The art of horror is a balancing act with little room for error. Jump scares can be effective but lose power if used too often. A certain amount of blood can spill before things become a gore-fest. Psychological games can grow confusing or be too simple from the start. An ending may be too predictable and characters too unlikeable to matter. Nevertheless, the anime horror genre has produced well-known masterpieces such as Gantz and Serial Experiments Lain. Other popular titles such as Tokyo Ghoul took center stage in the 2010s, but the decade held several other horror gems that were either overlooked or have not sustained the legacy they deserve. These three anime titles are a must-see for any fan of the horror genre.
From the New World (2012-2013)
One day, a boy develops psychic powers and uses them to commit a massacre. Then another psychic comes into being. Then another. The population of the world diminishes as people use their powers to kill hundreds of people at a time. A new era of emperors is born and then falls. Now, society is simple, with no advanced technology and small villages keeping equally small populations in check and safe. Six children play outside before going to bed in an idyllic scene. The gentle sounds of Dvorak's "New World Symphony" create a sense of peace. But by the end of the first episode, there will be only five children and none of the others will remember the girl who went missing.
The fate of the five remaining children hangs in the balance as From the New World explores a society where the safety of the many relies on the sacrifice of the most vulnerable, and perhaps also the most dangerous. As the children grow and learn about their society and the world outside, they come to understand that just as they might be hunted outside the town barriers, they may make easy prey within. Haunting imagery and constant unexpected twists make this series both chilling and thought-provoking with the knowledge that no one, not even children, is ever safe.
Terror in Resonance (2014)
Given the choice to die or to jump into a terrorist's open arms, which is the correct decision? Lisa is already living a nightmare before terrorists enter her life, with a paranoid mother and classmates who bully her relentlessly. When the terrorist duo Sphinx blows up the building Lisa is in, leaving her to either die or accept their help, she chooses to live and sees it as a kind of escape. However, the members of Sphinx are much more than they let on and are playing a dangerous game. As the terrorist duo leave a trail of destruction in their wake as new opponents rise, the horrors of the reality Lisa has gotten herself into, as well as the secrets of Sphinx's past, threaten to overwhelm her.
Meanwhile, a detective slowly unravels the sickening story of why Sphinx exists and what their end goal is. Terror in Resonance pairs a haunting soundtrack with a terrible conspiracy to create a thrilling story of cat and mouse -- although it's unknown whether the cat or the mouse is to be most feared. The series instills the classic dread of just what the government might be up to behind closed doors and constantly questions when exactly the ends justify the means.
Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation (2015)
Also known as A Corpse is Buried Under Sakurako's Feet, this series follows a young woman with a talent for reading bones that allows her insight into mysterious deaths and circumstances, no matter how much the local detectives might sigh at her enthusiasm. A lovers' suicide is actually a double murder with the bodies thrown into the sea in an attempt to disguise that fact. A young child wandering alone, covered in blood, leads to a race to save a baby's life while the mother lies dead on the floor. Arsenic is behind a family curse and a supposed accident was attempted suicide.
However, Sakurako's talent for osteology earns an unwelcome admirer in a man who considers himself a fellow artist. This serial killer leaves his calling card in the skeletons of his victims for Sakurako to find. Haunting and original, Beautiful Bones is a stunningly animated look at the macabre through Sakurako's appreciation for what a skeleton can say.
Whether through the soundtrack, imagery, superb storytelling or excellent sense of tension, From the New World, Terror in Resonance and Beautiful Bones are ideal shows for the horror fan, none of which reached the popularity of some other horror works of the time. These overlooked anime were among the best of the decade's contributions to the horror genre, and perhaps among the best of the decade altogether.
From the New World is available to stream on Crunchyroll. Terror in Resonance is available to stream on Hulu. Beautiful Bones is available to stream on HiDive and VRV.
