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Apr 27, 9:28 PM
#1
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Jan 2014
2
huge horror fan and wondering if there are any gems in the anime world. Thanks!
Apr 28, 6:20 AM
#4

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Feb 2024
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Apr 28, 9:04 AM
#6

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Jan 2022
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Higurashi: When They Cry original and SOTSU

Elfen Lied

Shinsekai Yori
Apr 28, 9:14 AM
#7

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Jun 2019
6563
Nice - A fellow horror enthusiast.

Shiki is definitely the single best "pure" horror anime. Pure as in it's basically exclusively a horror without being a broader story with horror elements among other things and a mishmash of multiple genres.

Higurashi (2006) is the fallback, go-to, most classic recommendation, and it's one of the best anime series of all time, but can't really be viewed as purely a horror. If anything it's first and foremost a mystery. The first season is also heavily horror but then the second season goes more in the direction of a thriller.

Besides those:

- Elfen Lied (has horror, but more of a romantic thriller and drama)
- Kiseijuu (a Sci-Fi horror with action)
- Happy Sugar Life (has horror, but more of a romantic thriller and drama)

*The above three are favorites I find excellent, but are moreso examples of what I was referring to not being "pure horrors" but more a mixture of different genres also including horror.

Also, Petshop of Horrors - great pure horror semi-anthology, although very short at only four episodes.

*The following are closer to pure horrors although I don't consider them on the same level as the previously mentioned titles. More like 6s and 7s (out of 10s) versus 9s and 10s:

- Gakkou no Kaidan
- Mayoiga
- Mononoke
- Dark Gathering
- Yami Shibai
- Urasekai Picnic (horror not actually formally listed as a genre currently on MAL but in my view it definitely has horror elements and is strongly influenced by the horror genre)

There are some others on my PTW list, but since I haven't seen them, I don't want to recommend them as it'd be impossible to have any meaningful authoritative opinion on them.
WatchTillTandavaApr 28, 9:22 AM
Apr 28, 12:00 PM
#8
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Jan 2023
957
I've only watched one and that would be Dark Gathering, would highly recommend.
Apr 29, 1:09 AM
#9

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Aug 2012
2676
Mononoke (and Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror which is an anthology horror series and one of the stories is a prequel of sorts to the Mononoke anime)
Shinsekai yori
Hell Girl
Kiseijuu
Mieruko-chan (horror with a comedy element)
Apr 29, 3:02 AM
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Aug 2013
3618
Horror/psychological/thriller anime

AnimeDownUnderApr 29, 3:34 AM
~AnimeDownUnder~


Apr 29, 3:22 AM

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Aug 2021
148
Reply to AnimeDownUnder
Horror/psychological/thriller anime

@AnimeDownUnder You listed everything we had in mind 👍😙
Apr 29, 4:55 AM

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Jul 2021
8097
Reply to AnimeDownUnder
Horror/psychological/thriller anime

@AnimeDownUnder You know, even the most horror animes barely cut the minimum scariness to qualify for the tag, but you sort of listed more slice of life shows than horror with that long of a list.
This dance is the pinnacle of human achievement.
Apr 29, 5:59 AM
white angel

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Reply to JaniSIr
@AnimeDownUnder You know, even the most horror animes barely cut the minimum scariness to qualify for the tag, but you sort of listed more slice of life shows than horror with that long of a list.
@JaniSIr And what would be your recommendation? I checked your list for horror genre ofc, but maybe you have something to add.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Apr 29, 7:23 AM

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Jul 2021
8097
Reply to LoveYourSmile
@JaniSIr And what would be your recommendation? I checked your list for horror genre ofc, but maybe you have something to add.
@LoveYourEyes I'm pretty sure you listed all of which I watched, and I would only recommend a few of them. Shiki I guess is like the stereotypical horror that's like actually good, and not an action or slice of of life show in masquerade.
This dance is the pinnacle of human achievement.
Apr 30, 8:35 AM
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Aug 2013
3618
Reply to JaniSIr
@AnimeDownUnder You know, even the most horror animes barely cut the minimum scariness to qualify for the tag, but you sort of listed more slice of life shows than horror with that long of a list.
@JaniSIr I list horror, psychological, thriller...but also things that could fall into the horror tag like monsters, demons, ghosts, supernatural things, like all that stuff. Not all horror is scary too by the way, example being gegege and xxxholic which is more lighthearted horror there's also toilet bound hanako and toshi densetsu monogatari, youkai watch, etc..these being more lighthearted playing with horror concepts such as spirits, ghost, youkai, paranormal...that sort of thing

The scariest horror is probably Gantz or a really psychological thriller type anime like Monster
~AnimeDownUnder~


Apr 30, 8:48 AM
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Jan 2014
2
thanks for all your awesome replies!!
May 1, 5:49 AM
white angel

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Reply to JaniSIr
@LoveYourEyes I'm pretty sure you listed all of which I watched, and I would only recommend a few of them. Shiki I guess is like the stereotypical horror that's like actually good, and not an action or slice of of life show in masquerade.
@JaniSIr Sorry for being a little annoying maybe... I saw precious Hell Girl in your profile, and I loved it a lot. Can you by a chance recommend something good with a similar vibe (dark stories of unrelated people with a bit of mystery, somewhat similar to old TV shows like The Twilight Zone or The Tales from the Crypt, if you get what I mean).
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
May 1, 7:02 AM
Simp4SpookyGirls

Online
Oct 2018
1750
Reply to LoveYourSmile
@JaniSIr Sorry for being a little annoying maybe... I saw precious Hell Girl in your profile, and I loved it a lot. Can you by a chance recommend something good with a similar vibe (dark stories of unrelated people with a bit of mystery, somewhat similar to old TV shows like The Twilight Zone or The Tales from the Crypt, if you get what I mean).
@LoveYourEyes
If I might interject, I’d recommend xxxholic & Mushishi
May 1, 7:04 AM
white angel

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Reply to Ohayotaku
@LoveYourEyes
If I might interject, I’d recommend xxxholic & Mushishi
@Ohayotaku Sure, thank you.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
May 1, 10:45 AM

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Jul 2021
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Reply to LoveYourSmile
@JaniSIr Sorry for being a little annoying maybe... I saw precious Hell Girl in your profile, and I loved it a lot. Can you by a chance recommend something good with a similar vibe (dark stories of unrelated people with a bit of mystery, somewhat similar to old TV shows like The Twilight Zone or The Tales from the Crypt, if you get what I mean).
@LoveYourEyes Ugh, Noir and Witchblade I guess. That's the closest I can give you.
This dance is the pinnacle of human achievement.
May 1, 11:31 AM
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Jul 2018
564125
Off the top of my head probably Vampire Hunter D (2000). A legendary, hand-painted, historical tapestry of Amano aesthetic with killer sound effects.
May 3, 10:47 AM

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Apr 2013
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honestly, in term of jumpscares like proper horror genre should be, i cant think of anything that managed to do it aside from yami shibai series, other anime typically just use the monster or gore element, but yami shibai jumpscares does work even though the animation is like that.
May 5, 7:07 AM

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Feb 2024
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Reply to removed-user
Off the top of my head probably Vampire Hunter D (2000). A legendary, hand-painted, historical tapestry of Amano aesthetic with killer sound effects.
@Eleben

It's not horror though.
May 5, 7:10 AM
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Jul 2018
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Reply to JoeChip
@Eleben

It's not horror though.
@JoeChip Wdym? Yes it is. Even MAL says it's horror.
May 5, 7:20 AM

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Feb 2024
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Reply to removed-user
@JoeChip Wdym? Yes it is. Even MAL says it's horror.
@Eleben

It's a thriller at best and MAL tags are known to be unreliable.
May 5, 7:35 AM
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Jul 2018
564125
Reply to JoeChip
@Eleben

It's a thriller at best and MAL tags are known to be unreliable.
@JoeChip You’re literally the only person who says it isn’t horror. Maybe a few google searches will enlighten you. Look on AniList, Letterboxd or Wikipedia. It all says horror.

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