Summary
Horror manga is a lot of fun to read if the artist in question knows how to terrify readers with their twisted art. These stories can be daunting to flip through at times, but those who don’t mind scaring themselves by reading an unnerving and immersive story will love what these tales bring to the table. Of course, horror comes in all shapes and sizes, and many fans of the genre tend love creepy tales that venture into surreal territory.
It can be hard to find a goodsurreal horror mangaworth a reader’s time and money, but fans can rest assured that there are several amazing stories worth checking out if these hard-to-comprehend tales are what they’re seeking.Horror stories that delve into the realm of the surrealare tricky to do well, which is why mangaka who pull off a captivating tale in this genre deserve their plaudits.
5Uzumaki
The Idea Of A Town Being Tormented By A Spiral Is As Surreal As It Gets
Junji Ito has become a household name in modern times, and one of his most popular stories that fans can’t get enough of isUzumaki. It’s the perfect depiction ofwhat makes Ito’s horror work, with an entire town being plagued by something otherworldly. This horror doesn’t come in the form of a monster or a spirit, but a shape that readers are familiar with. This is where Ito flexes his creative muscles, turning something as simple as a spiral into one of the most nightmarish things that fans can find in a horror story.
Watching the residents of Kurozu-Cho slowly lose their minds as they are consumed by the idea of a spiral is both captivating and horrifying to witness. It’s easy to see why this horror story is as surreal as they come, with fans failing to understand what is plaguing this town until the final chapters. Even then,the explanation is vague at best, and readers are left with a sinking sense of dread as they finish one of the finest horror stories of all time.
4The Drifting Classroom
It’s Hard To Understand How A Classroom Was Transported To A Different World
An iconic manga that has inspired many works,The Drifting Classroomchannels a lot of the energy ofLord of the Fliesbut is way more twisted, with a school being transported to a post-apocalyptic future. As one would expect, children and adults slowly lose their minds in this harrowing tale, with the lack of social and legal boundaries causing people to channel their inner demons and take part in monstrous acts that are hard to fathom.
There’s an element of surrealism to everything that happens inThe Drifting Classroom, with the biggest being the mystery surrounding the phenomenon that led to the school being whisked away to this unfamiliar future in the first place. This manga can be ratherdisturbing to read at timesand should only be checked out by readers who can fathom the events that take place when people lose all sense of decency.
3Dementia 21
A Surreal Horror Story Depicting A Nursing Home In The Future
Shintaro Kago’s signature work can be a tough ask for readers who aren’t prepared for his grotesque artwork. However, this horror mangaka is still one of the most reputed names in the genre, and those who want to slowly ease themselves into the mind of this fascinating artist will findDementia 21to be an easy starting point. The premise seems simple enough, with the manga focusing on Yukie Sakai and her job as a nurse for the elderly.
However, the manga wastes no time in displaying its strangeness for everyone to see, with readers being whisked on surreal adventures with horrific elements that will take them by surprise. The fact that this series isone of Kago’s tamer worksmakes it clear why this horror mangaka is known for pushing the boundaries of body horror and surrealism.
2Gyo
The Monsters Taking Over The World Are Hard To Comprehend
The zombie apocalypse has been done to death in the realm of horror, and some people may unfairly categorizeGyoin the same department. However, there’s so much more to this monster invasion than what meets the eye. What seems like a bunch of fish on legs taking over the world turns into a surreal horror story about man-made machines that usethe mysterious Death Stenchto infect living organisms and turn them into a source of fuel for these nightmarish machines.
The weird and surreal nature ofGyo’s monster invasion is hard to digest, especially when the Death Stench is shown to have demonic faces etched into its very essence. InGyo, Ito manages to turn a ridiculous concept into something chilling, with this page-turner keeping fans captivated till the very end.
1Franken Fran
Features Moments Of Surreal Body Horror That Are Twisted In Every Way
Body horror can be a tough sell for people who get nauseated at the sight of these gross depictions, and surreal body horror can be even harder to get into. However, readers who have the stomach to brave these sights should giveFranken Frana shot. It’s a relatively easy horror story to get into once readers stop grossing out over 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 mortified as she leaves them worse off than before. The surreal nature of the manga becomes apparent in each self-contained story, culminating in a finale that flips the script to make for one of themost memorable conclusions to a horror story.
