(Originally posted on Twitter)

Or more like, a list of some horror manga I love lol.

Disclaimer: ofc this is up to my taste, others might not share the same liking and that's fine! I just feel like sharing them.

Foreword: Generally, the kind of horror I love can be described as "mundane yet terrifying aspects of life", such as urban legends of a school, hospital, apartments, etc. So you'll see it a lot here.

1. Dark Gathering

In a nutshell, Pokemon but with ghosts. Explore haunted spots, fight and collect ghosts! It's packed with terrifying moments, scary ghosts, and action with superb artwork.

Anime adaptation ongoing this season!

2. I Want to Hold Aono-kun so Badly I Could Die

A very effective and amazing combination of horror and romance. It deals with heavy topics, coupled with disturbing ghostly horror elements, but it's also a story filled with hope and warmth that make you care about the characters.

3. Otherside Picnic

Based on a light novel with a meh anime adaptation. It explores Japanese urban legends (e.g Kisaragi Station, kotoribako, etc) and humans' fear of the unknown. Pretty heavy in action, but no less terrifying. Bonus points for great characters and yuri.

4. Ghost Hunt

Old but gold, based on a novel.

It has a different approach to the supernatural. The horror is top-notch, each arcs are uniquely terrifying. The core mystery is amazingly well-done. The characters are charming. A work I still love after so many years.

5. Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai

Kaya is similar to Yayoi (Dark Gathering), but she punches ghosts and it's a sight to see. The atmosphere is similar to Mieruko-chan. The ghosts are terrifying and the stakes only keep getting higher. There's also an intriguing mystery surrounding Kaya.

6. Shibito no Koe wo Kiku ga Yoi

Uguisu Sachiko my beloved. More episodic in nature and surreal than the rest of manga in this list. It indulges in the bizarre and horrifying supernatural elements and gore, with a healthy dose of black comedy and charming artwork.

7. Shishou Series

Based on a series of web short stories (also collected into a book). This work embodies the life of an occult fan back in the day and the horrors of "mundane yet terrifying aspects of life". I admit it's not for everyone, but I love it very much.

It's published in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo as "Shisho Series", complete in 7 volumes. No English translation is known except the text form by Saya in Underworld as "Master Series". Apparently, a Korean translation exists too, but I don't know the details. I heard it from my Korean friend.

8. (Bonus) Phenomeno

Light novel with the 1st chapter adapted into a free visual novel by Nitroplus. It has a similar vibe as Shishou Series, but it goes further with exploring the horrors of buildings - something I never thought or saw before. Yet it is no less terrifying.

Combine intriguing and genuinely terrifying horror-mystery with a charming, quirky girl and her straight man (the protagonist), it's a very fun read.

Also, this must be said: Yoshitoshi ABe's arwork is GORGEOUS.

There are a few more on mind, but I think that's all for now! Whew, that took me a while to write. 😂 I might be more passionate about horror and urban legends than I thought, huh...?

Anyway, I'd be happy if anyone checks these manga out. Better yet if they enjoy it!