10 Best Horror Anime for Halloween

So, I did 5 Underappreciated Horror Films II and now I want to look at the anime world and see what horror entries it has to offer. This time I'm doubling the entries!

Let's get started with 10 Best Horror Anime for Halloween!

10. Another (2012)

Let's start off nice and easy with Another.

I wrote a review of the series a few weeks back, and while it's not really horror in the typical sense—you could argue it's a supernatural murder mystery—I feel it has a place on this list.

Based on the novel of the same name, this 12 episode series follows a young boy as he transfers into middle school and people start dying gruesomely around him.

It's short, sweet and it'll keep you guessing from start to finish!

9. Blood: the Last Vampire (2000)

A mysterious transfer student shows up at school on an American Airbase to investigate some grisly deaths... ooh, creepy!

This film wasn't very long (only about 90 minutes or so) but if this one doesn't tickle your fancy there were two spin-off series, Blood+ and Blood-C, which follow the same story just in alternate timelines.

Regardless of which one you go with I'm sure you'll have a blast. All three have flaws—that's a given—but if you're looking for something to turn your brain off to...

8. Hellsing Ultimate (2006)

Hellsing Ultimate is the second adaptation of the Hellsing manga series and spans just 10 episodes. The story follows a covert military group (the Hellsing organization), as they work to stomp out any and all vampiric, satanic and supernatural threats to merry old England!

The animation quality is far superior from the previous 2002 adaptation and the story is much tighter.

7. Highschool of the Dead (2010)

I feel like we need some silliness on this list. Highschool of the Dead is a series that I've talked about before as being largely derided for its gratuitous fan service material. With that in mind, it's still a story about a group of teens trying to reunite with their families in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Sadly, with the passing of series author Daisuke Sato in 2017, the manga upon which the series was based will remain unfinished and a second season of the anime is... unlikely.

6. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (2009)

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni or Higurashi, When they Cry is.. .okay, I legitimately don't know how to describe this anime.

The story, from what I can tell, follows a police investigation into a cursed village where at certain times every few years the residents go crazy and start killing each other.

I watched this one a few years back and all I could think at the end was:

"What the heck did I just watch?"

Note: "Heck" isn't exactly what I thought but I have to at least try to keep things PG or at least PG-13.

It's a series that requires the audience to pay attention at all times in order to figure anything out—oh, and don't et the cute art style fool you; this is a BRUTAL series to watch! Seriously, some of the torture stuff in this series would give the Saw franchise a run for its money (in my opinion) and gave me nightmares for weeks which, let me tell you, is not an easy feat!

5. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is the second film based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's series of novels. The first one was released back in 1985 and, all things considered, it's not a bad film. I chose Bloodlust, however, because it's the superior of the two films. You can call me biased if you want but it's true and it's exactly what you'd expect with a 15 year gap between the two films for the technology to improve.

The film follows the titular vampire hunter, known only as D, as he is hired to rescue a woman who has apparently been kidnapped by a vampire. The job is to either bring her back alive and well or kill her if she's been turned. Unfortunately for D, things aren't quite what they appear to be and he's facing competition in rival vampire hunters the Marcus brothers...

In terms of horror, it's not all that scary—or even creepy for that matter—but the Gothic tone and atmosphere are great. The animation, music and action are all brilliant and this is just a great film to have fun with all around.

4. Lily C.A.T. (1987)

This science fiction horror movie is... well, it's kind of like if Ridley Scott's Alien was done in anime form.

Lily C.A.T. follows a deep space planetary survey team as they pick up some sort of alien bacteria while in cryogenic sleep. This bacteria proceeds to kill off most of the crew before morphing into a sort of life form that the ship's sponsor company wants to have brought back to earth... sound familiar?

Like I said, an Alien ripoff of sorts; but at least it's a fun one to watch and while there are certainly problems with the film—which I'll go into another time—there are some interesting ideas at play and it's worth watching if you just want to kill time.

3. Perfect Blue (1997)

Okay, okay, I'll admit this is a bit of a cheat as it's not technically a horror movie, but it's on the list for a reason—I promise!

First off, the music, animation and story are fantastic! The tone and pacing are wonderfully consistent, and you're on the edge of your seat the whole time while watching. So why, with all that said; is Perfect Blue on this list? It's not really a horror movie, is it?

That last question isn't rhetorical either and I'll get to why in a second but first let's talk plot. The film follows Mima Kirigoe, a singer who retires from the music industry to pursue a career in film—only to end up caught in the cross-hairs of a crazed fan.

So, back to my question: are you sure this isn't a horror movie? Yes, it's classified as a thriller and it's definitely that, but it's also—at least in my opinion—a horror film. It's just a different sort of horror film. Look at all the other entries on this list and you'll see curses, zombies, vampires and other creatures more typical of the horror genre.

Perfect Blue is different, it's a human horror. It's a film that deals with a darker side to humanity by showing (in its own way) the insanity of man and how far a person will go.

The reason Perfect Blue is on this list is because the plot follows something that happens frequently in real life. In the age of the internet and social media i.e. post-1997, it's surprisingly (and terrifyingly) easy to find someone online. Stalking, harassment, threats, you name it and it happens; that's what this film shows—reality, and reality is often far more terrifying that fantasy.

2. Wicked City (1987)

Wicked City is basically Men in Black as an anime; the difference being that the protagonists are fighting demons instead of aliens. I am also going to warn you right now that this is a gore-fest of a film which includes a rather gratuitous and unnecessary tentacle scene *shudder*.

All that said, if you're looking for a gory action film with some disturbing body horror—including a spider-woman with teeth in her... ummm.... yeah, I'm not going to finish that sentence because it's not going to sound right any which way I say it—then this is the film for you.

The film takes place in a world where the human world and the demon world (or black world in the film) live side by side in relative peace. That peace is kept by black guard—a sort of covert police force similar to the Men in Black. An upcoming peace treaty signing has both sides on edge and a pair of guards; one from each side are tasked with protecting a diplomat from the black world from insurgents who want to prevent the signing.

There are some serious issues with this film, not least of which is the fact that it's a genuinely uncomfortable film to watch—even for people who like this sort of thing. That said, it's not a bad film to waste time with.

1. Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Okay, so apparently this one's based on a video game series; I've never played the games so I'm not going to talk about them.

The anime follows a group of school friends who perform a friendship charm—basically a 'friends forever' type thing—and end up in an alternate dimension and in a cursed school full of vengeful, murderous ghosts!

Now, I want you to take this warning seriously: this series is NOT for the squeamish! You're on the edge of your seat constantly, yes, and the animation, music and story are all good. With that said, the series is insanely gory at times and much of the violence is directed at children in kindergarten!

As far as I know, there is no English dub of this series so you'd have to watch in Japanese with English subtitles; although I can't say that makes it much easier. The series is only 4 episodes long, but it'll seriously be the longest four episodes of your life—particularly if you're the squeamish sort.

Final Thoughts: Have Fun!

Well guys and gals, that's my list and those are my picks for 10 horror anime to enjoy for the Halloween season! I'm curious to know your picks so hit me up on Facebook.