death of Megumi, forcing him to acknowledge the pain of friendship. As the two work together to save Sotoba from becoming a ghost town, Toshio and Natsuno form an unlikely team.
“Shiki” isn’t your typical vampire story. It is a tragic tale of survival in a world where it is difficult to differentiate between good and evil. When the Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, are abandoned by God, they have only their will to live as they struggle against the fear of the paranoid/unbelieving villagers. The boundary between man and monster is explored by Shiki.
While the pacing in the first few episodes is slow, it provides an important backdrop to the rest of the episodes. We begin to uncover the truth as the story unfolds.
Even as some characters begin to understand what is going on, the villagers, in general, are vehemently disbelieving. The anime pays tribute to vampires well, but even better, it addresses society’s inability to accept those who are different.
Blood+
Saya Otonashi lives in Okinawa City with her adoptive family and appears to be an ordinary girl. The only peculiarities of her life are that she suffers from anemia and cannot recall anything beyond the previous year.
Saya’s forgotten past quickly catches up with her – one night, a creature that feeds on blood attacks her at school. The creature is temporarily fended off by a mysterious man named Haji when all hope seems lost. She enters a trance when forced to drink her rescuer’s blood, then kills the monster using her own blood as a catalyst.
As a result, Saya learns of a group named the ‘Red Shield’, founded with the sole purpose of fighting the hellish beasts. With Red Shield at their side, Saya and Haji must fight these fearsome monsters and discover the secrets of her past.
The action-packed story is set in a sad setting; the characters’ emotions are strengthened by the battles which have a purpose other than just being another fight. Despite being complex, the story is easy to follow without too much thought.
The character development of the highest quality can be found in “Blood+”. This series will captivate you with its characters and how they change over time. Their relationship with each other is fascinating and the characters are deep, three-dimensional. All 50 episodes are somehow incredibly strong, demonstrating a wide range of characters from the most comical to the most radically serious.
Jigoku Shoujo
Our world is not just, no matter how much we may wish it were. The good suffer at the hands of the wicked, and the wicked never seem to be punished. Fortunately, this is a world where the phrase “go to hell” can have some validity.
There is a mysterious website out there that is only visible at exactly midnight and by someone who has a strong desire for revenge against someone specific. A person who visits the website only needs to enter the name of their tormentor, and a girl named Ai will appear.
They are given a straw doll that has a red string tied around its neck, and she tells them that they need only pull the string to send their tormentor straight into the depths of hell.
There is, however, a catch.
By pulling that string, the client too will be damned to hell forever. As opposed to the target, they won’t be sent there immediately. Before going to hell, they will live out the remainder of their lives. “Jigoku Shoujo” presents an anthology of Hell Correspondence clients.
A lot of characters appear in this anime but each episode focuses on a different one going through a difficult time before turning into the legendary girl everyone is whispering about. There’s a price, but even that doesn’t stop them.
The main experience of this anime is coming to know the stories of the characters in each episode and feeling sorry for them for being desperate enough to call forth the Jigoku Shoujo to end their suffering.
Juubee Ninpuuchou
As a swordsman-for-hire, Jubei Kibagami wanders feudal Japan. His master-lessness resulted from a past betrayal and he no longer has patience for political factions and their schemes. He meets and saves a woman named Kagero from a man with the capability of making his body as hard as stone when both his past and political intrigue collide.
Kagero, the only survivor of a ninja clan, carries on her team’s last mission: to discover the cause of an epidemic that has wiped out an entire village. Jubei wants no part in this, but the stone-like man’s allies- the Devils of Kimon, are ninjas with supernatural powers, making that impossible.
In addition, a government spy poisons Jubei, promising him an antidote if he can uncover the Devils of Kimon’s true intentions and their connection to the plague. Jubei’s trail leads to shadow leaders, a plot to topple the government, and a man he thought he would never see again.
This anime is a true anime/cult classic, which separates itself from the mass of similar titles due to its elaborate script, interesting though perverse characters, astonishing battles, and very graphic depiction of violence. It’s not the story that makes this a classic movie; it’s the action-packed, bloody, raw, and uncut fighting scenes! If there’s one thing that “Juubee Ninpuuchou” delivers, is action.
The variety of opponents Jubei faces is very distinct; they all have different and unique abilities. The one downside is that some of the fights, though still cool, are incredibly short, and it’ll leave you with a craving for more.
Elfen Lied
Lucy is a special breed of human known as the “Diclonius,” born with short horns and invisible telekinetic hands that land her as a victim of inhumane scientific experiments conducted by the government. Lucy, corrupted by confinement and torture, unleashes a torrent of bloodshed as she flees her captors once an opportunity presents itself.
As a result of her breakout, she suffers a crippling head injury, leaving her with a split personality: she has the mentality of a child who is unable to speak properly. Amidst this state of instability, she stumbles upon two college students, Kouta and Yuka, who unknowingly take in an injured fugitive, unaware of her murderous tendencies.
They soon become entangled in the shadowy world of government secrecy and conspiracy, the act of kindness changing their lives.
While each character is unique, it takes a mastermind’s touch to carve characterization from blueprints that satisfy the viewer. The pace is slow at first, but before you know it, you will be exploring the character’s personality and even feeling their feelings. In other words, it’s us who bear the burden when we immediately fall in love with the characters. A stage of admiration surrounds all in this cruel and bloody world.
As a whole, “Elfen Lied” is an anime that does an audacious thing by having so much cruelty, gore, and nudity in one series, but ending up as a masterpiece that wouldn’t have been the same without it.
Another
Yomiyama North Middle School’s 3-3 class lost a popular student named Misaki during the 1972 school year. A fearful atmosphere has enveloped Yomiyama since then due to the dark secrets hidden deep within.
The plot thickens twenty-six years later when fifteen-year-old Kouichi Sakakibara transfers into class 3-3 at Yomiyama North and finds that a strange, gloomy mood seems to linger around the entire school. In addition, he is drawn to the mysterious, eyepatch-wearing student Mei Misaki. However, the rest of the class and teachers treat her as if she does not exist.
Kouichi, ignoring the warnings from everyone, including Mei herself, begins to get closer to her, as well as to the truth of what is plaguing class 3-3 at Yomiyama North.
As Kouichi, Mei, and their classmates are caught up in the mystery surrounding Yomiyama’s inevitable tragedies, unraveling the horror may just cost them everything.
There is always a new development when you think you’re getting close to the answer, and you have to start all over again. The series keeps you guessing, but it manages to do so without being particularly complicated, which is quite impressive.
There is nothing more confusing than an overloaded storyline and a large cast of characters. Here, it is simple: one tightly-written, carefully thought-out storyline involving a relatively small number of characters, which proves surprisingly durable as a twelve-episode series, having avoided the trap of the same cliff-hanger ending every time. They always manage to throw in a new and interesting variation.
Ajin
Seventeen years ago, mysterious immortal humans known as “Ajin” appeared in Africa. They were branded as a threat to mankind when they were discovered since their powers could be used for evil and could not be destroyed. From then on, whenever Ajin is found in society, they must be arrested and taken into custody immediately.
Kei Nagai, an aspiring doctor, studying hard in high school, knows very little about the Ajin, only seeing the news every now and then. Kei is taught that creatures like these cannot be considered human, but he doesn’t pay much attention in class.
Thus, what little grasp he has on this subject becomes completely irrelevant when he survives an accident that was supposed to take his life, marking his rebirth as an Ajin and the beginning of his torment. Kei discovers that more of his species may be closer than he thinks after finding himself alone on the run from the world.
It is a very engaging story, easy to follow, and most importantly, suspenseful. It isn’t a show for the lighthearted as you may have already guessed. There is little room for comedy, and the story kills off characters at will. There are hardly any humans that we can feel sympathy for throughout the show as well.
In this series, the characters also explore the darker side of what humans are capable of.
Sankarea
Chihiro Furuya has always desired an undead girlfriend since he was a child. Chihiro’s love for all things zombie comes in handy when his cat Baabu is run over, leading him to try to make a resurrection potion and bring him back to life.
In the course of his pursuit, he witnesses a rich girl named Rea Sanka screaming into an old well about her oppressive life every day. As a result of meeting and bonding with her, Chihiro is convinced by Rea to save Baabu. He eventually succeeds with the help of the poisonous hydrangeas in Rea’s garden.
Rea drinks the resurrection potion, unaware of its success and trying to escape the burdens of her life. Though she doesn’t die from the accident, the effects linger, and she is reborn as a zombie. Rea tries to adjust to her new, undead life with Chihiro’s help.
This situation would be a dream come true for a boy who wants a zombie girlfriend. Chihiro’s life in Sankarea becomes stranger than usual as he deals with Rea’s strange new cravings and the unexpected consequences of her transformation.
This is why the show is special, the characters. One crazy about zombies, one too rich to be free, the best cat in the world, and more await when you decide to start this anime. The chemistry between everyone is just great. The show really shines when you want to know more about the characters. You’ll love the situations they get into as well as the overall story.
Deadman Wonderland
On what appeared to be a normal day, Ganta Igarashi and his classmates were preparing for a class trip to a prison amusement park called Deadman Wonderland, in which convicts perform dangerous acts for the amusement of those watching.
In a flash, his world turns upside down when a mysterious man in red massacres his whole class. When Ganta is framed for the incident and sentenced to death, he is sent to the very jail he was supposed to visit.
This is only the beginning of Ganta’s nightmare.
Having been thrown into an environment of sadistic inmates and enigmatic powers, the protagonist lives in constant fear of a lethal collar around his neck that can only be slowed by winning in the prison’s deathly games. In “Deadman Wonderland”, to discover the mysterious “Red Man” and clear his name, Ganta has no choice but to survive in a world where it is difficult to tell friend from foe.
The dark atmosphere masks a fast-paced action/horror anime, with enough twists to keep you on your toes, as it’s impossible to predict what will happen next. Your fascination deepens with every new twist to the point where you crave closure.
Shiro and Ganta, in particular, are very original characters. The characters all have their own quirks, which are exploited well. Although short, “Deadman Wonderland” is more than enough to satisfy viewers, including those who aren’t too fond of the genre, and is most definitely one of the more enticing series.
Highschool of the Dead
Japan was thrown into chaos as the dead rose. As the walking dead begin to terrorize a high school, Takashi Kimuro is forced to kill his best friend after being bitten and joining their ranks. Pledging to protect Rei Miyamoto, the girlfriend of the man he just killed, they narrowly escape a school that is a death trap, only to find a society that has already fallen.
Takashi and Rei set off to find their family members and discover what caused this outbreak with the help of other students. Among the group are Saeko Busujima, the pretty president of the Kendo Club; Kouta Hirano, an otaku with a gun fetish; Saya Takagi, a politician’s daughter; and Shizuka Marikawa, the hot school nurse. However, will the combined strength of these individuals be sufficient to defeat this undead apocalypse?
The plot tickets aren’t distributed at random by distant authority figures. Nothing is in the hands of fate. Characters must decide what to do when to do it, and how to do it. Everything.
This focuses on their transformation from “civilized” humans to survivalists. This anime combines just the right amount of fan service, horror, and goriness without being too excessive to spice up the show. The fan service is also well-executed in the sense that it feels natural and appropriate given their circumstances. The plot isn’t particularly original, but it’s extremely entertaining and enjoyable.
Not only do the female characters’ designs have a lot of variety, but so do the male characters. The characters begin as obvious stereotypes, but they grow and change as the world around them does, and it’s genuinely satisfying to see.
Blue Gender
The story of “Blue Gender” takes place in a not-too-distant future, in a world where things have gone very wrong for humanity. Humans have been displaced at the top of the food chain by the Blue, a race of bug-like aliens that colonized Earth and pushed humans aside. In the hope of one day reclaiming Earth once again, Second Earth has been built as a safe haven for humans.
Yuji Kaido had been suffering from a disease called B-Cells when he was cryogenically frozen. After waking up, he joins a team of soldiers who have come to Earth to retrieve him. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned as they return to Second Earth.
As Yuji and the fighters from Second Earth try to survive, they must deal with the horrors of a bloody war. Can they win back Earth without losing their humanity?
Among the series’ best features are the characters. Minor characters are given substantial background and personality, and the leads are portrayed as they gain new experiences and face new challenges. The characters behave realistically, and have understandable motivations and more depth than those in most other series. In addition, the matter of relationships is handled in a refreshing way that is, in most cases, tasteful.
Action-packed, terrifying, and ultimately fantastic, “Blue Gender” is a great series. It often deals with disturbing topics and, at times, tells a rather morose and bleak story. Despite this, there is a poignant, intriguing, and praise-worthy aspect to this melancholy framework.
Terra Formars
In the 21st century, humanity attempted to colonize Mars using algae and cockroaches that could tolerate the harsh environment of the planet. Unfortunately, they had no idea how adaptable the species would be. A lethal disease is known as the ‘Alien Engine Virus has arrived on Earth in the 26th century, and the only cure is suspected to be found on Mars.
The problem is, today’s Mars is awash with Terraformars, incredibly powerful and intelligent humanoid cockroaches that are mutated from those originally sent to the planet.
One hundred genetically enhanced men and women, called Annex I, have been sent to Mars to find out what is causing the Alien Engine Virus and to help cure humanity. This is the beginning of their fight to survive.
This anime has an interesting premise to say the least. Every episode is both exciting and interesting in equal measure. A lot of research was done by the creator, as evidenced by the scientific facts scattered throughout. “Terra Formars” is an intelligent show, for sure, but if you get distracted by the narrator’s outbursts, confusion may result.
“Terra Formars” does not have a central protagonist. Because Annex 1 and its divisions are the focus of the story, each division gets a different amount of character development and backstory, which is why predicting who will die in the near or distant future is so difficult.
Gantz
Did you think your life was bad? Death is sometimes worse. You will not find salvation, peace, or a god waiting to accept you into their care. Wait, there’s a god? Or perhaps you are referring to that big black ball you have in your room. You find yourself thrown into a game, fighting green aliens and robot monsters for your life.
The death of Kei Kurono brings him into the midst of such a game- a test of his skills, morals, and will to survive. The death of this man is trampled upon and spat upon time and time again. What will happen if he does not listen? Only God knows that.
A word of caution: “Gantz” is not for the weak-hearted and also not as simple as it appears. In today’s society, gore, rape, and violence are rampant, along with depictions of greed, and all the ugly aspects of life.
The anime “Gantz” is about as love-it-or-hate-it as it gets. You’ll either be instantly turned off or immediately glued to the screen due to the gore, profanity, nudity, and sex. In the latter case, you will absolutely love “Gantz” from day one. You can’t help but love “Gantz”, a game of survival.
The characters in “Gantz” are arranged like dominoes. Only a few of them are ever developed, and very few survive until the end. You may find yourself thinking, “So many characters, such little time to kill them all.”
Satsuriku no Tenshi
Rachel Gardner’s lifeless eyes are filled with a wish to die. She wakes up in a building’s basement without any idea how or why she’s there. As she searches for help, she stumbles across a bandaged murderer named Zack. Rachel and Zack set out to ascend the building floor by floor until they escaped after Zack promised to kill her once he is free.
As they ascend, they meet more twisted people and all of them seem to know Rachel. How does she connect to the building and why was she placed there? Will Rachel and Zack be able to accomplish their dreams with new bosses on every floor?
It’s a bit like a buddy comedy or an otome game, except the lead’s suitors want to kill her instead of dating her. The absurdity of the series is part of the fun but it is difficult to capture it entirely.
Rachel and Zack, the series’ two leads, establish a strong rapport. Although they make an odd couple, they play off one another really well comically, and it is interesting to watch they’re dynamic develop through the show. From mutually using each other to actually caring about each other’s well-being, their relationship evolves as they rise through the floors.
The central relationship in this anime is far more developed than most anime romances, despite its murderous intent.