I’ve been secretly plotting to turn Dread Central into an anime news site for a while. No, not really, but I have been consistent in my desire to spotlight the art form more regularly, especially since its intersections with horror have been nothing short of remarkable. Another is one of the scariest series I’ve ever seen, and Higurashi: When They Cry is foundational fiction, an adaptation whose folk horror roots are directly linked to the upcoming Silent Hill f. There’s a lot of great anime out there, especially horror anime, and this past weekend, we saw the culmination of what was once an almost shameful, semi-embarrassing interest. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (despite the absurd title) opened to $70 million domestically.
Not only is it the largest ever opening for an anime movie in the United States, dethroning the reigning champ Pokémon: The First Movie, but it is also the largest ever for an R-rated animated film. For “animation is for adults” truthers like me, that’s nothing less than a profound, hopefully industry-shifting success story. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, adapted from Koyoharu Gotouge’s serialized manga of the same name, earns not only its rating but its staggering success as well. Adapting the final, blood-soaked arc of the manga, Infinity Castle is an electrifying, breathless, terrifying culmination of the series’ main motivation, and a gut-wrenching preview of what’s left to come.
Demon Slayer as Horror
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, produced by Ufotable, is widely regarded as the big anime of the moment. The zeitgeist is Demon Slayer. A theme park exhibit and scores of merchandise (trading cards, plushies, statues, and two video games) shouldn’t be surprising. Still, the level of success Infinity Castle achieved domestically is unheard of, especially considering the last theatrical release, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, grossed $47 million during its entire run.
The series, known best for its strict adherence to Shonen tropes and sensational fight scenes, may not seem that horrific, but Demon isn’t in the name for nothing. The long and short of the series sees nice-guy protagonist Tanjiro Kamado join ranks with the titular slayers after his family is slaughtered and his sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon. Nezuko is singularly resistant, however, retaining some shred of humanity despite her demonic appearance. The goal of all slayers is to eliminate Muzan Kibutsuji, the first demon whose blood has subsequently transformed thousands. If Muzan is eliminated, so is the demonic threat.
And “threat” is putting it mildly. Throughout the series, bodies are torn asunder, children are massacred, and entire landscapes are scorched as the demons roam free. They’re brutal, uncompromising antagonists, and regularly, their violence is incited without warning. It’s bloody, gory stuff, and even the most benign of demons are capable of scaled violence that’s unparalleled in even the anime world.
Infinity Castle, for instance, features Upper Rank Two Doma, one of the scariest demons thus far, largely because of his innate benevolence. He justifies his slaughter, and he’s responsible for the film’s most upsetting death (though I won’t say who). The entire series, really, plays like an episodic, monster-of-the-week procedural. There are new demons with new powers that the core squad needs to track down and eliminate. In our 4.5-star review, we wrote, “For anime newbies, let this review guide you towards a gorgeous and bleak journey through one young man’s quest for the ultimate revenge. This is cinematic artistry at its finest, further proof that animation should always be taken seriously as an art form.”
The contemporary age already has too few serialized horror shows, and those we do get are often prematurely cancelled before they even have a chance to take off (Teacup, The Exorcist, Hysteria!). If you can circumvent whatever hurdle might be in your way, I can all but stake my life on the promise that the world of anime has something for you. Few mediums permit this kind of lore and world-building, and the horror is all the richer as a result. Demon Slayer is both epic and scary, and there are few genre experiences around that can match it even closely. It’s really, earnestly, truly, honestly, sincerely, that good.
Anime and Horror
No doubt, Infinity Castle will incite a larger number of anime feature films domestically. Real feature films, too, not the sneaky season previews masquerading as feature events (though I always get tickets to those, too). Yet, however the market responds to Infinity Castle’s success, there remains a great deal of anime, firm horror or otherwise, that nonetheless deserves recognition as not just anime classics, but also horror classics.
Attack on Titan, one of the most famous of all time, is pretty damned terrifying. You don’t even have to think about the political core or violent implications—the titans themselves are just nasty and horrifying. The way they run? The way they eat? Everything about them is oh-so-disgusting, and given their scale and prominence in the series, you’ll never catch a break. It’s a breathless experience from beginning to end.
Netflix recently waded into the horror anime waters, too, with an adaptation of Mokumokuren’s ongoing manga The Summer Hikaru Died. It’s a masterclass in genre hybrids, delicately balancing boy-love with out-of-this-world terror in a way that’s as existentially frightening as it is visceral and unsettling. Anime or otherwise, The Summer Hikaru Died is simply one of the best shows of the year.
Which is to say nothing, of course, of the infinite (castle) number of other must-see horror anime series. Like serial killers? Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is near perfection. Prefer body horror? Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasyte -the maxim- is a must-see, and it’s got a pretty solid live-action adaptation from Train to Busan filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho to boot. Want to impress everyone at your next party with a real deep cut? Whip out Ryu Fujisaki’s vampiric Shiki. For the silly geese out there, Nyaight of the Living Cat is currently streaming.
I could keep going, though you likely get the idea. If you’re already an avid anime watcher, this is a no-brainer. Of course anime has some of the best horror stories told this century. Yet, I still regularly encounter naysayers, audiences opposed on account of the style alone, and whatever implications still come with being an anime fan. But remember, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle currently has a worldwide gross of over $500 million. I promise it’s not weird anymore. Mostly, at least, because there’s going to be a series out there that does weird you out, electrifies your brain, and haunts you for years to come. It’s there, just begging you to watch it.
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