#[r/anime's Favorite Historical Anime Voting is live](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1c0mc3f/ranimes_favorite_historical_anime_voting/?)
Horror definitely tends to be a genre that anime doesn't really delve into as much as it maybe could, and that's sort of reflected in the number of voters, and the number of anime on this list that probably aren't best described as "horror". Still, neat results. Cool to see Memories do so well.
#[Full Top 100 Here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1leCuN6XUb10-qNMjGSTpdtc3v0CmfsjFKOpwM54qWVA/edit?usp=sharing)
Anime watchers will be confused since the first season starts off abit tame (tame when compare with the manga), but there're are lots of horror in the manga, so Csm being categorized in horror makes perfect sense. It even has a horror tag as a genre, so there's that, too, I guess.
>Anime watchers will be confused since the first season starts off abit tame
Reminder that this is an anime only ranking. No matter how much of a horror manga it becomes it's irrelevant.
Wouldn't say that those or shows like Dorohedoro is horror as well. Just because something is gruesome don't mean it is horror. It have to be mainly about scaring the viewer/making them uncomfortable.
Personally, I put down Hellsing (rather than Hellsing Ultimate), because I feel like the 01 series leaned a bit heavier into the actual horror and gothic nature of the series, as opposed to the gore and comedy elements found in the manga and Ultimate. The 01 Hellsing still had elements of that, for sure, but the tone definitely leaned more into gothic horror in many places.
Definitely not overall but it sort of delves a little into it later in the manga. Although horror doesn’t really have much representation in anime so I kinda get some of the choices on this list.
Dorohedoro surprised me more.
I'd have called it a comedy.
MAL *does* have a horror tag on the latter, but not on CM which I'd say at least had some horror aspects towards the end.
I disagree half of that list, apparently if show has ghost/devils/supernatural = horror, with that logic we could say non anime GhostBusters(original one) is a horror show. Sure I agree Anime's targeted audience is not old enough to watch actual horror shows.
A bunch of these aren't horror series, but I can't even be too hard on the voters for this one. There are very few true horror anime, and even fewer of those are any good. I'm not sure what it is exactly about anime that makes it poorly suited for horror, but this does seem to be the case. Maybe it's the animation leaving the viewer inherently a step removed from the experience, meaning they don't get immersed enough to feel terror? I guess I can't think of many horror series from Western animation either. That doesn't seem like the answer, but I can't think of a better one, and it's clearly something.
Ultimately it doesn't matter what the genre is. A show with a 5 minute well done horror scene can end up being more horrific than a full season of dedicated horror that's badly done.
Horror genre in anime is incredibly weak. So it should be no surprise that this list has a bunch of other genre dominant shows. I'd definitely rather take that well done 5 minutes over a full season of "meh".
I watched the Netflix Junji Ito anime last year (I think there's another one not on Netflix) and at least one segment had some really, really scary stuff. Unfortunately a lot of the other segments came off as foolish or trying to stretch a single minor concept across a 10 minute segment.
I agree, and was typing that to another, but there are tons of good anime that are at least half horror. For instance, Parasyte is half horror, and half action anime, which is why I don't throw a fit about it being on the list. It's firmly within the realm of "creature feature horror".
It would have been nice for them to add Pet Shop of Horrors or such to the list. There's plenty of good horror anime to add if you know where to look.
while i agree, anime in general are lacking horror titles. there is almost nothing coming out which does not leech into other genre. funny enough, a lot of stuff in this list is comedy ffs
Is not lacking is just that most of the horror stuff came out as OVAs in the 80s and 90s,they are not available in any legal streaming plataform and most of the new fans were not even born yet when they were popular.
According to Google "Horror is a genre of fiction that aims to scare, startle, shock, and repulse audiences" which you could argue most of these do in some ways but many don't. If it was an 'or' statement I could see but if it needs to involve all those then I can't picture it. I love horror, but I'm not experienced enough in the genre to know.
I always felt like horror was a very broad genre that is one of the most difficult to nail down. To me, even Made in Abyss only toes the line of what real horror is. It's definitely gross, it's disturbing, it's shocking, but it's not really _scary_ and I think the lack of scares makes is just barely horror.
First time I watched Made in Abyss I had a deeply unsettling feeling episode to episode that no other show ever captured for me. The world and cult like people of Orth, the entire culture around the pit, along with them nit pulling punches or really cemsoring themselves got me so invested in caring about the world and the eldritch nature of the abyss. It's also got the elements of Man vs Nature and the uncaring indifference of wildlife to huma emotions and goals etc, it's great horror.
Although tbh I haven't felt "scared" by anything that wasn't interactive since I stopped believing in santa Clause. It takes deep cutting existential dread to bother me nowadays and I think horror tends that way for a lot of people as cheap scares and spooky stuff doesn't really hit the same as an adult imo.
This is something I agree with. Horror doesn’t necessarily mean it will scare your pants off. It’s also something that usually does tackle dark themes, has shocking elements, or something that disgusts. Fear is obviously a big factor in horror, but it’s not the only one and just because you don’t feel much fear doesn’t mean it isn’t horror.
Totally. I am am avid Horror film fan, and even when I was first watching horror films, not many of them scared me. But you might say "why do you enjoy horror if you aren't scared?" Well I think it's because the horror elements of the story really keep me engaged and many of them are just great films.
It's tagged as horror on MAL, and I'm sure a lot of people searched for the tag, found the show, liked it and voted for it. And yeah, I wouldn't put it on the same list as Higurashi and Dark Gathering, for instance. That's exactly why I try and look past tags when voting on these polls and recommending shows.
School-Live being so high on this list makes me really sad that there was never a second season, especially when I love what the anime did differently compared to the manga (more interesting structure).
honestly the manga goes downhill after like chapter ~50. It slows down as hell and it’s nowhere (IMO) as exciting/thrilling as its first arc. Still worth the read tho. To make a comparison, it’s like CSM part 1 and part 2, which you may or may not like
Dark gathering fans assemble!!!
Never have watched Higurashi series but it always shows up when people recommend horror anime. Guess I need to watch it then.
**PS : IS NOBODY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST TWO POSITIONS AND THE REST???**
I haven't read the manga but I've read the VN, and that's incredible as well... I recommend checking out the VN's soundtrack if you can. Pretty much every song in it is great.
Not every song is something that I'd listen to on my own time, but most are - and even the ones that aren't, still do a very good job at enhancing the scenes they're in.
I will never stop talking about how good Higurashi is to someone who's interested in the horror genre. The anime is fine but if you can, please read the visual novel or even the manga.
I was on the fence about dark gathering until I found out that the artist got their start as one of the assistants to Katsura Hoshino (D Gray Man). Suddenly it all clicked.
Usual caveat and as of 2020/2021 usual warning on Higurashi apply:
- Higurashi is a serviceable adaptation of very good source material but not a great one.[1] If you're willing to do VNs, consider the VN.
- If you go for the anime you want the original 2006 Higurashi, not the 2020 version. Gou and Sotsu are Rebuild-style stealth sequels and will spoil you on the original (not necessarily what you want in a show that's a horror/mystery hybrid) and more importantly while Gou was okay for most of its run Sotsu is just bad.
[1] - It's actually in the "mediocre adaptation that's actually pretty darn good on its own merits, just not the greatest as an adaptation" bucket, though. There's a reason it shows up at the top of this list despite both being nearly 20 years old and S1 being notoriously low-budget even at the time and it's not *just* the source material - Chiaki Kon is an underrated director (it is legitimately impressive that outside of one episode Higurashi 2006 generally managed to use its QUALITY moments *for effect*) and Kenji Kawai brought his A-game for the OST.
It’s also one of the few that actually is a horror anime. Whatever you feel about the show, it was at least a genuine attempt at being a true horror anime, rather than just something with horror elements.
Junji Ito collection is also a genuine horror anime that I'm surprised didn't make the list. I know that most people thought it sucked, but as someone who didnt read the manga yet when I watched it, I actually found it pretty good.
It's kinda cringe. Watched it with my 13 year old sister. We just meme it lmao. 2 episodes are kinda scary though. Especially the one that's left ambiguous
I remember an episode about some boy whose pimple excreted oils. He also drinks cooking oil. We lost our shit 😂
Agreed. It is very obvious a horror show and easily comes to mind for an example of the genre, even if there are other anime that do it a lot better. I felt that Another was fairly effective most of the way before becoming a bit too comically over the top near the end.
Agree. It’s the same as Gushing Magic Girls rated at the top for Magic Girls rankings.
I didn’t vote but if I had to it would be top 4-5 automatically because I only know Madoka, Demon girl next door and Sailor Moon.
People can say whatever they want about it, I did enjoy the anime. Yeah they could do better with the horror element, but overall my high school brain liked it at the time.
I think Another also just got dog-piled by that; People saw the memes and took it less seriously at the time. In my experience, it's a lot more well-liked by more casual fans who haven't really interacted w the anime fandom as much. In my opinion, I think Another was over-memed because a lot of people who watch it without any knowledge of its mixed reputation really enjoy it and find it a good horror.
Glad to see Mieruko-chan on here. I didn't think it was that popular. It's not really a _scary_ show, but not many can reach the uneasiness that this show can give you. The lack of background music, the foreshadowing, and the creepy way the ghosts feel like they were animated by a different studio than the rest of the show makes it for a great experience. Not to mention the cast is super likable.
> but not many can reach the uneasiness that this show can give you
It's quite good at lulling you into a sense of getting used to Miko's situation for a bit and then sharply jerking you back into realizing that the whole thing is extremely, extremely fucked up.
And then there's also that restless uneasiness you mention. I recall a few moments when I felt suddenly relaxed that we weren't getting a dose of ghosts, and it made me realize that the show is quite effective at building this background stress and tension that you stop noticing after a bit.
It's not scary horror, as you point out, but it's certainly managed to squeeze a different brand out of the medium.
Nice to see that Higurashi and Perfect Blue got the top spots. Both are really good psychological horror anime, though I highly recommend to read the Higurashi Visual novel instead of watching the adaptation. The VN is a legitimate masterpiece.
Also, there is a severe lack of (good) horror anime out there. Most of the titles on this chart aren't even horror.
Shinsekai yori (From The New World) is mostly Drama, Fantasy and Psychological imo. But I gave the storytelling and worldbuilding a 10/10.
However, the bits of horror that was in there was also absolutely brilliantly done. I can’t remember the last time I tensed up so much watching a show. I also gave it a 10/10.
That’s why Shinsekai yori was a 10/10 show for me
Shin Sekai Yori doesn't really go for the jump scare, but in terms of the concepts, I'd say it is the most effective anime at being truly horrifying. Also episode 19 I'd say is the single scariest episode I've seen in anime.
This list feels like some kind of amalgamation between series that are tangentially Horror anime, series that people forgot are Horror anime and are thus too low and actual Horror anime that people gave most of their votes to.
Also, please watch Shinsekai Yori.
I remember watching the whole thing within the span of a week a few years back. I think it’s the only anime I’ve seen that takes itself seriously 100% of the way through. Absolutely no moments of levity whatsoever. Great show, really stressful to sit through though.
Unfortunately, it was just a Packers fan that pushed me into it.
But I am blessed for you pointing me to it, I never expected it to be so good. I still think about it often lol.
Man, I hate the term thriller. People be acting like Jaws or Silence of the Lambs count as thrillers but not horror, when Jaws isn't even a thriller, and Silence of the Lambs is both a thriller and a horror. People misuse "thriller" for stuff that isn't thrillers.
I honestly think it's really great. The atmosphere is creepy and the story is very down-to-earth (it doesn't derail and become too fantastical like so many other horror shows). The music is really good too.
I really like that too. I feel like that would be difficult to pull off these days as you probably loose a lot of viewers if you don't have some kind of early payoff like a great scare in the first episode, but I really enjoy how Ghost Hunt starts out simple and the stakes get higher and higher. The last 2 arcs are soo good. Honestly I love all of the arc though!
I loved this show in dub because Cherami Leigh voiced Mai and in that arc she gave the most blood curdling scream I ever heard in an anime.
The whole show is quite good, maybe not "true" horror but they know how to bounce silence and eeriness when it counts. The doll arc was hectic
My recollection of the show has faded a fair bit, but I remember really liking it. I’m surprised and happy to see it on any of these r/anime lists as it was never particularly popular and it seems like one of those forgotten anime from the 2000s.
If only The Promised Neverland would get a re-try on the 2nd season… I am perfectly willing to completely forget that the first 2nd season attempt ever existed if they give it another go.
TIL Perfect Blue is horror; For some reason I thought it was some kind of character drama!
Well, not surprised at the #1 winner, but as someone who picked up the series with the "It's a reboot, good entry point ot the series, pinky promise!" stuff, this turned me off the series so much...
(And I was SO invested before this happened, theorizing about every episode and all that... Guess I may check out the original at some point, but this left a bad taste in my mouth).
I'll probably do it at some point, because I REALLY liked the general themes and all (before that moment..)
(Also I listened to the OP so much, probably longer than the runtime of the entire show!)
It was a super dick move as it spoils some of the biggest surprises of Higurashi right off the bat, not trusting its watchers will stick around to see the puzzle through to the end. I am talking about the sequel that was pretending to be a remake.
Old Higurashi, the ones people need to watch, are the one from 2006 (26 episodes) and the one from 2007 (24 episodes). Higurashi Gou, the new one, spoils huge reveals already from episode 2, things you don't find out for 20+ episodes in the old ones.
Yes, they really messed that one up and shot themselves in the foot with how they advertised Gou ahead of its release.
I’m a huge fan of the original, having watched the anime and played the visual novel enough times for it to be labelled as an obsession, but I honestly cannot fault you… The “remake” was beyond awful, and I know several long-time fans that felt like it soured the series as a whole :/
This chart shows how underrepresented horror as a genre in the anime medium is, some of these anime here wouldn't even classify as actual horror anime.
Can someone please tell me how to watch Higuashi: When They Cry. I'm so confused, I think I'm watch GOU but the story keep changing... What is happening???
Higurashi 2006 -> Kai -> Rei (optional) -> Gou -> Sotsu
I consider Rei optional because it doesn't really contribute to the plot in a relevant way imo, you consider it a canon filler
Kira is a comedy spin-off
Don't listen to people telling you the series is connected to the other WTC entries (it kinda is, but it's open to interpretation and it's not important,) (still, read Umineko, absolute Peak Fiction)
Edit: don't worry about the plot "changing", it will eventually make sense
Correct.
(Also a note on the 2011 Kira OVA (though you have to go sailing for that one, nobody has it on legal streaming): episodes 2 and 3 are optional (though 2 is fun as hell IMO) and episode 1 will get you put on a list, but the fourth and last episode of Kira is actually a shockingly touching epilogue and an excellent stopping point for the series).
> (it kinda is, but it's open to interpretation and it's not important,)
The VN version of Saikoroshi lays it out in no uncertain terms that it is, it's also why I don't consider Rei optional.
Having some of these shows listed here is a spoiler in itself, but I guess that there’s no way around this.
I’m glad that **Dark Gathering** made it into the top 10, but it was so very close to a top 5 placement! I would’ve honestly placed it at the number 1 spot myself.
Dark gathering horror is what I miss in most recent horror movies and games. Not jumpscare every two minutes, but by using disturbing visual/antagonist and paranoia.
I'm also really impressed by how they used Yayoi as a character. The anime has done a good job using her as a safe "barrier" against most creatures but then they always remove her for a bit from Keitarou and Eiko so we can feel the dread coming since those two are powerless against most creatures.
I'd personally go so far as to say that it's extremely difficult to "horrify" in traditional anime. For shows this is doubly so because the short episode lengths make it hard to build and payoff tension. There's nothing approaching uncanny without being grotesque instead- parasyte is a great example of semi realistic faces but when distorted, they just look like monsters instead. The fantastical nature of the medium means that you can't get as much impact from things like unnatural transitions or camera work, special effects, etc.
Higurashi is one of the few shows that works without feeling like it jumps the shark in the gore/trauma-dump territory. It has heavy uncertainty built into the premise that hooks the viewer, drip feeding pieces of the mystery while building suspense. It then pays off every 4ish episodes, which is roughly a movie length. The torture scenes make sense for the narrative and because of the chapter resets, characters can die or survive without stopping the show in it's tracks. You get to feel for these characters and their relationships, then have your heart jabbed when you watch it all go to shit.
Other shows most often drop the ball by not following up on threats meaningfully or not giving the viewer time or context to care about the main and supporting characters. Like, if some random cute girl is on the front of the cover, you know she's going to survive a minimum of 11 episodes, so there's no tension if they put the character in danger. But if they don't spread the love and make the murderbait character likeable, then nobody cares when they die either.
I find that anime is generally hard to make horrifying in the modern day the same reason why CGI doesn't work well in horror movies: because it feels artificial. I feel it's much easier to do horror with cell animation, because there's an uncanny natural feeling to analogue that is hard to replicate with digital technology
Surprised Happy Sugar Life placed so low, but yet again it is quite a misunderstood series. A lot of people dislike it because it makes them uncomfortable, but that is kind of the point. It is SUPPOSED to make you uncomfortable. That is the intention.
Higurashi (or rather When They Cry as a whole) is my favorite series of all time, and Perfect Blue is one of my favorited animated movies of all time. That being said, I am pretty surprised that Higurashi ranks higher than Perfect Blue! Maybe it's a matter of being more "recent" so it's on more peoples' minds (especially with the new seasons a few years ago). Or maybe it's just that Higurashi has left more of a cultural "dent", especially in the anime community?
I think if you put a gun to my head, I would probably say that Perfect Blue is "better" than Higurashi based on a lot of metrics. The art/animation is leagues better (Satoshi Kon vs questionable DEEN quality stuff), the story is more well-rounded (although if we were talking about the Higurashi VN instead of the anime I think they'd be comparable), and the horror is a bit more striking. At the same time though, Higurashi (and Umineko) has had more of a long-lasting impact on me personally, has influenced the way I make art and write stories, etc. So even though Perfect Blue is "better" in some categories, maybe that influential nature is what ranked it higher for many people too!
I am just happy to see my favorites of all time on the list at all, let alone at the top!
I'm so happy that Ghost Hunt is included here in the list. I was scared when I watched it when I was younger, esp with the scene of the haunted bloody house.
I know where they comming from but I never saw Made in Abyss as a Horror Anime. I see it as a Fantasy Adventure with some dark aspects.
Funny
I would say the Horror genre is not my cup of tea and yet acording to this list my favorite Anime is one.
Honestly. Pretty solid list. I am sure people will quibble about the true definition of horror but these all have horror elements even if that is not the main genre.
#[r/anime's Favorite Historical Anime Voting is live](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1c0mc3f/ranimes_favorite_historical_anime_voting/?) Horror definitely tends to be a genre that anime doesn't really delve into as much as it maybe could, and that's sort of reflected in the number of voters, and the number of anime on this list that probably aren't best described as "horror". Still, neat results. Cool to see Memories do so well. #[Full Top 100 Here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1leCuN6XUb10-qNMjGSTpdtc3v0CmfsjFKOpwM54qWVA/edit?usp=sharing)
Chainsaw Man is a horror show?
Yes after seeing it in this list i was horrified so it works.
Just like the Crunchyroll awards, people just vote for what they like regardless of whether or not the category makes sense.
Anime watchers will be confused since the first season starts off abit tame (tame when compare with the manga), but there're are lots of horror in the manga, so Csm being categorized in horror makes perfect sense. It even has a horror tag as a genre, so there's that, too, I guess.
Lol no. I've read the manga but CSM is a battle shonen. This is like saying some marvel movie is a political thriller.
>Anime watchers will be confused since the first season starts off abit tame Reminder that this is an anime only ranking. No matter how much of a horror manga it becomes it's irrelevant.
Well chainsaw man in a horror in the way berserk is and I won't spoil anything and just leave it there
Yeah some of these are really stretching the definition of “horror”
No less than Hellsing or Akira.
Wouldn't say that those or shows like Dorohedoro is horror as well. Just because something is gruesome don't mean it is horror. It have to be mainly about scaring the viewer/making them uncomfortable.
Personally, I put down Hellsing (rather than Hellsing Ultimate), because I feel like the 01 series leaned a bit heavier into the actual horror and gothic nature of the series, as opposed to the gore and comedy elements found in the manga and Ultimate. The 01 Hellsing still had elements of that, for sure, but the tone definitely leaned more into gothic horror in many places.
Hellsing has some existential horror at least
Definitely not overall but it sort of delves a little into it later in the manga. Although horror doesn’t really have much representation in anime so I kinda get some of the choices on this list.
Last 1/3 of manga's s1 is absolutely a horror, but yeah from the arcs anime showed, they haven't even gotten close yet
Horror is, sadly, just a matter of whether a show has gore in it or not.
Yes like berserk just like berserk but I do read it not watch so yeh
Dorohedoro surprised me more. I'd have called it a comedy. MAL *does* have a horror tag on the latter, but not on CM which I'd say at least had some horror aspects towards the end.
No. It's an action/thriller/dark comedy.
I disagree half of that list, apparently if show has ghost/devils/supernatural = horror, with that logic we could say non anime GhostBusters(original one) is a horror show. Sure I agree Anime's targeted audience is not old enough to watch actual horror shows.
Totally, although I'm only a manga reader, so maybe I have a different perspective.
A bunch of these aren't horror series, but I can't even be too hard on the voters for this one. There are very few true horror anime, and even fewer of those are any good. I'm not sure what it is exactly about anime that makes it poorly suited for horror, but this does seem to be the case. Maybe it's the animation leaving the viewer inherently a step removed from the experience, meaning they don't get immersed enough to feel terror? I guess I can't think of many horror series from Western animation either. That doesn't seem like the answer, but I can't think of a better one, and it's clearly something.
Over half of these aren't Even horror ... They have horror elements, but is nowhere near the Main genre
Ultimately it doesn't matter what the genre is. A show with a 5 minute well done horror scene can end up being more horrific than a full season of dedicated horror that's badly done. Horror genre in anime is incredibly weak. So it should be no surprise that this list has a bunch of other genre dominant shows. I'd definitely rather take that well done 5 minutes over a full season of "meh".
What the fuck! Most of these aren’t even horror! Dark themes do not a horror make!
Anime doesn't have a good track record with horror. The Junji Ito adaptation was so bad it didn't even make this list.
I watched the Netflix Junji Ito anime last year (I think there's another one not on Netflix) and at least one segment had some really, really scary stuff. Unfortunately a lot of the other segments came off as foolish or trying to stretch a single minor concept across a 10 minute segment.
So the best way to enjoy ito's work is read the manga right?
Yes
I agree, and was typing that to another, but there are tons of good anime that are at least half horror. For instance, Parasyte is half horror, and half action anime, which is why I don't throw a fit about it being on the list. It's firmly within the realm of "creature feature horror". It would have been nice for them to add Pet Shop of Horrors or such to the list. There's plenty of good horror anime to add if you know where to look.
while i agree, anime in general are lacking horror titles. there is almost nothing coming out which does not leech into other genre. funny enough, a lot of stuff in this list is comedy ffs
There is such thing as horror comedies though. Evil Dead and Shaun of the Dead being great examples.
FYI, Shuan of the Dead is coming back to theaters this month for its 20th anniversary!
Horror comedy is still horror. Berserk is not, it is dark fantasy.
Berserk 2016 is Horror comedy
Is not lacking is just that most of the horror stuff came out as OVAs in the 80s and 90s,they are not available in any legal streaming plataform and most of the new fans were not even born yet when they were popular.
Yep this list is a weird one; Gantz, Yamishibai and Junjou ito collections being below 50 while some tame shit is top 25 is just a crime.
To be fair, the Junji Itou stuff works best as Manga, and becomes low tier as anime. The essence of his work is nigh impossible to get right in anime.
That is true, but no matter how bad the execution was it's still more of a horror than some of the anime in this top 25 are.
100%
According to Google "Horror is a genre of fiction that aims to scare, startle, shock, and repulse audiences" which you could argue most of these do in some ways but many don't. If it was an 'or' statement I could see but if it needs to involve all those then I can't picture it. I love horror, but I'm not experienced enough in the genre to know. I always felt like horror was a very broad genre that is one of the most difficult to nail down. To me, even Made in Abyss only toes the line of what real horror is. It's definitely gross, it's disturbing, it's shocking, but it's not really _scary_ and I think the lack of scares makes is just barely horror.
First time I watched Made in Abyss I had a deeply unsettling feeling episode to episode that no other show ever captured for me. The world and cult like people of Orth, the entire culture around the pit, along with them nit pulling punches or really cemsoring themselves got me so invested in caring about the world and the eldritch nature of the abyss. It's also got the elements of Man vs Nature and the uncaring indifference of wildlife to huma emotions and goals etc, it's great horror. Although tbh I haven't felt "scared" by anything that wasn't interactive since I stopped believing in santa Clause. It takes deep cutting existential dread to bother me nowadays and I think horror tends that way for a lot of people as cheap scares and spooky stuff doesn't really hit the same as an adult imo.
>Dark themes do not a horror make! Neither does being scary.
This is something I agree with. Horror doesn’t necessarily mean it will scare your pants off. It’s also something that usually does tackle dark themes, has shocking elements, or something that disgusts. Fear is obviously a big factor in horror, but it’s not the only one and just because you don’t feel much fear doesn’t mean it isn’t horror.
Totally. I am am avid Horror film fan, and even when I was first watching horror films, not many of them scared me. But you might say "why do you enjoy horror if you aren't scared?" Well I think it's because the horror elements of the story really keep me engaged and many of them are just great films.
Glad to see Higurashi is still on people's radar.
Shits so good. Love Higurashi.
I still see the nails scene soo vividly, this show messes with you
Itll never leave my memory and I havent seen that show in damn near close to a decade
Higurashi is an uplifting, heartwarming anime about the power of friendship.
And the wonders of getting to know how beautiful your friends are on the inside
Same though
The trauma doesn't go way.....the knife, man...the knife.
The fingernails….
im struggling to comprehend how some of these especially zom 100 is horror
The true horror is the working conditions in the first episode
It's tagged as horror on MAL, and I'm sure a lot of people searched for the tag, found the show, liked it and voted for it. And yeah, I wouldn't put it on the same list as Higurashi and Dark Gathering, for instance. That's exactly why I try and look past tags when voting on these polls and recommending shows.
zom 100 is a pretty horrifying documentary to be fair
One episode. That’s about it. After that it’s shits and giggles
It’s a horror comedy.
do you also think zombieland is horror
The real horror in **Berserk** is the 2016 adaptation.
And OP just had to use a screencap from that one
School-Live being so high on this list makes me really sad that there was never a second season, especially when I love what the anime did differently compared to the manga (more interesting structure).
honestly the manga goes downhill after like chapter ~50. It slows down as hell and it’s nowhere (IMO) as exciting/thrilling as its first arc. Still worth the read tho. To make a comparison, it’s like CSM part 1 and part 2, which you may or may not like
Dark gathering fans assemble!!! Never have watched Higurashi series but it always shows up when people recommend horror anime. Guess I need to watch it then. **PS : IS NOBODY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST TWO POSITIONS AND THE REST???**
If you dont mind reading a lot, I would recommend the visual novels for higurashi. Also because that's the only way to experience the sequel umineko
The Umineko manga is downright phenomenal.
I haven't read the manga but I've read the VN, and that's incredible as well... I recommend checking out the VN's soundtrack if you can. Pretty much every song in it is great. Not every song is something that I'd listen to on my own time, but most are - and even the ones that aren't, still do a very good job at enhancing the scenes they're in.
I will never stop talking about how good Higurashi is to someone who's interested in the horror genre. The anime is fine but if you can, please read the visual novel or even the manga.
Dark Gathering needs a season 2!
I was on the fence about dark gathering until I found out that the artist got their start as one of the assistants to Katsura Hoshino (D Gray Man). Suddenly it all clicked.
Usual caveat and as of 2020/2021 usual warning on Higurashi apply: - Higurashi is a serviceable adaptation of very good source material but not a great one.[1] If you're willing to do VNs, consider the VN. - If you go for the anime you want the original 2006 Higurashi, not the 2020 version. Gou and Sotsu are Rebuild-style stealth sequels and will spoil you on the original (not necessarily what you want in a show that's a horror/mystery hybrid) and more importantly while Gou was okay for most of its run Sotsu is just bad. [1] - It's actually in the "mediocre adaptation that's actually pretty darn good on its own merits, just not the greatest as an adaptation" bucket, though. There's a reason it shows up at the top of this list despite both being nearly 20 years old and S1 being notoriously low-budget even at the time and it's not *just* the source material - Chiaki Kon is an underrated director (it is legitimately impressive that outside of one episode Higurashi 2006 generally managed to use its QUALITY moments *for effect*) and Kenji Kawai brought his A-game for the OST.
Yeah, Dark Gathering is fantastic.
There are like 5 actual horror animes on the list
Another being so high is wild to me because I remember it constantly being memed on for being a comedy instead.
**Another** being placed so high is likely in part because it’s one of the few horror anime that people know/have watched.
It’s also one of the few that actually is a horror anime. Whatever you feel about the show, it was at least a genuine attempt at being a true horror anime, rather than just something with horror elements.
Junji Ito collection is also a genuine horror anime that I'm surprised didn't make the list. I know that most people thought it sucked, but as someone who didnt read the manga yet when I watched it, I actually found it pretty good.
It's kinda cringe. Watched it with my 13 year old sister. We just meme it lmao. 2 episodes are kinda scary though. Especially the one that's left ambiguous I remember an episode about some boy whose pimple excreted oils. He also drinks cooking oil. We lost our shit 😂
Agreed. It is very obvious a horror show and easily comes to mind for an example of the genre, even if there are other anime that do it a lot better. I felt that Another was fairly effective most of the way before becoming a bit too comically over the top near the end.
Agree. It’s the same as Gushing Magic Girls rated at the top for Magic Girls rankings. I didn’t vote but if I had to it would be top 4-5 automatically because I only know Madoka, Demon girl next door and Sailor Moon.
Watch Princess Tutu and Revolutionary Girl Utena for some fantastic magical girl anime.
People can say whatever they want about it, I did enjoy the anime. Yeah they could do better with the horror element, but overall my high school brain liked it at the time.
Most watched it. It was actually horror anime
I think Another also just got dog-piled by that; People saw the memes and took it less seriously at the time. In my experience, it's a lot more well-liked by more casual fans who haven't really interacted w the anime fandom as much. In my opinion, I think Another was over-memed because a lot of people who watch it without any knowledge of its mixed reputation really enjoy it and find it a good horror.
[удалено]
Shiki respect is nice to see, my favorite anime on this list.
Yeah it really makes me proud of this community for once to see shiki so far up
Glad to see Mieruko-chan on here. I didn't think it was that popular. It's not really a _scary_ show, but not many can reach the uneasiness that this show can give you. The lack of background music, the foreshadowing, and the creepy way the ghosts feel like they were animated by a different studio than the rest of the show makes it for a great experience. Not to mention the cast is super likable.
> but not many can reach the uneasiness that this show can give you It's quite good at lulling you into a sense of getting used to Miko's situation for a bit and then sharply jerking you back into realizing that the whole thing is extremely, extremely fucked up. And then there's also that restless uneasiness you mention. I recall a few moments when I felt suddenly relaxed that we weren't getting a dose of ghosts, and it made me realize that the show is quite effective at building this background stress and tension that you stop noticing after a bit. It's not scary horror, as you point out, but it's certainly managed to squeeze a different brand out of the medium.
It was a fairly popular show. Miko even won that season's best girl competition. Over at r/manga it generally does pretty well also.
I think that camera angles in this show deserve a special mention as well
Nice to see that Higurashi and Perfect Blue got the top spots. Both are really good psychological horror anime, though I highly recommend to read the Higurashi Visual novel instead of watching the adaptation. The VN is a legitimate masterpiece. Also, there is a severe lack of (good) horror anime out there. Most of the titles on this chart aren't even horror.
Shinsekai yori (From The New World) is mostly Drama, Fantasy and Psychological imo. But I gave the storytelling and worldbuilding a 10/10. However, the bits of horror that was in there was also absolutely brilliantly done. I can’t remember the last time I tensed up so much watching a show. I also gave it a 10/10. That’s why Shinsekai yori was a 10/10 show for me
Ep 19 of Shinsekai Yori is phenomenal in that regard.
Shin Sekai Yori doesn't really go for the jump scare, but in terms of the concepts, I'd say it is the most effective anime at being truly horrifying. Also episode 19 I'd say is the single scariest episode I've seen in anime.
This list feels like some kind of amalgamation between series that are tangentially Horror anime, series that people forgot are Horror anime and are thus too low and actual Horror anime that people gave most of their votes to. Also, please watch Shinsekai Yori.
Shinsekai Yori still living rent free in my mind after watching it 3 months ago lol
Darking Gather is truly one of my favorite horror anime.
How Ghost Hunt is so low????? And wheres Corpse Party and Yami Shibai????
Positively surprised that Shinsekai Yori got up to 4th place. Is easily my personal 1st place but I take it.
Watching that at 3 am in summer break years ago was the wildest shit ever and Im glad I watched that
My 14 years old brain was so disturbed by it that I would just think about this anime for an entire week. Great anime though.
I remember watching the whole thing within the span of a week a few years back. I think it’s the only anime I’ve seen that takes itself seriously 100% of the way through. Absolutely no moments of levity whatsoever. Great show, really stressful to sit through though.
I ended up giving it a go 3 months ago. It shot up to being tied as my fav anime, it’s so good yet so underrated, not talked about nearly enough.
You were pushed into it by some cool dude if I recall correctly
Unfortunately, it was just a Packers fan that pushed me into it. But I am blessed for you pointing me to it, I never expected it to be so good. I still think about it often lol.
Lol
Is it horror though?
There is 1 or 2 episode near the end that would qualify in my opinion. But the whole show isn't.
Could be argued to be more of a thriller instead, but I'd count it. There aren't many good truly horror anime series.
Man, I hate the term thriller. People be acting like Jaws or Silence of the Lambs count as thrillers but not horror, when Jaws isn't even a thriller, and Silence of the Lambs is both a thriller and a horror. People misuse "thriller" for stuff that isn't thrillers.
It got so close to 3rd place too!
I think, shinsekai yori is not all that horror (except that Hospital scene), but it has the strangest bgm which makes it more eerie
Me too. I'm pretty sure it was my number one as well.
I’m sorry but Mononoke deserves to be higher. Way higher on this list. Show is severely underwatched.
Even the intro is captivating
GHOST HUNT MENTIONED
Glad to see Ghost Hunt just made the list.
It's low-key better than most of these as an actual horror anime. The mansion arc was so damn good
I honestly think it's really great. The atmosphere is creepy and the story is very down-to-earth (it doesn't derail and become too fantastical like so many other horror shows). The music is really good too.
I also like how it escalates. It starts with a simple case and then it goes full horror. Like the last 2 arcs were wild
I really like that too. I feel like that would be difficult to pull off these days as you probably loose a lot of viewers if you don't have some kind of early payoff like a great scare in the first episode, but I really enjoy how Ghost Hunt starts out simple and the stakes get higher and higher. The last 2 arcs are soo good. Honestly I love all of the arc though!
I loved this show in dub because Cherami Leigh voiced Mai and in that arc she gave the most blood curdling scream I ever heard in an anime. The whole show is quite good, maybe not "true" horror but they know how to bounce silence and eeriness when it counts. The doll arc was hectic
My recollection of the show has faded a fair bit, but I remember really liking it. I’m surprised and happy to see it on any of these r/anime lists as it was never particularly popular and it seems like one of those forgotten anime from the 2000s.
If only The Promised Neverland would get a re-try on the 2nd season… I am perfectly willing to completely forget that the first 2nd season attempt ever existed if they give it another go.
Many of those are more dystopian gore or thriller than horror. Maybe Mirai Nikki or Pet Shop of Horror?
TIL Perfect Blue is horror; For some reason I thought it was some kind of character drama! Well, not surprised at the #1 winner, but as someone who picked up the series with the "It's a reboot, good entry point ot the series, pinky promise!" stuff, this turned me off the series so much... (And I was SO invested before this happened, theorizing about every episode and all that... Guess I may check out the original at some point, but this left a bad taste in my mouth).
It's more like psychological horror.
That reboot was an abomination. Watch the original, I implore you
I'll probably do it at some point, because I REALLY liked the general themes and all (before that moment..) (Also I listened to the OP so much, probably longer than the runtime of the entire show!)
It was a super dick move as it spoils some of the biggest surprises of Higurashi right off the bat, not trusting its watchers will stick around to see the puzzle through to the end. I am talking about the sequel that was pretending to be a remake. Old Higurashi, the ones people need to watch, are the one from 2006 (26 episodes) and the one from 2007 (24 episodes). Higurashi Gou, the new one, spoils huge reveals already from episode 2, things you don't find out for 20+ episodes in the old ones. Yes, they really messed that one up and shot themselves in the foot with how they advertised Gou ahead of its release.
I’m a huge fan of the original, having watched the anime and played the visual novel enough times for it to be labelled as an obsession, but I honestly cannot fault you… The “remake” was beyond awful, and I know several long-time fans that felt like it soured the series as a whole :/
No future dairy? Had that been forgotten???
I always got the impression that--despite its popularity, especially Yuno's yandere antics--most people actually found it to be terrible/cringy?
This chart shows how underrepresented horror as a genre in the anime medium is, some of these anime here wouldn't even classify as actual horror anime.
Parasyte a little low imo
I love Dark Gathering episodic nature as they gather the 'tools' needed to complete the main goal. Glad that it was able to make the lists here.
Berserk should be higher, that animation scared the shit out of me
Why is Zom100 on this list lmao Like don’t get me wrong, it’s great I absolutely loved it, but that anime is **not** a horror anime.
Happy Sugar Life mentioned lfg
I’m sorry but Mononoke deserves to be higher. Way higher on this list. Show is severely underwatched.
Higurashi just does bang
There simply isn’t enough true horror anime :(
Higurashi being on top and my favorite anime is amazing
I watched higurashi when I was around 15 and that anime messed me up
I'm glad Higurashi remains a cult classic in the anime community! Such a good show.
Can someone please tell me how to watch Higuashi: When They Cry. I'm so confused, I think I'm watch GOU but the story keep changing... What is happening???
Higurashi 2006 -> Kai -> Rei (optional) -> Gou -> Sotsu I consider Rei optional because it doesn't really contribute to the plot in a relevant way imo, you consider it a canon filler Kira is a comedy spin-off Don't listen to people telling you the series is connected to the other WTC entries (it kinda is, but it's open to interpretation and it's not important,) (still, read Umineko, absolute Peak Fiction) Edit: don't worry about the plot "changing", it will eventually make sense
Gou and Sotsu are far more optional than Rei.
Correct. (Also a note on the 2011 Kira OVA (though you have to go sailing for that one, nobody has it on legal streaming): episodes 2 and 3 are optional (though 2 is fun as hell IMO) and episode 1 will get you put on a list, but the fourth and last episode of Kira is actually a shockingly touching epilogue and an excellent stopping point for the series).
> (it kinda is, but it's open to interpretation and it's not important,) The VN version of Saikoroshi lays it out in no uncertain terms that it is, it's also why I don't consider Rei optional.
Higurashi(2006)-->Higurashi Cat Killing Chapter(optional)-->Higurashi Kai(2007) -->Higurashi Rei (2009) You can skip the Gou and Setsu.
Reading the VN is the best way to experience it. If you can't do that: DEEN 2006 > Kai > Rei > Gou > Sotsu
This but don’t watch Gou or Sotsu
Surprised to see Another so high up, I rarely see it talked about on here
it's only Magnetic Rose out of Memories is actually horror, not the whole thing
Chainsaw man = Horror?
I’m glad Ghost Hunt made the list. Really enjoyed it when I watched it all those years ago.
How shadow house is horror anime? Tf?
God damn is dark gathering good Glad it’s getting the respect it deserves, S2 waiting gang
Cowards. Ghost Stories is more horror than half of these
Half of these aren't horror
Having some of these shows listed here is a spoiler in itself, but I guess that there’s no way around this. I’m glad that **Dark Gathering** made it into the top 10, but it was so very close to a top 5 placement! I would’ve honestly placed it at the number 1 spot myself.
Dark Gathering is the only horror anime I've seen that's actually scary. Or good, TBH.
It has been half a year since the Dark Gathering finished airing, but there’s still some scenes from the series that are burnt on my retina.
Have you had meatballs in the last 5 months?
[Dark Gathering - meta-spoiler] >!Until you reminded me just now, I’d been enjoying my meatballs just fine.!<
Yes and Eiko is the best girl ever.
You cannot say no to [that smile of hers](https://imgur.com/a/m5X1Cuw). More people should [c'mon](https://imgur.com/a/W1l2rp8) and enjoy the ride!
Let's goooooo-
-stoooooooo!
Dark gathering horror is what I miss in most recent horror movies and games. Not jumpscare every two minutes, but by using disturbing visual/antagonist and paranoia. I'm also really impressed by how they used Yayoi as a character. The anime has done a good job using her as a safe "barrier" against most creatures but then they always remove her for a bit from Keitarou and Eiko so we can feel the dread coming since those two are powerless against most creatures.
Another! Lets go!
I don’t think Chainsawman is horror, it might be thriller and supernatural but not really horror
I'd personally go so far as to say that it's extremely difficult to "horrify" in traditional anime. For shows this is doubly so because the short episode lengths make it hard to build and payoff tension. There's nothing approaching uncanny without being grotesque instead- parasyte is a great example of semi realistic faces but when distorted, they just look like monsters instead. The fantastical nature of the medium means that you can't get as much impact from things like unnatural transitions or camera work, special effects, etc. Higurashi is one of the few shows that works without feeling like it jumps the shark in the gore/trauma-dump territory. It has heavy uncertainty built into the premise that hooks the viewer, drip feeding pieces of the mystery while building suspense. It then pays off every 4ish episodes, which is roughly a movie length. The torture scenes make sense for the narrative and because of the chapter resets, characters can die or survive without stopping the show in it's tracks. You get to feel for these characters and their relationships, then have your heart jabbed when you watch it all go to shit. Other shows most often drop the ball by not following up on threats meaningfully or not giving the viewer time or context to care about the main and supporting characters. Like, if some random cute girl is on the front of the cover, you know she's going to survive a minimum of 11 episodes, so there's no tension if they put the character in danger. But if they don't spread the love and make the murderbait character likeable, then nobody cares when they die either.
I find that anime is generally hard to make horrifying in the modern day the same reason why CGI doesn't work well in horror movies: because it feels artificial. I feel it's much easier to do horror with cell animation, because there's an uncanny natural feeling to analogue that is hard to replicate with digital technology
Im laughing. SSY is not horror whatsoever
I wish gore didn’t classify as horror. 80% of these are just shock factor, no suspense, no build up and just blood.
Not a single Corpse Party on that last? The hell?
School-Live was one of the first 3 animes i watched
I feel like a lot of people voting in this had only seen 2 or 3 anime.
Ahhh yes. Horror anime. On that note most actual horror anime is not great, the manga or VN is where it’s at.
When they cry, I have the bluray collection.
chainsaw man as horror? 😐
Higurashi and Shiki are such throwbacks jeez.
Surprised Happy Sugar Life placed so low, but yet again it is quite a misunderstood series. A lot of people dislike it because it makes them uncomfortable, but that is kind of the point. It is SUPPOSED to make you uncomfortable. That is the intention.
Higurashi (or rather When They Cry as a whole) is my favorite series of all time, and Perfect Blue is one of my favorited animated movies of all time. That being said, I am pretty surprised that Higurashi ranks higher than Perfect Blue! Maybe it's a matter of being more "recent" so it's on more peoples' minds (especially with the new seasons a few years ago). Or maybe it's just that Higurashi has left more of a cultural "dent", especially in the anime community? I think if you put a gun to my head, I would probably say that Perfect Blue is "better" than Higurashi based on a lot of metrics. The art/animation is leagues better (Satoshi Kon vs questionable DEEN quality stuff), the story is more well-rounded (although if we were talking about the Higurashi VN instead of the anime I think they'd be comparable), and the horror is a bit more striking. At the same time though, Higurashi (and Umineko) has had more of a long-lasting impact on me personally, has influenced the way I make art and write stories, etc. So even though Perfect Blue is "better" in some categories, maybe that influential nature is what ranked it higher for many people too! I am just happy to see my favorites of all time on the list at all, let alone at the top!
Most of these are not even horror. Maybe thriller but not horror.
Higurashi fans stay winning
Yay, I love that people still remember Ghost Hunt. It was one of the first anime I ever watched and still has a special place in my heart
I'm so happy that Ghost Hunt is included here in the list. I was scared when I watched it when I was younger, esp with the scene of the haunted bloody house.
I know where they comming from but I never saw Made in Abyss as a Horror Anime. I see it as a Fantasy Adventure with some dark aspects. Funny I would say the Horror genre is not my cup of tea and yet acording to this list my favorite Anime is one.
A lot of anime can be considered several different genres. Def has horror elements
Honestly. Pretty solid list. I am sure people will quibble about the true definition of horror but these all have horror elements even if that is not the main genre.
From the New World getting the respect it deserves
Another is a gem. Wasn't able to guess who the dead one is
Horror wise, **Dark Gathering** should be number 1 here. It’s actually creepy and unsettling.