2024] 20 Recommended Horror Manga to send shivers down your spine! From royal horror to new horror!

Some people may want to read a horror comic before bed to send a tingle down their spine. While we don't want to experience it, it's not a bad idea to get your fill of horror in a comic book.

In this article, we introduce a selection of horror manga of all types, including ghosts, splatters, murders, and more. We hope you will enjoy the thrill of the unusual.

Recommended horror manga

Battle Royale by Masayuki Taguchi, Hiroharu Takami / 15 volumes

Akiya and his middle school classmates play a game of kill each other in the Republic of Greater East Asia, a fictional totalitarian state. Only one survivor is allowed. Forced to kill each other until he survives, will Akiya be able to protect the people he cares about?

The film version has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad. However, if you have only seen the movie, you are missing out. There are many fans who say that the manga is the most interesting part of the story. Why don't you read this thrilling and exciting killing spree?

The Scripture of Evil by Yusuke Kishi, Eiji Karasuyama / 9 volumes

The true nature of an impeccable teacher, trusted by students and parents, is a psychopath who kills people with impunity. The sight of him shooting and killing students in his own class one after another with a gun can only be described as shocking. This film depicts the catastrophe of such a teacher and his students.

The fact that he does not see the murders as evil and is completely unmoved by them amplifies the indescribable horror of the film. Whenever a problem arises at school, he deals with it by killing those who are inconvenient for him. What will happen to a school with such a teacher? We hope you will witness the end result with your own eyes.

The Tragedy of the House of Horrors written by Ochazuke Nori

A representative work by Ochazuke Nori, who is said to be the pioneer of splatter horror. The author himself appears in the story as a guide to the disastrous museum.

The stories are characterized by relentless grotesque depictions, and the characters are routinely cut to pieces and subjected to other horrific experiences.

The story is not just a random depiction of brutal scenes, but the tragedy that arises from the background of the incident, human resentment, and jealousy is emphasized in a graphic manner. This book is recommended for those who want to enjoy irredeemable horror.

Zashiki Onna by Mochizuki Mine-taro / 1 volume

Hiroshi Mori is a college student living alone. Late one night, Hiroshi meets Sachiko, an eerie large woman who persistently rings the chime of the room next door. The next day, when Sachiko visits his apartment and asks to borrow a telephone, Hiroshi agrees and invites her into his home.

However, that day, the nightmare begins. Somehow, Sachiko has made a duplicate key to Hiroshi's room without his permission, and he is now plagued by stalking behavior, including break-ins. The fear of a woman with a physical body, different from that of a ghost, is so realistic that it will make your face tense.

Kudan no Gotoshi written by Jun Watanabe / 6 volumes

A manga adaptation of a tragedy encountered by seven university students in a travel club on their way home from a graduation trip to Izu. They get lost on a road that their car navigation system does not show, and they run over "something" that is not of this world. When they get out of the car, they find that it is a "kudan," a human-faced ox body.

This is a new kind of horror film that revives the ancient Japanese yokai "Kudan" in the modern age. However, the film is not a monotonous yokai tale because it also focuses on the psychology of the people whose deaths are foretold by the kudan. There is also a complex interplay of human relationships and a sense of human fear.

Killing Morph by Noct Koike, Masaya Sotozono / 4 volumes

Madoka, a high school girl, is walking in Ikebukuro with a friend when she comes across a scene where a creepy masked man is killing people one after another with a machete. The masked killer was mercilessly slashing people, including a woman whose head was chopped off and a man who was cut in half vertically.

The only strange thing was that even though his eyes met Madoka's, who was standing there stunned, he walked right past her and targeted only another passerby. The man is subdued by the police officers who rush to her side, but the killer, who was supposed to be incarcerated, starts following Madoka around. ......?

This film is a splatter horror film said to contain "1.24 billion liters of blood (enough to fill the Tokyo Dome). It will surely be traumatic.

The Summer the Light Died by Rin Moku Moku

Born in a small village, Yoshiki and Hikaru have been childhood friends. One day, after missing for a week in the forbidden mountains, Yoshiki notices that Hikaru has turned into a different person, Hikaru. When he points this out, Hikaru begs him to remain friends with him because he does not want to kill him.

Since the discovery of Hikaru's true identity as an unknown "something," strange incidents and spooky happenings have been happening around Yoshiki. What exactly is Hikaru's true identity? This is a unique, out-of-this-world coming-of-age horror story.

Written by Sayuri : Rensuke Oshikiri / 2 volumes

An unreasonable and bizarre phenomenon strikes a happy family after they get their dream home. In fact, the house is famous in the neighborhood for its notoriety, and is haunted by a vicious earthbound spirit. The family's fear and despair as they are driven into a mental corner is almost depressing to watch.

In the latter half of the story, however, the family is portrayed as bold enough to stand up to the spirit. This is a highlight of the story, which is not usually seen in horror manga, and is also a hotly contested development. It is no exaggeration to say that the realistic setting of the jishibui spirits haunting the house enhances the immersion in the story.

Mieru kochan written by Asaki Izumi

Anime Mieru Mekomeko Chan #

One day, Miko, an ordinary high school girl, suddenly becomes "visible. Some talk to her, others approach her. However, Miko is upset inside, but decides to ignore them and let them pass by.

This work is full of surrealistic elements not found in other horror manga, such as "ignoring" the presence of visible entities, and it also has some funny moments. Although terrifying, deformed beings appear in this work, the cute pop artwork and strong comedic elements make it a recommended work even for those who are not good at horror stories.

Searching for Body by Wellzard / Katsutoshi Murase / 17 volumes

A woman with an eerie atmosphere, Haruka Mikami, appears before the six students gathered at a high school at night. She says, "Find my body," and the six students' "body search" begins.

The six are killed by a mysterious "red person," a girl whose entire body is covered in blood, but when they wake up, they are back to their normal lives. Unless they finish the body search, they will be killed again and again by the "red person" ......, and the hellish endless loop will continue.

How about experiencing the horror of the blurring of the border between the ordinary and the extraordinary?

God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand by Kazuo Umezu / 2 volumes

Nightmares, absurdity, splatters...... are the essence of all the fears that humans have, and this series of short stories condenses the essence of them. The main character, an elementary school student named Sou Yamanobe, always has dreams in which a mysterious monster called "Noomera Woomera" appears and exterminates murderers and other monsters that harm humans. Strangely enough, what he saw in his dreams actually happened in reality. What were these strange dreams of his? What is the true identity of the gnomera woomera? From five independent episodes, all mysteries are gradually unraveled. ......

Kazuo Umezu, a living legend in the horror manga world, has created numerous hits such as "Drifting Classroom" and "Orochi". Introduced here is one of his later masterpieces, "God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand," a pure horror entertainment that was also made into a live-action movie in 2006!

Meiko's Playground by Soun Okada / 3 volumes

Meiko, a young girl who moved with her father to Osaka in 1973, in the midst of turbulent times, always wears an eye patch over her left eye. This left eye has the special ability to pull the spirit of anyone who sees it into Meiko's own virtual space (but only with a male partner). In this space, Meiko becomes completely invincible, and after playing brutal games with those she drags into her space, she becomes a cripple from whom there is no return. Using this ability, Meiko turns her targets into cripples one after another for 5,000 yen per request from the underworld, but she begins to play with neighborhood children during the day and gradually changes her state of mind. ......

A brutal horror entertainment by Soun Okada, who made a strong debut in 2008 when he won the 24th MANGA OPEN Grand Prize. Although the horror elements are strong, many readers will be delighted by Meiko's growth as they continue reading, and will inadvertently read the manga from a protective perspective.

Yokai Hunter: Earthly Scrolls by Daijiro Moroboshi / 3 volumes

This is the first volume of the masterpiece "Yokai Hunter," which shook not only the horror manga world but the entire manga world. The story follows the unorthodox archaeologist Reijiro Hieda as he visits various regions of Japan, examines local history and folklore from his own unique perspective, and encounters extra-dimensional and supernatural incidents. What will happen to Hieda and his surroundings as he unravels a dark history that must not be touched? We hope that you will witness the mysterious world with your own eyes.

This is the first serial work by Moroboshi Daijiro, the rare genius manga artist who boasts a cult following. The short story "The Tree of Life" was made into a movie in 2005 and continues to attract fans.

Seeds of Anxiety by Masaaki Nakayama / 3 volumes

A masterpiece horror series by Masaaki Nakayama, well-known for his work on "Post-effects Radio. The series depicts the main characters going about their ordinary, everyday lives, when they suddenly encounter unreasonable fears and bizarre occurrences. The stories are carefully and unobtrusively depicted in a very realistic manner, and you will feel a sense of dread as if you were really listening to the stories of people around you. There may be times in your daily life when you feel fear without any reason, such as a chill you suddenly feel when you are alone at home, or a feeling of uneasiness behind your back while taking a bath. This work is a visualization of such everyday fears (the very seeds of anxiety), and is so scary that you will regret it after reading it. If you are going to read this book, I recommend you to read it during the daytime in a place where there are many people around.

This manga has been adapted into a movie in 2013. The manga depicts a world so familiar to us that it is hard to believe that it is a manga, and that the horror is so realistic.

Uzumaki by Junji Ito / 3 volumes

Kirie Goto, a high school girl living in the cursed town of Kurozu, is on her way to pick up her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito, who goes to high school in a neighboring town, at the train station when she meets Shuichi's father, who is sitting in an alley and staring at a wall. However, he does not notice Kirie's greeting and just stares at the snail shells on the wall. Kirie meets Shuichi at the station and tells him about the incident, but Shuichi tries to avoid the topic. On his way home, Shuichi confides in her that he is beginning to dislike the town of Kurozu on his way to the park. Shuichi says that it is beginning to be contaminated by the Uzumaki, and then, just as he said, a calamitous Uzumaki-related tragedy occurs. ......

A legendary work by horror manga artist Junji Ito, whose "Tomie" series is so well known. It is a masterpiece that has been made into a movie in Japan and an anime in the U.S., and is loved enthusiastically by people all over the world.

Yellow Nightmare by Huangdao Dim Sum

A collection of short horror stories by up-and-coming manga artist Dimshin Huangshima, who won the 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival's Manga Division Newcomer Award for "The Yellow Disc" in 2019. A beautiful woman in a compression bag, a ritual to peel off a person's top, a beautiful woman, a turtle, a mosquito on an isolated island, and a doomed love ......, you can't help but feel the ultimate ecstasy as you wander the border between discomfort and exhilaration. The horror depictions sent through the bizarre worldview are eerie and yet somehow erotic. Combined with such descriptions, you will be thrilled in various ways.

Despite his pop touch, Huangdao Dim Sum is a prodigy who specializes in absurd stories. The more you read his light-hearted yet dark masterpieces, the more you will enjoy them, and by the time you finish reading one, you will surely become a fan!

Urabaito: Escape Prohibition by Shotaro Taguchi / previously published in 11 volumes

Urabaito, or undercover work, is a high-paying part-time job in the gray zone that includes both legal and illegal work. Yume Kuromine and Kazumi Shirahama, two women who are in search of large sums of money for a certain reason, work at a backdoor job that puts them in danger of being killed by monsters and humans at every turn. Yume is able to sense the signs of danger and malice that are about to befall her by smell. Using this ability, the two go to their part-time job, where they face death. Why do the two need a lot of money? What are the various backstage jobs that cause so many deaths? How will this work, which is still full of mysteries, continue? ......

Shotaro Taguchi debuted as a serial manga artist in 2018 and quickly gained popularity. His debut work in serialization, "The Immortal Paisen," is a masterpiece that makes good use of the slow and steady transition between fear and laughter. This work is even scarier and more powerful! We hope you will enjoy watching the always creepy backstage job and the fate of the two.

Written by Keita Sugawara, Tetsu Min / 3 volumes

This work is by Keita Sugawara, the author of "Running Lamp Co." which has also been dramatized. The main character, Takizawa Jitsuro, is a girl who has just entered high school. She is living a carefree and peaceful life on the island of Sasarai, surrounded by the sea and mountains, when one day she learns of the mysterious existence of the "iron people," who have replaced some of the people on the island and live there without a care in the world. One day, he discovers the existence of the mysterious "iron people," who live peacefully on the island, interchangeable with some of the islanders. The ordinary life of the shy and fearful Jitsurao begins to fall apart. ...... What would happen if he were to be replaced by "something" and that "something" were to live as himself, with an indifferent face...? ...A milestone in science fiction horror depicting such unexplainable horror!

The Mouth of Fear is the Eye Woman by Possessed by Takayama / 1 volume

The "Fearful Mouth is the Eye Woman" was first serialized on the Internet posting site "note" and has been slowly spreading in popularity on SNS and other social networking sites. The story begins when Suzume Misora, the head of the Seishin Gakuen newspaper club, who is always looking for a scoop, is visited one day by club member Yuriko Yoshinaga, who tells her that "something terrible has happened. Yoshinaga brought in a story like an urban legend, "I saw a woman with eyes in her mouth," and the two immediately started an investigation to find out who she really is. As they investigate the "woman with eyes in her mouth," Suzume and the others come across a black conspiracy being pursued by a group of people. ......

The "Mouth but Eye Woman of Fear" has been a hot topic of conversation among vintage comic collectors and comic book enthusiasts. A new wave ghost story that is both nostalgic and new, be sure to scrape it up!

Dororo by Osamu Tezuka / 4 volumes

Tezuka Osamu's yokai action adventure has been adapted not only as an animated television series but also as a live-action film, a video game, and even today, a remake is in the works. Even now, more than 50 years after its release, this masterpiece continues to attract many fans. In the middle of the Muromachi period (1336-1573), Hyakkimaru was born with 48 parts of his body missing as compensation for his wish to rule the country. 14 years later, he sets out on a journey to recover his body from the demons, but along the way he meets a young thief named Dororo, who serves as Hyakkimaru's left arm. Dororo, who has his eye on the sword in Hyakkimaru's left arm, begins to follow him around persistently, and their strange journey begins. ......

Dororo" was created by Osamu Tezuka, the father of Japanese manga, who also created "Astro Boy" and "Black Jack. This is a masterpiece among masterpieces, filled with sadness, fear, laughter, and all kinds of emotions.