WARNING: The following article contains discussion of suicide and self-harm.
Horror is not the most influential genre in the world of manga. There are popular manga with horror elements such as Berserk or Highschool of the Dead, but it is not as common to find a manga where the sole purpose of reading is to bring an unsettling sense of fear. For every horror series that comes out, there's a plethora of shonen action manga or slapstick comedies that dominate the market.
Within the minor genre of horror manga, some gems do not receive much attention. Halloween is a time for all things scary, so while the Jack-o-Lanterns are out on the porch and the trick-or-treaters knock on doors, manga fans can also celebrate the scary season. Here are five horror manga that are severely underrated.
Pet Shop of Horrors
Running from 1995-1998, Pet Shop of Horrors revolves around the enigmatic Count D who runs a pet shop in Los Angeles, China Town. Unlike any other pet shop, the animals sold there are rare and not of this world, and owning one comes with a unique set of rules. However, the one constant rule between all pets is that the owner must never show their pet to anyone else. Breaking the rules comes with dire and disturbing consequences, for which Count D claims no responsibility.
Pet Shop of Horrors is a great entry point for readers who want to get into horror manga because of its episodic nature. Each chilling tale exhibits a different human character paired with a pet and can be read as a standalone tale, allowing for an easy-to-pick-up manga if the reader wants a quick scare. It features an atmospheric and suspenseful tale filled with beautiful art, mysterious pretty boys, and lots of supernatural suspense that deserves more readers. The English translation of Pet Shop of Horrors has been out of print for a while, so finding copies can be tricky. Amazon has used copies of every volume for about $30-40 a piece.
Domu: A Child's Dream
Domu: A Child's Dream was released in 1983 by Katsuhiro Otomo and revolves around the story of a senior citizen who lives in an apartment complex with a rash of suicides and mysterious events. It's revealed that he is the perpetrator of such crimes and that he has psychic powers. His reign of terror is brought to a halt when a little girl, also with psychic abilities, moves into the complex and the two of them battle it out in urban psychic warfare.
Otomo explored the ramifications of psychic powers with Domu: A child's Dream, and his ubiquitous attention to detail is present. The setting of the apartment building has an oppressive ambiance which makes the world feel claustrophobic, like there is no escaping its clutches. Character designs have a disturbing realism, especially with the main antagonist sporting a creepy expression on his face throughout most of the manga. His senile and child-like mind mixed with destructive power makes him predatory but playful, the perfect villain for a horror manga. Domu: A Child's Dream is expensive to buy, with Amazon having used copies ranging around $140.
Lychee Light Club
Released in 2011, Lychee Light Club involves a group of nine middle school boys who form a small secret society called The Light Club and build a robot in secret. This robot will capture beautiful girls and lash out at the "ugly adults" who control them. Their leader, a charismatic boy named Zera, becomes more depraved as the story goes on and soon, the robot they create rebels against them when it befriends a captured girl.
Lychee Light Club is about boyhood fantasies taking a dangerous turn and acts as a cautionary tale against totalitarianism. Seeing middle school kids adopt a third-Reich styled miniature government is scary enough, but couple that with the vulgar beauty of the artwork and the gloomy backdrops, and the reader is in for an intense work of horror. Lychee Light Club is gory and disturbingly perverse, but its message of obsession with youth and beauty -- as well as the corruption of power -- makes it a timely piece. For those who dare to delve into its darkness, it's available for purchase at RightStufAnime for less than $13.
The Drifting Classroom
The Drifting Classroom is Lord of the Flies meets a post-apocalyptic survival story. The plot takes place in an elementary school that, after an earthquake, is suddenly transported to an otherworldly wasteland. With the adults in the school going insane and then committing suicide, the children are left behind to fend for themselves. Banding together for survival, the children must fight against mutated monsters and food shortages -- as well as dissension and insanity within their ranks.
The scariest thing about The Drifting Classroom is seeing young children cope with such harrowing odds. There is underlying hopefulness in parts because of their drive to survive along with an understanding of their unforgiving world. The Drifting Classroom is a coming-of-age story like no other, and it can be hard to take, but the ending makes it all worth it. While underrated, The Drifting Classroom is readily available and can be bought on RightStuf in a three-hardcover omnibus format for $27 per volume.
Blood on the Tracks
Released in 2011 by Shuzo Oshimi, the psychological horror manga Blood on the Tracks is an unsettling trip into madness and explores the darker side of a seemingly loving family. The story is about a middle school boy named Seiichi Osabe, who has a close and loving relationship with his mother. Everything in his life seems ordinary until one day, Seiichi and his mother go on a hiking trip with other family members, and something horrible happens. Ever since that day, Seiichi's life has become a nightmare because of his mother.
Rather than relying on gore or jumpscares, Blood on the Tracks is concerned with building suspense and a sense of dread. Overprotective mothers are nothing new, but what happens when the maternal instinct of ensuring child safety is brought to a dangerous level? Blood on the Tracks asks this question and gives a terrifying, pulse-pounding answer. The current eight volumes of Blood on the Tracks can be found on RightStuf for $10 each.
For more information on the warning signs and prevention of suicide, click here. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you live outside the U.S., click here for a list of international hotlines.
