Anime Like Agitated Screams of Maggots

In Devilman: Crybaby, devils must possess a human vessel to appear in the physical world, yet an individual with a sufficiently strong will can dominate the demon and wield its power to become a Devilman. Akira Fudou, a gentle soul defined by deep empathy, eagerly agrees to help his childhood friend Ryou Asuka hunt devils. Their quest unexpectedly leads them to Sabbath, a hedonistic festival of excess. When violence breaks out, demons seize control of the attendees, transforming them into monsters and sparking chaos. In a desperate bid to save Ryou, Akira merges with the demon Amon, transforming into a Devilman and acquiring the strength to defeat the remaining beasts. This newfound power awakens a dangerous, primal aspect of Akira's personality. Nevertheless, despite his demonic form, he retains his compassionate nature and joins forces with Ryou to safeguard humanity and his loved ones from the demonic threat.

Two years after the J-pop idol group CHAM! first won over audiences, member Mima Kirigoe chooses to leave the band to pursue an acting career, a decision that draws mixed reactions from her fanbase. Despite the uncertainty surrounding this move, Mima clings to the hope that her supporters will stay loyal. As she steps away from the group, her life takes an unexpected turn. Eager to shed her idol image, she secures a role in a crime drama, a project that quickly becomes demanding and stressful for both her and her manager, Rumi Hidaka. At the same time, Mima's mental state begins to deteriorate under pressure from a persistent stalker who refuses to accept her exit from the idol world, a mysterious new website that uncannily mirrors her experiences, and CHAM!'s continued success without her. These disturbing events slowly erode Mima's grasp on reality, blurring the line between what is real and what is not.

In the town of Kurouzu-cho, Kirie Goshima lives an ordinary life with her family. On her way to meet her boyfriend, Shuuichi Saito, at the train station, she spots his father staring at a snail shell in an alley. She thinks little of it but later mentions it to Shuuichi, who reveals that his father has been acting strangely. Shuuichi also tells Kirie he wants to flee the town with her, suggesting that Kurouzu-cho is cursed by spirals. Soon, his father's obsession with these shapes grows dangerously out of control, triggering a series of terrifying and bizarre events that drive the townspeople to madness.

At Shinyo Academy, rumors quietly circulate among the female students about a mysterious supernatural entity called Boogiepop—a shinigami believed to eliminate people at the peak of their beauty before their appeal fades. In truth, few know that Boogiepop is actually the alternate persona of high school student Touka Miyashita, awakening after long periods of dormancy to defend the world from its enemies. A recent wave of inexplicable disappearances, dismissed by the school as mere runaways, has caused Boogiepop to reemerge. Yet a sinister force lurks somewhere on campus, waiting for the right moment to unleash its power. Through Boogiepop wa Warawanai, the deep connections between individuals and their perception of time are delicately examined, alongside the intricate bonds, emotions, memories, and pasts of its characters.

Boogiepop is a legendary shinigami said to exist unseen. Five years ago, a series of brutal murders caused widespread fear, with some students blaming those deaths on this supposed god of death. Now, as strange events again disturb the students at Hijiridani High School and Shinyo Academy, rumors of the mysterious Boogiepop come back. These stories being spread may hold fragments of truth or point to a reality far darker than people understand.

In "Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai," a cryptic figure called the Storyteller appears at dusk, donning a noticeable yellow mask. He draws a crowd of children around him, who pay close attention as he delivers frightening tales derived from Japanese folklore. With a traditional kamishibai—a paper-scroll device—he brings these already creepy stories to life with vivid illustrations. This collection of short horror episodes starts with a lone man moving into a new apartment, where he soon feels a heavy, malevolent presence watching him. Unbeknownst to him, a talisman dangling from his ceiling serves as a vital shield, preventing his fall into an endless chasm of suffering. As the Storyteller proceeds, every new tale grows more terrifying and disturbing, pulling his audience further into the nightmarish worlds conjured by his narration.

For generations, beings known as Shokujinki have coexisted with humans, appearing identical to them except for their ability to transform into monstrous creatures with enormous claws and their compulsion to feed on people. The Kifuuken dojo, a secret organization dedicated to eradicating Shokujinki by severing their arms, stands as the sole barrier preventing these beings from taking over. Toshihiko Momota, whose father leads the Kifuuken, finds himself deeply drawn to Yuka Kamitsuki, a woman shrouded in mystery. Unbeknownst to both, Yuka is a Shokujinki, while Toshihiko is bound by duty to end her life. Simultaneously, the Kifuuken faces internal strife as Toshihiko's brother, Kazuma, challenges the dojo's traditions and seeks to modernize its methods. As tensions escalate and hidden truths from both past and present emerge, the question remains: who will survive and who will fall prey to the Shokujinki's hunger?

In the second season of Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 2, the masked storyteller once again shares spine-chilling narratives with children, including tales of a ventriloquist's dummy, a locker with the power to grant wishes, a capsule toy machine that recovers lost objects, and a mysterious food called Ominie-san. Expanding on the groundwork laid in the initial season, Yami Shibai 2 delivers a series of frightening Japanese urban legends and occult enigmas, all presented in an art style that mirrors the traditional kamishibai storytelling method.

A young boy quietly draws the terrifying images that fill his thoughts. Delving into the secrets of the occult and the unknown, he shares stories of a person whose powerful arm must remain hidden, a hospital room holding a dark secret, and a frightening trip to a silent taxidermy museum. These and other eerie tales are collected in Yami Shibai 3. Presented in a style that mirrors classic kamishibai street theater, this horror series keeps the unsettling and grotesque atmosphere that characterizes Yami Shibai and its earlier season.

Children gather once more in eager anticipation around the mysterious Storyteller, who remains concealed behind his mask. Using his distinctive kamishibai performances, he draws them into spine-chilling narratives filled with dread. Each tale is a grim and disturbing one, capable of happening to anyone... In this series, viewers encounter a salaryman who, after burying a deceased cat, becomes tormented by supernatural occurrences; a college student discovers a terrifying truth hidden within their newly rented apartment; boys venturing into a forsaken haunted house stumble upon an eerie aquarium; a man boards the wrong bus and finds himself trapped in unimaginable danger; and a young couple's amusement park trip takes a dark turn. Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 4 holds many more such stories for its audience.

The masked Storyteller returns in this fifth installment of Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai to share more frightening tales through the kamishibai storytelling method. His audience this time consists of a group of young girls who have a dark fascination with his eerie stories. The Storyteller presents ghostly accounts involving various young females: a housewife haunted by a series of menacing phone calls; a peculiar girl whose flower-based predictions always prove accurate; a mother and daughter who have a foreboding encounter with the "crow lady"; and a young girl whose increasingly extreme demands on others grow more intense. Experience once more the Storyteller's spine-chilling and captivating tales that are sure to leave a lasting chill.

In a fog-shrouded forest at night, a kamishibai stage stands alone in a clearing. As someone draws near, the mist parts to reveal the enigmatic, masked Storyteller, who continues to relate eerie, somber tales. These stories depict terrifying situations that could befall anyone, even those close to us. A group of girls bullying a classmate in a cave falls prey to a sinister presence. A boy suffering from scopophobia moves to the countryside but still feels the unsettling stare of unseen beings. Another person struggles with a window that refuses to stay shut and with strange phone calls. A businessman who takes an umbrella on a rainy day faces unexpected repercussions. Though the Storyteller's narratives may be entertaining, listeners must be cautious not to become the next chilling subject of his legends.

A creaky, rusty door slowly opens, revealing a dark, rundown apartment where the masked Storyteller waits, ready to share more sinister tales for those daring enough to listen. One story follows a woman haunted by her past sins. Another revolves around a man at a terrifying art exhibition, which turns dangerous when he disobeys warnings not to take photos. More horror ensues: a woman hears strange noises from her balcony; when her boyfriend investigates, he finds something horrifying. A woman receives a desperate call from her sister, begging her to go to a phone booth, only to learn the reality is far from what she imagined. And a man searches his younger sister's room for a personal belonging, soon discovering an evil presence living there. The Storyteller delights in telling these creepy tales, determined to frighten and disturb his audience.

Again, the mysterious narrator captivates listeners with his dark, unsettling stories—tales that could happen to anyone, regardless of who they are. The chilling narratives explore the experiences of teenagers daring each other in an abandoned house; children struggling with sinister family customs; malicious spirits plaguing the lives of ordinary people; individuals helplessly watching their loved ones gradually lose their sanity; a woman growing more anxious as her partner acts strangely after consuming something odd; and evil snowmen. Each terrifying story is crafted to disturb every listener in deeply frightening ways.

This horror anthology series employs a traditional paper-drama storytelling technique to present some of Japan's most bizarre urban legends in a contemporary anime format.

The series is a short horror show that employs the traditional paper drama storytelling method to showcase some of Japan's strangest urban legends in a contemporary anime style.

In the shadowy streets of Tokyo, a gangster who yearns for suffering meets his equal. That foe is Ichi, a deranged killer propelled by an insatiable thirst for violence. Tormented by a devastating hidden truth, Ichi’s deeds are ruthless and devoid of mercy. At last, the mystery shrouding this murderer is unveiled, revealing the origins of Ichi the Killer. The city will be seized by terror when it discovers the reality behind him.

This horror anthology series employs the traditional "paper drama" narrative technique to bring some of Japan's strangest urban legends to life in a contemporary anime style.

This horror anthology series employs the traditional paper-drama method of storytelling to adapt Japan's strangest urban legends into contemporary anime shorts.

In a ward where strange medical experiments are conducted, a test subject receives daily doses of medication from a nurse. One day, the nurse activates a switch on the test subject, and it successfully transforms into a chimera. As the test subject continues to cling to human desires while seeking non-human forms, what kind of spectacle will emerge from this? And how will this affect the relationship between the subject and the nurse?

This short film centers on a young boy whose encounter with a dead dog sparks an interest in the bodies of living creatures, leading to the development of phobias. Soon, everything around him starts to seem grotesque.

This is the masterpiece that brought Kojo Morimoto to global attention. EXTRA, the music video by Japanese techno pioneer Ken Ishii, debuted in 1995. It perfectly captures the Asian back-alley aesthetic that defines Koji Morimoto's style, earning overwhelming praise both domestically and internationally. This sparked a major boom for Japanimation. It won the “MTV Dance Video of the Year” award in England.

This short horror series utilizes the classic paper drama storytelling style to showcase some of Japan's most bizarre urban legends within a contemporary anime framework.

In Tokyo, a concealed threat exists in the form of ghouls—beings that appear human and integrate seamlessly into society. Ken Kaneki, a reserved university student dedicated to his studies, remains oblivious to this rising peril until he encounters Rize Kamishiro, an enchanting woman who asks him on a date. As they head home, Kaneki uncovers Rize's true nature when she exposes her lethal intent. Following a brutal confrontation, he awakens in a hospital to learn that his life was saved by transplanting Rize's organs, a procedure that has fundamentally altered his physiology. As his body undergoes disturbing transformations, Kaneki becomes a hybrid of human and ghoul. While striving to retain his humanity, he finds himself caught in the intensifying war between ghouls and the government forces committed to their extermination.