Forum - View topicThis Week in Anime - Halloween Anime Spooktacular
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Cho_Desu
 Posts: 240 |
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Shiki is always the first anime to come to mind for me when discussing horror series. Still sad the novel never got an English release! The story was really engaging. Bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is immense. Whenever people bring up "most memorable episode" for anime in general, I often think of episode 14 for this series as a solid contender.
For something more "spooky vibes" than outright horror, I rather liked the Vampire Princess Miyu series. There's a rough yet somber atmosphere to it that I feel has become harder to find in modern-day anime. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18460 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Ghost Hunt is probably one of the purest attempts at horror done in anime. While I found most of it to be mediocre at best in effectiveness, it had one four-episode arc - "The Bloodstained Labyrinth" - that would measure favorably against any other anime horror to date.
If you prefer hyperviolence in your horror, there's always the early 2010s OVA series Corpse Party: Tortured Souls. (But don't underestimate how gruesome it can get!) And I'm surprised the Dark Gathering didn't get mentioned. While I dropped it after the first cour, I did find it to that point to be effective horror when it wasn't being cute. Glad to see Dusk Maiden brought up, though, as it's a title I also champion. |
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1468 |
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Dark Gathering has really upped its horror game in its second season, with a lot of emphasis on body horror. It certainly deserves mention in this overview.
There's also the original Vampire Princess Miyu OAV series --- my favorite was the puppet episode, but most of the four episodes were great doom horror. Last edited by dm on Tue Oct 31, 2023 4:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Vaisaga
 Posts: 13240 |
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Beat me to it. Another and Hell Girl are also two of my favorites. Of course being your typical desensitized millennial, I don't really find much scary. That said, while not from a horror anime, Hakumen no Mono from Ushio and Tora is the most truly terrifying villain in recent memory. |
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TheSleepyMonkey
Posts: 955 |
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Here to give a shout to Dark Gahering, as well. Despite the production quality being quite bad in many departments, it still has some genuinely creepy moments.
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5513 |
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I liked Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, but I wouldn't consider it a horror title. It was more supernatural comedy.
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4807 |
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I'm not really a straight horror fan, at least not in live-action, but I do like me a good supernatural anime. One of the more obscure examples I can think of is Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek, a short film that [as] showed one Halloween in the mid-2000s. It's a creepy little thing involving masked kids playing a game in a gorgeous abandoned city while hunted by creepy traditional-looking demon machine things. I'm probably one of only 10 people or so who actually bought the DVD.
 Another fun one is Requiem from the Darkness, which aired on SyFy years back. A young writer tracking down leads for ghost stories near the end of the Tokugawa shogunate encounters three mysterious strangers who are traveling around investigating supernatural legends, and needless to say spoopy ensues. Parasyte: The Maxim was great for some body-snatching horror. I know a lot of people didn't think much of it, but I honestly enjoyed the Toonami-original Housing Complex C for what it was; I'm always down for some played-straight Cthulhu mythos in my anime. And even though it's not horror at all, I try to make it a point to rewatch the Bebop movie every Halloween, because it just feels right. (Come to think of it, I should really be rewatching the episode "Toys in the Attic.")
Oh, and obviously there's Ghost Stories, because come on. 
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11601 |
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It's funny that Junji Ito, the reigning master of horror, didn't come up, but that's as it should be, since no one has ever been able to translate his bone-chilling manga into anime that wasn't just stupid and boring. They need to just stop trying.
I do love me some Ghost Hound. The sound design is amazing, and sets your nerves on edge even in scenes that are otherwise mundane. Unfortunately, the astral body monkey butts later on are a deal breaker for many viewers, but personally, they didn't bother me. I was expecting a mention of Dark Gathering too, as it's one of the few horror anime that's actually able to be kinda scary. Shiki's also at the top of my list. |
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dm
Subscriber Posts: 1468 |
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Oh gosh yes, that was great. All CG, but they were very clever at avoiding the uncanny valley by making one of the rules of the game meant your had to play it wearing fox masks, so the animation worked very well. Requiem from the darkness is another great suggestion. |
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4630 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Although it is more known for its "healing" parts, I honestly think there are some seriously spooky skin-crawling parts to Natsume's Book of Friends.
Those are not all friendly ghosts. The episodes where he remembers his childhood horrors can really make you squirm. Some of Ancient Magus Bride too. Scared kids make for some good stuff, so that prequel special, Those Awaiting a Star, where they explore that house/library she found as a kid in Japan was some really good content. Scary parts and a touching ghost story. Also, the OVA is compact for a quick binge and a little taste to see if you'd want to watch more.. Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Tue Oct 31, 2023 4:43 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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MFrontier
Posts: 13910 |
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I like my horror with some romance so Dusk Maiden of Amnesia and Dark Gathering hit that sweet spot for me...
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harminia
 Posts: 2055 Location: australia |
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Shiki is my favourite anime full stop and the fact it's not streaming is so tragic (I have it multiple times on DVD so I'm okay there, but it makes it difficult to recommend to others - though I do anyway).
Another was such a fun series. I've started reading the novel and so far while it is a bit more lowkey in some ways regarding deaths the anime has so far been a better adaptation than I thought it'd be (I only just got past the third death in the novel though). Horror is such an unfortunate genre because so much of it, both in anime form and in manga, is unlicensed (or ex license). I really love horror and I especially love anthology stories but getting any manga other than Junji Ito licensed seems rare these days (at least outside of SEA who do a great job licensing random unknown horror manga). |
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flamemasterelan
Posts: 496 |
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Ghost Hunt had a production that looks like it was being held together with scotch tape, but the standout, for me, was the two part "Silent Christmas," which I've rewatched for the last two years. spoiler[The idea of a non-verbal child freezing to death during a game of hide and seek because he couldn't call for help lives in my nightmares.] |
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<('_')^
Posts: 75 |
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Shiki is the best horror anime, no contest. The philosophical horrors always hit harder and linger with you longer than any cheap violence/gore flicks.
spoiler[That was the one with the Winchester inspired mansion right? It's easy to see why it stood out. Unlike the other ghost hunt episodes, that arc had actual stakes with literal monster going around killing people. Even seeing Naru nope out of the case just made it feel more real.]  [/b]
Last edited by <('_')^ on Wed Nov 01, 2023 7:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18460 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Dusk Maiden is the rare anime which successfully blends comedy, romance, and horror; I've always found it most remarkable for how it manages that without the comedy and romance reducing the effectiveness of the horror aspect. (By comparison, I feel the light-hearted and cutesy elements of Dark Gathering sometimes clash hard with the very legitimate horror aspect.) Also worth noting that this series has a strong soundtrack, including great OP and ED. |
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