Best Shonen Horror Manga

Key conclusions

• Shonen horror manga can be just as violent and gruesome as Seinen, with graphic content and scary stories.
• Some shonen manga balance action with horror elements, featuring violent themes and cute visuals.
• Series as
  Devil
  and
  Claymore
  offer deep, dark stories, unique characters and intense action scenes.

Those who think so Shonen horror manga are less violent or monstrous than their more mature seinen counterparts must think. Although aimed at young boys, shonen series are no less capable of creating some of the scariest images and stories ever to grace the pages of manga.

These series prove that shonen manga isn't all about tournament arcs, power fantasies, and mindless action. Some of these manga might make you wonder how they ended up in a shounen magazine instead of a seinen magazine due to their graphic content, while others perfectly balance the shounen style with horror elements.

10 Happy sugar life

A deceptively cute series about a violent Yander

• Release date: May 22, 2015 – June 22, 2019
• Creator: Tomiyaki Kagisora
• Number of volumes: 10

Few things are scarier than someone who appears sweet and harmless at first glance, but has a horrible and cruel streak. Happy sugar life about a high school girl named Satou Matsuzaka. She instantly falls in love with a young girl named Shio Koube, prompting Satou to kidnap her and go to terrible lengths to keep their idyllic “happy sugar life” intact.

Happy sugar life combines cute visuals and character designs with disturbing themes, creating a rather stunning contrast. Fans of the “yandere” genre should definitely watch this series.

9 Zombie loan

A darkly hilarious supernatural horror film about hunting rogue zombies

• Release date: April 2002 – March 2011
• Creator: Peach pit
• Number of volumes: 13

Zombie loan is one of the funnest supernatural horror manga around, with plenty of clever plot twists to keep any reader interested. It's about a timid high school student, Michiru Kita, who has “Shinigami eyes”, the ability to see the imminent death of people. A gray ring appears around the man's neck, which turns black when he dies.

She soon finds herself in a world of zombie hunting when she teams up with two undead classmates with black rings around their necks. Zombie loan a bit more light-hearted than your standard horror manga, but has plenty of comedy and shonen-style action to keep readers entertained.

8 Doubtful

The mobile survival game becomes terrifyingly real

• Release date: December 26, 2007 – February 12, 2009
• Creator: Yoshiki Tonogai
• Number of volumes: 4

The survival game genre seems to have replaced the zombie apocalypse as the leading horror subgenre. Doubtfullike any good death game series explores themes of survival in extreme circumstances. We are talking about the popular mobile game “Rabbit Doubt”, in which players take on the role of rabbits in a group. One of them secretly assumes the role of a “wolf” whose purpose is to kill rabbits without being detected.

Unfortunately, for one group of friends, the game becomes terrifyingly real. After being drugged and waking up in an abandoned hospital, the group discovers that there is a real “wolf” in their ranks, killing the members one by one. They have to find out who it is before it's too late.

7 Fort Apocalypse

Survival Horror about life in a prison during a zombie apocalypse

• Release date: 09/07/2011 – 08/06/2015
• Creator: Written by Yuu Kuraishi; Illustrations by Kazu Inabe
• Number of volumes: 10

Not so long ago, there was a time when zombies were in fashion (and, in fact, they are still in fashion), and Fort Apocalypse is an underrated gem of a zombie horror manga that fits right into that niche. The action takes place in a juvenile detention center, where the main character Yoshiaki Maeda was sent there because of a false accusation.

Life in prison isn't easy, but it gets worse when a zombie outbreak spreads across the world. Now trapped in a detention center, Maeda and his fellow inmates must work together to defeat hordes of zombies and escape the facility.

6 Drifting class

A classic psychological horror film about a time traveling school

• Release date: 1972 – 1974
• Creator: Kazuo Umezu
• Number of volumes: 11

Drifting class is considered a masterpiece in the world of horror manga, with artists such as Junji Ito citing it and its creator Kazuo Umezu as inspirations. It's about an elementary school that suddenly finds itself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, along with everyone in it.

Students and teachers struggle to survive in a desolate environment while trying to unravel the mystery of how their predicament came to be. The contrast between the innocence of the child characters and the violence and brutality they face only heightens the horror.

5 Sankarea: Endless love

A zombie-obsessed high school boy finds a zombie girl

• Release date: 09.12.2009 – 09.09.2014
• Creator: Mitsuru Hatori
• Number of volumes: 11

The zombie genre has been mixed with every other media genre under the sun, and Sankarea: Endless love provides a unique example of a romantic horror comedy with zombies on the side. It tells the story of Chihiro Furuya, a high school student who is obsessed with zombies and dreams of having a zombie girlfriend one day.

While creating a resurrection potion for his dead cat, he meets a lonely girl named Rhea Sanka who secretly drinks Chihiro's potion. After a series of unfortunate events that lead to her death, she is revived by a potion she drank. Now a zombie, Rhea must navigate her new life as well as her growing feelings for Chihiro.

4 Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia

A high school student helps uncover a ghost from a tragic past

• Release date: April 2008 – November 2013
• Creator: It is possible
• Number of volumes: 10

Twilight Maiden Amnesia are paranormal horror manga with a touch of romance that portrays the ghost not as a vengeful entity but as tragic and compassionate. Yuko Kanoe, a ghost said to roam the halls of Seikyo Private Academy, is playful, flirtatious, and has no memory of her death.

The main character, Teichi Niiya, intrigued by Yuko, forms the school's paranormal investigation club to investigate the circumstances of her death. What he doesn't know is that Yuko's forgotten memories hide a dark and painful truth.

3 Devil

A raw, visceral horror that explores human morality and fragility

• Release date: 11.06.1972 – 24.06.1973
• Creator: Go Nagai
• Number of volumes: 5

Devil is one of the most influential manga series of all time, inspiring countless works in the horror and dark fantasy genres, including Berserk and Attack on Titan. His story of an ordinary man turning into a monster to defeat a race of similar monsters has been repeated many times.

The protagonist, Akira Fudo, unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a war between demons and humans when he merges with a demon named Amon. Now wielding the power of a demon while retaining his humanity, he fights to protect humans from the looming threat of demons.

2 Alice in Wonderland

High school students enter another world where survival games decide their fate

• Release date: November 25, 2010 – March 2, 2016
• Creator: Haro Aso
• Number of volumes: 18

Supporters Squid game definitely worth checking out Alice in Wonderland looking forward to the second season. It tells the story of disillusioned high school student Ryohei Arisa, who moves to a parallel version of Tokyo 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.

1 Claymore

A fantasy horror film set in a world overrun by monsters

• Release date: 05/06/2001 – 10/04/2014
• Creator: Norihiro Yagi
• Number of volumes: 27

Claymore differs from other shounen manga in that it has a predominantly female cast. The story takes place in a world where humanity is terrorized by shape-shifting demons known as Yoma. To fight Yoma, the organization creates Claymores, female warriors imbued with Yoma's flesh who possess superhuman abilities and strength.

Claymore is a must read for fans of dark fantasy series like Berserk and Blood+ because it features a dark and mature narrative, deep character development, and action-packed scenes. A strong female cast and dark fantasy setting only add to its appeal.