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While Halloween has passed, some horror and supernatural enthusiasts still indulge in spooky movies and series to keep the spirit alive. In anime, there are plenty of unsettling titles to choose from, keeping the season of frights and chills ongoing. These horror titles range from suspense to psychological to supernatural, creating tension that fans won’t forget. These anime series explore fear in many different forms and hook viewers from start to finish. Some of these titles are horror classics, while others are new anime that deserve more attention this season. With the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer, these are the perfect anime to indulge in for lasting frights. Mieruko-chan Mieruko-chan follows Miko Yotsuya, a seemingly ordinary high school girl who suddenly develops the unnerving ability to see grotesque and horrifying spirits lurking around her. These entities can range from lingering human ghosts to monstrous apparitions, with some far more unsettling than others. Despite how terrifying these beings are, Miko attempts to continue her normal life. Her survival tactic is rather simple. She often resorts to ignoring them and pretending that everything around her is perfectly fine. At times, this leads to humorous situations, lightening the mood as she tries to balance daily life with her new supernatural sight. Miko’s calm outward appearance often clashes with the true terror she feels beneath the surface. Mononoke Mononoke centers around the mysterious Medicine Seller as he travels across Japan, taking on and exorcising malevolent spirits known as mononoke. Each of these spirits comes with its own unique mystery that must be unraveled before the Medicine Seller can defeat them. This consists of its Form, the underlying Truth, and the Reason for its unrest. The series is best known for its distinct visual style and unsettling sound design, creating an experience that truly immerses viewers. Each story arc, set between the Edo and Meiji periods, offers intriguing storylines and spirits, often exploring the consequences of despair, jealousy, and grudges. Mononoke is an atmospheric anime that creates a lingering sense of dread. Elfen Lied Elfen Lied follows Lucy, a teenage Diclonius girl who violently escapes from a government research facility in Kamakura, Japan. She’s part of a mutated species with horns and invisible, deadly telekinetic arms called vectors. After her escape, she suffers an injury that leads to her developing a split personality, resulting in a gentle and innocent alter ego named Nyu. When Nyu is found by Kouta and Yuka, two cousins who take her in unaware of the danger she poses, they care for her while they find themselves drawn into the conflict between the Diclonii and the government’s attempts to recapture them. The series explores what it truly means to be human, as well as discrimination and societal alienation. The anime is a dark fantasy known for its exploration of heavy themes and its willingness to depict graphic, unsettling violence. The horror in Elfen Lied stems from gore and brutality, and by exploring the depths of cruelty behind closed doors. Its psychological and emotional tone leaves behind an unforgettable impact on viewers. Higurashi: When They Cry Gou Higurashi: When They Cry Gou centers on Keiichi Maebara, a transfer student who arrives at the rural village of Hinamizawa. On the surface, life in the village seems charming and idyllic; however, it carries dark secrets and has a history of mysterious deaths and disappearances tied to an annual festival. As Keiichi befriends Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika, an overwhelming sense of paranoia begins to creep in, straining their friendship and pushing him toward increasingly disturbing discoveries. Higurashi: When They Cry Gou is a continuation of the original Higurashi, rebooting the tragic cycles fans have come to know the series for. The anime constantly keeps viewers on edge by switching between moments of calm and sudden terror or suspense in seemingly inescapable time loops. It’s a haunting blend of mystery, psychological horror, and violent, shocking moments that immerse audiences through its unpredictability and major twists. Shiki Shiki takes place in the rural, secluded mountain village of Sotoba, where the village’s calm atmosphere is shattered by a string of mysterious deaths following the arrival of the new, wealthy family, the Kirishiki. As villagers begin to report seeing the dead walking at night, some villagers start to realize that something more chilling is at play. The series is known for its ability to create a deep sense of dread and suspense while exploring human nature. Shiki builds fear from its blend of mystery, psychological sense of fear and mistrust, and brutality that can result from widespread panic and paranoia. The series expertly portrays an entire community unraveling in a way that audiences can never forget. Another Another follows Kouichi Sakakibara, a transfer student assigned to the infamous Class 3-3 at Yomiyama North Middle School. The class carries a deadly curse that dates back decades, and every year, students follow a strange ritual of pretending one classmate doesn’t exist in order to prevent death and disaster. The classmate who becomes isolated is none other than Mei Misaki. When Kouichi begins to interact with her, the girl who “doesn’t exist,” he starts to disrupt the fragile balance, setting off a chain of terrifying and mysterious deaths. Deciding to work together, Kouichi and Mei investigate the origins of the curse and attempt to discover who stands at the center of it. Another stands out for its ability to create an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere, with tension so thick that viewers can’t help but feel on edge. From its storyline to its soundtrack, Another is one of the most chilling horror anime that truly excels in crafting a narrative where the stakes feel immediate and inescapable. The Summer Hikaru Died The Summer Hikaru Died is a new Netflix horror anime that centers on Yoshiki and his best friend, Hikaru, in a quiet, isolated rural village. After a mountain accident takes Hikaru’s life, his body becomes host to a mysterious entity that uses his memories and appearance to deceive everyone, except for Yoshiki, who realizes that Hikaru has been replaced. Yoshiki attempts to maintain his normal life with the new Hikaru, but as time goes on, mysterious phenomena begin to occur around the village. Determined to discover the truth behind the entity inhabiting Hikaru, the two begin to explore its origins while Yoshiki quietly struggles with the loss of his friend. The anime is best known for its depth and unsettling atmosphere, exploring the bond between the two teenagers and the consequences of Hikaru’s new existence. The Summer Hikaru Died portrays attachment and grief in a way that feels unique and complex. This, in turn, enhances the narrative, making the series terrifying and full of dread. Takopi’s Original Sin Takopi’s Original Sin follows Takopi, a cheerful, octopus-like alien from Happy Planet who crash-lands on Earth with the mission of spreading joy. When he meets Shizuka, a young girl facing extreme bullying and parental neglect, Takopi attempts to cheer her up, but soon discovers the painful realities of her life can’t be so easily fixed. As Takopi continuously attempts to intervene, it leads to unintended and shocking consequences that drastically shift the characters’ lives. Takopi’s Original Sin is a dark psychological anime with six episodes that masterfully explore mental health and suffering. The series includes distressing topics and visuals that some viewers may find uncomfortable. Perfect Blue Perfect Blue follows Mima Kirigoe, a pop idol who leaves her group to pursue a career in acting. However, her life begins to unravel as she takes on darker roles and becomes terrorized by a stalker and haunting visions of her past self. The line between her roles and private life begins to blur, causing her mental state to deteriorate. Perfect Blue is an anime film that stands out for its haunting exploration of paranoia and the dark side of fame. By following a character whose identity is fractured, the film effectively created an unforgettable, haunting atmosphere that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Paranoia Agent Paranoia Agent takes place in Tokyo, where the city is terrorized by a mysterious attacker known as Lil’ Slugger, a boy on golden roller skates who carries a bent baseball bat. Detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa are assigned to the case and realize that every victim is under extreme emotional or psychological stress.
