Forgot Brigadoon Marin Melan (2000) or Alien 9 (2001) the two pioneers of Cute Girls do horrifying things. Both of which definetely inspired the 2010s stuff like School Live, Madoka and Made in Abyss to do very similiar formula and even kinda visually pay tribute to those classics.
I was sure there was no way he was free sing a Scooby Doo movie in an anime movie, and I was correct HE RECOMMENDED TWO. And god damn, what good movies they are.
Well, quite a shock (and an honour) for my film to be mentioned in the same video as the likes of the Devilman OVA and Lily Cat! I should mention though that it wasn't all done by me - Claudia Montealegre co-animated, directed and worked on it every day for six years with me. I'd still only be halfway through now if she hadn't! What you said at the start of this video about it being really hard to make animation scary was something we debated a bit before we started making the Alien film... I can't really think of any anime that has scared me. I remember episode 2 of Tokyo Babylon having some Midnight Meat Train-aesthetic unnerving scenes when I watched it as a teenager at 3am one weekend, but that's about it really. I still wonder why that is. For instance, the eclipse scene in Berserk is incredible, but more awe-inspiring that scary. Even if Kawajiri himself directed a 1:1 anime recreation of Jacob's Ladder, I'd probably be like "holy shit, the shading is so good" instead of letting my brain get spooked.
Apologies to Claudia for not giving her proper credit. It’s a mind bogglingly impressive piece of work on both of your parts! As for the point about making animation scary, I think what it comes down to is the inability to make the viewer feel that visceral “that could Jump out of the screen and get me” reaction (or “that could happen to me,” in the case of gore). About the only horror anime that’s ever genuinely frightened me as an adult is Shiki, and that hits entirely on a psychological level, due to how strong the writing is
Learning that Scooby Doo On Zombie Island was a Japanese production puts so much into perspective. Even as a kid, the aesthetic always looked a step apart from anything that came before or after. Like, it was more "gritty" and "adult", even though the hardest they go is zombies and catgirls. If anything the gang look so out-of-place. I guess that was why it was a regular rewatch. Also SCHOOL LIVE MENTIONED, GRAAAAAAH!
I'm so glad Mononoke is getting more eyes on it. I can't wait for the english release of the new movie. If you thought Mononoke's visuals are stunning, imagine what almost 20 years of animation advancement will do to it.
They're finally making more?!? I'm so excited! That anime scratches an aesthetic itch in my brain that few others can. I was always so sad that it never got more seasons.
@@kalilak9701 It looks like it’s going to be at least a trilogy of movies, based on the credit sequence. (a shrine tied with three ropes, with one falling to symbolize this first film.) The next one, Fire Rat, releases in Japan next spring
To be fair, I do not know a person alive who does not like the Hex Girls. In the same way that Hotline Miami created a broader ripple effect of media adopting 80's aesthetics and soundscapes, you can trace a direct link between the Hex Girls and the modern love of goth girls, I am convinced of this.
@@0uttaS1TEplease elaborate on this if you can, I said something similar to my s/o a while ago and crave supporting evidence (and/or more anecdotal evidence!)
I believe that for animation to be scary, it has to play to one of the medium's strength: movement. I think the creepiest thing to do with animation is to make movement unnatural. it seems to be a factor in most "creepy things from our childhood" examples that include animation.
While I think it can be done, it's becoming an "eat cereal with fork" situation. It's simply way more efficient to do it in live action. You want the uncanny feeling? Just hire an odd looking guy etc
@@nanardeurlambda It is less the movement and how the movement is used. Color, framing, and storyboards are also immensely important from the animator’s perspective while music can do a *ton* to help with the mood. What *isn’t* shown is also incredibly important and also something anime tends to forget. If you want a masterclass in how to do horror in anime right, watch the first scene in FMA2003.
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island and Witch's Ghost are perfect Halloween "anime" movies although Witch is more Thanksgiving themed because setting and theme plus giant Turkey.
Vampire hunted D has the most insane plot irrelevace to visual spectacle ratio I've ever seen. I basically sat with my jaw open the whole time I was watching but if you asked me what happened there I wouldn't be able to tell you. But in no way does that devalue the piece, it's so visually impressive and immersive I'd watch it again if anyone so much as mentions it in my hearing range
@@shpostmile1510 The club host is a confirmed weeb bc they do an after party there when the local anime con happens, and he cosplays as sebastian from black butler, lmao
If you want to understand WTF is going on you read the novels, which are admittedly amazingly good in their genre context. The films are more or less true to their source material but prefer being absolute batshit spectacle as much as possible.
I was one those old otaku who grabbed Vampire Hunter D alongside the other dozen OAVs every early-90s video rental place had in stock--they were all like that. Akira was such a huge breakthrough for a few years in North America (and presumably also Japan) that all the distributors were looking for anything on a similar wavelength.
Getting a text from my mom saying "Geoffie has a new video out!" really solidified for me just how much she's become a Geoff fan. The fact that she followed that up with, "let me know if there's any vampire horror with unfixable men" solidified for me that she has a type. I'm going to try to forget that fact.
FMA 03 is legit scary the whole way through. Obviously it’s out of this video’s scope, being 51 (?) eps, but absolutely yes the body horror is so on point. And the cosmic horror of the gate imo hits so much harder than Brotherhood’s gate, which is a bit goofier. BH’s Truth is going “riddle me this little alchemist!” while 03’s gate just stands silently, unanswering, simply performing calculations with human lives, a mechanical oppression beyond comprehension. And the psychological horror of the main villain, just, everything she does (especially her objectification of other women) is so chilling. I could go on and on.. It’s so good
@@basilgum Oh yeah for sure but it gets the most emphasis in the first two episodes. There are times in the series where it won’t use horror so the moments are a lot more spread out.
@@KlldbyCuriosity Agreed, the Lior episodes are just so tightly written as a horror story. The way it builds up that tension with the repeating motif of birds and then how it culminates in this literal mockery of a person.. augh. Really really good stuff (and great foreshadowing too now that I think of it)
Gakkou Garashi is like the ultimate bait and switch. I was shook when I first saw it. I also recommend Summer Time Rendering if you want to more suspense in your spooky season.
Gakkou Gurashi is so so SO Fucking Important to me to the point one of my first ever tattoos was a tribute to it and best girl Megu-nee. This series is so beautiful and I love it so much. Thank you for once again covering it since it was your “what’s in an OP?” Video that made me watch it initially.
Yeah it actually made me cry in the twelfth episode [specfically wheh Yuki is talking to the zombies through the school intercoms] and not a lot of media can do that.
@jadenbryant9283 Personally, I cry at media much easier than I'd like, but few things have made me cry as hard as Gakkou Gurashi has and still can. Getting the special edition box set was as much of a given as getting the tattoo I mentioned.
The Promised Neverland is also a great watch for the psychological horror. Just don’t go looking for season 2. It doesn’t exist, but you’re better off not searching for it trust me. But you could go read TPN manga, that’s great
I would argue that Promised Neverlend season 2, that definitely exists, is a perfect candidate for a horror watch. From what I've heard the season is just one giant murder.
I was absolutely not prepared for school live, i had gotten reccomended it, told it was horror and put it in my watchlist, and forgot about it, then found it browsing my watchlist and didnt remember it was horror
Technically more thriller than horror, "Monster" is the only anime that has given me actual horror-like dread. The direction, story, and atmosphere gelled perfectly for me. Couldn't get enough of it, and I became a Urasawa Naoki fan after the last episode.
I’d lump Aku No Hana in with that, wherein it’s much more unsettling and strange, sending chills up my spine though it’s more of a drama. Same director as Uzumaki and it’s got as good a vibe if not better than that first episode
I binge watched Devilman Crybaby while off my head on a 40° (104°) fever and associated meds, and I can remember shockingly little of the show beyond atmosphere. But I still remember that final scene shot for shot, and exactly what it felt like to experience. If that doesn't say something, I don't know what does.
Dark Gathering was a surprisingly great, unsettling horror series. If you wanted the Ghost Stories dub or Scooby-Doo to take ghost hunting way more seriously, especially in regards for the VERY bloody and VERY disturbing details of Japanese folklore and urban legends, this is definitely for you!
You included clips of it but I'll recommend it anyway: Another is a fantastic watch. I get people have their problems with the end reveal, but the first few episodes are genuinely creepy with some truly shocking and violent kills, all culminating in an absolutely bonkers final act.
School live is one of the most thrilling experiences I ever had watching an anime and I will never stop singing its praises. Please if anyone watching this hasn’t watched the first episode yet PLEASE PLEAAAASEEEEE watch it before watching the spoiler in the video I’m telling you the effect of the reveal cannot be explained in words. Somehow, even though I watch lots of shows in this (spoiler) genre, this one was one of the ones that really got under my skin. I didn’t even manage to finish it cause I was so concerned about a certain character at the end
I just watched it, and I knew what kind of genre it was about. As long as you don't know the details, it's not a problem. But, YES, don't watch the section above!
I definitely need to see Hunter D cause that is one o the most beautiful looking pieces I've ever seen. And YES, Zombie Island mentioned! The first and yet still best Scooby Doo film, some great scares for kids, and 2 amazing songs.
We studied Perfect Blue in a class in college. Normally our professor gave a content warning before showing that particular film, but he wasn't able to make it to the screening and forgot to do it preemptively... We all walked home in groups from that one!
Can we talk about how great it was when dubs got take the extra step and translate names in the spirit of the name rather than just a literal translation? Like, Little Slugger sounds so much better in English & evokes what it's trying to say better to an english audience not familiar with Japan than it would have had they just kept it Shonen Bat. Wish more of the modern dub market got to take similar liberties in translation as well. Lookin' at you Occult-kun lol.
Absolutely! I will forever go to bat, (hah,) for localization choices like that. I adore the old Working Designs dubs of the Lunar games, because their localizations just had so much charm. Unfortunately, there's a not significant chunk of the weeb community that will work themselves into a foaming rage if you do anything but translate things as literally as possible.
@@Macabrellian lol yeah I know, and most of those foamed weebs probably have never learned a second language or had to think about how translating feelings of a story to an outside culture works. Like, the Yuyu Hakusho & FLCL dubs would not be the same had they not taken that step to contextualize those character's actions & wants into terms an American audience would understand. And like, you can see that with Hakusho in the dub vs. sub where Yusuke reads like a pretty polite choir boy in the sub vs the angry punk he is in the dub and is supposed to be generally.
Geoff! Not to jump the gun, but will you be giving the Uzumaki adaptation its own dedicated video when it finishes airing? Super curious to hear your thoughts!
God. Paranoia Agent used to scare the absolute shit out of me as a kid. Whenever that intro kicked on, I had to change the channel. Good thing I'm an adult now and just hide under the covers when I watch it.
Holy shit, Satoshi Kon directed an anime? I actually had no idea, and all four of his movies are some of my favorites of all time. I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. ...right after watching Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost again.
Hey Geoff, been a fan for a short while. I appreciate your love of anime to the point of deconstructing anime into multiple achievable metrics, and I feel that an absolute classic of horror anime is Ghost Hunt, which slowly ramps up the impact until the final case. Don’t think the final case is their version of a “beach episode” either, because it’s designed to let you relax a little before pulling you right back in.
@@Pokemonleafmon admittedly yeah The best way I can describe it is it feels more like the video game came out first and they made the movie after as an advertisement without much thought
@@LittleTallMermaid2015 Well hey, if nothing else it did the whole "if you die in the video game you die in real life" thing waaay before Sword Art Online. Also I will always love the meta-ness of the Scooby gang teaming up with older school versions of themselves. It's such a fun concept.
Oh man I remember watching Paranoia Agent, I think it had a slot on the late night Adult Swim anime block Be warned the OP is an earworm and even the brief view of people laughing put it back in my head damn near 16 years later
If you have a tolerance for old-school cheesiness *Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School* is also very cute. Definitely not as good as Zombie Island or Witch's Ghost but definitely a fun kids movie.
I’m so glad you included the English dub of Devilman. Back when crybaby came out, the old English dub was making the runs on twitter and it’s lived in my head rent free forevermore.
Whenever Geoff brings up US toons made by Japanese studios, I always wonder if he'd ever give his take on the fact that Rankin/Bass stop motion shows being anime. Not to mention how many great people are now forgotten in anime production from going uncredited. As pointed out in the video made by Bennett the Sage
18:45 didn't know those movies were animated in Japan! I suppose that tracks, but also that is still a bold move to put scooby doo first on an anime recommendation list... Lol
It's been probably 20, 25 years since I've seen Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, but as soon as I saw that "Get Out" being cut into the wall, I knew exactly what was coming. And now I somehow have Terror Time stuck in my head, again.
My love of Vampire Hunter D (the graphic novels and audio books included) began with you and Bennett the Sage years ago discussing just how good and different that 2nd movie and its' book is. When I worked in a data center I would listen and relisten to those books; just damn good stuff! Thank you, G-Man (to ring back to DevilMan himself), for the hours you pour over and the recommendations.!
More people need to appreciate School-Live past the episode 1 twist. Too many complain that it "settles into kirarakei with horror going on in the background" when that's 1) an oversimplification and 2) the entire point. The people behind the conspiracy claimed that survival means discarding compassion and goodness, but that didn't get them far, while the club, in adapting to Yuki's delusions, learned to work together, reach out, and live and not just survive. Later in the manga they're put in contrast with other survivors because of this and end up saving and rebuilding society.
see I get what you're saying, but nothing you said sounds scary. like one could argue its scary how a girl could get trapped in a delusion to save her crumbling mental state, but thats not scary just sad, but then it ultimately becomes a good thing since it saves her friends too, as a horror, its still light on horror
Horror with a happy ending still exists, though if it's not what you're looking for that's one thing. Heck, Higurashi is horror with a happy ending where everyone learns about friendship and solidarity, and that's considered an anime and VN classic.
school live also takes the time to fully explore the implications of a twist. It's one thing to have a big reveal. It's another to sit with it an see what it means for everyone involved.
Literally stopped to watch it mid video and wow- I was not expecting it to get that freaking dark so quickly. It kinda reminds me of Madoku Magica. Anyways see you all when the series is over.
So you have a list of top quick to watch horror animes, and you include Scooby Doo movies?! Jeff, if you haven't proven yourself a man of culture before, this leaves no doubt. Great picks all around.
Good list! Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is gorgeous, Paranoia Agent was fascinating (though heads up for... Not technically CSA, but the young girl finding photos of herself, and the camera in her room...) I agree with the first part of Devilman Crybaby, but hopefully the watch party winds down before you get into the gut-wrenching final arc. It's fantastic, but a devastating end to the night. Didn't expect to see LilyCat or some of the other OVAs on here, but I only know them from the review show Anime Abandon, which is more criticism than recommendation. And thanks for the Scooby-Doo recs too! I've never seen them through all the way, and didn't realize they were anime-adjacent! The Cowboy Bebop movie is a fun mystery taking place at Halloween. Happy Halloween! Hope your system can kick the cold's ass now!
Another suggestion for Halloween; Kakurenbo is a 25 minute short movie about a boy looking for his sister after she disappeared during a game of hide and seek. It lead me down a path (online rp) that I love and am still doing 20 years later.
Man. There aren't many shows, anime or otherwise, that have stayed with me like Paranoia Agent. It may be the most thought provoking anime I have ever seen. And nutty as fuck. lol. I LOVE your channel dude and your descriptions are hilarious. Great stuff.
As the video was getting longer, i was wondering "where's Mononoke? Don't say he doesn't recommend Mononoke!?" But then you did. Thank you for recommending Mononoke, it's my go to Halloween anime (and if you're watching this video on TH-cam, you may not have search far to find it online 😉)
Funnily enough I just watched Paranoia Agent myself and yeah. Yeah big must watch. The big mystery feels a bit out of place if you’ve seen everything else Kon did, but the parts that feel like “ideas I had but couldn’t quite get a full movie out of” are astounding.
TF I just started watching Paranoia Agent and MB has it covered! Update: Finished it and it is an exceptional commentary on escapism, victimhood, voyeurism, loneliness, desperation and many other things. Satoshi Kon wanted the viewers to grow up a little after watching this.
Halloween is my favorite and October my favorite month. I was looking for more spooky anime to watch during the season so far I watched Castlevania again which kinda fits in a way
Okay, the new title got me to click. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD ONE - I was gonna watch this vid later anyways (cuz I watch all your vids multiple times) but the new title made me think "ok I should check the vid out right now".
Great list! I have one other odd recommendation for kids: Digimon Ghost Game. Yeah you couldn't finish the series in a night, but a lot of episodes could be watched stand alone. Honestly, if you're a Digimon fan and a horror fan, nearly all the episodes are horror tinged. Some surprisingly creepy for what I would consider a show for a younger audience.
I went to watch the first episode of that School life show after 3 seconds of hearing you talk about it. The experienceof watching the episode KNOWING that there's a twist, but not knowing what the twist is, that was FIRE I remember theorizing that the pink one was somehow seeing ghosts and this was a ghost story (it isn't), thinking there coulda been some kinda curse or something preventing them from leaving the school (there wasn't) etc, it was great I also binged the whole show at once and I thought it eas pretty good 👍 Ion tend to like subtlety in the art I consume (gor complicated reasons), but the show is really subtle about the way it communicates some stuff about the characters' feelings and stuff. I liked it a lot 👍
One of the things close to the top of my list of “What I would do if I had a time machine” would be to do everything in my power to ensure the Devilman OVAs got finished, dub and all
I've never been able to handle horror films, as made clear by my fear of Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, and the live-action Scooby Doo as a kid. Good recs! Might I also suggest Another, a series I watched in anime club where the deaths are so absurd they are laughable but the tone is spot-on eerie.
Get well soon Geoff. Anyway, I still find Uzumaki’s 2nd episode disturbing even with the subpar animation, and I don’t know how the last 2 episodes will turn out. Also, I do consume some horror, even though I’m not a horror fan, so I don’t know how much horror anime I’ll be consuming. But, you did remind me that I have to get back to watching Devilman Crybaby.
Honestly, props to you for giving a segment to recommend Zombie Island. That film’s a classic. Even bigger props to giving a recommendation for Paranoia Agent. I watched some of it while on a camping trip and I definitely need to finish my watch through now that the season is more appropriate. Satoshi Kon was the absolute goat
Immediately recognized Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust on the thumbnail and had to click on the video! I recently watched the full movie all the way through and it’s now absolutely one of my top recommendations. Gorgeous, atmospheric, and a wonderful blend of gothic vampires with sci-fi futuristic western. You can totally see how the series as a whole gained such an international following and went on to inspire many other works, including Castlevania! 🖤✨
Use code MB50 to get 50% OFF your first Factor box plus 20% off your next month of orders at bit.ly/3R5NQWN!
Forgot Brigadoon Marin Melan (2000) or Alien 9 (2001) the two pioneers of Cute Girls do horrifying things. Both of which definetely inspired the 2010s stuff like School Live, Madoka and Made in Abyss to do very similiar formula and even kinda visually pay tribute to those classics.
If you say it
I haven't seen Uzumaki what went wrong
@@jarrellfamily1422 well it was his bad animation
@joaquinvaleri7022 it looked very faithful to the manga from the trailer I saw especially compared to the previous adaptations of the manga-kas work
"Slutty Bruno Bucciarati costume" is like saying "tall giant" or "gaseous air", the adjective is implicit and thereby obsolete.
I disagree. It's more of an implied default, like green grass or blue sky.
Tautology
I kinda want to see what a non-slutty Bruno Bucciarati costume looks like
@@vxicepickxv Show me a non-slutty Bruno Bucciarati and i show you a non-Bucciarati Bruno.
@@sontypohnenamen5161It'd probably be some Spirit Halloween shit
lmao at the scooby-doo villain in the thumbnail
OH MY GOD IT'S BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED SCOOBY-DOO. AMAZING 1000/10 INCREDIBLE TASTE.
I was like "wait Goeff why are you showing Scooby Doo footage." And then it turned out there was a very good reason.
The fact that I reconized the zombie pirate in the thumbnail is disturbing.
lol I was definitely sitting there like “…is that Morgan Moonscar?”
I was sure there was no way he was free sing a Scooby Doo movie in an anime movie, and I was correct
HE RECOMMENDED TWO. And god damn, what good movies they are.
I ALSO WAS CONFUSED BY THE THUMBNAIL 😂😂😂😂. Like wait isn’t that from Scooby Doo 😂
Well, quite a shock (and an honour) for my film to be mentioned in the same video as the likes of the Devilman OVA and Lily Cat! I should mention though that it wasn't all done by me - Claudia Montealegre co-animated, directed and worked on it every day for six years with me. I'd still only be halfway through now if she hadn't!
What you said at the start of this video about it being really hard to make animation scary was something we debated a bit before we started making the Alien film... I can't really think of any anime that has scared me. I remember episode 2 of Tokyo Babylon having some Midnight Meat Train-aesthetic unnerving scenes when I watched it as a teenager at 3am one weekend, but that's about it really. I still wonder why that is. For instance, the eclipse scene in Berserk is incredible, but more awe-inspiring that scary.
Even if Kawajiri himself directed a 1:1 anime recreation of Jacob's Ladder, I'd probably be like "holy shit, the shading is so good" instead of letting my brain get spooked.
Apologies to Claudia for not giving her proper credit. It’s a mind bogglingly impressive piece of work on both of your parts!
As for the point about making animation scary, I think what it comes down to is the inability to make the viewer feel that visceral “that could
Jump out of the screen and get me” reaction (or “that could happen to me,” in the case of gore). About the only horror anime that’s ever genuinely frightened me as an adult is Shiki, and that hits entirely on a psychological level, due to how strong the writing is
Learning that Scooby Doo On Zombie Island was a Japanese production puts so much into perspective. Even as a kid, the aesthetic always looked a step apart from anything that came before or after. Like, it was more "gritty" and "adult", even though the hardest they go is zombies and catgirls. If anything the gang look so out-of-place. I guess that was why it was a regular rewatch.
Also SCHOOL LIVE MENTIONED, GRAAAAAAH!
Fun Fact: Scooby Doo was designed by Iwao Takamoto, who is Japanese despite working in western animation.
I binged Gakkou Gurashi today, and yeah, it was emotional and good in making a tense atmosphere which makes you really care for those fictional girls.
I'm so glad Mononoke is getting more eyes on it. I can't wait for the english release of the new movie. If you thought Mononoke's visuals are stunning, imagine what almost 20 years of animation advancement will do to it.
They're finally making more?!? I'm so excited! That anime scratches an aesthetic itch in my brain that few others can. I was always so sad that it never got more seasons.
@@kalilak9701 It looks like it’s going to be at least a trilogy of movies, based on the credit sequence. (a shrine tied with three ropes, with one falling to symbolize this first film.) The next one, Fire Rat, releases in Japan next spring
IM A HEX GIRL AND IM GONNA PUT A SPELL ON YOU
(Gonna put a spell on you)
"Three of the best best girls ever in the Hex Girls" - FUCKING YES. THANK YOU GEOFF, MAN OF TASTE AND CLASS OVER HERE.
To be fair, I do not know a person alive who does not like the Hex Girls. In the same way that Hotline Miami created a broader ripple effect of media adopting 80's aesthetics and soundscapes, you can trace a direct link between the Hex Girls and the modern love of goth girls, I am convinced of this.
@@0uttaS1TEplease elaborate on this if you can, I said something similar to my s/o a while ago and crave supporting evidence (and/or more anecdotal evidence!)
@@0uttaS1TEthey helped sure, but there's a lot of memorable clothes characters from childhoods
I believe that for animation to be scary, it has to play to one of the medium's strength: movement.
I think the creepiest thing to do with animation is to make movement unnatural. it seems to be a factor in most "creepy things from our childhood" examples that include animation.
This is exactly why stop motion horror often does a better job than animated horror when it comes to actually looking creepy
@@Tfbravenon horror stop motion is also scary
@@Limit02 I agree- but when it comes to non-live action horror? Stop motion does it much better than animated
While I think it can be done, it's becoming an "eat cereal with fork" situation. It's simply way more efficient to do it in live action. You want the uncanny feeling? Just hire an odd looking guy etc
@@nanardeurlambda It is less the movement and how the movement is used. Color, framing, and storyboards are also immensely important from the animator’s perspective while music can do a *ton* to help with the mood. What *isn’t* shown is also incredibly important and also something anime tends to forget. If you want a masterclass in how to do horror in anime right, watch the first scene in FMA2003.
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island and Witch's Ghost are perfect Halloween "anime" movies although Witch is more Thanksgiving themed because setting and theme plus giant Turkey.
zombie island, witch’s ghost, and cyberchase might be the best scooby doo movies ever
Witch's Ghost is Thanksgiving themed because I'm thankful for the Hex Girls
Hey, Canadian Thanksgiving's in October! Best of both worlds!
@@zeek803 Another great one is Moon Monster Madness. The monster is based on the Xenomorph from Alien.
So goddam glad Paranoia Agent is on the list. Satoshi Kon was taken from us too early, the man was a legend.
Paprika is such a masterpiece
Wait!? Satoshi Kon is dead!? When did that happen!?
@@elimDBZ too soon 😭😭
@@elimDBZ Back in 2010.
That Op is a banger.
Vampire hunted D has the most insane plot irrelevace to visual spectacle ratio I've ever seen. I basically sat with my jaw open the whole time I was watching but if you asked me what happened there I wouldn't be able to tell you. But in no way does that devalue the piece, it's so visually impressive and immersive I'd watch it again if anyone so much as mentions it in my hearing range
Goth club I occasionally go to will sometimes project Bloodlust on the wall during the night, it's great.
@@SomeplaceScary the goth club people know where it's at
@@shpostmile1510 The club host is a confirmed weeb bc they do an after party there when the local anime con happens, and he cosplays as sebastian from black butler, lmao
If you want to understand WTF is going on you read the novels, which are admittedly amazingly good in their genre context. The films are more or less true to their source material but prefer being absolute batshit spectacle as much as possible.
I was one those old otaku who grabbed Vampire Hunter D alongside the other dozen OAVs every early-90s video rental place had in stock--they were all like that. Akira was such a huge breakthrough for a few years in North America (and presumably also Japan) that all the distributors were looking for anything on a similar wavelength.
What, not even a passing mention of Ghost Stories? That shlock is practically MADE for this month!
Also it's comedy
I watch ghost stories and mieruko-chan every october lol.
I had just commented this when I saw your comment as well 😂
It needs no introduction. Too well known.
To be fair, given the title of the video, it's a longer time commitment as it's 20 episode series.
"Slutty Bruno Bucciarati"
You mean Bruno Bucciarati.
Nah, Bruno’s all business despite showing off his entire titty
Getting a text from my mom saying "Geoffie has a new video out!" really solidified for me just how much she's become a Geoff fan. The fact that she followed that up with, "let me know if there's any vampire horror with unfixable men" solidified for me that she has a type. I'm going to try to forget that fact.
This statement alone is scarier than any anime.
I would recommend Hellsing Ultimate to her, that's the definition of vampire horror with unfixable men
18:54
19:10
19:19
Bless you Geoff Thew, I always knew I could count on you to recommend Scooby Doo in an anime video.
I still stand by that Summertime Render, a small town horror series, is an updated take on a Junji Ito story
wait this take is kinda blowing my mind I’ve never thought about it that way but it’s so true
ok sold. ill look into it
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island mentioned! Terror Time has been stuck in my head for decades at this point.
Oh, good. So, not just me, then.
It hasn't been for me, I havent heard it in years, and yet I could hear it instantly in my mind the ment you named it.
You hear the screeching of an owl! You hear the wind begin to howl! You know there's zombies on! The! PROWL!!!
Cause it's TERROR TIME AGAIN
They got you RUNNIN' THROUGH THE NIGHT
I used to wake up super early and sneak on the TV while my parents were sleeping to catch Paranoia Agent on adult swim, creepy stuff!
I remember there being a late night anime thing on Sci-Fi (before it was Syfy) where I first saw Wicked City and Demon City Shinjuku.
The most scared of any anime I’ve ever been was FMA2003. Its use of body horror and dread in the first two episodes is still unmatched.
The blood curdling scream in that first episode haunts me.
Her “husband” being an amalgamation of chimera dropped my jaw when I first watched it all those years ago.
FMA 03 is legit scary the whole way through. Obviously it’s out of this video’s scope, being 51 (?) eps, but absolutely yes the body horror is so on point. And the cosmic horror of the gate imo hits so much harder than Brotherhood’s gate, which is a bit goofier. BH’s Truth is going “riddle me this little alchemist!” while 03’s gate just stands silently, unanswering, simply performing calculations with human lives, a mechanical oppression beyond comprehension. And the psychological horror of the main villain, just, everything she does (especially her objectification of other women) is so chilling. I could go on and on.. It’s so good
@@basilgum Oh yeah for sure but it gets the most emphasis in the first two episodes. There are times in the series where it won’t use horror so the moments are a lot more spread out.
@@KlldbyCuriosity Agreed, the Lior episodes are just so tightly written as a horror story. The way it builds up that tension with the repeating motif of birds and then how it culminates in this literal mockery of a person.. augh. Really really good stuff (and great foreshadowing too now that I think of it)
Gakkou Garashi is like the ultimate bait and switch. I was shook when I first saw it. I also recommend Summer Time Rendering if you want to more suspense in your spooky season.
The low-key Digital Corridor call-out straight into the Vampire Hunter D drop was pretty hot. I see you.
Gakkou Gurashi is so so SO Fucking Important to me to the point one of my first ever tattoos was a tribute to it and best girl Megu-nee. This series is so beautiful and I love it so much. Thank you for once again covering it since it was your “what’s in an OP?” Video that made me watch it initially.
Yeah it actually made me cry in the twelfth episode [specfically wheh Yuki is talking to the zombies through the school intercoms] and not a lot of media can do that.
@jadenbryant9283 Personally, I cry at media much easier than I'd like, but few things have made me cry as hard as Gakkou Gurashi has and still can. Getting the special edition box set was as much of a given as getting the tattoo I mentioned.
Who is Megu-nee? /ref
@@jadenbryant9283 School-Live! made me cry at more points than any other piece of media. Kei, Megu-nee, Taromaru... 🥹
@@WolfOfWalfas *drops cd player and water bottle*
The Promised Neverland is also a great watch for the psychological horror.
Just don’t go looking for season 2. It doesn’t exist, but you’re better off not searching for it trust me. But you could go read TPN manga, that’s great
I would argue that Promised Neverlend season 2, that definitely exists, is a perfect candidate for a horror watch. From what I've heard the season is just one giant murder.
the psychological horror of imagining a season 2
"Its your turn to wear the skull!"
"No fkinway man!" Classic potty-mouth teen dialogue
I was absolutely not prepared for school live, i had gotten reccomended it, told it was horror and put it in my watchlist, and forgot about it, then found it browsing my watchlist and didnt remember it was horror
Thats the perfect way to do it. Nice job!
School live changed me as a person
@@danieldiri2969
Made in Abyss will change you even more.
The fact that "Scooby Doo at Zombie Island" is a literal 90's OVA both baffles me and makes me happy
Technically more thriller than horror, "Monster" is the only anime that has given me actual horror-like dread. The direction, story, and atmosphere gelled perfectly for me. Couldn't get enough of it, and I became a Urasawa Naoki fan after the last episode.
I’d lump Aku No Hana in with that, wherein it’s much more unsettling and strange, sending chills up my spine though it’s more of a drama. Same director as Uzumaki and it’s got as good a vibe if not better than that first episode
@@squidpoequo7747 I remember a coworker recommending that to me. Thanks, will check it out :)
25:05 “I’m jeff a-choo..” it was right there man.
I mean, I will re-watch Devil Man Crybaby if i want my soul to be crushed...
I binge watched Devilman Crybaby while off my head on a 40° (104°) fever and associated meds, and I can remember shockingly little of the show beyond atmosphere. But I still remember that final scene shot for shot, and exactly what it felt like to experience. If that doesn't say something, I don't know what does.
You should watch Amon! Apocalypse of Devilman. That OVA was brutal
Dark Gathering was a surprisingly great, unsettling horror series.
If you wanted the Ghost Stories dub or Scooby-Doo to take ghost hunting way more seriously, especially in regards for the VERY bloody and VERY disturbing details of Japanese folklore and urban legends, this is definitely for you!
You included clips of it but I'll recommend it anyway: Another is a fantastic watch. I get people have their problems with the end reveal, but the first few episodes are genuinely creepy with some truly shocking and violent kills, all culminating in an absolutely bonkers final act.
School live is one of the most thrilling experiences I ever had watching an anime and I will never stop singing its praises. Please if anyone watching this hasn’t watched the first episode yet PLEASE PLEAAAASEEEEE watch it before watching the spoiler in the video I’m telling you the effect of the reveal cannot be explained in words.
Somehow, even though I watch lots of shows in this (spoiler) genre, this one was one of the ones that really got under my skin. I didn’t even manage to finish it cause I was so concerned about a certain character at the end
I just watched it, and I knew what kind of genre it was about. As long as you don't know the details, it's not a problem. But, YES, don't watch the section above!
22:00 MONONOKE MENTION HELL YEAH
ONE OF US!
ONE OF US!
ONE OF US!
Mononoke my beloved
GOAT anime
bro is an avid hazel watcher for sure
I definitely need to see Hunter D cause that is one o the most beautiful looking pieces I've ever seen.
And YES, Zombie Island mentioned! The first and yet still best Scooby Doo film, some great scares for kids, and 2 amazing songs.
Dark gathering is probably the best recent horror anime to come out.
Perfect Blue seriously upset me for quite a while, though it's not really horror. Ghost hunt and Another definitely has spooky moments
Yeah the Ghost Hunt bathtub jump scare was my first real introduction to anime jump scares. I can still recall it to this day.
We studied Perfect Blue in a class in college. Normally our professor gave a content warning before showing that particular film, but he wasn't able to make it to the screening and forgot to do it preemptively... We all walked home in groups from that one!
Dude the Scooby-Doo rec is perfect. Absolutely legendary.
GAKKOU GURASHI MENTIONED
Hi wootteo
@@LynnHermione hi army :D
Can we talk about how great it was when dubs got take the extra step and translate names in the spirit of the name rather than just a literal translation? Like, Little Slugger sounds so much better in English & evokes what it's trying to say better to an english audience not familiar with Japan than it would have had they just kept it Shonen Bat. Wish more of the modern dub market got to take similar liberties in translation as well. Lookin' at you Occult-kun lol.
Absolutely! I will forever go to bat, (hah,) for localization choices like that. I adore the old Working Designs dubs of the Lunar games, because their localizations just had so much charm.
Unfortunately, there's a not significant chunk of the weeb community that will work themselves into a foaming rage if you do anything but translate things as literally as possible.
@@Macabrellian one of those got a hold of localizing Miyazaki movies for the italian dub. It was embarassingly bad.
@@Macabrellian lol yeah I know, and most of those foamed weebs probably have never learned a second language or had to think about how translating feelings of a story to an outside culture works. Like, the Yuyu Hakusho & FLCL dubs would not be the same had they not taken that step to contextualize those character's actions & wants into terms an American audience would understand. And like, you can see that with Hakusho in the dub vs. sub where Yusuke reads like a pretty polite choir boy in the sub vs the angry punk he is in the dub and is supposed to be generally.
all these ova recommendations make me think of the recently-released hazel video on the topic. all great watches!
Geoff! Not to jump the gun, but will you be giving the Uzumaki adaptation its own dedicated video when it finishes airing? Super curious to hear your thoughts!
Also hope you feel better soon! 💙 get some rest funny basement man
Probably! That’s like the hardest whiplash an anime has ever given me
@@mothersbasement The Promised Neverland season 2 hurt me much more. Probably because I already had great expectations.
God. Paranoia Agent used to scare the absolute shit out of me as a kid. Whenever that intro kicked on, I had to change the channel. Good thing I'm an adult now and just hide under the covers when I watch it.
19:18 this explains why I really loved THOSE movies way more than the other Scooby Doo movies. Especially the animation
Holy shit, Satoshi Kon directed an anime? I actually had no idea, and all four of his movies are some of my favorites of all time. I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend.
...right after watching Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost again.
I love to introduce school-live as "Anime where nothing goes wrong and cute girls are happy."
People don't call me anymore...
Hey Geoff, been a fan for a short while. I appreciate your love of anime to the point of deconstructing anime into multiple achievable metrics, and I feel that an absolute classic of horror anime is Ghost Hunt, which slowly ramps up the impact until the final case. Don’t think the final case is their version of a “beach episode” either, because it’s designed to let you relax a little before pulling you right back in.
this video is how i find out that the yoshitaka amano prints i've been using as inspiration for my thesis are just illustrations for vampire hunter d
Is that Morgan Moonscar from Scooby Doo on Zombie Island?
(Double checks)
IT IS
Truly the best anime is Scooby Doo
Also also, I unironically love Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase
Mainly for nostalgia, but still
@@LittleTallMermaid2015 I was so depressed when I rewatched it a few years back and realized it was actually bad. Genuinely heartbreaking
@@Pokemonleafmon admittedly yeah
The best way I can describe it is it feels more like the video game came out first and they made the movie after as an advertisement without much thought
@@LittleTallMermaid2015 Well hey, if nothing else it did the whole "if you die in the video game you die in real life" thing waaay before Sword Art Online. Also I will always love the meta-ness of the Scooby gang teaming up with older school versions of themselves. It's such a fun concept.
Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost is my favorite Scooby Doo film.
The delivery and swiftness of "i dont give a shit" is perfection
bro monoke actually looks sick as hell are you kidding
also the "apothecary" from it looks hot
Scooby-Doo is my favorite anime! The Hex girls did uh, awaken something in young me for sure 😅
Oh man I remember watching Paranoia Agent, I think it had a slot on the late night Adult Swim anime block
Be warned the OP is an earworm and even the brief view of people laughing put it back in my head damn near 16 years later
so I had never heard of those Scooby Doo films before and I am gonna watch those tonight now lol, thanks for the awesome and unexpected rec!!
If you have a tolerance for old-school cheesiness *Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School* is also very cute. Definitely not as good as Zombie Island or Witch's Ghost but definitely a fun kids movie.
I’m so glad you included the English dub of Devilman. Back when crybaby came out, the old English dub was making the runs on twitter and it’s lived in my head rent free forevermore.
Whenever Geoff brings up US toons made by Japanese studios, I always wonder if he'd ever give his take on the fact that Rankin/Bass stop motion shows being anime. Not to mention how many great people are now forgotten in anime production from going uncredited. As pointed out in the video made by Bennett the Sage
18:45 didn't know those movies were animated in Japan! I suppose that tracks, but also that is still a bold move to put scooby doo first on an anime recommendation list... Lol
It's been probably 20, 25 years since I've seen Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, but as soon as I saw that "Get Out" being cut into the wall, I knew exactly what was coming.
And now I somehow have Terror Time stuck in my head, again.
Nice to see gakkou gurashi getting some love again, man I'm thirsting for that second season for almost a decade now.
My love of Vampire Hunter D (the graphic novels and audio books included) began with you and Bennett the Sage years ago discussing just how good and different that 2nd movie and its' book is. When I worked in a data center I would listen and relisten to those books; just damn good stuff! Thank you, G-Man (to ring back to DevilMan himself), for the hours you pour over and the recommendations.!
More people need to appreciate School-Live past the episode 1 twist. Too many complain that it "settles into kirarakei with horror going on in the background" when that's 1) an oversimplification and 2) the entire point. The people behind the conspiracy claimed that survival means discarding compassion and goodness, but that didn't get them far, while the club, in adapting to Yuki's delusions, learned to work together, reach out, and live and not just survive. Later in the manga they're put in contrast with other survivors because of this and end up saving and rebuilding society.
see I get what you're saying, but nothing you said sounds scary. like one could argue its scary how a girl could get trapped in a delusion to save her crumbling mental state, but thats not scary just sad, but then it ultimately becomes a good thing since it saves her friends too, as a horror, its still light on horror
Horror with a happy ending still exists, though if it's not what you're looking for that's one thing. Heck, Higurashi is horror with a happy ending where everyone learns about friendship and solidarity, and that's considered an anime and VN classic.
school live also takes the time to fully explore the implications of a twist. It's one thing to have a big reveal. It's another to sit with it an see what it means for everyone involved.
Literally stopped to watch it mid video and wow- I was not expecting it to get that freaking dark so quickly. It kinda reminds me of Madoku Magica. Anyways see you all when the series is over.
MONONOKE MENTION LETS GOOO!!!!! I literally rewatched it omw back from Japan on Oct 1st!!!!
So you have a list of top quick to watch horror animes, and you include Scooby Doo movies?!
Jeff, if you haven't proven yourself a man of culture before, this leaves no doubt. Great picks all around.
@mother’s basement you should watch Serial Experiments Lain you won’t regret it.
Good list! Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is gorgeous, Paranoia Agent was fascinating (though heads up for... Not technically CSA, but the young girl finding photos of herself, and the camera in her room...)
I agree with the first part of Devilman Crybaby, but hopefully the watch party winds down before you get into the gut-wrenching final arc. It's fantastic, but a devastating end to the night.
Didn't expect to see LilyCat or some of the other OVAs on here, but I only know them from the review show Anime Abandon, which is more criticism than recommendation.
And thanks for the Scooby-Doo recs too! I've never seen them through all the way, and didn't realize they were anime-adjacent!
The Cowboy Bebop movie is a fun mystery taking place at Halloween.
Happy Halloween! Hope your system can kick the cold's ass now!
Wow. I haven't thought of Lily C.A.T. for at least 25 years. It used to sit next to Ninja Scroll and Heavy Metal at the local Blockbuster.
I will not accept Scooby Doo Cyber Chase slander
I watched Lily cat some years ago on Halloween with some fellow members of an underwater basket weaving forum
Good times
3:05 to skip factor ad
Boogiepop phantom is one of the og horror anime that terrified me, sadly its been lost in the abyss of forgetten 90s anime
Bless you for mentioning Mononoke!
Another suggestion for Halloween; Kakurenbo is a 25 minute short movie about a boy looking for his sister after she disappeared during a game of hide and seek. It lead me down a path (online rp) that I love and am still doing 20 years later.
hope you feel better soon man and thanks for the vid!
Man. There aren't many shows, anime or otherwise, that have stayed with me like Paranoia Agent. It may be the most thought provoking anime I have ever seen. And nutty as fuck. lol. I LOVE your channel dude and your descriptions are hilarious. Great stuff.
As the video was getting longer, i was wondering "where's Mononoke? Don't say he doesn't recommend Mononoke!?"
But then you did. Thank you for recommending Mononoke, it's my go to Halloween anime (and if you're watching this video on TH-cam, you may not have search far to find it online 😉)
Bro recommended Scooby Doo On Zombie Island and I am all here for it. You go MB!
Funnily enough I just watched Paranoia Agent myself and yeah. Yeah big must watch. The big mystery feels a bit out of place if you’ve seen everything else Kon did, but the parts that feel like “ideas I had but couldn’t quite get a full movie out of” are astounding.
Uzumaki was such a fumble that even Dandadan horrified more people
Watch Ayakashi, you say? I’m sure there’s no way to get that instruction wrong
I SAW GAKKOU GARASHI IN THE THUMBNAIL AND CLICKED AS FAST AS I COULD.
Literally cosplayed Yuki back in middle school, I was obsessed.
DUDE those Scooby-Doo movies were so freaking good!
TF I just started watching Paranoia Agent and MB has it covered!
Update: Finished it and it is an exceptional commentary on escapism, victimhood, voyeurism, loneliness, desperation and many other things. Satoshi Kon wanted the viewers to grow up a little after watching this.
The only anime that's genuinely given me chills is otherside picnic, not gory at all but very eerie cosmic horror vibes
Halloween is my favorite and October my favorite month. I was looking for more spooky anime to watch during the season so far I watched Castlevania again which kinda fits in a way
thanks for the awesome recommendations!!! we hope you feel better soon
Holy shit, what a gold mine of halloween recommendations ✨ Thanks, MB!
20:24 I suddenly remember this movie for no reason in particular
The episode of Paranoia Agent with the 3 homeless people is one of my favorite episodes of anything ever. The show deserves so much more love.
Okay, the new title got me to click. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD ONE - I was gonna watch this vid later anyways (cuz I watch all your vids multiple times) but the new title made me think "ok I should check the vid out right now".
Great list! I have one other odd recommendation for kids: Digimon Ghost Game.
Yeah you couldn't finish the series in a night, but a lot of episodes could be watched stand alone. Honestly, if you're a Digimon fan and a horror fan, nearly all the episodes are horror tinged. Some surprisingly creepy for what I would consider a show for a younger audience.
I went to watch the first episode of that School life show after 3 seconds of hearing you talk about it.
The experienceof watching the episode KNOWING that there's a twist, but not knowing what the twist is, that was FIRE
I remember theorizing that the pink one was somehow seeing ghosts and this was a ghost story (it isn't), thinking there coulda been some kinda curse or something preventing them from leaving the school (there wasn't) etc, it was great
I also binged the whole show at once and I thought it eas pretty good 👍 Ion tend to like subtlety in the art I consume (gor complicated reasons), but the show is really subtle about the way it communicates some stuff about the characters' feelings and stuff.
I liked it a lot 👍
I watched it as it came out and that was a wild experience
One of the things close to the top of my list of “What I would do if I had a time machine” would be to do everything in my power to ensure the Devilman OVAs got finished, dub and all
I've never been able to handle horror films, as made clear by my fear of Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, and the live-action Scooby Doo as a kid. Good recs!
Might I also suggest Another, a series I watched in anime club where the deaths are so absurd they are laughable but the tone is spot-on eerie.
Hope you feel better bro, you are a treasure 🖤
Get well soon Geoff. Anyway, I still find Uzumaki’s 2nd episode disturbing even with the subpar animation, and I don’t know how the last 2 episodes will turn out. Also, I do consume some horror, even though I’m not a horror fan, so I don’t know how much horror anime I’ll be consuming. But, you did remind me that I have to get back to watching Devilman Crybaby.
Honestly, props to you for giving a segment to recommend Zombie Island. That film’s a classic.
Even bigger props to giving a recommendation for Paranoia Agent. I watched some of it while on a camping trip and I definitely need to finish my watch through now that the season is more appropriate. Satoshi Kon was the absolute goat
Immediately recognized Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust on the thumbnail and had to click on the video! I recently watched the full movie all the way through and it’s now absolutely one of my top recommendations. Gorgeous, atmospheric, and a wonderful blend of gothic vampires with sci-fi futuristic western. You can totally see how the series as a whole gained such an international following and went on to inspire many other works, including Castlevania! 🖤✨