The serialized and long-running nature of manga is a great way to build an audience and it’s allowed certain mangaka talents to come into their own and develop followings.

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Junji Ito is a renowned name when it comes to disturbing horror manga, but there are other impressive series by other authors in the medium – even if Ito’s work can often monopolize the genre. There are some truly terrifying manga series for readers to enjoy, and it’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

10 Pet Shop Of Horrors Thrives On Atmosphere And An Anthology Structure

Manga Pet Shop Of Horrors Garish Costume

Anthology style storytelling has become increasingly popular in the horror genre and Matsuri Akino’s Pet Shop of Horrors is a strong example of how that can be explored in a manga. Pet Shop of Horrors feels like a slightly more sanitized version of The Twilight Zone and each chapter unpacks a troubling story from a new customer who visits Count D’s eponymous pet shop. There’s a fun and addictive rhythm the manga builds, and while the horror may be more traditional, it makes up for it with tense atmosphere.

9 Homunculus Is Unflinchingly Psychological

homunculus byu

Homunculus is a deeply unsettling psychological horror manga that looks at the painful lengths some will go in order to feel special or powerful. Hideo Yamamoto's manga introduces Susumu, a character who can gain access to intense psychic powers through the dangerous procedure of trepanation. Susumu becomes more corrupted and damaged the deeper he goes and slowly loses his humanity, beginning to view the world in a grotesque manner. Homunculus is bleak and doesn't hold back, which is a refreshing change of pace from more traditional horror.

8 As The Gods Will Turns Deities Into Vindictive Tricksters

Manga As The Gods Will Daruma Attack

As the Gods Will is technically a shonen manga that leans into suspense and action, but it’s also full of disturbing threats. As the Gods Will’s plot is the stuff of nightmares and involves high school students being forced to engage in morbid competitions for the amusement and approval of Gods.

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These tests, as well as the highly brutal ways that the Gods administer punishment, is horrifying. There’s even a live-action adaptation by Takashi Miike that captures the manga’s surreal energy.

7 Ichi The Killer Is A Dark Look Into A Ruthless Criminal Underbelly

Manga Ichi The Killer Cut Man Attack

Hideo Yamamoto's gripping Ichi the Killer manga has gained a lot of popularity due to Takashi Miike's startlingly accurate live-action feature film adaptation. The manga provides even more depth to the titular character, a proficient assassin with a pained and delicate soul. Ichi's journey is truly difficult to watch and Yamamoto's artwork captures how violence is such an ugly, destructive thing. Ichi the Killer may not initially seem like a horror manga, but it's full of haunting visuals as well as frightening serial killers and human monsters.

6 I Am A Hero Injects The Zombie Genre With New Life

I Am A Hero

The zombie genre has been done to death regardless of the medium. While that makes it difficult to pull off a take that feels unique, I am a Hero is proof that it's still possible. Kengo Hanazawa's manga is set amidst a bloody zombie outbreak, but the story excels with its unique perspective through its protagonist, Hideo, a struggling manga artist who views himself as the "hero" of the manga that is real life. I am a Hero turns into a story that's frightening, but also a stunning character study with some particularly gorgeous artwork.

5 Ibitsu Pushes A Haunting Urban Legend To Scary New Places

Manga Ibitsu Little Sister Demon

Ibitsu is set around an urban legend where if a strange girl asks someone a question at midnight, she'll systematically work her way into their life as a little sister, only to ultimately kill them.

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Unaware of the legend, Kazuki falls prey to this and has to handle this scary and mysterious woman that won't leave him alone. It's a series that nicely builds and becomes more disturbing as it goes on.

4 Higurashi – When They Cry Is A Twisted Take On Death And Eternity

Manga Higurashi When They Cry Spree

Ryukishi 07’s Higurashi – When They Cry has exploded into a big hit and branched off in a lot of exciting ways, but the manga series is still a fascinating read for the uninitiated. Higurashi revolves around a bunch of young characters with cute and exaggerated designs, all of which make the sudden and brutal deaths hit even harder. Higurashi is all about misdirection and subversions. It crafts a very complex story that involves time loops, serial killers, and heavy existential themes. It’s a bizarre mix of extreme influences and ideas that works in spite of itself.

3 Hideout Is A Terrifying Game Of Cat And Mouse Between Husband And Wife

Manga Hideout Cave Monster Slaying Sword

There are some horror manga that have plots that don’t necessarily come across as frightening, only for the horror to come out in other ways, like through the artwork. The plot of Masasumi Kakizaki’s Hideout doesn’t mess around and it should instantly pull in any horror fans. A husband and wife get away to try to find closure over the death of their son, only for it to be revealed that the husband’s master plan is to use this opportunity to murder his wife. Hideout is a beautiful slow burn that shows off how wicked people can be.

2 There’s A Horrifying Mix Of Psychos On Display In Freak Island

Manga Freak Island Pig Killer

Freak Island by Hokazono Masaya feels highly influenced by Western slasher cinema and anyone that’s a fan of cannibal horror movies like The Hills Have Eyes or Wrong Turn are likely to have a lot of fun with Masaya’s series. A bunch of unsuspecting teens are left to fend for themselves on a dangerous island where a chainsaw-wielding lunatic and the rest of his family aggressively pursue their new prey. Freak Island is over the top and gets a little silly at times, but it works more than it doesn’t and the murderous characters are absolutely vile.

1 Suicide Circle Explores A Fascinating And Frightening Murder Mystery

Suicide Circle

Curiously, Suicide Circle by Usamaru Furuya is actually based upon the live-action film, Suicide Club, by Sion Sono, rather than the other way around. However, the manga finds different ways to evoke horror than the film. There's a deeply compelling mystery at the center of the story where a large group of girls all strangely take their lives at the same time. The manga attempts to provide answers behind these disturbing deaths as well as prevent a comparable tragedy from taking place again. There's a real sense of urgency here as the deadline draws nearer on more deaths.

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