5 Anime Shows Perfect for A Halloween Watch Party

It’s that time again when you can’t flip on the television without seeing a horror movie or Halloween special. One of these things is constantly on in my house, and right there with them is the constant streaming of some of my favorite horror anime. If you’re looking for something to set the mood or even a new show to enjoy here are my recommendations for the best anime to watch in October.

1. Another

Another is a great horror / mystery anime that keeps you guessing until the very end. The story centers around a boy named Kouichi who transfers into a cursed Middle School Class that hosts a mysterious ghost student every year. The students must figure out how to break the curse as one by one they suffer gruesome deaths. The show is a guessing game as the viewer tries to figure out who is the ghost student and the mystery behind the curse. It stands out by the Final Destination like deaths that will haunt your nightmares after watching it. Only 12 episodes long you can watch Another on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

2. Highschool of the Dead

I’m not really a fan of Highschool of the Dead but it is a fun zombie anime when it isn’t busy riddled with ridiculous fan service scenes. But even that is part of the “charm” of HotD, it reminds me a lot of old B horror films with busty women hacking away at zombies while death is just a step behind them. HotD has some legit horrific scenes and does zombies well, but it keeps the characters in High School stereotypes that takes a bit of the human factor out of the series. Point is, if you want a zombie hack and slash show this is worth a shot. You can watch it on Hulu.

3. Witch Hunter Robin

This one airs more on the side of supernatural suspense and less on gruesome effects then the other shows on this list. Witch Hunter Robin is a solid show with a plot that compels the viewer to keep watching. As you can guess it deals a lot with witches but it also has an overall gothic feel that makes it perfect for a fall time watch. It centers around a woman named Robin who uses her craft of fire to hunt witches. The show starts with a formulaic freak of the week episode styling but later develops into much more when Robin begins to question her job. Unfortunately it isn’t available on any streaming sites I know about, but if the opportunity arises rent the DVDs and watch this show.

 

4. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (When They Cry)

Higurashi is one of the most twisted and bizarre horror animes I’ve ever watched, but it’s a classic for a reason. The show is done in a series of mini stories featuring the same characters but facing different horrible circumstances with a different girl in the center of it. In the center of it all is a boy named Keiichi and a group of girls who become his friends. The layout of different mini stories worked well for the original visual novel the anime was based on.  It offers numerous mysteries and few answers but the stories are a fascinating look at the human psyche and overall… they’re just freaky.

5. Ghost Stories

One of my personal favorites that I watch throughout the year but especially on Halloween. Ghost Stories is an anime meant to teach Yokai stories to Japanese kids but it did terrible in ratings, mostly because the stories didn’t make sense and some were too scary for the target audience. However the English version is nothing but jokes, this is on the lighter side of Halloween Animes and you should only watch the Dub. Unfortunately you can’t find this on Hulu or Crunchyroll, I found the DVDs at a Con and never hesitated in buying them but some of the episodes can be found on Youtube.

Do you have a scary Anime that didn’t make this list? Let me know what you guys watch during the Halloween Season.