I’m a big Junji Ito fan, but I haven’t really found any good anime that come close to matching the creepiness of his manga stories, including that one Junji Ito anime series that’s out there. I think the closest I’ve seen is Mononoke, though honestly I haven’t seen a ton of anime, so maybe I’m missing something. I thought I’d ask to see what you all might suggest in terms of genuinely creepy/unsettling/dark anime movies or series, either similar to Ito’s stuff or whatever else you think is good.
Any suggestions?
Boogiepop Phantom is good
Puella Magi Madoka Magica certainly has Psychological Horror elements. its structured a lot like a mystery so beware clicking on this spoiler, it will take some reveals Away from the show. it’s Fucking Amazing although At The Time was pretty experimental and the animation funding is iffy at times. the writing is impeccable though. if you enjoy the show you have to watch Rebellion, just because it’s amazing to see what they do with an actual animation budget, and it also wraps up sooo many of the questions you’re left with for a much more satisfying ending.
spoiler
imagine… partriarchy as a force of nature/Trickster God that grooms (not sexual) girls, and that’s kind of where the horror comes from
I think “Another” pulls off a Final Destination type story line much more efficiently than anything else i’ve seen attempt it, but it’s still pretty mid at the end of the day, i have a soft spot for it though
i’ve never finished Paranoia Agent, but its directed by Satoshi Kon and is quite unsettling. because it’s Kon it’s a lot more respectful than the two above as well. would reccomend this one if you’re looking for something Think-y and Critically Well Done. it is the only TV show Kon did before his death (although he has a lot of movies)
overall though, i’ll say anime is not really well known for having a ton of super well done horror. both Paranoia Agent and PMMM aren’t really trying to be dedicated horror shows, and most of the ones that Are are known for being gore-fests, exploitative about female characters, etc. Basically it’s one of those genres that’s sadly very “anime” so you tend to have to look for psychological horror or other genre-fusions.
Hopefully Uzumaki anime will be good. Unfortunately there aren’t that many good horror anime out there- especially with Junji Ito’s distinctive mix of the macabre and absurd. Imma just gonna parrot Mother’s Basement:
Higurashi: When They Cry is pretty decent horror anime, written by a former social worker. There’s stuff here that’s genuinely uncomfortable regarding abuse, so cw for that. Just don’t watch the more recent remake/sequels Gou and Sotsu.
Shiki is just Salem’s Lot set in Japan, but it works. Also, vampire’s as metaphor for capitalists and all that.
Gakkou Gurashi’s first episode is a masterclass in horror direction. Rest of the show, not so much, but it’s still pretty neat if you can stand the (albeit tame) lolicon pandering. Also, zombies as metaphor for labour under capital and all that.
The Promised Neverland… yeah, go in blind, if you can. And stop after season 1.
The Promised Neverland… yeah, go in blind, if you can. And stop after season 1.
Or read the manga! Though it becomes something completely different after the end point of season 1, it’s still good. But seconding the advice to pretend season 2 doesn’t exist, it’s really bad.
That Mother’s Basement video is great, and I agree with most of their points, though I think they could have gone further with industry practices/structure as a reason for lack of good anime horror. Seems like a lot of it comes down to the fact that animation studios are pressured to generate standard popular anime content as cheaply as possible, and straying from that standard format is avoided for being too difficult/expensive, though there are some standouts like Mononoke.
Shiki and Higurashi I’ll definitely check out. I haven’t heard of the other two mentioned, but I’ll look into those as well.
Well, if you like Junji Ito, you could check out the people he named as his inspiration.
Kazuo Umezu, for example, has a very similar style. Here’s an example, ~30 years old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TWqwKQngyI
Other prolific horror manga artists include Hideshi Hino, who does a bit more horror/comedy, and feels a bit more western in his style, and Kanako Inuki, a female horror artist.
Just type their names into Google pictures and see for yourself.
Kazuo Umezu, for example, has a very similar style. Here’s an example, ~30 years old.
This is exactly the sort of thing I’m looking for. It also opened up a bit of a rabbit hole which led me to other interesting stuff like The Death Lullaby. I’ll definitely be watching The Curse of Kazuo Umezu and will also check out those manga recommendations.
