Summary
Theexact definition of body horrorcan be hard to pin down, but in general, it’s a form of horror involving, as the name suggests, the human body. Hideous transformations, mutations, disfigurement, and bodily distortions all fit the bill. It taps into an inherent, primal fear in humans.
Anime is no stranger to weird, gory, or unsettling moments, so naturally, body horror moments aren’t hard to find. FromCronenberg-esque transformationsto strange, surreal imagery, these are some of the most wonderfully gruesome entries into the genre. Be warned though; these shows get pretty gross, so viewers should ensure they have a strong stomach before diving in.
Number of Episodes
12
Tokyo Ghoulis more of a gore-fest horror anime, but it still has plenty of body horror elements, mostly from the titular Ghouls and their Kagune. Functioning as bioweapons, Kagune are essentially retractable limbs the Ghouls use to hunt their prey. The body horror comes from how these organs, usually taking the form of tentacles or wings, sprout from the beings' backs. Adding to this is the Kakuja mutation, a type of armor Ghouls develop when they repeatedly feed on their own kind.
While the latter seasons of the series leave much to be desired, since they’reextremely condensed versions of events from the manga, the first anime still holds up, being many anime fans' gateway into the medium.
10
For viewers who haven’t read Go Nagai’s classic manga seriesDevilman, or the original anime adaptation from the 70s,Devilman Crybabyis a solid introduction to the franchise. Directed by the legendary Masaaki Yuasa, the anime tells the story of Akira Fudo, who visits a party (read: an orgy) with his childhood friend, Ryo Asuka. Things get out of hand when Ryo starts attacking party-goers with a bottle, attracting demons.
Akira gets possessed by one such demon, turning him into a “Devilman,” a being with the body of a demon but the heart and soul of a human. The series is chock-full of body horror, largely stemming from the beautifully surreal transformations of the demons and the Devilman creatures. There’splenty of guts, nudity, and overall obscenityto go around, so viewer discretion is advised.
24
Parasites are a common feature in body horror media, andParasyteis a stellar example of this. Alien parasites invade the Earth, intending to take control of humans by infiltrating their brains. One such parasite named Migi attempts to control the main protagonist, Shinichi, in the same way, but Migi ends up entering his right arm instead of his brain. Thus, the two get to keep their separate personalities and work together to save humanity from the parasites.
In addition to some truly stomach-churning scenes,Parasytealso delves into abit of cosmic horror, questioning what humanity even is and if non-human entities are capable of feeling human emotions.
13
The promotional materials forMade in Abyssdo a good job of disguising how brutal this anime can be. Behind the cutesy designs of the main characters lies a truly dark, violent, and heart-wrenching story about loss and trauma. Riko, the main protagonist, takes on the task of exploring the Abyss, a hellhole of a cave system filled with weird creatures, along with Reg, a human-looking robot. She seeks to find her mother, a cave explorer who disappeared in the Abyss.
The creatures of the Abyss have the ability to inflictabsolute hell on the human body, including but not limited to parasites, grotesque transformations, and horrific experiments. Combining this with the fact that the main characters are children, this series is definitely not for the faint of heart.
25
Attack on Titanmay not be the first series many fans will think of when considering horror anime, but the body horror elements involving the titular Titans have become iconic. These flesh-eating giants have a terrifying self-healing ability, making them practically unkillable apart from a weak point at the base of their neck.
The transformations ofthe Titan Shiftersare also quite the spectacle, with lightning and smoke covering the landscape as the Shifters grow bones, flesh, and full limbs. The bizarre anatomy of some of the Titans just amps up the body horror factor.
26
Of all the different kinds of disturbing this legendary series manages to be,Neon Genesis Evangelion’ssurreal imagery involving the human body manages to be one of the more nightmare-inducing. These moments are often set off by the anime’smain antagonists, the Angels, who have bizarre abilities and the singular goal of reaching their progenitor, Lilith, in order to bring about the destruction of humanity.
Additionally, the series' mecha units, called EVAs, are less ‘giant robot’ and more ‘giant biomechanical humanoid’. From the impaled body of Lilith to Asuka’s disturbing visions involving her decomposing corpse in theEnd of Evangelionmovie, there’s no end to the horrors and trauma inflicted on the main protagonists.
Runtime
124 minutes
It’s difficult to talk about body horror in anime without bringing up one of the most influential movies of all time. One of theearliest examples of the Cyberpunk genre,Akirafollows biker Shotaro Kaneda and his childhood friend Tetsuo Shima in the dystopian city of Neo-Tokyo. Tetsuo, gaining telekinetic abilities after a freak motorcycle accident, goes on a rampage through the city, leaving Kaneda to put a stop to him.
The movie’s penultimate moment (and its most body horror-like scene) is when Tetsuo, losing control of his new powers, transforms into a monstrous blob of flesh that consumes everything in its path. Its stunning animation, cyberpunk themes, and influence on the world of anime and beyond makeAkiraa must-watch for any anime fan.
