The best surrealist horror manga

Key conclusions

• A surreal horror manga can offer readers a thrilling and terrifying experience by delving into a twisted and gripping narrative.
• Iconic works like Uzumaki, The Drifting Classroom, and Gyo showcase the creativity and boundary-pushing nature of horror mangaka.
• Fans of the genre should explore titles like Dementia 21 and Franken Fran for unique, grotesque, and gruesome stories that push the boundaries of body horror.

Horror manga is a lot of fun to read when the artist in question knows how to terrify readers with their twisted art. Flipping through these stories can be difficult at times, but those who don't mind getting a scare while reading a moving and exciting story will love what these stories bring to the table. Of course, horror comes in all shapes and sizes, and many fans of the genre enjoy spooky stories that venture into surreal territory.

It can be hard to find a good one a surreal horror manga well worth the reader's time and money, but fans can be sure there are some amazing stories worth checking out if these hard-to-understand tales are what they're looking for. Horror stories that delve into the realm of the surreal are difficult to do well, so mangakas who create an exciting story in this genre are to be commended.

5 Uzumaki

The idea of ​​a spiraling city is just as surreal

• Mangaka: Junji Ito
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Release date: January 19, 1998

Junji Ito has become a household name nowadays and one of his most popular stories that fans can't get enough of is Uzumaki. It's a perfect representation of what makes an Ito horror film work when the whole town is plagued by something otherworldly. This horror does not come in the form of a monster or a spirit, but in a form familiar to readers. Here, Ito flexes his creative muscles, turning something as simple as a spiral into one of the most nightmarish things fans can find in horror history.

Watching the people of Kurozu-cho slowly lose their minds as they are consumed by the idea of ​​a spiral is fascinating and terrifying to behold. It's easy to see why this horror film is so surreal that fans can't figure out what's plaguing this town until the final chapters. Even so, the explanation is vague at best, and readers are left with a sense of dread as they end one of the greatest horror stories of all time.

4 Drifting class

It is difficult to understand how the class was transported to another world

• Mangaka: Kazuo Umezu
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Year of issue: 1972 year

A cult manga that has inspired many works, Drifting class directs a lot of energy Lord of the Flies but a lot more twisted, with a school transported to a post-apocalyptic future. As you might expect, children and adults gradually lose their minds in this horrific story, with the lack of social and legal boundaries forcing people to channel their inner demons and engage in horrific acts that are hard to fathom.

There is an element of surrealism in everything that happens Drifting classwith the biggest of these being the mystery surrounding the phenomenon that led to the school being transported to this unfamiliar future in the first place. This manga can be disturbing at times and should only be checked out by readers who can understand the events that occur when people lose their sense of decency.

3 Dementia 21

A surreal horror film featuring a nursing home in the future

• Mangaka: Shintaro Kago
• Publisher: Comiccloud
• Release date: January 27, 2011

Shintaro Kago's signature work can be a challenge for readers unprepared for his grotesque art. However, this horror mangaka is still one of the most famous names in the genre, and those who want to slowly immerse themselves in the mind of this fascinating artist will find Dementia 21 be an easy starting point. The premise seems simple enough, the manga focuses on Yuki Sakai and her work as a nurse for the elderly.

However, the manga wastes no time in showing its strangeness for all to see, and readers will be transported into a surreal adventure with spooky elements that will take them by surprise. The fact that this series is one of Kago's tamer works makes it clear why this horror mangaka is known for pushing the boundaries of body horror and surrealism.

2 Go

Monsters taking over the world are hard to understand

• Mangaka: Junji Ito
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Release date: November 12, 2001

The zombie apocalypse has been to death in the realm of horror, and some people may unfairly categorize Go in the same department. However, there is a lot more to this monster invasion than meets the eye. What appears to be a bunch of fish on legs taking over the world turns into a surreal horror story about man-made machines that use a mysterious Stench of Death to infect living organisms and turn them into a fuel source for these nightmarish machines.

Amazing and surreal nature GoThe invasion of monsters is hard to stomach, especially when the demonic faces of Death Stink are etched into his very essence. U GoIto manages to turn a ridiculous concept into something terrifying, keeping fans enthralled until the very end with this page-turner.

1 Franken Fran

Includes moments of surreal body horror that are twisted in every way

• Mangaka: Katsuhisa Kigitsu
• Publisher: Akita Shoten
• Release month: September 2006

Body horror can be a difficult task for people who are sickened by the sight of these gruesome images, and surreal body horror can be even harder to get into. However, readers who have the stomach to see these sights should give it a go Franken Fran shot It's a relatively easy horror story to get into once readers stop being outraged by the weird artwork on display.

The manga focuses on an artificially created surgeon who is tasked with working on her patients, only to leave them humiliated as she leaves them in a worse condition than before. The surreal nature of the manga is evident in each self-contained story, culminating in an ending that flips the script for one of the most memorable conclusions in horror history.