It is very common that horror fans Take advantage of the month of October to see the best movies and series of the genre, for what they generally look for among the great classics that we all know. However, not everyone knows that the anime It also has a few jewels that can be a great choice to warm up your engines for the arrival of Halloween.
Horror has always had its privileged place in Japanese culture. For centuries numerous legends related to cursed places, murders, legendary creatures and yokai or evil spirits. The taste of the Japanese tradition for this type of tales or stories was transferred to anime a long time ago and has lasted until now, leaving truly spooky works as a legacy.
It is a rigorously topical genre. Proof of this has been the recent Uzumaki, an adaptation of the manga of the same name by the legendary Junji Ito that carried very high expectations and that for many the series of Max has not been able to achieve. It has been highly criticized for the drop in animation quality starting from the second episode, but that does not mean that its story is the kind that keep you awake at night. If you have a bad taste in your mouth after watching its four episodes, you will be relieved to know that there are many animes that can make a better impression on you. Below you have 15 essential titles to see before or during Halloween night.
15 horror animes to watch on Halloween
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‘Junji Ito: Collection’
‘Uzumaki’ is not the only work by Junji Ito that has been adapted from manga to anime. Six years ago we received ‘Junji Ito: Collection’, a 12-episode series available on Crunchyroll that compiled some of the Japanese author’s most terrifying stories. If you see it and it is to your liking, you can also give ‘Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre’ a chance, released on Netflix in 2023 and directed, like the first recommendation, by Shinobu Tagashira.
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For many it is one of the best horror series that anime has given us. The adaptation of Yukito Ayatsuji’s manga is a psychological thriller set in a high school, a very recurring place in this type of Japanese stories. In this school there are many murders and the threat of a curse that haunts all the students. Without going into more depth, all that remains is to say that ‘Another’ is a title that could not be missing from this list.
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It is probably one of the most popular works on the list. ‘Devilman Crybaby’ is a Netflix original series that could be considered anything but discreet. Anyone who sees it will be dragged into a world dominated by demons and full of blood, explicit content and dark humor. Giving it a chance may mean that it takes you a long time to forget its most impressive scenes.
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Lucy is a mutant belonging to the Diclonius race, genetically modified people with enough power to wipe out humanity. She escapes from her containment chamber, but not before killing everyone in her path, but over time she tries to fit into society. This series is full of violence, although it also allows its emotional moments.
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This movie could not be missing from our list of horror animes. It would simply be inconceivable to leave out the work of Satoshi Kon that inspired titles like ‘Black Swan’ (2010) and that has marked so many people over three decades. Its protagonist is Mima, a singer whose popularity has dropped drastically, so her manager gets her a role in a television series. This change depresses her, but what ends up making her life worse is the fact that she realizes that she is accessible to anyone on the Internet and that someone is obsessed with her. It is a creepy story in which the line between reality and fiction blurs to completely crazy limits.
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‘Mieruko-chan’ is a slightly more fun and pleasant option than the rest of the recommendations on this list, but in this series available on Crunchyroll you will not be spared from creepy beings and terrifying moments. Its protagonist is Miko, a girl who can see ghosts. Instead of trying to hunt them down or communicate with them, choose a posture that we will surely feel more identified with: ignoring them so that they don’t realize that you can see them.
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The Hellsing organization fights vampires in an alternate version of England where these beings are a real problem. The gloomy and nostalgic atmosphere of this universe will captivate you from the beginning. Luckily, this recommendation is actually two: you can watch ‘Hellsing’ (2001), with a more retro touch although a little further from the manga, and then move on to ‘Hellsing Ultimate’, the 2006 adaptation that remains faithful to the original story from beginning to end.
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‘When Cicadas Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)’
A strange curse causes a macabre murder to occur in the village of Hinamizawa every year on the same date. Suddenly, Keiichi Maebara and his friends find themselves involved in this terrible event and will try to get to the bottom of the matter to see what causes the town’s residents to commit such atrocious and horrifying acts. If you like violence and puzzles, this series is for you. You can watch the original version from 2006 or its 2020 remake, available on Crunchyroll. There is also a 2021 sequel.
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‘Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories’
Take note of the name of this series if you like urban legends and Japanese folklore, because ‘Yamishibai’ is a compilation of ghost stories based on Japanese culture. It has a very characteristic animation that is difficult to forget. Although its chapters last approximately 5 minutes, you will not be short, since this title has 13 seasons, all available on Crunchyroll.
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A short film had to be included in this list. It could be ‘Cat Soup’ (2001), a highly recommended work that well deserves a mention among horror animes, but in this case we will focus on ‘Kakurenbo’ (2004). Among the children of Japan there is a game very similar to hide-and-seek that hides a terrible secret, since its participants never come out alive. A group of friends decide to test if it is true or not.
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In a Japanese town in the purest style of ‘Twin Peaks’, very strange things happen. The neighbors must face a curse that includes vampires and the rising of the dead. The terrible events occur one after another, leaving more and more victims. ‘Shiki’ is a series that could not be missing from this list.
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Another series of spooky stories that will give you trouble sleeping. The most notable thing is its animation style, suitable to prepare you for the horror you are going to witness. ‘Kagewani’ is a title that didn’t get enough recognition, but it’s worth giving it a chance. It currently has two seasons available on Crunchyroll.
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‘Parasyte’ is a fairly well-known series that even has several live-action versions, the last of which was released by Netflix in 2024. In this case, the recommendation that interests us is the anime adaptation of Hitoshi’s manga Iwaaki, available on Crunchyroll. Japan suffers the invasion of aliens who parasitize human beings to survive. They must lodge in his brain and from there take control of the rest of the body, but one of them fails in its mission and ends up in Shinichi Izumi’s right hand. From that moment on, both have to learn to live together and survive in the face of the threat of other parasitized and bloodthirsty people.
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A group of students is dedicated to ghost hunting and investigates various paranormal events. Overnight, the young Mai Taniyama finds herself involved in the activity of these people and ends up verifying for herself that the supernatural stories are true. It’s not the scariest anime on this list, but it manages to be creepy and entertaining. In addition, it addresses very interesting topics related to culture and religion.
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In this case, again we find several recommendations in one. ‘Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales’ is a 2006 series that compiles various horror stories from feudal Japan. From here came his spin-off ‘Mononoke’ (2007), a work in which an apothecary must investigate and solve several supernatural events. This same 2024, the film ‘Mononoke: The Ghost in the Rain’, based again on the medicine peddler, was released in the Asian country.
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