With Halloween just around the corner, it's not surprising how horror has become increasingly sought-after, as witnessed in the recent string of frightening movies and TV series. For individuals with a weak stomach for audio-visual horror, literature like horror-themed manga (Japanese comic books or graphic novels) may suffice but not without leaving readers either with an appetite for more—or neutralizing it completely.

Many horror fans wait in trepidation and anticipation for the release of Netflix's Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre until January 2023. Nevertheless, why not indulge in these alternatives that not only offer Junji Ito's renowned body and cosmic horror but subgenres, including hostile zombie attacks, fiendish ghouls, and sadistic-masochistic displays of violence...to name a few.

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'Tomie'

Tomie manga

Best known to fans for forcing victims into unexplainable, ill-natured circumstances, Ito's name is often the most cited when it comes to the horror genre in the manga world. With a celebrated oeuvre from Uzumaki to Gyo, Ito's debut story about a mysterious and beautiful succubus is nothing short of outstanding, even garnering a cult following that has led to a live-action film series adaptation with eight installments to date.

Tomie starts with the untimely demise of high school student Tomie Kawakami, whose radiant and entrancing demeanor has been cut short by a gruesome murder. While her classmates are mourning her loss, Tomie strolls into the classroom, totally unharmed, much to everyone's surprise, sparking many rumors surrounding Tomie, who drives people into violent rages through psychological manipulation.

'Homunculus'

Homunculus manga

Will you let a stranger drill a hole in your skull for 700,000 yen (almost 5000 USD)? After initially reluctant to participate, a 34-year-old homeless man, Susumu Nakoshi, feels compelled to accept the offer after having his only possession, his car, towed away.

Based on a surgical intervention concept known as trepanation, the fictional procedure has an alarming effect on Susumu, where he begins to see distorted visages of human beings called homunculi. Containing realistic yet absurdly otherworldly art in addition to a bunch of WTF moments, Hideo Yamamoto's Homunculus is a psychological horror manga catered to a mature audience interested in the sixth sense and exploring the dualities of humanity.

'Berserk'

Berserk manga

One of the most critically acclaimed and immensely popular manga ever released, Kentaro Miura's Berserk follows the journey of Guts, a lone wolf warrior feared by many for his menacing nickname "The Black Swordsman." After surviving a tumultuous childhood, and endless encounters with death and malice while facing betrayals by comrades, the manga depicts Gut's transformative journey of self-discovery, love, and vengeance as he fights against demonic beings that are endlessly pursuing him.

Inspired by the European medieval milieu and dark fantasy genres, Miura's groundbreaking manga series is often compared to a Greek tragedy. While many have praised its elaborate ethereal artwork and storyline comprising intricate character development and taboo subjects, Berserk may be a brutal manga to read through if you're accustomed to believing that the world is solely black and white.

'Franken Fran'

Franken Fran manga

Franken Fran will fulfill your wishes if you ever envisioned a world where Frankenstein's monster is female. In this supernatural dark comedy manga written and illustrated by Katsuhisa Kigitsu, Fran Madariki is the protagonist and the world's most famous surgeon, Dr. Naomitsu Madaraki's daughter.

Not related by blood, Fran is instead Dr. Madaraki's greatest masterpiece and, like her father, is passionate about engaging in newfangled and objectively risky surgical procedures requested by various peculiar clients. Fully understanding her innate talent for inventing grotesque creations that scream body horror, Fran's unique moral compass always entices readers in this Kafkaesque-style horror comic.

'Warped'

Ibitsu manga

Warped, better known by its Japanese title Ibitsu exemplifies the creepiness exuded by "lolitas." Similar to another Japanese urban legend, "The Slit-Mouthed Woman," this twisted horror manga revolves around the myth "The Strange Lolita," where a girl dressed in grubby lolita fashion clothing will appear before you at midnight and ask you a question that you should never answer.

Unbeknownst to the protagonist Kazuki Itou, he unknowingly answers the question, and before he knows it, he is stalked by the strange girl. Be it at school or in his home; the demon lolita is determined to abide by Kazuki's unintentional response.

'I Am a Hero'

I Am A Hero manga

Zombies have always been a commercially-successful subgenre of horror, so it's no surprise that Kengo Hanazwa's I Am a Hero has become a monstrous hit both in Japan and worldwide, even spawning an amazing live-action adaptation and spin-offs.

When the world is invaded and infested by a contagious and aggression-inducing disease called ZQN, 35-year-old manga assistant Hideo Suzuki becomes like a tragic main character entrapped in an apocalyptic world of homicidal zombies who are itching to get a bite of human flesh. Armed with a shotgun and an infected hand due to his infected girlfriend, Hideo will do anything to survive despite his paranoid behavior and skepticism of survivors he meets along the way.

'Blood on the Tracks'

Blood on the Tracks manga

Psycho meets Mommie Dearest, Blood on the Tracks witnesses how overprotective motherly affection can lead to gaslighting, Stockholm syndrome, and, worst of all, ghastly murders.

Shuzo Oshimi's psychological horror manga sees middle school student Seiichi Osabe as he engages in seemingly mundane activities befitting a teenage boy. In distressingly upfront close-ups and emotionally detached art style, Seiichi's serene life takes a dark turn when he realizes just how domineering and emotionally manipulative his mother is when it comes to maintaining the familial bond.

As the Gods Will

As The Gods Will manga

Thanks to the astonishing success of the South Korean drama Squid Game, the popularity of deadly survival game films and shows has soared to new heights. For fans of the sub-genre, Muneyuki Kaneshiro's As the Gods Will will no doubt blow anyone's mind with its graphic depictions of barbarity and unique and entertaining games that bet on the vulnerability of human lives.

Ordinary high school student Takahata Shun is forced to participate in a series of children's games with deadly stakes. Possessing no knowledge about the mastermind behind these twisted entertainment programs, Takahata can only depend on his astute wit and cooperation with other students to stay alive, even if it means at the expense of a few lives lost.

'Me and the Devil Blues'

Me and the Devil Blues manga

A spine-chilling reinterpretation of the life and career of blues singer Robert Johnson, legend has it that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Mississippi in exchange for fame and success in his career.

Akira Hiramoto's Me and the Devil Blues may tackle subjects unfamiliar to Japanese audiences, such as Western mythologies, in addition to its adoption of a looser narrative structure. Nonetheless, the psychological supernatural manga is brimming with stunning surrealistic imagery that constantly makes readers question the factuality of the events that supposedly took place in the 1930s.

'Ichi the Killer'

Ichi The Killer manga

Japanese film vanguardist Takashi Miike is perhaps best known to worldwide audiences with Asian horror films like Audition and Ichi the Killer, the latter of which is based on Yamamoto's popular manga series of the same title that was released in 1993.

If viewers think Miike's reworking of Ichi The Killer is extremely disturbing with its ostentatious display of inhumanity, sexual exploitation, and ineffable kinks that are borderline repulsive, the original manga hams up everything that audiences find to be abhorrent with exaggerated expressions and the introduction of more demented characters engaging in questionable acts. Exploring the nature of sadomasochistic dynamics between wimpy hitman Ichi and impassive yakuza boss Kakihara, violence is just a stepping stone for both parties to achieve their ultimate fantasies.

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