When most people think of anime, their brain usually shifts to Dragonball, Pokémon or Naruto. Many people aren’t even aware that anime in itself is about as versatile as live action movies and there’s something for everyone there. There’s an especially large volume of anime horror shows that are critically acclaimed and very successful, and it’s gotten to the point where some of them are even made by American or European companies.
Let’s take a look at some of the best anime horror shows we’ve seen in this century, despite the fact that we’re not even halfway.
Highschool of the Dead (2010)
It’s exactly what it sounds like – high school students trying to survive in a world where zombies roam the streets. This one definitely has some gruesome parts in it, mixed in perfectly with the typical teenage drama you’d expect from high schoolers.
Another (2012)
If you like your horror shows where the plot is about something ominous that happened in the past and a whole community that’s aware but pretends it didn’t happen, this is the show for you. Also, this show is infamous for its weird and cheesy deaths. Some of them are almost borderline hilarious.
Hellsing Ultimate (2006)
Much like all the other Hellsing shows, this is basically your supernatural horror show where a powerful vampire, Alucard, fights dark organisations among which for some reason a new and shiny Third Reich or the catholics.
Devilman Crybaby (2018)
Since it’s one of the more recent ones on this list, this is definitely the one you go for if you want to see some amazing animation work. Also, it’s on Netflix so pretty much everyone can start watching it instantly. Devilman is half man, half demon and really just wants to protect everyone. But humans, as humans are, don’t really like getting protected by a demon.
Tokyo Ghoul (2014)
As is pretty much implied by the title, this series is about a kid that turns into a ghoul but is struggling with his urges to eat other flesh in order to stay alive. He’ll soon find out other ghouls don’t really have this moral block and the show turns into a very nice story about ghoul culture, if that was a real thing.
Attack on Titan (2013)
If you’re into big – huge – zombie-like monster people running around and creative action scenes, this is definitely one you need to watch. It’s probably the best known of all the anime on this list and there’s a good reason for that. The imagery and deaths in this show are borderline brutal and not for the faint-hearted.
Higurashi: When They Cry (2006)
In terms of storytelling, this is the best one on the list bar none. The basic story revolves around a city where each year people die after an annual festival, but the plot further unravels at an amazing speed without ever tripping over itself. It does involve some time travel and stuff later on, so be aware of that.
Parasyte (2014)
We couldn’t end this list without a proper monster horror series, now could we? There’s no better body horror anime out there. The story is about an alien parasite working together with a human he’s infected to defeat the rest of the parasite’s race. It’s not just horror and action scenes though, there’s a pretty decent story and nice character building behind it.
