Given the explosive growth of anime in international markets during the early 2000s, it is not surprising that manga has experienced a similar boom. However, for every popular manga that is adapted into an anime, there are countless others that never make it to the small screen.
The horror genre in manga, in particular, is brimming with titles that have yet to be adapted for the big screen. The quality of these many series may differ. Still, for serious horror aficionados, there are lots of great selections that cover a wide range of tones, such as Jagaaaaaaan, Kaiju No. 8, and Fire Punch.
The horror genre remains one of the most popular in the manga medium, with new great series being launched each month. While many of these manga are immediately greenlit for anime adaptations, others stay hidden gems for years, preventing them from reaching fans who prefer to watch their favourite horror titles rather than read them.
15 Sweet Home (Released: 2017)
Story by Carnby Kim & Art by Young-chan Hwang, 12 Volumes, 141 Chapters (Complete)
Carnby Kim has quickly earned a reputation as one of South Korea’s best modern horror authors, and with Sweet Home, he’s released another beloved series to add to his catalog. The gore-filled horror series debuted in 2017, running for 12 volumes before its conclusion in 2020.
Sweet Home‘s protagonist Cha Hyun, is a reclusive high school student whose life is turned upside down when his entire family perishes in a tragic accident. However, things truly take a turn for the worst when everyone around Hyun starts transforming into grotesque monsters, forcing him to simultaneously work through his trauma as he survives in his strange new world.
14 God Child (Released: 2001)
Story & Art by Kaori Yuki, 8 Volumes, 48 Chapters (Complete)
Although many well-known horror novels have the Victorian Era as their background, there isn’t a lot of Victorian-themed manga. Fortunately, the rare manga that do so, like Kaori Yuki’s God Child, frequently do it very effectively.
The plot of God Child centres on Cain Hargreaves, an English aristocrat who is looking into a grisly series of killings that occur in 19th-century London. He eventually finds a clue that leads to a powerful group called as Delilah and exposes the actual horrors of their occult-like operations.
13 Dai Dark (Released: 2019)
Story & Art by Q Hayashida, 6 Volumes, 39 Chapters (Ongoing)
From the same author as Dorohedoro comes Dai Dark, a similarly violent manga that first debuted in 2019. Centered around a young alien teen named Zaha Sanko, Dai Dark depicts his struggle to survive in a space-faring series that blends elements of the horror, comedy, and science fiction genres.
The void of space is the perfect location for a modern horror series, and Dai Dark makes full use of its setting. Sanko is forced to hide in the darkest corners of the universe in hopes of avoiding those who seek his life, often making his journey as nerve-wracking as it is enjoyable.
12 Dark Gathering (Released: 2019)
Story & Art by Kenichi Kondou, 12 Volumes, 44 Chapters (Ongoing)
Dark Gathering‘s protagonist, Keitaro Gentoga, is a college freshman who lives a fairly normal, albeit secluded, life. However, there is one major difference between him and his peers — Keitaro can see ghosts. Normally, he tries to ignore these spirits, but when he starts tutoring a girl that shares his ability to see ghosts, his life takes a turn for the worst.
Luckily for fans of Dark Gathering, an anime adaptation of the horror manga has been announced, and it will be produced by OLM animation studio — the same group behind the Pokémon anime. The series is set to debut in Summer 2023, making it one of the most anticipated debuts of the year.
11 At The Mountains Of Madness (Released: 2016)
Original Story by H.P. Lovecraft, Story & Art by Gou Tanabe, 4 Volumes, 25 Chapters (Complete)
Although H.P. Lovecraft undoubtedly had an impact on the horror genre, his works had never been translated into manga until Gou Tanabe turned At the Mountains of Madness into a series with the same name. This timeless tale has been successfully ushered into the present era thanks to Tanabe’s superb translation of the original text and melancholy artwork.
In At the Mountains of Madness, Dr. William Dyer, an explorer who visits Antarctica in an effort to learn more about its geology, relates his narrative. Together with the other members of his group, they unearth a shadowy past that not only endangers their lives but also raises difficult issues about the nature of reality.
10 Fire Punch (Released: 2018)
Story & Art By Tatsuki Fujimoto, 8 Volumes, 83 Chapters (Complete)
At first glance, Fire Punch resembles many of the titles that already exist in the oversaturated genre of superhero shonen. Its main character, Agni, is gifted with powers that resemble those seen in light-hearted series like My Hero Academia, but in only a few short scenes, Fire Punch demonstrates that it’s much more unique than it might appear.
With enough graphic violence, mature themes, dark commentary, and meta-commentary to challenge any manga in recent memory, Fire Punch is clearly geared toward fans of the horror genre. The series explores the nature of cinema and other audiovisual mediums on multiple occasions, so it would be a perfect choice for an anime adaptation.
9 Fort Of Apocalypse (Released: 2011)
Story By Yuu Kuraishi & Art By Kazu Inabe, 10 Volumes, 49 Chapters (Complete)
Yoshiaki Maeda, the main character in Fort of Apocalypse, seems to be in the worst possible situation after being falsely accused of murder and sentenced to death. Maeda learns that his problems are just beginning as a zombie apocalypse strikes the planet and destabilises the jail system.
Given that Fort of Apocalypse is frequently cited as one of the best zombie manga of the twenty-first century, an anime adaptation is not ruled out. The hasty ending of the series has received the most criticism, so perhaps a television remake could offer an alternative finale to the well-liked manga.
8 Bastard (Released: 2014)
Story By Carnby Kim & Art By Young-chan Hwang, 5 Volumes, 94 Chapters (Complete)
South Korean manga — often referred to as Webtoons or manhwa — enjoyed a string of anime adaptations in the 2010s, but curiously, Bastard, one of the medium’s most well-received works, wasn’t part of the trend. Thankfully, the series is still less than a decade old, so its prospects of being brought to the television screen are still very much alive.
Many manga focus on the relationship between fathers and their sons; however, few do so through the murderous lens employed in Bastard. Seon Jin, the series’ protagonist, does his best to follow his father’s wishes. Unfortunately, Seon’s father forces him to hide his secret identity as a prolific serial killer, putting his son in the unenviable position of being a witness to his own parent’s crimes.
7 I Am A Hero (Released: 2009)
Story & Art By Kengo Hanazawa, 22 Volumes, 264 Chapters (Complete)
I Am a Hero, released in 2009, follows Hideo Suzuki, an unpaid manga assistant seeking to demonstrate his self-worth in the face of a zombie epidemic. This manga series, in the same vein as popular works such as Zombieland, mixes its apocalyptic scenario with a distinct feeling of relatability, depending primarily on the everyday nature of its character to develop a connection with fans.
Although zombie-related anime can feel like a dime a dozen at times, there is still plenty of place on the market for forward-thinking titles like I Am a Hero. It’s been nearly 15 years since there has been an anime adaptation, but given its cult following, there is still hope for its future.
6 Killing Morph (Released: 2017)
Story By Masaya Hokazono & Art By Nokuto Koike, 4 Volumes, 36 Chapters (Complete)
Although the anime medium is no stranger to shows that revolve around the mystery behind a masked murderer, it will always have room for truly terrifying series like Killing Morph. In the manga’s introductory chapter, a rampaging villain slaughters several innocent people as they walk down the street. However, this is only the beginning — even after he is imprisoned, his actions haunt his victims, resulting in a string of increasingly alarming actions in the world outside his solitary confinement.
Since Killing Morph is indefinitely discontinued, the odds of it being picked up by animation studios are slim. However, doing so would potentially give the series a chance at receiving a proper conclusion, so the motivation is certainly there.
5 Jagaaan (Released: 2017)
Story By Muneyuki Kaneshiro & Art By Kensuke Nishida, 14 Volumes, 163 Chapters (Complete)
Jagaaan first made waves in the manga community after its debut in 2017. Following its conclusion four years later, it’s clear that the series would make a welcome addition to any studio’s anime lineup. Shintarou Jagasaki, Jagaaan’s protagonist, works as a neighborhood police officer until he witnesses a strange monster kill his partner.
Relinquishing himself to death, Shintarou is surprised to awaken a strange power in his right arm that allows him to defeat the creature. As neither man nor monster, Jagaan’s main character must adapt to his new circumstances — regardless of what horrible actions it entails.
4 Homunculus (Released: 2003)
Story & Art By Hideo Yamamoto, 15 Volumes, 166 Chapters (Complete)
For a series centered around the medical act of trepanation (the practice of releasing cranial pressure by drilling a hole in the skull), Homunculus is about as dark as one would expect. Its protagonist, Susumu Nakoshi, is homeless when the series begins, so in order to make some quick cash, he allows a medical student to perform the operation.
Unfortunately for Susumu, this surgical operation is just the start of his problems. Susumu can now detect the existence of ghosts, putting him in a unique position between the planes of the living and the dead.
3 Killing Stalking (Released: 2016)
Story & Art By Koogi, 8 Volumes, 67 Chapters (Complete)
Another entry into the long line of manhwa without an anime counterpart, Killing Stalking has developed a sizable following since debuting in 2016. The dark series follows the lives of Bum Yoon and Oh Sangwoo, two individuals whose lives are tied together forever after the latter of the two captures Bum and holds him as a prisoner in his basement.
Oh Sangwoo gradually breaks Bum down, utilising mental suffering and physical torture to force Bum into accepting the horrible nature of their relationship. Although animation producers would have to tread carefully with Killing Stalking’s material, it may be incredibly generative for a medium lacking in nuance.
2 Blood On The Tracks (Released: 2017)
Story & Art By Shuuzou Oshimi, 15 Volumes, 143 Chapters (Ongoing)
The horror genre explores mother-child relationships fairly often, yet rarely does it come together as successfully as the 2017 manga Blood on the Tracks. The series’ two main characters, Seiko and her son, Seiichi, enjoy a particularly close bond until Seiichi witnesses his mother murder their close relative.
Seiko commits this heinous act in a misguided attempt to protect her son, eventually spiraling down a path of similar actions with increasingly dark results. Blood on the Tracks is still in syndication, so as its fanbase continues to grow, so too do its odds of being picked up by an animation studio.
1 Kaiju No. 8 (Released: 2020)
Story & Art By Naoya Matsutomo, 10 Volumes, 84 Chapters (Ongoing)
In a world full of giant monsters known as Kaiju, Kafka Hibino — the main character of Kaiju No. 8 — works as a street sweeper who is specifically tasked with cleaning up their mess. Unhappy with his position in life, Kafka’s world drastically changes when his body is invaded by a parasite that transforms him into his own kaiju-inspired form.
Given the success of similar shows like Attack on Titan, there is clearly a market for an anime adaptation of Kaiju No. 8. Luckily for fans of the title, Production I.G is developing a television series based on its manga that is set to release sometime in 2024.
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