There are a variety of horror comics out there that contain gruesome events and mix them with a distinct and stunning visual style. While some are well-known, I’m sure there are some lesser-known gems that some of you may not be aware of. So here’s a list of the Top 20 Best Horror Manga.
MONSTER
Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant brain surgeon, has ideals that are quite different from those of his colleagues at the Dusseldorf hospital. He doesn’t care about social position or rank; he only wants to help everyone. One day, He makes the controversial decision to save an orphan who was injured in a slaughter rather than the mayor. Because life isn’t always fair, Tenma’s decision results in a blood bath. The boy disappears, but nine years later, they meet again to unveil horrible secrets.
HOMUNCULUS
Susumu Nakoshi, age 34 is experiencing a difficult time in his life. He is living in his little car, and there are no signs that his situation will improve. Susumu refuses to share a bed with other homeless persons and even declines an odd invitation to participate in an experiment. However, when his car is towed, another scientist approaches him and asks if he wants to be the subject of trepanation. Not the most ideal to have a hole drilled in your skull, but when it pays well, who could say no? The result of the experiment is unbelievable; Susumu begins to see ghosts and the real horrors begin.
PUMPKIN NIGHT
Despite its simplicity, this comic has a lot to teach us. It’s time for retaliation, bullies! Perhaps after reading this gory series, they would think twice about hurting anybody else in the future. The plot is around an adolescent girl who is tormented at school to the point of becoming mentally sick. She is committed to a mental institution. When she finally manages to escape, her sole source of motivation is revenge. Puts on a pumpkin mask and grabs a knife, the rest is blood and slaughter. It’s so scary that you can’t even buy it on Amazon. Just kidding, It’s a lesser-known gem so you’ll have to ask your fav comic store staff to order it for you.
DOUBT
Doubt is a fascinating manga to read since it makes you think about behaving in a similar scenario. A gang of adolescents begins to play a mobile phone game to locate the group’s murderer. When the online game becomes real, though, things get a lot creepier. It’s now a survival mission, with a slim chance of survival if they don’t cooperate. This manga is a series for psychological thriller manga fans and those who are looking for something new. Prepare for a read that will make you think twice about playing games and meeting random people.
God’s Left Hand, Devil’s Right Hand
This one here’s not too far away, but it’s a more traditional horror manga, for example, Fourteen. God’s Left Hand, Devil’s Right Hand, features a young boy named Sou, who’s often haunted by visions of terrible things happening and tries to stop them from becoming a reality. Some scenarios in this manga are more normal, including serial killers or ghosts, but others are more bizarre, featuring heavy instances of body horror, for example. If one’s willing to overlook that, one’s treated with quite a good horror manga. God’s Left Hand and Devil’s Right Hand can get quite gruesome and feature some terrifying imagery. God’s Left Hand, Devil’s Right Hand is one of the oldest manga on this list and one of the more outlandish ones. If one’s interested in experiencing the earlier days of horror manga, one could do worse than read this one.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service revolves around a group of Buddhist college graduates. Each member of the gang possesses a unique supernatural ability. Kuro Karatsu, one of the members, can communicate with the dead. The plot of this horror manga revolves around the group’s titular business of delivering the dead’s final desires. However, they frequently discover that people did not die of natural causes and therefore come into criminals or other problems. This manga isn’t a horror story, although it is frequently described as a mystery story. Many stories include strange deaths that the protagonists must solve utilizing their different skills. It’s an interesting and unique manga. While it’s not as horrible or graphic as others on the list, it makes up for it by its unique and creative story.
MANHOLE
Manhole is a horror manga that will make everyone uneasy since it is a realistic narrative with biological horror elements. It all starts with a nude, bloodied man emerging one day from a manhole. The man, unbeknownst to anybody, is infected with a lethal biological weapon. Two investigators try to figure out what’s causing the illness as the tale continues. This manga could be best described as a detective story, but what makes it truly a horror manga is the deadly infection and the things it causes to happen. Manhole is a great, but unsettling read. There’s nothing supernatural happening. Instead, it’s a very realistic tale. Especially in times of the global Corona pandemic, this one’s truly scary and might hit a bit too close to home for some.
Pet Shop of Horrors
The plot revolves around Count D, the proprietor of the titular Pet Shop. Another episodic horror manga is Pet Shop of Horrors. Each story is about a unique, unusual pet and the person who adopts it. Each pet comes with a contract that lays out three ground rules for the new owner to obey. If he fails to do so, serious consequences will almost always be. The manga features some overarching plotlines and recurring characters, but most of its chapters fall into the ‘monster of the weak’ category. As this is an older horror manga, the art might take some time to get used to. It’s well worth the effort though, and some chapters are pretty creative and unique.
DOMU
Domu is set in an apartment building where a succession of inexplicable suicides and other similar occurrences have occurred. A team of detectives tries to figure out what’s going on, but there’s a lot that doesn’t makeup. The attacker is eventually revealed to be a senile old guy with psychic abilities who has control over the apartment complex and its residents. Eventually, a young girl with psychic powers moves into the apartment complex with her family. It doesn’t take long for a conflict between her and the older man to begin.
AJIN
It depicts the story of Kei, a student who discovers he is immortal one day. Kai miraculously survives after being struck by a vehicle. Even stranger, his body can heal any damage, no matter how severe. The plot centers around Kei and how he deals with his newfound abilities. Kei meets another Ajin named Sato, who has escaped the authorities and has promised to aid other Ajin. However, we soon learn that Sato has much bigger plans and that he’s much more dangerous. Ajin features quite an interesting and unique idea and interesting characters. The manga also features a concept called Black Ghosts, which are entities that some Ajin can call forth to fight. It takes a bit to get used to this horror manga, but once we get to know the character of Sato, the story takes up more steam.
Hideout
Hideout appears to be beautiful. However, it isn’t only the art that sells this horror comic. The plot revolves around Kirishima Seiichi, a disturbed writer planning to murder his wife while on vacation. Throughout the tale, the reason for this is revealed. When his effort fails, a pursuit ensues, and his wife soon trails Seiichi into a cave. Seiichi and his wife, on the other hand, aren’t the only ones in that cave. The majority of Hideout’s plot is recounted in flashbacks, giving us glimpses of Seiichi’s life before his trip. Hideout is a fantastic horror manga, but it’s also a dark and melancholy story. It’s a narrative that’s nothing but a never-ending downward spiral.
PERFECT BLUE
Mima is a well-known pop artist who has spent years cultivating her nice girl image. She now believes it is time to make some significant changes, but not everyone is pleased with the new appearance. It appears that a disgruntled fan objected to the alterations. Mima chooses to keep away from this fan since it becomes scary. It is a long distance away. It is a pretty easy read, definitely fun for everyone. Also, the thriller anime that was made in 1996 is incredibly great. It has gained critical acclaim and has a strong fan base for understandable reasons.
GOTH
It all started with a novel by Otsuichi, a Japanese horror legend. It was turned into a manga as a result of its success, and the terrifying narrative grew in popularity. Later on, Goth was also adapted into the cinema, so there are three ways to immerse yourself in this eerie narrative. For love lovers, the meeting of a young lady and a young guy is always inspirational. Nothing beats meeting the person with whom you can share your life and even share common hobbies. Everything seems perfect until you learn Yoru and Kamiyama have a strange hobby in common. They are both into gruesome murders and they don’t see the problem with that.
PARASYTE
No, it’s not an Oscar-winning film, but don’t worry; it’s just as excellent, if not better, even though it is from an entirely different planet. Shinichi, a 17-year-old high school student, has his life turned upside down as the Earth is inundated by weird monsters. These aliens that look like worms go up to your nose and take over your body. However, he wakes up at night when a parasite tries to take over his body. Because of that, the creature can only take over his right hand, and the two bond quite strongly. This friendship is certainly not an everyday one. The two begin to hunt parasites and some exceptionally creepy situations arise.
TOKYO GHOUL
Sui Ishida gained popularity with his dark fantasy manga Tokyo Ghoul. It was later adapted into an anime series and even a live-action movie. This supernatural thriller manga series with 14 volumes is going to put you on the edge of your seat. It isn’t just a spine-chilling horror manga that will haunt you forever but is also full of surprises. A world where ghouls live among us is not an ideal one for humans. They have to feed on people and they are also seven times stronger than us. Ken Kaneki’s first date with an attractive girl doesn’t end too well. He is almost torn into pieces by the ghoul girl and transformed into a half-ghoul. Not the excitement a teenager expects.
HEADS
The plot revolves around Naruse Jun’ichi, a young guy who is shot in the head but miraculously lives thanks to a brain transplant. He rapidly heals, but he gradually begins to alter. It starts with small things, like his disdain for his girlfriend’s freckles. However, other aspects of Jun’ichi’s life begin to shift as well. Slowly, it becomes clear that the donor’s brain is gaining control of his life. Heads is a horror manga that is a little different from the others. It’s a slow burn, with most of the terror from the thought that you’re losing yourself and gradually becoming someone else. Would you even realize you’ve changed? Do you think you’d be able to see it? Those are the kinds of inquiries that get Heads all worked up.
FRACTION
The fraction should only be read by real horror manga fans. It’s quite graphic, sometimes even too graphic, so make sure you’ve got a strong stomach. Shintar Kago is a fantastic crime writer with a taste for gore. What you are going to witness is not for the faint of heart. The book is split into two halves, the first of which is the title piece, in which a serial murderer goes berserk. Because the victims end up in a terrifying state, the emphasis is on the wild. The second section allows you to learn more about the artist who created it. You may read an interview with Kago and probe his brain to learn how he creates his horror crime mangas.
AFTERMATH OR PTSD RADIO
The atrocities haven’t finished yet in Aftermath, commonly known as PTSD radio, a still-running horror manga story. Masaaki Nakayama is recognized for creating tension without resorting to violence. This is one of the most terrifying mangas without any bloodshed or significant violence. Prepare to be so scared that you won’t want to leave the amusement park’s Hello Kitty-themed ride. Or, at the very least, keep the lights on at night, for nightmares are bound to strike tonight. If you’ve gotten your fill of blood flowing, this series, which is supported by fantastic imagery, is a terrific choice.
OPUS
This one is for younger audiences as well. Opus is categorized as seinen manga. This meta-comic is a meaningful psychological horror manga that makes one think. It goes into some topics that are often taboos. Such as religion, so if not for a big scare, but a good philosophy session it is a great read. Chikara Nagai is trying to beat the deadline for his manga series’ next chapter. As he is stressed out and gets deep into the story, the thin line between reality and fiction washes away. He is torn between his past and present, with serious matters bothering him. What is real and what is the figment of his imagination?
MR. ARASHI’S AMAZING FREAK SHOW
There is no question; Mr. Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show is only for experienced horror lovers. It can be quite hard on the readers, quite graphic and there are some pretty triggering scenes as well. Midori, a young orphan girl is taken by Mr. Arashi, the owner of a traveling freak show. She is not kept in desirable conditions. The cruel owner is particularly harsh on her and doesn’t allow them much freedom. She is forced to look after the freaks, which is no little girl’s dream.
These dark and scary mangas will not only give you nightmares but make you think and question traditional social norms. Because while horror Japanese graphic novels or mangas are usually entertaining (in an entirely petrifying way), they also often serve stunning art and surprisingly in-depth stories about the layers of humanity. If you’re new to horror mangas, you’ll find that they almost always make their readers question and think about social norms, dogmas as well as philosophical and ethical principles.
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