While This is Junji has become the most recognizable mangaka when it comes to horror manga, there are many scary stories by other authors that fans of the genre must read. It’s no secret that Junji Ito has essentially become the Stephen King of horror comics. Whenever fans want to recommend some of Japan’s scariest manga, his name usually comes up first. His work is not only influential but also highly regarded worldwide with anime sales and adaptations numerous, including the highly anticipated but understandably delayed Uzumaki series.
However, like Stephen King, Junji Ito isn’t the only horror voice out there. There have been countless other creators who have put their own spin on the genre, some even combining it with some of manga’s most popular story genres to help them reach a wider audience. Without further ado, here are some of the best manga the horror genre has to offer outside of Junji Ito’s massive universe of terror.
10 crazy
This is a dark fantasy manga series by Kentaro Miura that has been going strong for over three decades now, even after Miura’s death in 2021, where he was succeeded by his longtime friend Kouji Mora. While this series may not seem like a typical horror story as it focuses more on action and fantasy elements, the world-building is something that will please horror fans universe. The monsters that Guts faces, called apostles, are completely disfigured with horrifying bodies that look like they came out of an HP Lovecraft story. This is a must-read for fans of visual terror, and boasts one of the best fantasy stories in manga that has received critical acclaim for decades. century.
9 Tokyo vampires
This is another manga that may not seem like a horror story on the surface, but its content is sure to inspire nightmares long after the last page is turned. Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul follows a man named Ken Kaneki as he is nearly killed by a ghoul on a date. However, he became a half-vampire when some of his organs were replaced with those of the assassin. It is a classic story of the Jekyll-and-Hyde genre, in which a person finds himself battling his inner monster in a constant psychological battle between intelligence and instinct. However, it’s enhanced with loads of intense gore that will please some of the most die-hard horror fans. It’s the perfect combination that creates some of the most exciting and tense moments in the manga, making the series a mainstay for fans.
8 Parasites
This sci-fi horror story by Hitoshi Iwaka is an absolute must-read for those who love body horror. Its premise essentially presents readers with the concept of what would happen if the aliens in The Thing won and infiltrated human society. The result is a series of terrifying extraterrestrial creatures hiding in plain sight, only appearing when they want to eat someone. The designs of these people controlled by the Parasites as they display their horrifying forms are some of the best monster designs in the manga that will make readers shudder when Shinichi and the Parasites are in his hands He fights against these creatures to survive.
7 Sadako at the end of the world
Sadako from the popular Ring series, created by author Koji Suzuki, has her own manga series that is both scary and heartbreaking. Koma Tsumi’s story follows a few girls in a post-apocalyptic future when they accidentally watch Sadako’s cursed tape. As soon as they watch it, they are cursed to die after seven days, but Sadako emerges from the TV to discover that the world she knew has disappeared. The two survivors take her across the country to help her find others… often with tragic results. This is a story that knows how to incorporate tragedy extremely well. It’s not as scary as the story that inspired it, but the sense of despair as Sadako of all ghosts becomes a light for the survivors is truly heartbreaking.
6 Mieruko-Chan
This horror comedy from Tomoki Izumi has an incredibly creative premise for fans of the supernatural genre. The film is about a girl named Mieruko, who learns that she has the ability to see spirits. However, to dispel doubts about her gifts, she pretended that she couldn’t see them by trying her best to hide her fear. It’s an idea that can lead to countless odd situations. However, what makes this series extremely scary is the spooky designs. These terrifying ghosts are some of the scariest creatures that can be etched into the reader’s mind. It makes sense why Mieruko doesn’t want these ghosts to know that she sees them because they are so scary to look at that it can cause an anxiety attack thinking what would happen if they knew she had can see them.
5 nights of living cat
This quirky horror parody by Hawkman and Mecha-Roots is both creative and creepy. The story is about an apocalypse of catastrophic proportions where humans find themselves transformed into cats whenever they come into contact with furry felines. Now, a group of survivors strive to survive the adorable onslaught. It’s a ridiculous premise but also works really well in subverting the traditional zombie narrative. It’s played completely straight, making the strangest moments funnier when they happen. Plus, the cats themselves are designed in a way that makes them the perfect threat to humanity.
4 Blood on the tracks
For fans of psychological horror like The Silence of the Lambs and The Babadook, this manga by Shūzō Oshimi will scratch that itch. The film is about a boy named Seiichi and his mother Seiko. For Seiichi, life seems quite normal under his mother’s care. However, after an incident during a hiking trip, he begins to question everything he knows about his life and the woman who cares for him. It’s best to go into this story as blindly as possible because of the mysteries surrounding the character of Seiko. It’s ripe with twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they journey through the series, which recently ended in Japan after publishing 16 volumes.
3 Dwarves
Hideo Yamamoto’s supernatural horror story is not for the easily confused. This story follows a homeless man named Susumu Nakoshi as he agrees to participate in an experiment to pay for the towing of his car. As a result, he gets a glimpse of the unknown when a hole is drilled into his head to access his sixth sense, allowing him to see disturbing creatures called homunculi at random. when he only sees with his left eye. The design of the layered world that only Susumu can see is what makes this story so iconic. It continually plays on the reader’s fear of the unknown because they never know what they will see next. It is a disturbing story that will inspire nightmares and should not be read alone at night.
2 PTSD radio stations
One of the horror manga that ends in Junji Ito’s storytelling style, Masaaki Nakayama’s PTSD Radio explores everyday fears using hair as a common theme surrounding the horrors of a small town. The way a work of art moves and makes the reader feel comfortable is what gives it its unique voice. The images shown can become extremely surreal as each character faces the horror that an unknown entity is stalking them. If you love short horror and want to escape Junji Ito’s world to experience other voices, PTSD Radio is a book worth reading.
1 Class drifting
Long before Junji Ito submitted his first short story for publication, Kazuo Umezu’s Drifting Classroom was known as an iconic work of horror manga. A horrifying out-of-this-world experience explores a class of young children as they are transported to an apocalyptic nightmare world. The mere sight of their environment mixed with their hopeless situation drives the adults crazy, and the children must navigate this world and find their way home. If Berserk had done a good job of delivering the cosmic horror content, this is a manga that could have been turned up to eleven. Giant hands, terrifying children and horrifying monsters are just a few of the nightmarish demons these children encounter, making this essential reading for fans. this genre.
Junji Ito may have become the face of horror in manga in recent years, but there are plenty of voices out there with fascinating new stories to tell. Whether it’s a simple ghost story or trips to another dimension, there are countless horror stories that mangaka fans should read when they can. This is Junji has certainly earned a reputation as one of the best faces of horror manga, but some of the scariest Japanese manga ever come from works fans have never heard of in the darkest corners of literature. .