Continuing the spooky theme for October. This week’s topic of exploration is ‘Scary Anime’. Now, this as a genre for anime is limited and is by no means as scary as a lot of other anime. However, each one would technically be categorised as horror, thriller or something along those lines. So if you would like to enjoy some dark and or bloody animes the ones I am about to mention may tickle your fancy.
On a personal note, I love most of the titles below and I would hardly call them scary. But the themes are not something I would call child-friendly. As such, be aware that the animes here may not be for every age group and parental guidance may be required for those younger.
Ghost Hunt
This anime follows a high school girl named Mai who gets involved with a group known as ‘Shibuya Psychic Research ‘or SPR for short. Over the 25 episodes, this anime explores various ghost hunts and cases which must be solved.
Although it is not traditionally scary or horrifying, this anime certainly can make you feel uneasy. The various monsters and ghosts you see I found to be enough to make you feel anxious and excited. Personally, I enjoyed Ghost Hunt a lot. The characters were interesting and the animation was quite beautiful to me.
When you reach the end of season one, there will be one burning question on the tip of your tongue. Is there a season 2 of Ghost Hunt the anime? The sad answer is no. It was released in 2007 and was actually quite popular. In fact, it had an above average rating but it has still not received a second season for unknown reasons. Regardless of this fact. Is Ghost Hunt worth watching? I would say it certainly is. Each episode explores a different case and it is truly fascinating to watch. I can say with certainty that I enjoyed this anime a great deal and I recommend it heartily.
Hellsing Ultimate
The story begins with an ancient vampire known as Alucard who serves his master, Sir Integra Hellsing, and the newly turned vampiress Seras Victoria. The group protects England from a war-crazed Major and his eternal vampire army.
There is, of course, the anime ‘Hellsing’, which you can enjoy. It was released earlier than the OVA Hellsing Ultimate and both are extremely good. Ultimate was executed beautifully, with smooth animation and beautiful art. It is extremely gorey and uses profane language at times. As such, this anime is not for younger audiences.
You may be asking, Is Hellsing Ultimate a good anime? From personal experience I would certainly call it superb. Even after seeing it years ago, I still remember the beautiful animation and interesting characters and plot lines. If you want a true horror anime to enjoy this Halloween, then this is a fantastic place to start.
Black Butler
This anime follows the story of a young Victorian Earl who enters a contract with a demon. His soul in return for revenge on those who wronged him and his family, who were burned alive along with his estate.
Not only is the story interesting and inventive, but the animation is beautiful too. Strangely, along with the horror themes, this anime can be humorous and endearing. It is a strange mix, but somehow it manages to work out well and makes for a great anime.
As with all animes two of the most important questions come to mind. Is Black Butler good and is Black Butler finished? Well, you are in luck. This anime ticks both of those boxes. The story ends in a conclusive way and there are other seasons to enjoy once the main one is over. Going back and exploring other aspects and side missions apart from the main story. As I said before, this anime is rather good. Ticking all the boxes. The style of animation is great and the story is interesting as well. Overall, I would highly recommend this anime to those that do not wish to watch explicit or extreme horrors.
Death Note
No anime Halloween list would be complete without the famous Death Note. This anime was based on a famous manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. This amazing story follows a high school student who happens across a supernatural notebook known as the Death Note. After he realises this book holds very real power, he takes it upon himself to clean up the world by judging the good from the bad and doing away with them.
The animation of Death Note is superb, the art style is clean and makes this show very pleasurable to watch. Along with the aesthetics, the story is very well told and has you invested right from the start.
You might be thinking, but why is this anime on a horror list? Is Death Note a scary anime? It is considered a dark anime but is not a traditional horror. It is more akin to a psychological thriller. Overall, I would highly recommend this anime to anyone that wants to enjoy a good story and fantastic characters. In addition to being one of the best animes out there, it is also a great choice for a spooky October evening.
Sankarea
This anime follows the story of a male high school student who is obsessed with zombies. He collects video games, films, manga posters and everything else. Going so far as wanting a zombie girlfriend. The story begins with a young girl becoming one of these creatures and making her his girlfriend. It explores this secret relationship and the logistics of caring for the decaying girl he has grown to love.
The story sounds odd and a little off putting, however the execution is interesting and makes for an amusing anime to watch. While the theme and genre make this anime a horror, it is not traditionally scary but more unsettling in certain situations.
So, with the odd topic and characters, is Sankarea a good anime? I would give it an 8/10. It is not mediocre, but not perfect. I greatly enjoyed watching the situations unfold and learning more about the zombie girl. The animation is well done and looks pretty to the eye. The story is interesting and the characters are engaging as well. Overall, I would recommend this anime. Give it a chance and you may grow to love it.
Shiki
If you would like to watch a more traditional horror, this is a great anime. The story tells the tragic tale of good and evil. A group of corpse demons only wants to live in peace, but the ever rising fear of the villages makes this impossible. Especially with friends and family disappearing. Overall, the story is truly fantastic. It slowly gives you information so that you learn more about the situation by being drip-fed information. I personally loved the way that everything was delivered and made to feel dark and mysterious.
Is Shiki a good anime? It is unequivocally fantastic. My rating would be 10/10. There is so much detail hidden within scenes and audio that it is worth rewatching just to relive the story. The animation is fun and unique with that much needed hint of creepiness. As far as horror animes go, this one is a winner. It is a little more bloody and adult themed in comparison to others. As such, I would not recommend this anime for children.
Parasyte
This anime is about a 17-year-old high school student who finds himself infected by a parasyte he names Migi. The main story surrounding this duo is that the world is being infected by these creatures. Each one taking a human host and attempting to take over the planet.
I have spoken about this anime in past lists, however as a horror anime, it just belongs on this list as well. The animation is stunning and the characters are really interesting. Which keeps you invested throughout the series. I really loved the way that everything unfolded and the way that the story was told. This anime would be another 10/10 for me, but the ratings are up to the individual.
Once you have watched the anime, you will have one question on your lips. Is there a season 2 of Parasyte? The sad answer is no and there will likely not be another one despite the first season doing so well. But regardless of that, I would highly recommend this anime. Once again, there are gore and adult themes within this series and, as such, I would not recommend this content to those too young.
Elfen Lied
This story centers around a teenage Diclonius girl known as Lucy who has been rejected by people and wants revenge. This anime is certainly praise-worthy. The animation is beautiful and the way that the story is told makes it truly interesting to watch.
You might ask. Is Elfen Lied a good anime? I would say that it is fairly decent. It is certainly worth checking out. Especially on Halloween. It has drawn some criticism for the nudity and gore. As such, it is best that this anime is reserved for an older audience as it is not intended for children.
Overall, this anime was really good and it is something you might enjoy during the spooky season of Halloween. It is not scary like traditional horror or thrillers, but the themes are what makes this anime unsettling. As such, I definitely think that it is one to enjoy this spooky season.
The Empire of Corpses
The story begins in 19th century London, where corpses are reanimated to be used for manual labour. A student of medicine has been invited to a secret society and has been given permission to find the lost writings of the infamous Dr Victor Frankenstein.
I found this anime to be really well executed, the animation was beautifully done. The art style was clean and vibrant. I really loved how the characters looked in this style. The story was also interesting and it was intriguing to watch the events unfold and the situation get darker.
Overall, I found The Empire of Corpses to be a truly great anime and one I think is worth watching. Especially if you enjoy the darker side of anime. Which, coincidentally, is perfect for this spooky season.
King of Thorn
The story starts with a Japanese cryo-preservation company selecting a group of people to save humanity. With a virus running rampant, they are humanity’s last hope. But saving the world is not as easy as you might imagine. When they wake up, there are monstrous creatures and much more lying in wait for them.
I enjoyed this anime, despite the odd animation style. The crossover of 3D and hand drawn animation was rather obvious in this one and, to begin with, it was jolting for me. However, once you get past that, the story and characters are engaging as well as interesting. You find yourself wanting to know what happens and how exactly these people can save the world.
But, is King of Thorn worth watching? I would say it is. While it was not brilliant, it was a good experience. I would recommend this anime to any that want a darker series to watch during the Halloween season.
Blood +
The story of this anime starts with a vampire named Saya, who is a part of a secret government agency whose sole purpose is to slay demons. She is sent to a military school to root out a demon in disguise. The animation style of this anime is also stunning. It is clean and beautifully done. Like most anime. I loved the story telling this anime provided. It was well done and interesting to watch for me.
The great thing about Blood + is that there is a second season called Blood-C. This part of the series focuses on Saya who is an outwardly normal girl who works as a shrine maiden in er country town. But in reality she is a skilled fighter who is charged by her father to find and kill monsters that feed on human blood. Both of these are really interesting as anime goes and they are certainly bloody enough to be in a list for Halloween.
Overall, this anime is well done and quite beautifully put together. I certainly enjoyed it and I would recommend it heartily to any that enjoy a dark and bloody story.
Conclusion
While most animes are not traditionally horror as the European world knows it. The themes and stories are certainly dark and fantastically executed. Having seen most of the animes on this list I can attest to their ranking. I loved each one in their own way and think that they do check that box for Halloween content.
There are plenty of animes out there for you to pick from and enjoy. Each list I create is based on personal experience and, as such, I have chosen anime that I have found to be the best in this category. However, each person should make up their own mind. So get out there and explore the various spooky animes this Halloween season.
