Summary
Those who think thatshonen horror mangaare less brutal or horrifying than their moremature seinen counterpartsshould think again. While shonen series are aimed at young boys, they’re no less capable of producing some of the most spine-chilling imagery and stories ever put on the pages of a manga.
These series prove that shonen manga aren’t just about tournament arcs, power fantasies, and mindless action. Some of these manga might make one wonder how they landed in a shonen magazine instead of a seinen one due to their graphic content, while others perfectly balance shonen-esque action with horror elements.
10Happy Sugar Life
Deceptively Cutesy Series About A Violent Yandere
Few things are scarier than someone who appears cute and harmless on the surface butharbors a terrifying and violent streak.Happy Sugar Lifeis about a high school girl named Satou Matsuzaka. She instantly becomes infatuated with a young girl named Shio Koube, leading Satou to kidnap her and go to horrifying lengths to keep their idyllic ‘happy sugar life’ intact.
Happy Sugar Lifecombines cute, moe visuals and character designs with disturbing themes, creating quite a jarring contrast. Fans of the ‘yandere’ trope should definitely check this series out.
9Zombie-Loan
Darkly Hilarious Supernatural Horror About Hunting Rogue Zombies
Zombie-Loanis one of the most fun supernatural horror manga out there, with a ton of clever plot twists to hold any reader’s attention. It’s about a timid high-schooler named Michiru Kita, who has ‘Shinigami Eyes,’ the ability to see people’s imminent deaths. A gray ring appears around the person’s neck, and it turns black when they die.
She soon winds up in the world of zombie-hunting when she teams up with two undead classmates with black rings around their necks.Zombie-Loanis a bit more lighthearted than a standard horror manga, but there’s plenty of comedy and shonen-esque action to keep readers entertained.
8Doubt
Mobile Survival Game Becomes Horrifyingly Real
The ‘survival game’ genrehas seemingly replaced the zombie apocalypse as the leading horror subgenre.Doubt, like any good death game series, explores themes of survival under extreme circumstances. It’s about a popular mobile game called ‘Rabbit Doubt,’ which involves players taking on the roles of rabbits in a group. One of them secretly takes on the role of a ‘wolf,’ whose objective is to kill off the rabbits without being discovered.
Unfortunately, for one group of friends, the game becomes horrifyingly real. After being drugged and waking up in an abandoned hospital, the group discovers that there’s a real ‘wolf’ in their ranks, killing off the members one by one. They must discover who it is before it’s too late.
7Fort Of Apocalypse
Survival Horror About Prison Life During A Zombie Apocalypse
There was a time not long ago when zombies were all the rage (and for all intents and purposes, they still are), andFort of Apocalypseis an underrated gem of azombie horror mangathat fits right into that niche. It’s set in a juvenile detention center, with the protagonist, Yoshiaki Maeda, being sent there because of a false accusation.
Prison life is tough as it is, but it takes a turn for the worse when a zombie outbreak spreads across the world. Now trapped in the detention center, Maeda and his cellmates are forced to work together to defeat hordes of zombies and escape the facility.
6The Drifting Classroom
Classic Psychological Horror About A Time Traveling School
The Drifting Classroomis considered amasterpiece in the horror manga world, with artists such as Junji Ito citing it and its creator, Kazuo Umezu, as an inspiration. It’s about an elementary school that suddenly gets transported to a post-apocalyptic wasteland, along with everybody in it.
The students and teachers struggle to survive in the desolate environment while trying to solve the mystery of how their predicament came about. The contrast between the innocence of the child characters and the violence and brutality they face just amplifies the horror.
5Sankarea: Undying Love
Zombie-Obsessed High School Boy Gets A Zombie Girlfriend
The zombie genre has been mixed with every other genre of media under the sun, andSankarea: Undying Loveprovides a unique example of a romantic horror comedy with zombies on the side. It follows a high-schooler named Chihiro Furuya, who has an obsession with zombies anddreams of having a zombie girlfriendone day.
While creating a resurrection potion for his dead cat, he meets a lonely girl named Rea Sanka, who secretly drinks Chihiro’s potion. After a series of unfortunate events leads to her death, she gets revived by the potion she drank. Now a zombie, Rea has to navigate her new life as well as her growing feelings for Chihiro.
4Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia
Middle-Schooler Helps Uncover A Ghost’s Tragic Past
Dusk Maiden of Amnesiais aparanormal horror manga with a dash of romance, portraying a ghost not as a vengeful entity, but as a tragic and sympathetic one. Yuko Kanoe, a ghost who is said to haunt the halls of Seikyou Private Academy, is playful, flirtatious, and lacks any memories of her death.
The protagonist, Teiichi Niiya, intrigued by Yuko, forms the school’s Paranormal Investigations Club to investigate the circumstances behind her death. Little does he know that Yuko’s forgotten memories conceal a dark and painful truth.
3Devilman
Raw, Visceral Horror That Explores Human Morality And Fragility
Devilmanis one of the most influential manga series of all time, inspiring countless works in the horror and dark fantasy genres, includingBerserkandAttack on Titan. Its story of an ordinary person turning into a monster to defeat a race of similar monsters has been replicated numerous times.
The protagonist, Akira Fudo, unexpectedly becomes embroiled in a war between demons and humans when he merges with a demon named Amon. Now possessing the powers of a demon while maintaining his humanity, he fights to protect humans from the looming threat of demons.
2Alice In Borderland
High-Schoolers Get Transported To An Alternate World Where Survival Games Determine Their Fate
Fans ofSquid Gameshould definitely check outAlice in Borderlandwhile waiting for the second season. It follows a disillusioned high school student named Ryohei Arisu who istransported to a parallel version of Tokyoalong with his two best friends.
The world, known as Borderland, is a dystopian city where people must participate in deadly games that determine whether they live or die. Each game forces participants to confront their deepest fears and weaknesses, setting the stage for a philosophical and poignant series.
1Claymore
Fantasy Horror Set In A World Plagued By Monsters
Claymorestands out from other shonen manga because it features a predominantly female cast. The story takes place in a world where humanity is terrorized by shape-shifting demons known as Yoma. To combat the Yoma, an organization creates the Claymores—female warriors infused with Yoma flesh who possess superhuman abilities and strength.
Claymoreis a must-read for fans ofdark fantasy serieslikeBerserkandBlood+since it features dark and mature storytelling, deep character development, and action-packed scenes. Its strong female cast and grim fantasy setting just add to its allure.
