Chainsaw Man will be available on Crunchyroll this year and many horror anime enthusiasts are excited about the news. But when it comes to monsters, blood, ghosts, demons, curses, and many other characteristics comprehended in the horror genre, there are plenty of animes that excel in their overall quality to exploit fear.
With the votes of thousands of viewers and a little criticism from film critics, these horror animes made their way to the top spots of IMDB. True horrific scenes and plots await those who rather be scared at night.
Another - 7.6
Kouichi Sakakibara is a student who had to miss classes for a short period because of an illness. After returning to school, he meets Mei Misaki, an unusual girl with an eyepatch that no one seems to see but him. He starts a friendship with the intriguing teenager, but soon after that, he faces a terrifying curse that takes the lives of many.
Viewers who enjoy bloody and random death scenes, enigmas to resolve, pasts to investigate, urban legends, and entertaining mysteries will rejoice in this 2012 series that stands as one of the horror anime favorites of all time. The series provides such a compelling plotline that it is impossible to not get hooked, but on top of that, the aspect that makes Another a worthy anime is how it inevitably involves the viewer in resolving the mystery too.
Shiki - 7.6
In the town of Sotoba, there is a strange illness that is taking the townsfolk's lives, and people start to fear some sort of epidemic is taking place. However, the odd symptoms of the patients and the impossible resolution of a cure make doctor Toshio Ozaki believe that there is something else causing the deaths.
Chapter by chapter the unfolding mysteries behind the unusual deaths and sightings of what appear to be living corpses will surely keep viewers entertained. Shiki is considered one of the best vampire animes ever because of its mix of modern vampirism that also follows aspects of traditional folklore, which achieves a very complete and tridimensional depiction of the monsters. Viewers also should expect some scary visuals given that Shikki has very creepy shots and disturbing death scenes.
Devilman Crybaby - 7.6
In this universe, demons exist and try to possess humans whose will is weak to kill them, but for those who have a strong will, devil powers can be absorbed, controlled, and transform an individual into a Devilman. And luckily for longtime friends Akira and Ryou, who are investigating demons, Akira acquires devilish abilities but preserves his kind heart.
Devilman Crybaby is a not-so-scary horror anime for genre beginners and is constantly praised for its unpredictable events and overall well-done narrative that leads to a satisfying resolution of the series. Although the beginning is not that strong, the story development is worthwhile and extremely fun to watch. Its action and bloody packed scenes make the anime one of the most entertaining in the horror genre and promise to be quite unforgettable for most.
Tokyo Ghoul - 7.8
This popular series has gained thousands of fans across the world by following the story of Ken Kaneki, a teenager whose life is changed forever when he is tricked and accidentally turned into a flesh-eating hybrid ghoul. His hunger for flesh and his intact humanity make him struggle greatly in a world with the scariest monsters in horror anime.
Above all, Tokyo Ghoul has an outstanding soundtrack, action scenes, well-built premise, and cliffhangers that leave most fans craving for more episodes. Although it is said that the manga is better, Tokyo Ghoul is a great series to wait for the night, make some popcorn, turn the lights off, and enjoy some horror binge-watching time.
Paranoia Agent - 8.0
Mass hysteria takes control of a city when an uncatchable character with a golden bat starts striking random people on the streets. The series follows the transformation, consumption, and degradation of social norms and individual sanity when it comes to humans facing unknown and unpredictable dangers.
With amazing visuals and distinctive story-telling mechanisms, director Satoshi Kon (known for psychological thrillers such as Perfect Blue) strikes again with a powerful piece of psychological horror. The way fear itself is treated profoundly makes this series a unique and outstanding work of art. And as in most of Satoshi's Kon pieces, viewers will be left with many things to discuss the complexities of the human mind, and just a few animes can achieve that depth through a horror story.
Ghost Stories - 8.0
The series follows a group of elementary school children who after entering a haunted house, accidentally awaken an evil spirit that corners them to use one of the main character's mother's journal, which turns out to be a guide to hunt ghosts. After that first encounter, the characters face more paranormal creatures that have to be defeated.
The series itself is not good at all. The premise is weak, the paranormal encounters are cliche, and the characters are pretty one-dimensional. That is in the original Japanese version, anyways. Ghost Stories achieved such a high score and became a favorite of the audiences because more than anything else, it's remembered for its hilarious English dub, which deviated so much from the original Japanese script that made the show unique and comically legendary.
Elfen Lied - 8.0
But if comedy is not what the audiences prefer when it comes to horror anime, there is nothing like the nerve-wracking scenes, impressive plot, complex characters, and extraordinary visuals of the masterpiece Elfen Lied, which follows the story of Lucy, a human breed with powerful telekinetic arms. She and other people of her kind suffered the cruelest experimentations and the series is never timid about showing the disturbing aspects of it.
The series' nudity, gore, and review of very strong themes such as military crimes, scientific experimentations, sexual abuse, and genocide, among others, make this horror anime not suitable for a lot of audiences, but unforgettable for most viewers. Only Elfen Lied can achieve such adult themes fit masterfully into animation.
Serial Experiments Lain - 8.1
The psychological horrors that take the task of presenting deep philosophical questions about existence as seriously as Serial Experiments Lain are scarce. The viewer, through captivating and profoundly complex storylines that feel almost indecipherable, is questioned about the living conditions of society, technology, and individuals.
Provoking, intellectual, revolutionary, and haunting, the series is still one of the audience's favorites to discuss, as it provides multiple interpretations of Lain Ikawura's story (which begins after she receives a text from a girl who committed suicide and is pulled into a virtual world). It's not a horror film that will make viewers jump out of their seats, but it will undoubtedly make everyone feel uncomfortable and scared of their realities.
Parasyte: The Maxim - 8.3
Shinichi Izumi tries to get infiltrated by a parasite named Migi who after failing to conquer his human body, ends up stuck in his right hand. With no other option, both have to face other parasite enemies that are trying to take over the human brains of the world.
Parasyte: The Maxim is a body horror anime with great episode cliffhangers, grossly fun monsters, and an entertaining plot, among other characteristics that make this series an easy binge-watch. And as with many other entries on this list, it questions what defines humanity and monstrosity with great effectiveness and challenges viewers with other debatable themes of life such as the meaning of change, altruism, and survival.
Mononoke - 8.3
Mononoke are evil spirits that roam around the world waiting to be slain by a character called the Medicine Seller. To kill demons the Medicine Seller must learn the Truth, the Form, and the Reason behind each demon, which leads to a review of several human phenomena such as suicide, corruption, and murder, amongst other dark subjects.
The series is undeniably one of the most astonishing and beautiful works of art when it comes to style, aesthetics, animation, and visuals, not only in the horror genre but in all anime. It is just absolutely mesmerizing to watch. So viewers should not expect scary visuals or terrifying monsters, given that the horror in these series relies on what humans can do to themselves and each other, and it's quite horrifying.
Mushi-shi - 8.5
Ginko spends his whole life protecting people from creatures called Mushi, which are neutral supernatural things that can be multiple beings and cause illnesses to humans. Ginko is the only one that can see them and this leads to a series of episodes about different existential discussions.
Mushi-shi covers many various concepts about life and relationships and usually takes an unexpected deep turn into philosophical themes. It always appeals to the thought, analysis, and understanding of the viewer, making it a rare intellectual horror anime.