The best shonen horror manga

Key takeaways

• Shonen horror manga can be as brutal and terrifying as a seinen, with graphic content and spine-chilling stories.
• Some shonen manga balance action with horror elements, displaying violent themes and cute scenes.
• Like the series
  Devilman
  and
  Claymore
  Offer deep, dark storytelling, unique characters, and intense action scenes.

Those who think that Shonen horror manga Are less brutal or scary than their mature seinen counterparts should think again. While shonen series are aimed at young boys, they are no less capable of producing some of the most spine-chilling imagery and stories ever put to the pages of manga.

These series prove that shonen manga isn't just about tournament arcs, power fantasies, and mindless action. One might wonder how some of these manga landed in a shonen magazine instead of a manga due to their graphic content, while others perfectly balance shonen-esque action with horror elements.

10 Happy Sugar Life

A deceptively cute series about a mischievous yandere

• Release date: May 22, 2015 – June 22, 2019
• the creator: Tomiaki Kagisoara
• Number of volumes: 10

Few things are scarier than someone who seems cute and harmless on the surface but harbors a terrifying and violent strike. Happy Sugar Life is about a high school girl named Satou Matsuzaka. She is immediately infatuated with a young woman named Shio Koube, which leads Satou to kidnap her and go to terrifying lengths to keep their idyllic 'happy sugar life' intact.

Happy Sugar Life Combines cute, moe visuals and character design with disturbing themes, creating a stark contrast. Fans of the 'yandere' trope should definitely check out this series.

9 Zombie-Loan

A darkly hilarious supernatural horror about hunting evil zombies

• Release date: April 2002 – March 2011
• the creator: peach-pit
• Number of volumes: 13

Zombie-Loan One of the funniest supernatural horror manga out there, with a ton of clever plot twists to grab any reader's attention. It's about a timid high schooler named Michiru Kita, who has 'shinigami eyes', the ability to see people's impending deaths. A gray color appears on the person's neck, and it turns black when they die.

She soon finds herself in the world of zombie-hunting when she teams up with two strangers wearing black rings around their necks. Zombie-Loan A bit more lighthearted than standard horror manga, but has plenty of comedy and shonen-esque action to keep readers entertained.

8 doubt

Mobile survival game becomes terrifyingly real

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

The 'survival game' genre seems to have replaced the zombie apocalypse as the dominant horror subgenre. doubtLike any good Deathmatch series, it explores themes of survival in extreme situations. It's about a popular mobile game called 'Rabbit Doubt', which involves players playing the role of a rabbit in a group. One of them secretly takes on the role of 'wolf', whose aim is to kill the rabbits without being detected.

Unfortunately, for one group of friends, the game becomes horribly 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 of the Apocalypse

Survival horror about prison life during a zombie apocalypse

• Release date: September 7, 2011 – August 6, 2015
• the creator: Written by Yuu Kuraishi; Illustrated by Kazu Inabe
• Number of volumes: 10

There was a time not too long ago when zombies were all the rage (and for all intents and purposes, they still are), and Fort of the Apocalypse This is an underrated gem of a zombie horror manga that fits that niche. It is set in a juvenile detention center, the protagonist, Yoshiaki Maeda, is sent there due to false accusations.

Prison life is tough as it is, but it takes a turn for the worse when a zombie outbreak spreads across the world. Now trapped in a detention center, Maeda and her cellmates are forced to work together to defeat hordes of zombies and escape the facility.

6 The Drifting Classroom

Classic psychological horror about a time traveling school

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

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

Students and teachers struggle to survive in a desolate environment as they try 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 heightens the horror.

5 Sankaria: Immortal love

Zombie-Obsessed High School Boy Gets a Zombie Girlfriend

• Release date: December 9, 2009 – September 9, 2014
• the creator: Mitsuru Hattori
• Number of volumes: 11

The zombie genre has been mixed with every other genre of media under the sun, and Sankaria: Immortal love Provides a unique example of a romantic horror comedy with zombies on the side. It follows a high-schooler named Chihiro Furuya, who is obsessed with zombies and dreams of one day having a zombie girlfriend.

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

4 Evening Maiden of Amnesia

A middle-schooler helps uncover a ghost's tragic past

• Release date: April 2008 – November 2013
• the creator: maybe
• Number of volumes: 10

Evening Maiden of Amnesia is an extraordinary horror manga with a dash of romance, portraying the ghost not as a vengeful entity, but as tragic and sympathetic. Yuko Kano, a ghost said to haunt the halls of Seikyou Private Academy, is playful, flirtatious, and has no memory of her death.

The protagonist, Teiichi Nia, intrigued by Yuko, forms the school's Paranormal Research Club to investigate the circumstances behind her death. Little does she know that Yuko's forgotten memories hide a dark and painful truth.

3 Devilman

Raw, visceral horror that explores human morality and frailty

• Release date: June 11, 1972 – June 24, 1973
• the creator: Go Nagai
• Number of volumes: 5

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

The protagonist, Akira Fudo, is unexpectedly drawn into a war between demons and humans when he meets a demon named Amon. Now possessing the powers of a demon while retaining his humanity, he fights to protect humans from the growing threat of demons.

2 Alice in the Borderlands

High-schoolers are transported to an alternate world where survival games determine their fate

• Release date: November 25, 2010 – March 2, 2016
• the creator: Hello
• Number of volumes: 18

fans of Squid game Definitely should check it out Alice in Borderlands While waiting for the second season. It follows a confused high school student named Ryohei Arisu who is transported 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 face their deepest fears and weaknesses, setting the stage for a philosophical and poignant series.

1 Claymore

Set in a world haunted by fantasy horror monsters

• Release date: May 6, 2001 – October 4, 2014
• the creator: Norihiro Yagi
• Number of volumes: 27

Claymore It differs from other shonen manga because it mainly features female characters. The story takes place in a world where shape-shifting monsters known as yomas terrorize humanity. To fight the Yoma, an organization creates Claymores — female warriors infused with Yoma flesh who possess superhuman abilities and strength.

Claymore As such is a must-read for fans of fantasy series Berserk and Blood + Because it features dark and mature storytelling, deep character development, and action-packed scenes. Its strong female cast and gritty fantasy setting only add to its appeal.