Every New 2024 Horror Anime

2024 has been great for anime fans, covering most genres thoroughly. Action, romance, and isekai have attracted the most attention, with each season containing at least a handful of memorable additions to these categories. Winter 2024 alone had about 20 series split among these three genres, and it was also not lacking in comedy, slice of life, or harem properties. Unfortunately, 2024 horror anime have been in short supply.

In recent years, the genre has been limited to maybe five representatives, with most not garnering all that much attention. At least, 2023 did end on a high note with Dark Gathering, a two-cour production that proved to be one of the best horror anime in a long time. Even though the 2024 pickings are very slim, there are still a couple of options.

Updated October 1, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Fall 2024 has started, and it should boost 2024’s horror anime portfolio.

Theater Of Darkness: Yamishibai 12

Winter 2024

Also known as Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories, Theater of Darkness is one of the most prolific horror anime of all time, along with being one of the more iconic. Debuting in 2013, the series consists of short episodes that cover classic Japanese folk tales and creepy stories. Using mostly stilted images and typically ending with a twist, Yamishibai is responsible for some of the anime industry’s most terrifying visuals, making it an easy recommendation for anyone remotely interested in horror.

Well, at least, that was the case in its opening few seasons; unfortunately, Yamishibai has been running on fumes for a while. While not unwatchable, the most recent entries were largely unmemorable, containing at most one or two above-average segments. Season 12 is slightly better than its immediate predecessor, but that is not saying much as season 11 marked a low point for the franchise. In truth, the Winter 2024 cour’s stories were forgettable, with most of them feeling like retreads of older entries. That said, Yamishibai is still watchable, and it is hard to get bored during 4-minute shorts.

Mysterious Disappearances

Spring 2024

A couple of 2024 anime flirt with horror. Madhouse’s upcoming adaptation of Uoto’s Orb: On the Movements of the Earth manga has the potential to be among the year’s strongest offerings, and the source material is not lacking in upsetting moments and brutality. That said, it is, at most, horror-adjacent. Kaiju No. 8 is primarily sci-fi action, although a few of the Kaiju have unsettling designs that would not look too out of place in a horror story.

Finally, there is Mysterious Disappearances, a mystery manga with a supernatural edge. Again, describing this property as “horror” is a bit of a stretch, but the manga knows how to create a sense of dread while also throwing out some disturbing imagery. Targeting the seinen demographic, Mysterious Disappearances is packed with mature content, not all of which is of the horror variety.

The anime adaptation is mostly fine, although its horror elements are too minimal to be recommended solely on their merits. Still, if someone is craving a somewhat weird supernatural anime with mystery and touches of horror, they will find what they are looking for here. The opening two episodes are probably the best of the series so far, but the rest are watchable.

The Grimm Variations

Spring 2024

Except for Yamishibai, The Grimm Variations is the most overt 2024 horror anime, at least going by what has been announced so far. As implied by its title, the Netflix show takes inspiration from Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales; more importantly, the anime appears to retain the dark tone of the original narratives, rather than opting to tell sanitized and family-friendly versions found in, for example, Disney movies. That said, The Grimm Variations will be taking six classic tales and giving them fresh anime-style spins, resulting in episodes that share themes and basic plot beats with the stories but are not standard adaptations.

Netflix has revealed the names of all six episodes, and they provide an idea of what to expect:

1. “Cinderella”
2. “Little Red Riding Hood”
3. “Hansel and Gretel”
4. “The Elves and the Shoemaker”
5. “The Town Musicians of Bremen”
6. “Pied Piper of Hamelin”

The selection is interesting since the first three episodes cover arguably the most famous Brothers Grimm tales; however, the second half of the anime will shift towards more obscure stories, at least in comparison to their predecessors. Although not known for horror series, Wit Studio is reliable, with the company’s resume including Vinland Saga, Attack on Titan, Spy x Family, and Ranking of Kings. If nothing else, the animation should be great.

Theater Of Darkness: Yamishibai 13

Summer 2024

• Start Date: July 15, 2024
• Steaming Service: Crunchyroll

At this point, every other season seems to produce a new cour of Theater of Darkness: Yamishibai, and it is hard to miss a show that is rarely absent. Although not exactly outstaying its welcome since the episodes are generally watchable, ILCA’s anime has been struggling for years to consistently come up with outstanding and terrifying stories. The 13th entry is no exception, with the segments released so far being mostly forgettable. Familiarity and predictability are horror’s biggest killers, and the show’s tricks and storytelling devices are so recognizable that the twists are very easy to see coming.

All that being said, if Theater of Darkness: Yamishibai was not around, 2024 would have essentially no horror anime series, at least ones that air weekly. Regardless of the episodes’ individual quality, the show deserves praise for continuing to fly the genre’s flag, even as the rest of the anime industry ignores it.

Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain

Summer 2024

The Medicine Seller has made his comeback, this time on the big screen. 2007’s Mononoke is an experimental psychological mystery anime that revolves around four cases that are investigated by the Medicine Seller and have a supernatural element. While not necessarily “scary,” the original show is nevertheless a cornerstone of the horror anime genre, one that makes brilliant use of striking visuals and disconcerting sound design to create an otherworldly and alien atmosphere.

Mononoke does not need a follow-up or a reimagining, but this concept certainly has room for expansion. EOTA’s movie is not a sequel or a remake, instead opting to just tell another story within this universe. Considering the classic series follows an anthology format, the film should have no trouble fitting in. The film was released in Japan, and Netflix has picked up its rights, so hopefully a Western debut will happen sooner rather than later.

Lockdown Zone: Lv. X

Fall 2024

Well, this show came out of nowhere. Lockdown Zone: Lv. X is an adaptation of Romy Ooishi’s 2020 manga, which focuses on a girl stuck in a time loop while crucially facing off against a horrifying monster. The latter is not only extremely dangerous and violent, but it also seems to have the ability to control other people. Although not exactly the most novel concept, time loop stories are frequently entertaining, and it has only been featured in a small handful of horror anime. While not exactly a masterpiece, the manga is above average and features fairly good art and a lot of gore. The source material certainly lives up to its horror billing.

Expectations should be kept fairly low for this one, especially since the anime is pretty difficult to find as it is not airing on a North American streaming service. Lockdown Zone: Lv. X is a mostly straight translation of the manga, in the sense that it will be rather light on animation. As such, the series will probably not get too much attention, especially since it does not seem to be airing on a major streaming platform. Still, 2024 horror anime are a rare commodity, so Lockdown Zone: Lv. X is a welcome addition.

Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror

Fall 2024

One show does not make a genre, but Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror might as well be solo carrying the 2024 anime horror quota. While mostly fine, none of the year’s other series are must-watch releases, even for die-hard fans of the genre; fortunately, Uzumak i is shaping up to be a glorious exception. As only a single episode has aired so far, definitively declaring Fugaku’s series as an all-time great would be premature, but the potential is there to reach that standard. If nothing else, this should be the best Junji Ito anime of all time, which is (admittedly) a low bar to clear.

Let’s start with the premise: Spirals attack a Japanese town. While that concept might sound goofy on the surface, Uzumaki somehow turns this simple visual into a bone-chilling force that defies explanation. Shuuichi and Kirie begin to notice that spirals seem to be forming all around their average town. Whirlpools infest rivers and tornadoes terrorize peaceful streets; crucially, Shuuichi’s father has become obsessed with spirals, to the point of wanting to become one.

Uzumaki blends cosmic, body, and psychological horror to create something unique and timeless. The 1998 manga is still regarded as a horror masterpiece, and the adaptation smartly opts to preserve as much of the source material’s aesthetic as possible. In fact, the anime mostly copies the manga’s art, a smart move as many shows have tried and failed to tweak Junji Ito’s visual style for animation.

2024 Anime That Horror Fans Should Try

As with most years, horror 2024 anime will be in short supply. The genre is just not popular enough to warrant many adaptations, especially since a lot of horror manga seem to lose something in the process of gaining animation. A few more shows will hopefully be announced over the coming months, at least to the point of offering fans a few projects they can get excited about. Is another Dark Gathering too much to ask for?

Due to the limited selection, fans might need to broaden their horizons to get their fill of thrills. None of the upcoming anime are horror stories, but they might be able to scratch a similar itch.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth and Kaiju No. 8 are not that far removed from the genre, particularly the former (which will debut in October 2024). Orb‘s manga has plenty of unsettling moments, even if it rarely sets out to be downright scary. Kaiju No. 8 is primarily an action story, but it could be “horror” in the same way that a Godzilla movie qualifies.