Anime enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting 2024, as the upcoming year promises a diverse array of series spanning various genres. Action, romance, and isekai are expected to dominate, drawing significant attention with each season introducing memorable additions to these categories. Winter 2024, for instance, boasts around 20 series distributed among these three genres, while also featuring a notable presence of comedy, slice of life, and harem properties. Surprisingly, the season includes a considerable number of ecchi anime, such as "Chained Soldier" and "Gushing Over Magical Girls," both accessible through HIDIVE.
However, the horror genre appears to be experiencing a shortage in 2024. In recent years, the genre has been represented by only a handful of series, with limited attention garnered. Fortunately, 2023 concluded on a positive note with "Dark Gathering," a two-cour production that stood out as one of the best horror anime in a long time. Although the options for horror anime in 2024 seem limited at the moment, the year is still in its early stages, leaving room for potential additions and surprises.
Theater Of Darkness: Yamishibai 12
Winter 2024
Debuting in 2013, this series is composed of short episodes that delve into classic Japanese folk tales and eerie stories. Employing predominantly stark images and often concluding with a surprising twist, Yamishibai has been credited with creating some of the most chilling visuals in the anime industry. It easily earns a recommendation for those even remotely intrigued by horror.
However, this praise mainly applies to its early seasons. Unfortunately, Yamishibai has been running low on creative fuel for some time now. While not entirely unwatchable, the most recent installments have been largely forgettable, featuring at most one or two segments that rise above the average. Season 11, in particular, delivered the weakest set of episodes to date, and there is little indication that its successor will offer a significant improvement.
Mysterious Disappearances
Spring 2024
In the realm of 2024 anime, a couple of productions flirt with the horror genre. Madhouse's upcoming adaptation of Uoto's manga "Orb: On the Movements of the Earth" holds the potential to be among the year's most compelling offerings. The source material is rich in unsettling moments and brutality, although it leans more towards horror-adjacency. "Kaiju No. 8," primarily a sci-fi action series, features Kaiju with eerie designs that wouldn't seem out of place in a horror narrative.
Lastly, there's "Mysterious Disappearances," a mystery manga with a supernatural edge. While categorizing it strictly as "horror" may be a stretch, the manga excels in creating a palpable sense of dread and incorporating disturbing imagery. Geared towards the seinen demographic, "Mysterious Disappearances" is replete with mature content, not limited to the horror genre alone.
Mononoke Movie
Maybe Summer 2024
The Medicine Seller is set to return, this time on the big screen, with the upcoming movie by EOTA. The 2007 anime "Mononoke" is an experimental psychological mystery that centers around four cases investigated by the Medicine Seller, each infused with a supernatural element. While not necessarily aiming to be "scary," the original series stands as a cornerstone in the horror anime genre, utilizing striking visuals and disconcerting sound design to craft an otherworldly and alien atmosphere.
While "Mononoke" doesn't necessarily demand a follow-up or reimagining, the concept offers ample room for expansion. EOTA's movie doesn't seem to be a direct sequel or remake; instead, it appears poised to tell another story within the same universe. Given the anthology format of the classic series, the film should seamlessly integrate into the existing narrative landscape.
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror
TBA
Undoubtedly, Junji Ito stands out as the most renowned horror mangaka of all time, credited with a myriad of brilliant works spanning diverse subgenres and themes, often leaning towards cosmic horror. Despite numerous attempts, Ito's masterpieces have struggled to transition successfully into animated form, with many projects falling short of expectations. Netflix's "Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre," which kicked off 2023 on a lackluster note, achieved the modest feat of being slightly better than its predecessor, "Junji Ito Collection."
As a result, caution is advised in setting expectations for "Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror." In development since around 2019, details on the project are scant. However, there is hope that the 4-episode series may finally debut in 2024, aiming to bring to life perhaps Junji Ito's most famous manga. The anticipation is that it manages to capture the source material's essence of terror.
