Why not watch some notorious anime horror films on Halloween instead of the same old horror movies?

Here is a selection of 5 feature-length anime horror films that are terrifyingly scary and interesting to watch.

«Seoul Station» (Seoulyeok, 2016, dir. Yeon Sang-ho)

Want to see an atypical zombie apocalypse? Koreans know their stuff. This anime horror film went largely unnoticed by the mass audience, yet it is a prequel to the acclaimed «Train to Busan» and, emphasizing the hopelessness of the atmosphere with its rather simple stylized animation, keeps you on edge until the very last scene, just like the original film.

All the action of the film describes one night in Seoul at the moment of infection. It demonstrates what a zombie apocalypse, for which no one was prepared, could actually look like.

The plot revolves around the main character Hye-son at Seoul Station, where the first infected person appears. While the virus gradually infects more and more people, the film focuses on the personal problems and relationships of the characters, making them more real and alive for the viewer.

It is worth noting that «Seoul Station», just like «Train to Busan», is a sharp social drama in which human depravity and selfishness turn out to be much scarier than the living dead. But while the film teaches compassion and encourages doing good deeds, rejecting the base and flawed nature of man, the animated prequel is held together precisely by soullessness and indifference.

«Gyo» (Gyo, 2012, dir. Hirao Takayuki)

The main character Kaori and her friends go to Okinawa to celebrate their graduation from university. In a beach house, they are attacked by a strange fish on legs. And this is just the beginning.

«Gyo» is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Junji Ito, a genius of creepy and dark stories. It is worth noting that the adaptation failed to fully convey the oppressive atmosphere of horror and despair. However, the film will definitely affect anyone with its absurdity and unusual plot: the end of the world that came with the attack of walking sea creatures filled with poisonous gas that infects all living things...

«Gyo» is 100% anime horror, it is a true arthouse in the form of stench, decomposing swollen bodies, numerous tubes and hoses sticking out of all sorts of openings. Therefore, it is not recommended for the particularly impressionable and weak-nerved, but for some, this OVA will be a reason to get acquainted with other works of the terrifying Junji Ito.

«Paprika» (Paprika, 2006, dir. Satoshi Kon)

«Paprika» demonstrates a person's helplessness before their own subconscious. It reflects what defies logic and common sense. And the unknown is always frightening.

The action takes place in the near future, where a new method of treating mental disorders has been invented — the DC Mini, a device that allows entry into other people's dreams. One day, someone steals three prototypes of the DC Mini from the laboratory, and soon healthy people suffer from the dreams of a madman.

The main character, Dr. Chiba, and her colleagues try to retrieve these devices on their own. At a certain point, dreams merge and mix with reality, but Paprika — the «dream girl» — must fix the situation.

The combination of a well-thought-out detective story, vivid character designs, gorgeous animation, and the soundtrack of «Paprika» will definitely leave no one indifferent.

«Aragne: Sign of Vermillion» (Aragne: Sign of Vermillion, 2018, dir. Sakamoto Saku)

A young, modest student Rin decides to rent cheap housing located in an old apartment building that has strange rumors surrounding it. After a schoolgirl's lifeless body was found here, many avoid the building.

Soon, the girl personally encounters the inexplicable: huge insects everywhere before her eyes. Rin intends to find out what is happening and why only she can see them.

The animation of this anime horror film will not please veteran fans, but it only helps create contrast and heighten the horror of certain scenes. The film's storyline does not strive to meet any viewer expectations. And the film, disregarding the viewer's guesses, develops in its arthouse variety of rhythms and sounds, where the rustling of beetles and the heroine's nervous breathing will definitely give you goosebumps.

«Perfect Blue» (Perfect Blue, 2006, dir. Satoshi Kon)

Another film by the brilliant Satoshi Kon, which can evoke a multitude of feelings both during and after viewing.

Mimarin Kirigo, a famous singer, announces that she is leaving the music world and trying her hand at acting. However, not all fans are happy with her decision. From a fan letter, the girl learns about her fake diary — «Mima's Room». Against the backdrop of stress caused by her new career and what is written in the diary, Mimarin begins to hallucinate.

Her personality splits. And all subsequent events become frames from different worlds, the boundaries between reality, film, and fantasies blur. And while the heroine goes insane, people are actually dying on the set. What is happening? What did Mimarin do and where did she go? Answers can only be found with the help of «Mima's Room», and even then, not all of them.

This thriller with a special philosophical filling, backed by stunning graphics and music, is a great way to spend Halloween.