by August 13th is “Kaidan Day.” This commemorative day was established to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the consecutive performances of the event “MYSTERY NIGHT TOUR Junji Inagawa’s Kaidan Night,” the first performance was held on August 13th, 1993.
In the hot summer, you want to cool down with a horror anime that will send chills down your spine. The appeal of horror anime varies depending on the work, such as being involved in a mysterious phenomenon, targeted by a mysterious person, or the main character being a psychic. So Anime! Anime! Conducted a reader survey titled “What is your favorite horror anime?” following last year. During the survey period from August 5th to August 7th, we received responses from 60 people. The gender ratio was about 35 percent male, about 60 percent female, and about 5 percent no response, with more women. The age groups were 19 years old or younger (25 percent), 20s (30 percent), and 30s (25 percent).
A collection of titles to cool you down during the heatwave! No. 1: Mieruko-chan. With a support rate of about 17 percent, it was the top for the third consecutive year. Mieruko-chan is based on a manga serialized in Web Comic Apanda. It is a new type of horror comedy in which the main character, Miko Yotsuya, gets through her encounters with strange and dangerous people by ignoring them all.
“The characters, Miko and the others, are cute, but the depiction of the ghosts is terrifying! It has gags and moving elements, so it’s not just a scary work, which is appealing,” “It’s cute how they keep pretending not to see,” and “This is the first work that made me think that it would be awful to live a life where you can see ghosts…” The struggle of being able to see things that shouldn’t be seen is portrayed in a terrifying yet comical way. No. 2: Gegege no Kitaro. With a support rate of about 9 percent, it rose from last year’s tie for 4th place. Gegege no Kitaro is based on a manga by Shigeru Mizuki and has been adapted into a TV anime series many times since 1968.
In 2023, a movie called Kitaro: The Birth of Gegege, depicting the younger days of Kitaro’s father, Medama Oyaji, was released. The latest work is also famous, with readers saying, “When you think of horror anime, you think of Kitaro. Three generations of parents and children know it, and the movie has gained new fans,” and “I liked Gegege no Nazo because it had more chilling scenes than the TV anime.”
Third place: Kaidan Restaurant and Higurashi When They Cry were tied for third place. Kaidan Restaurant is a TV anime based on children’s literature, and it is an omnibus format that depicts different types of ghost stories on each page. A reader commented, “I watched it in real-time when I was in the lower grades of elementary school, and there are many stories that I still remember. It’s scary and interesting, and sometimes some episodes make me cry, so it’s a work I love.” “Higurashi When They Cry” is based on a game created by the doujin group “07th Expansion”.
“A tragedy suddenly occurs in a peaceful town! I was shocked by the gap in the characters’ sudden changes throughout the story. The difference in voices is also amazing, so I listened to the actors’ different performances,” and “The way the characters get caught up in the incident is vivid. It’s a horror anime that is so scary you want to look away.” Different types of works are ranked the same.
Other comments! “Hell Teacher Nube”: “I’m happy that it’s been decided to be made into a new anime in 2025! I want to experience once again the brilliance of the youth of the teacher and student who are bound by a strong bond and the fear of the creepy monsters and evil spirits that seem to appear in dreams.” “Hell Girl”: “I can’t forget the cute but scary line that Hell Girl’s Enma Ai says when she sends her target to hell, ‘Would you like to die once?'” For Digimon Tamers,
“At the beginning of the story, it’s a three-legged race between Takato and Guilmon, but the episode towards the end about the D-Reaper, who becomes the enemy of the Digimon, has some horror elements and is memorable.” For Mononoke, “The visual beauty is wonderful as if it were made from washi paper. The story is about the main character, a medicine seller, confronting monsters that harm people, and the passion and grudge that form the background are realistic and interesting.” There were also votes for the popular series, whose movie Mononoke: Karakasa is currently in theaters.
The top spot remained unchanged in the 2024 edition, but the rankings from second place onwards changed. Titles with new developments, such as the decision to produce a new anime or the release of a movie, also made the list. [[[ All titles that received votes are listed on the next page. There are also votes for titles that have not yet aired, with people voting eagerly. Please take a look!
Top 5 rankings [What is your favorite horror anime? [2024 Edition] 1st place: “Miru Tights” 2nd place: “GeGeGe no Kitaro” 3rd place: “Kaidan Restaurant” 3rd place: “Higurashi When They Cry” 5th place: “Hell Teacher Nube” 5th place: “Toilet-bound Hanako-kun” 5th place: “Dark Gathering” (Response period: August 5th – August 7th, 2024)
All titles that received votes [What is your favorite horror anime? 2024 Edition] “Miru Tights,” “GeGeGe no Kitaro,” “Kaidan Restaurant,” “Higurashi When They Cry,” “Hell Teacher Nube,” “Toilet-bound Hanako-kun,” “Dark Gathering,” “Weekly Story Land,” “Mononoke,” “Another” “School Ghost Stories” “School Scary Rumors Hanako-san Has Come!!” “Shiki,” “Hell Girl,” “Company enslaved person Wants to Be Healed by a Little Girl Ghost. ” Angel of Slaughter,” ” Summer When the Light Died,” ” When They Cry,” ” Guruguru Medaman,” ” Cauldron,” ” Digimon Ghost Game,” ” Digimon Tamers,” ” Migi & Dari ” (Response period: August 5th to August 7th, 2024) * This survey is part of a survey of readers’ opinions on “current interest and attention in anime works and characters.” The results are not intended to determine the superiority or inferiority of any character or work. We hope this article will help you learn about new works and characters and deepen your understanding and interest.
