Centered off of a zombie apocalypse, a band of high school teenagers and their school nurse, High School of the Dead, otherwise known as HoT:D, is wild. High school student Takashi kills his best friend when he becomes bitten by a zombie after his whole school becomes invaded by them one afternoon.The entire country of Japan becomes swarmed with zombies, Takashi and his friends all continue to duke their way out of zombie battles in order to survive, unsure of what tomorrow will bring. This anime was my stepping stone into horror. It may have a lot of fanservice but I found the show incredibly entertaining as well as hilarious, I even got my friends into it, maybe you will too.

 

 

 

Ganta and his classmates go on a trip to an amusement park called Deadman Wonderland. The theme park appears to be fun, however, the whole park consists of criminals performing dangerous acts for those attending the park. Ganta’s whole class gets murdered while at the park by a mystery man decked in a red get-up, and he gets framed for his crime. Ganta gets sent to prison for his acclaimed crime, but now has to manage survival in it along with seeking out the mysterious red man. The dark tone of the story sets an ominous mood which is a definite must watch for fans of the horror genre.

In 1972, popular school girl, Misaki, from Class 3-3 at Yomiyama North Middle School died, leaving the town of Yomiyama to develop a damp and dark atmosphere. Twenty six years later, 15 year old Kouichi transfers into Class 3-3 at the same middle school, witnessing the gloomy attitudes of the students of Yomiyama. He ends up befriending a classmate with an eyepatch named Mei, however, there seems to be more than meets the eye.” Together, they and their classmates go through havoc in finding out the horrors of Yomiyama. The show is a horror thriller that has its fair share of murder and gore, if you’re someone who does not mind all that jazz you chould count it on your list.

Born to be used as a genetically human weapon comes Lucy who has horns and telekinetic hands. Tortured in a government facility, Lucy’s life is dismal and full of trauma through experimentation. An event occurs that allows Lucy the opportunity to escape, however, not without a little torment from her end as she gives them what they have given her in bloodshed. While Elfen Lied has many gory, disturbing elements, it does not take away the empathy viewers have for Lucy and her past, giving this horror more substance than pure violence.

Red Shield is an organization established to exterminate vampires but they need help. Saya Otonashi is a high school student with no recollection of her memories aside from the past year. One day Saya is attacked by a vampire-like creature and is rescued by a man named Haji, who then instructs her to drink his blood. A blast from the past puts Saya in a trance. Saya and Haji then work with Red Shield to kill off the creatures while also unlocking Saya’s past. I remember tuning into Blood+ in its Adult Swim years and I have got to say this anime is unlike any other, the action and plot are ones you want to sink your teeth in for this anime.

Like parasites, devils cannot live without a host, however, if the host is strong enough, the human host can harness the power of the demon and make it their own. In the world of Devilman: Crybaby, Akira has to save his friend, in doing so he merges with the demon, Amon, and becomes a Devilman, on a mission to protect humanity. I was a bit skeptical to watch Devilan:Crybaby at first, but the Netflix series really lives up to the hype, especially with its unique animation and an interesting character cast.

A Japanese horror novel adaptation, Shiki is about a young girl who longs to live a life in the big city, however, her unexpected death signals the beginnings of an ominous epidemic in her village.The Shiki are dubbed vampire creatures that haunt the village of Sotoba, wreaking bloodshed filled havoc throughout the land. Shiki is a vampire story unlike any other, telling a beautiful tale between good and evil that keeps viewers anxious yet excited for more.

Humans and creatures called “ghouls”  who can masquerade as humans live alongside each other. The once amazingly beautiful city of Tokyo becomes ransacked with ghoul who thirst and prey on human flesh. Nerdy bookworm Ken Kaneki goes through an incident that leaves him to become half human and half ghoul, having to live a double life with the goal of uniting the two beings in a diplomatic society. Tokyo Ghoul is widely popular with a balanced mix of horror and action with some comedic elements along with being unpredictable, definitely keeping me and other viewers on the edge of their seat.

Based in Hiroshima, Japan, high school student Shinichi Izumi becomes possessed with an alien named Migi, taking over his right hand. Together, the two face “Parasytes,” alien creatures from another world seeking to consume mankind for their control. Parasyte may look a bit weird at times because of its alien gags, but the show is more than just a horror, incorporating laughter in between with comedy. It showcases Shinichi understanding what it means to be a human which I personally found touching with more depth than what it appears to be.

The village of Hinamizawa seems to be a small and quiet place to live, however, there is more to it when Keiichi Maibara moves to the town and attends their annual festival dedicated to their patron God, Oyashiro. Told in several story arcs, the Higurashi series unfolds murder and chaos that occur in the quaint village, making Keiichi suspicious of his friends as they remain silent about the recent deaths that occur after the festival. The Higurashi series is one of my personal favorites as the characters appear to be adorable but leave a facade in who they actually are with their disturbing and gruesome murders that leave the audience with shocking stories.

Hellsing is an organization with the purpose to slay dark, supernatural, evil creatures that lurk upon humanity. Sir Integra Hellsing commands her own army in eliminating the creatures, along with her right hand exterminator, Alucard, who is also a vampire. The band of Hellsing embarks on the mission to destroy ghouls and vampires and pit against a rival organization and their agenda. Hellsing is a renowned series that is action packed, filled with total badassery especially when it comes to Alucard, getting me and other viewers pumped when watching it.

Dubbed a classic Japanese horror, Mononoke should be on any horror anime loving fan. Mononoke are evil spirits surfacing feudal Japan, creeping the countryside, raising fear in their stead. The Medicine Seller is a wanderer who has the power to threaten and destroy the mononoke through exorcism in understanding the creature in all forms. Mononoke is an absolute masterpiece in how it showcases traditional Japanese art and includes philosophy of human life on top of its haunting storyline. It is a top tale must for any anime fan!

Based on the medieval manga, the Berserk series is a dark horror fantasy that is absolutely stunning. Guts is a lone wolf mercenary who lives day to day to survive, he ends up working for a group called “Band of the Hawks,” led by Griffith known as the “White Hawk.” As Guts' loyalty and skills promote his rank in the group, he soon realizes that all he has worked for is not what he believed in, going towards the pursuit of power turning into a tragedy. The art for Berserk is  truly one of a kind along with a twisted, dark storyline that personally gets my skin crawling, I couldn’t even look away when I wanted to, it’s just that good.

The Promised Neverland focuses on an orphanage with children abiding to the rules of being able to do as they please within the orphanage’s limits, but never beyond it. The children are raised and educated by their “Mama,” but once at a certain age the children become “adopted” by someone, or so they say. It turns out the children were raised to be provided as sustenance for demons after a pact was made between demons and humans under the agreement called the “The Promise,” and the three eldest children of the orphanage figure out a way to escape this butchery. Adorably terrifying, The Promised Neverland hits a lot of bases being a horror filled roller coaster of emotions anime that I found so dark I needed to watch it with the lights on.

Dr. Tenma is a neurosurgeon whose morals get tested in Monster. Between saving a young boy and the town mayor, Dr. Tenma decides to save the boy as he was presented first. This causes Dr. Tenma’s reputation plummets, however, a series of murders occur including important staff of the hospital he works at, which restores his medical standing. As years pass, Dr. Tenma comes into contact with the boy he saved, however, he learns he saved a little “monster,” after learning more about the boy’s purpose in life. Monster is an anime suited for mature audiences that gets fans so involved that they feel emotion for characters and their deaths even if they were just in one episode. The show is complex and does take some time to warm up but it really has earned its title in being one of the top horrors in anime history.