Best Horror Anime of 2017

Adjusting to a new school can be tough, especially when you have no interest in making friends, as is the case with Nobuaki Kanazawa. The reason behind his standoffish behavior becomes apparent when his entire class receives a text from an unknown sender calling themselves "The King." The message outlines the rules of the "King's Game," which all students are forced to participate in. Anyone who refuses, drops out, or fails to complete an order within 24 hours faces a lethal consequence. Having experienced this game before and witnessed the deaths of those around him, Nobuaki tries to warn his unsuspecting classmates. However, they only take him seriously after the King's Game claims its first victims. Trapped in a nightmarish scenario with no way out, Nobuaki must decide whether to prioritize his own survival or attempt to rescue his classmates—something he failed to do in the past.

Demons are now a regular sight across the kingdom of Midland, which has descended into disorder. The swordsman Guts remains unable to settle anywhere for long because of his cursed brand. When he was by himself, he could always fend off danger, but now he faces the additional burden of protecting former Commander Casca, who is a shadow of her former self—she neither remembers him nor trusts him. They get no respite from the constant demon attacks, and they need a place where Casca can be secure until they find a way to restore her. Their elf ally, Puck, speaks of the mysterious land of Elfhelm, said to be a refuge from the demons plaguing the world. Exhausted and clinging to faint hope, they press on in search of a place to live—and they still must track down those responsible for the suffering they endure.

A severe internet addiction epidemic is sweeping the nation's youth, leaving them overly reliant on the online world. Those beyond help are sent to Elite Reeducation Academy, a facility meant to reform them into productive adults. Hibiki is one such teenager who wakes up there with no memory of how he arrived. The head instructor explains that Hibiki was knocked unconscious and brought to the school at his mother's request, worried about her son's increasingly aggressive behavior caused by his internet addiction. Trapped in a place that feels more like a prison than an academy, with no way to escape the instructors' mistreatment, Hibiki decides to kill himself by leaping off the roof. However, fate intervenes when he encounters a mysterious man named Shin, who vows to give his life purpose.

Should you harbor resentment toward another, you may visit the Hell Correspondence website precisely at midnight. By entering the name of the person you blame, Ai Enma, the Hell Girl, will manifest to fulfill your desire. Yet, the cost for lifting this burden is severe: while you consign your tormentor’s soul to Hell, your own soul is destined for eternal damnation. Throughout her lengthy service as the Hell Girl, Ai has encountered numerous individuals prepared to accept this price. In Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi no Togi, Ai and her shadowy companions persist in their duties, guiding countless suffering souls into the abyss of Hell. Recently, however, a peculiar girl has been trailing them. This mysterious child, who cannot even recall her own identity, challenges Ai regarding her role as the Hell Girl. What is this girl’s true nature, and how is she linked to Ai?

Excited children once again gather around the enigmatic Storyteller in his mask. Through his unique kamishibai performances, he lures them into chilling tales of dread. These are grim, unsettling stories that could befall anyone... This season includes the story of a salaryman who buries a dead cat only to be haunted soon after; a college student whose cheap new apartment hides a horrific secret; boys exploring an abandoned haunted house who come across a strange fish tank; a man who boards the wrong bus and finds himself in unimaginable peril; and a young couple's trip to an amusement park that takes a dark turn. These and more tales await in Yami Shibai 4.

The anonymous figure in the mask known as the Storyteller comes back to share more twisted horror stories. Keeping with his unique approach inspired by kamishibai, he discovers his current audience is a sinister group of young girls who eagerly anticipate his wicked tales. He relates ghostly legends featuring girls of different ages: a housewife plagued by a series of terrifying phone calls; a strange girl whose flower-based predictions never miss; a mother and daughter who have an ominous encounter with the "crow lady"; and a young girl whose demands on others become increasingly outrageous with each request. Observe once more the Storyteller's haunting and gripping stories, certain to leave one with more than just a shiver...

Hidden away in the deepest shadows of the world, strange and supernatural events quietly unfold. These inexplicable stories are recorded within the pages of a peculiar encyclopedia, kept safe inside a crumbling, decaying building. Do you dare to open its cover and witness the horrors for yourself? Each grim tale contained in the book describes some bizarre, surreal encounter that frequently ends in a horrific manner. A husband searching for his cheating wife finds himself at the mercy of alien visitors; a young boy becomes friends with a snowman that conceals a dark secret; crop circles suddenly appear on a family farm, caused by unexpected beings; menacing mechanical entities lurk in plain sight, remaining unnoticed. In every terrifying story, nothing is as straightforward as it seems, revealing a dread-filled darkness that might have been better left undisturbed.

Short TV anime series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Youkai Ningen Bem.

The second season of Kimoshiba.