From the transmission of the first programs in anime format, we understood that this type of animation is not limited to children’s stories. It covers several genres, and among them stands out, of course, terror. These anime are characterized by being quite intense, since they not only rely on the typical paranormal themes, but they explore the darkest corners of the human mind to the point of exposing the worst of people in grotesque and surreal plots. And these are four options for you to enter the gloomy world of horror anime.
1. King’s Game: The Animation
From the hand of the Seven studio comes the animated adaptation of the novel series by author Nobuaki Kanazawa. The premise is simple: In a normal school, the 32 students in a classroom receive a text message sent by someone who calls himself “The King.” The messages contain instructions that students must obey, with death as punishment if they refuse. As the game progresses, the participants discover that the instructions become more extreme, to the point of leading them to face death with the sole objective of surviving the game.
2. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni
This title is one of the biggest representatives of horror on this list. The story is quite complex, since it is made up of a whole universe created by video games, light novels, manga and their respective anime adaptation. Keiichi Maebara is a boy who has moved to the peaceful village of Hinamizawa during the summer of 1983. As he adjusts to his new life, he befriends his schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjo and Rika Furude. , becoming inseparable. But everything falls apart when a series of brutal murders unleashes days before the town’s annual religious festival takes place. Keiichi is caught up in a race against time and madness as he seems to have taken over his new home and his friends. This anime will be re-released in October as a remake, so it’s a good time to watch the original to mentally prepare.
3. Junji Ito Collection
Sensei Ito is globally recognized as a master of horror in the manga world, and this series of episodes in anime format are testament to that. This anthology brings together the best stories of this splendid mangaka, which take place in a cruel and capricious reality that corners the characters of these stories in unpredictable paranormal situations, all of them malevolent. Recurring themes are linked to envy, biological horror, normal people giving in to the madness of revulsion, the decline of society and the despair that causes death. There are 12 episodes plus 2 OVAs of pure terror, ideal for a night marathon.
4. Blood: The last vampire
This short film is a masterpiece born out of a program whose aim was to teach a new generation of filmmakers to create their own projects. The proposal was simple: a girl dressed in a sailor’s uniform, brandishing a katana. After establishing the premise, director Hiroyuki Kitakubo chose cartoonist Katsuya Terada to play Saya, a young woman who is actually the last original vampire. Saya is the executor of an organization called Red Shield, which is dedicated to the hunt and extermination of monstrous creatures called Chiropterans. Later, this movie would be used as the basis for the Blood + and Blood-C anime. A live-action film adaptation was released in 2009, but received negative reviews as it was considered inferior to the animated version.
Social Media Author: [RonLaoHu]
