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Mieruko-chan is one such anime, funny and haunting, and upon completing it fans may well wonder where to turn for their next taste of horror or unexpected laugh. Taste may be subjective, but a handful of anime rise above the rest to become easy recommendations for fans.
Updated December 24, 2021 by Patrick Armstrong: The blend of horror and comedy in Mieruko-chan is an uncommon one, and fans of the series in search of another anime that can replicate its particular brand of greatness may find themselves floundering. While Mieruko-chan may not have any identical twins, it has some excellent thematic siblings. Some are new additions to the genre while others are beloved classsics. Each, in their own way, captures some of that same magic: the shiver of horror, the shudder of laughter, or maybe a bit of both. In these anime, ghosts and good times are both right around the corner.
14 Ghost Stories
Like Mieruko-chan, Ghost Stories is an unusual blend of comedy and horror centered around ghosts. After bombing upon its debut in Japan, the series received an English dub as controversial as it is hilarious.
If Ghost Stories is known for anything, it’s likely this dub. It’s inappropriate and offensive, but arguably one of the funniest dubs in existence. That such comedy coexists with horror elements in a story that is, ultimately, supposed to be about ghosts, makes things that much funnier and more surreal. On their own, the characters and artwork leave something to be desired, but with voice lines like these, that can be forgiven.
13 Psychic Detective Yakumo
Yakumo and Haruka are detectives, and Yakumo’s detective work is made easier by his enigmatic scarlet eye which allows him to both see and communicate with the dead. Yakumo is a complex and engaging protagonist, driven but not defined by his difficult past.
Unlike other series with a similar premise, Psychic Detective Yakumo doesn’t feature outlandish special attacks with which Yakumo and Haruka battle ghosts. In the end, their ability to crack a case and win the day comes down to solid detective work, which makes the series feel more natural than most in the genre.
12 Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia
It’s tough to tell a good ghost story, and it’s even tougher to tell one complicated by extra elements. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia adds mystery. Then, for good measure, it adds romance. Then, perhaps because it’s having a bit of an identity crisis, it throws in some school hijinks.
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Dusk Maiden of Amnesia benefits from strong animation throughout. Its backgrounds and characters are both lovingly rendered, with strong color choice and solid direction. The characters may not always be the deepest, but one can at least admire the artistry that went into bringing them to life.
11 Gakkou Gurashi
At a glance, horror looks like the last thing that would appear in Gakkou Gurashi (School Live!). Like other chibi and kawaii anime, Gakkou Gurashi is a “cute girls doing cute things” series, but it also happens to be one about the zombie apocalypse. Its opening leans into its cuteness to make it all the more jarring when it kicks viewers’ legs out from under them.
It’s funny, sad, and sometimes even scary, which judging by visuals alone should be impossible. Gakkou Gurashi is proof that judging an anime by art alone can be misleading. Viewers that give this series a pass based solely on its art are only depriving themselves of an anime as good as some of the best anime of the season.
10 Ghost Hunt
Ghost hunting is a premise ripe with humorous potential, and while Ghost Hunt may not be a comedic anime, it’s a horror story that delivers plenty of laughs along the way. First-year high school student Mai joins Shibuya Psychic Research and helps the organization research supernatural occurrences around Japan.
The SPR’s investigations are aided by Mai’s latent psychic abilities, allowing the research team to confront and deal with a variety of specters. Its name may not be inventive, but its storytelling often is, making Ghost Hunt a great anime to experience when the goal is to pair laughter with the occasional shriek.
9 Higurashi: When They Cry
Like Mieruko-chan, When They Cry could be mistaken for a typical, warm and fuzzy shojo at first blush. With a young cast as vibrant as those in any of the best school anime, Higurashi: When They Cry can lull viewers into a false sense of security, dropping their guard just in time for the horror to come slashing in.
Keiichi moves to the small village of Hinamizawa in time for the annual summer festival, which is troubled by murders every year. The characters may be young, but that in no way excludes them experiencing, or performing, terrible acts.The youth of these characters is a boon to the horror, as viewers can’t help but want the best for them, making each calamity all the more impactful.
8 Shiki
The vampires of Shiki are as persistent a threat as any survival horror anime monster, and though dozens of anime have tackled the subject of vampires, none do so with quite the aplomb and style as Shiki.
When murders rock a small town, the finger of blame points at a suspicious clan that has just moved into a nearby castle. Stellar character designs help elevate this tale of monsters that lurk on the edge of society. With a stellar soundtrack and the patience to build its horrors slowly rather than rushing and diluting them, Shiki spins a disconcerting web around its audience.
7 Yami Shibai
There are many great anime and horror movies without jumpscares, but jumpscares are exactly what makes Yami Shibai great. Its rough art style brings to mind paper dolls and children’s doodles, which only makes the scares that much more disconcerting.
Told as a series of short stories, Yami Shibai embraces horror’s roots as a storyteller’s medium, concentrating its attention on the small details necessary to disconcert viewers before moving to the next tale. Though its art style and anthology structure will not be to every viewer’s taste, Yami Shibai puts a decidedly different and worthwhile spin on horror.
6 Hell Girl
For its unrelenting creepiness, fantastic lead characters, and solid pacing, Hell Girl ranks amongst the best horror anime. It would be hard to find a more interesting lead than Ai Enma, a girl on a mission from hell to deliver retribution to wrongdoers.
Hell Girl is a fantastic revenge tale, and were that its only saving grace, it would still deserve a watch. Thankfully, Hell Girl has much more in its favor, including a deep exploration of just what deeds deserve punishment and what form that punishment can take and still be considered justice. Ai is an iconic horror character, Hell Girl the horrific stage where her devilish performance may be savored.
5 Corpse Party
Heavenly Host Academy is well-named, considering it now plays host to beings trapped in the afterlife. Unfortunately, those beings are murderers and other assorted menaces. More unfortunate, it is upon the site of the demolished academy that another school, Kisaragi, is built, ensuring a terrible time for the students that attend.
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Corpse Party deserves its name. Bodies pile up like cut logs in this horror anime, often killed in gruesome fashion with the killers taking obvious delight in their misdeeds. This anime is a rough gem of horror cinema, jagged and gleaming.
4 Happy Sugar Life
Some stories can hardly be discussed without spoiling them, so precisely calibrated are the development of their plots and the nuance of their characterization. Happy Sugar Life is one such story. Based on the manga series written and illustrated by Tomiyaki Kagisora, this genre-trope-defying anime is a psychological thriller about high schooler Sato Matsuzaka who befriends a young girl named Shio.
In less adept hands, its subject matter and plot could easily be mishandled. The hands of these creators are anything but inept, however, and what results is an anime as intriguing as it is disturbing. Happy Sugar Life takes the school anime genre to new depths.
3 Death Note
Highly successful at the box office and a cultural phenomenon in its own right, Death Note is as tightly paced and brilliantly scripted as the manga upon which it is based. High schooler Light Yagami finds himself in possession of a journal in which he can write any person’s name and have them die.
This discovery instigates a rash of vigilante murders, as Light takes it upon himself to rid the world of criminals. When the strange young detective L takes up the case, determined to stop the unknown perpetrator, the plot ratchets everything up. One of the greatest detective stories and thrillers in all of anime, Death Note is a beautiful meeting of man and monster.
2 Paranoia Agent
Everything Satoshi Kon touches turns weird, and Paranoia Agent is proof. Surrealist horror, psychological thriller, and fever-dream character-study collide to spectacular effect in this series about a demented boy on rollerblades who attacks random people with a baseball bat.
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The series shifts its attention from one character to the next, twisting the distorted lens on each of them like a horrible kaleidoscope. A character designer, a detective, and a university researcher are only some of the oddballs swept up by Lil’ Slugger and the reign of terror he has brought to Tokyo. Despite its dark premise, there is no shortage of surrealist humor to be found within, and even attempting to understand its weirder levels is it times enough for a laugh.
1 Another
It would be easy to look at Another and mistake it for a conventional school anime, focusing on friendships and the daily grind of adolescence. In reality, Another is a gruesome horror anime that delights in every goosebump it gives its viewers.
Kouichi’s transfer to Yomiyama Middle School, his meeting with the enigmatic and sinister Mei, and the horrific deaths surrounding the school ally supply maximum creep factor. Another takes its scares where it can get them, whether through jolting violence and splashes of blood or the encroaching menace of music that can only mean ill tidings for the students of Yomiyama.
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