Weekly Young Jump's hit series Tokyo Ghoul revitalized the dark fantasy genre for many manga readers. As a seinen series, Sui Ishida's manga was able to touch on much heavier themes than a typical shonen publication, heightening its appeal for a more mature demographic.
Since its release in 2011, fans of the series have yearned for more content that mirrors the grit and emotional weight offered in Tokyo Ghoul. Luckily, the success of Ishida's manga and anime has paved the way for other ghoulish series to receive some much-deserved recognition. For anyone looking to satisfy their craving for grisly conflicts and brooding characters, the following shows are sure to deliver.
Deadman Wonderland (2011)
Framed for the massacre of his entire class, meek high school student Ganta finds himself placed on death row among an array of peculiar inmates known as "Deadmen." As Ganta struggles to understand how events could have taken such a drastic turn, his blood boils as he is forced to fight for his life... literally.
Published in Shonen Ace from 2007-2013, Deadman Wonderland delivers a 12-episode anime that covers the first 21 chapters of the 13-volume manga series. With a surprising number of fantastic life-or-death battles as well as an excellently defined cast of characters, Jinsei Kataoka's series is sure to match the intensity of Tokyo Ghoul.
Deadman Wonderland is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Durarara!! (2010-2016)
Structured somewhere between an anthology and serialized narrative, Durarara!! illustrates the lives and times of a handful of violent hooligans residing in Japan's Ikebukuro district. As protagonist Mikado Ryugamine acclimates himself to the fast-paced and dangerous Ikebukuro, his life quickly devolves through a series of intricately related gang conflicts, criminal dealings and deadly schemes.
Durarara!! and Durarara!!x2 are available to stream on Funimation and Hulu.
Parasyte -the maxim- (2014-2015)
The action-packed series Parasyte focuses on the slick-haired protagonist Shinichi Izumi, reminiscent in appearance and attitude to Yu Yu Hakusho's shonen bad-boy Yusuke Urameshi. This sci-fi horror does not shy away from true brutality as it depicts the gritty story of a violent and imperceptible alien invasion.
In the years following the original 1988 manga release, Parasyte has gone on to accrue quite the underground following, spawning two feature films as well as 2014's beautifully animated Parasyte -the maxim- series. With a franchise premised almost entirely on the notion of unadulterated body horror, fans of Tokyo Ghoul will undoubtedly get their freaky fix from Parasyte.
Parasyte -the maxim- is available to stream on Hulu.
Devilman Crybaby (2018)
Devilman Crybaby offers viewers an utterly unique experience that's liable to make any anime fan reconsider their standards. From its heart-clenching visuals to heart-wrenching themes, the tale of the titular character Devilman oscillates between the depths of horror and awe.
Based on Go Nagai's 1972 manga series and subsequent anime of the same year, Devilman Crybaby blends elements of horror, science fiction and religious allusion to produce a self-proclaimed statement against war. In just 10 episodes, the story of the Devilman delves into the deepest and darkest of human themes in a way that has since defined the genre of seinen anime.
Devilman Crybaby is available to stream on Netflix.
Uzumaki (2022)
Although the anime series Uzumaki has yet to be released, the anticipation for this upcoming seinen series is already at an all-time high. Based on legendary horror author Junji Ito's work of the same name, Uzumaki adopts a more episodic approach to telling the story of Kirie Goshima and her encounters with the horrific spiral. With a source material often hailed as an opus within the dark fantasy genre, it's safe to assume that the anime adaptation will offer a refreshing experience to any Tokyo Ghoul fan.
Uzumaki, airing on Adult Swim, is scheduled to release in October 2022.
