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The Real Characters And History Of 'Vinland Saga'

Left: Young Thorfinn in Vinland Saga. Right: A painting of the real-life Thorfinn.

Image Source: CultureSlate

Vinland Saga is one of the most underrated anime released in the last decade. The anime is absolutely stunning, and the english dub cast are some of the best VAs ever. It is based on the manga, which was created by Makoto Yukimura and was released from April 2005 to July 2025. It follows the story of Thorfinn, who begins a journey of revenge at a very young age that leads him to different corners of northern Europe and into horrible situations. I can’t say much without spoiling it, but it is one the most interesting anime I have watched.

The story itself is fascinating and features many events and people that existed throughout history. Let’s take a look at the history present in Vinland Saga and explore the lives of some of the characters who were real. It is important to note that Yukimura did not intend for this manga to be historically accurate and instead was inspired by an old anime, Vicky the Viking. He used this to inspire the desire to create a Viking-based story and then used his personal experiences as well as real historical elements to create this masterpiece.  

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True History

A statue of Leif Erickson in the L’Anse aux Meadows in Canada.

Image Source: Adventure Canada

The anime takes place during the Viking conquest of the British Isles, which occurred in the early 1000s. There are two Icelandic texts referred to as the “Vinland Sagas:” The Saga of the Greenlanders and The Saga of Eric the Red. They were written between 1220 and 1280 AD, and they covered events that took place from 970 to 1030 AD.

Most of the characters featured in the anime came from these tales about Norse voyages to Vinland. It is believed that the land referred to as “Vinland” is eastern Canada, and that is due to Viking ruins that were discovered in L’Anse aux Meadows. It is thought that these ruins were possibly made by Leif and Thorfinn, both characters who are heavily featured in the anime. 

Leif Erickson

Left: Leif Erickson in Vinland Saga. Right: A statue of Leif Erickson.

Image Source: CultureSlate

Leif Erickson is a vital part of the Vinland Saga story because he is not only present for the action that is the catalyst for Thorfinn’s revenge, but he is also the only person who looks for Thorfinn after he leaves. If it were not for Leif in the anime, Thorfinn’s story may not have ever had an actual ending. In real life, Leif did not meet Thorfinn until he was an adult, and he was not a storyteller in the young man’s village.

He was an avid explorer who would tell the tales of his voyages to anyone who would listen. He voyaged to America in the year 1000 and would name many parts of the continent before making his way back to Greenland. It is believed by many historians that he was the first European to reach North America. 

Thorfinn

Image Source: CultureSlate

Thorfinn is the main character of the anime, and thankfully, he did not embark on a decades-long journey for revenge in real life. In the anime, Thorfinn watches as a close family member is murdered and he vows to kill the person regardless of what he loses along the way. He becomes a weapon used by the very person he has sworn to kill and ends up taking more lives than he can count.

In real life, Thorfinn Karlsefni was an avid explorer known for his voyages to Vinland. His father was named Thors, like in the anime, and he was a wealthy merchant, not a former warrior. Thorfinn would marry Leif’s former sister-in-law, and the two would have a child named Snorri, who is considered be the first European born in North America. 

Thorkell

Left: Thorkell the Tall in Vinland Saga. Right: A drawing of Thorkell the Tall.

Image Source: CultureSlate

Thorkell is not one of the main characters of the anime, but he is the character who we know the most about in real life. He was a prominent member of the Jomsvikings, which is heavily mentioned throughout the anime. He was present at two battles, the Battle of Huörungavágr in 986 and the Battle of Svolder in 999. In 1009, he was assigned to an army by King Sweyn Forbeard of Denmark (who is a character in the anime) to invade England.

He fought for the King for years before being named the Jarl of East Anglia by King Cnut (often Anglicised as Canute) the Great, son of King Sweyn. He only served in this position for a year before he disappeared from historical records. The anime covers almost 100% of these events and does a great job of exploring the important roles that Thorkell played in helping Denmark take over much of England. 

Prince/King Canute

Left: King Canute in Vinland Saga. Right: A painting of King Cnut.

Image Source: CultureSlate

Canute is easily the most hateable character in the anime which is interesting because in real life he wasn’t nearly as insufferable. The real Cnut was an avid warrior, and he was so talented that it was rumored he had actually been trained by Thorkell the Tall. He took part in many battles while his father was King, and there is no record that his father ever attempted to have him killed – nor did Cnut murder anyone to gain standing within his royal family.

When King Sweyn died, his brother Harald (briefly featured in the anime) was made King of Denmark. Cnut became King of England in 1016 after he had successfully conquered the majority of the country. He would eventually marry and have a child who would go on to become the next King of England and Denmark.

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Source(s): CBR, Medium

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The History Of Anime

Left: Astro Boy, 1963. Middle: Dragon Ball, 1986. Right: Kaiju No. 8, 2024.

Image Source: CultureSlate

Anime is currently one of the most popular types of content in the world. While it has been popular for decades thanks to things like Cartoon Network’s Toonami, which first aired in 1997 and brought shows like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, and Studio Ghibli, which partnered with Disney in 1996 to bring a new type of storytelling to American Fans. Thanks to social media, this art form has exploded in popularity over the last two to three years. While most people know that this art form comes predominantly from Japan and has been around for a long time, many people don’t know its history. Let’s take a look at the history of this incredible art form! 

Most anime is adapted from manga, but in recent years, this has become less true. Now, many anime are adapted from WebToons and light novels, with a few even being 100% original to the studio. Before there was anime, stories were told through illustrations on scrolls that were called otsu-e and originated in the city of Otsu in the 1600s. Then came the invention of woodblock artwork, which was called ukiyo-e, and in the 19th century, audiences began to get manga. The very first manga was called “The Animal Scrolls,” and it featured animals mimicking humans. By the 1800s, the West began to invade Japanese culture, and a British news correspondent, Charles Wirgman, created The Japan Punch. This magazine became incredibly popular and ran for roughly 25 years. He used a unique animation style that featured heavy use of word bubbles, which Japanese illustrators then began to use with their illustrations. These illustrations became known as ponchi (derived from the word “punch”), and this became what we now know as manga. 

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Left: 1961 movie poster for Magic Boy. Right: Movie Poster for Panda and the Magic Serpent.

Image Source: CultureSlate

Anime did not become popular until the 20th century, when Japanese audiences became more interested in cartoons both in magazines and books. This happened at the same time that the literacy rate in Japan began to rise. Live entertainment was already a large part of Japanese culture, with things like puppet shows, kabuki theater, and magic lantern shows being popular among audiences. In 1903, the first movie theater opened, and just four years later, the very first animated Japanese cartoon was created. It was called Katsudo Shashin and was only three seconds long. It featured a little boy in a sailor outfit who was writing out the words “Katsudo Shashin.”

It is unknown if this was ever shown in Japanese theaters. Unfortunately, foreign animation was the only thing shown in Japanese theaters until 1917, when the first Japanese-made animation hit theaters. It ran for a few minutes and was titled Nakamura Gatana “The Dull Sword” which was a comedy about a foolish Samurai buying a faulty sword with a dull blade. In the 1920s, the Japanese government began hiring filmmakers to create animated shorts that would be educational materials and propaganda to be shown throughout the country. The first anime studio, “Kitayama Movie Factory,” was founded in 1921 by Kitayama Seitaro, and within four years, there were 178 active movie theaters in the Tokyo area. Over the next three decades, anime would be used as a form of propaganda in favor of and opposition to war and foreign occupation of Japan. As war ravaged the country, anime themes would become darker, and apocalyptic stories would take hold.  

Anime we think of today was introduced in the 1960s when characters with exaggerated features became the norm in Japanese anime. In 1961, Japanese anime finally made its way into the United States with MGM studios releasing Toei Doga’s 1959 film Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke under the English name “Magic Boy.” His first film, Panda and the Magic Serpent, would be released in the US a little while later, with both films being a huge hit with American audiences. The first officially recognized television hit was Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, which hit television screens in 1963. This series is what launched the first anime frenzy in America. However, this was met with racism and skepticism by parents who were concerned about how these foreign shows would impact their children. This didn’t deter the younger generation from becoming obsessed, and by the 1970s you couldn’t talk about television without mentioning anime. The official “golden age” of anime would begin in 1980 with anime such as Dragon Ball being released and the founding of Studio Ghibli by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki. The release of Star Wars in 1977 also helped to shape this age of anime as much of the content that was released focused on space, aliens, and robots. This age of anime has shaped every piece of anime content that has been released since. 

Anime has flourished since the 1980s, even with the few lulls in its popularity. It is now a multi-billion-dollar brand thanks to massive hits such as the Dragon Ball franchise, Pokemon, and Sailor Moon. Anime has influenced everything from action films such as The Matrix to fashion trends seen on runways across the globe. The genre is constantly changing, and what was once a genre that seemed to focus mostly on space and action has now evolved into something that cannot be explained so simply. Anime is a lifestyle – it is a community of creatives and fans who come from all different walks of life and just want to share their passion with everyone. You can find anime that feature action and sci-fi, LGBTQIA+ representation, and even characters that have been reincarnated as vending machines and slime. The genre truly has something for everyone, and I am excited to see how it continues to evolve! 

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Top 10 English Dub Voice Actors

Anime

Image Source: IMDb

There is a serious discussion currently going on in the anime community, and that is whether the original audio or the dub is better. I love subtitled and dubbed anime, so it makes me sad that fans discourage others simply because of a language preference. If there is both a sub and dub option for a series, I will always go for the dub, but I have recently been really getting into series that only have subtitles as an option, and they are just as good as the dubs. Since dubs are my favorite and huge among anime fans, I wanted to shine a light on ten of the best English dub actors of all time. 

10. Colleen Clinkenbeard

Colleen Clinkenbeard

Image Source: CultureSlate

Colleen has hundreds of anime credits under her belt. She has voiced characters such as Princess Hibana in Fire Force, Momo Yaoyorozu in My Hero Academia, and Mai in Dragon Ball Super. While these are all incredible characters, she is most notably known for voicing Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece. These characters are all completely different from each other and show how much range she has as a voice actor. 

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9. Sarah Wiedenheft

Sarah Wiedenheft

Image Source: CultureSlate

I feel like Sarah Wiedenheft is one of the most unknown voice actors on this list. She has plenty of anime credits under her belt, but she just isn’t talked about as much as I think she should be. She has voiced characters such as Suika in Dr. Stone, Tohru in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and Charmy Pappitson in Black Clover. She is most known for voicing Power in Chainsaw Man, which was when her voice first really grabbed the attention of the mainstream audience. Over her career, she has voiced many background characters and side characters, but more recently, she has started getting to voice larger roles. Her voice is perfect for the hyperactive character that is either a villain or a character that doesn’t really fit any stereotype. 

8. Eric Vale

Eric Vale

Image Source: CultureSlate

Eric Vale is an absolute legend in the English dub voice acting world. It would be impossible to pick which character he is most known for because he has been just about everywhere. He has voiced Sanji in One Piece, Future Trunks in the Dragon Ball franchise since 1992, Yuki Soma in Fruits Basket, and Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia. His range is incredible, and you sometimes miss that he is voicing a character because it sounds so different from his most notable roles like Future Trunks.

7. Bryce Papenbrook

Bryce Papenbrook

Image Source: CultureSlate

Bryce Papenbrook is one of my favorite voice actors because he typically plays the unhinged characters in anime. He has the ability to create characters that shout almost everything they say, and yet it works and never becomes annoying. He has voiced characters such as Kanta Higurashi in Zom 100, Meliodas in The Seven Deadly Sins, and Kirito in Sword Art Online. He is most notably known for voicing Inosuke Hashibira in Demon Slayer and Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan. 

6. Monica Rial

Monica Rial

Image Source: CultureSlate

I love Monica Rial and her ability to voice high-pitched characters. Anime is full of characters that have higher voices, but they typically grow out of those voices throughout the show. Monica Rial voices characters that keep that voice for the entirety of their series, and it is truly a feat. She has voiced characters such as Tsuyu Asui in My Hero Academia, Asirpa in Golden Kamuy, and Mitty in Made in Abyss. She is most notably known for voicing Bulma in Dragon Ball Z Kai and all future projects. 

5. Justin Briner

Justin Briner

Image Source: CultureSlate

Justin Briner is a unique voice actor because he always sounds exactly the same regardless of the character he is voicing. This would typically be a negative, but he always voices characters that fit that type of voice perfectly, making it always work out. He has voiced characters such as Ginro in Dr. Stone, Hanako in Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, and Yoo Jin-ho in Solo Leveling. He is most notably known for voicing Izuku Midoriya in My Hero Academia

4. Aleks Le

Aleks Le

Image Source: CultureSlate

Aleks Le has really taken the anime world by storm this year, and it is easy to see why. He has an incredible ability to go from voicing a soft and shy character to voicing the most domineering and powerful character in the world. This is an incredible talent to have in English dub voice acting, and I am excited to see where it takes him. He has voiced characters such as Nagumo in Sakamoto Days, Jin ‘Jiji’ Enjoji in Dandadan, and Lui Bei in Record of Ragnarok. He is most notably known for voicing Thorfinn in Vinland Saga, Zenitsu Agatsuma in Demon Slayer, Mash Burnedead in Mashle: Magic and Muscles, and most recently, Jin-woo Sung in Solo Leveling. 

3. Ian Sinclair

Ian Sinclair

Image Source: CultureSlate

Ian Sinclair is another one of my very favorite voice actors. He is a one-of-a-kind voice actor, and his ability to switch from high-pitched and loud characters to terrifying deep deep-voiced characters is incredible. He has voiced characters such as Tsukasa Shishio in Dr. Stone, Jong-in Choi in Solo Leveling, and Magna Swing in Black Clover. He is most notably known for voicing Brook in One Piece, Whis in Dragon Ball Super, and the Narrator in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. 

2. Alexis Tipton

Alexis Tipton

Image Source: CultureSlate

Alexis Tipton is the most talented female English dub voice actor around. Similarly to Justin Briner, she always has the same voice, but it works perfectly for the characters she voices. She also has the ability to change the tone of the voice she uses, so she can voice happy-go-lucky characters and serious, domineering characters all with the same voice! She has voiced characters such as Iris in Fire Force, young Trunks and Gotenks in Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima, and Zina Boyd in How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?. She is most notably known for voicing Mei Hatsume in My Hero Academia and Kaguya Shinomiya in Kaguya-sama Love is War.

1. Christopher Sabat

Christopher Sabat

Image Source: CultureSlate

If you are any level of anime fan, then you know this man’s voice. He has so much range that sometimes you can immediately tell that it is him, but other times you won’t have any idea until you look it up. He is by far my very favorite voice actor, and that is regardless of the type of voice acting. Similarly to Eric Vale, it would be impossible to list what he is known for because he is literally everywhere! He has voiced characters such as Piccolo, Vegeta, Korin, Shenron, and multiple other characters in the Dragon Ball franchise, All Might in My Hero Academia, Yoon-ho Baek in Solo Leveling, Yami Sukihiro in Black Clover, Roronoa Zoro in One Piece, and Ayame Soma in Fruits Basket. 

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The Most Beautiful Anime You've Never Heard Of

Violet Evergarden

Image Source: IMDb

One of the most unique aspects of anime is how stunning the animation is. With Western-made animation, the focus is not typically on the backgrounds and side characters but rather on the main characters and the action sequences. While Japanese anime artists obviously focus on main characters and action sequences as well, they have the unique talent of creating backgrounds and side characters that are just as impressive as the main focal points of the series. There are few anime that can perfectly balance breathtaking animation style with incredible writing, directing, and vocal talents, but Netflix’s Violet Evergarden does just that, and it is a shame that more people are not talking about it. 

The series is based on the light novel series of the same name written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. It was published by Kyoto Animation under their imprint KA Esuma Bunko, and ran for four volumes from December 25, 2015 - March 27, 2020. The series was done by Kyoto Animation, written by Reiko Yoshida, and directed by Taichi Ishidate and Haruka Fujita. It ran from January 11, 2018 - April 5, 2018, and featured 13 episodes plus an OVA. The series also has two films, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll which was released in 2019, and Violet Evergarden: The Movie which was released in 2020. 

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Violet Evergarden

Image Source: IMDb

The series follows a woman named Violet Evergarden who is an ex-soldier recovering from her most recent battle. During this battle, she lost both of her arms and was separated from The Major. During the first half of the series, she is attempting to assimilate into society, but she is struggling with the fact that she has never known anything but following orders and violence. Even as a child, she was considered a trained weapon and was not treated as a child. This makes communicating with those around her difficult because she does not understand normal social cues or how to do anything without being ordered. She chooses to become an Auto-Memories Doll which is a ghostwriter that helps people write letters filled with deep emotions that they could not find a way to express themselves. These Dolls will travel anywhere in the world to complete their assignments, and Violet takes this promise to the extreme later in the series. During her time as a Doll, she learns what emotions are, how to show them, and how to talk with people in a way that is not so literal. Eventually, she is forced to learn the truth about what happened during her final battle and where The Major is now. The focus of this series is on Violet’s determination and journey to discover what The Major’s last words to her meant. 

The series is not only stunningly beautiful with its character design and setting, but the color choices are something straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. Each scene is perfectly colored to reflect not only the location but also the emotions that are being felt and/or shown in that moment. Even the battle sequences are stunningly beautiful. The writing in this series is the best I have seen in any anime series or film. It expresses emotions in a way that you can actually feel through the screen, and every single word that is spoken means something. Violet’s character design makes her look like an actual doll, and at first glance, you would think that she is an incredibly fragile character. When you learn about her past and the pain she has gone through, you realize that she is far from fragile. This series feels like more than just an anime series, and it will have you in tears during almost every episode. 

Violet Evergarden, its OVA, and its two films are available to stream on Netflix

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Source(s): IMDb

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Breaking Down The Main Anime Genres

Anime character

Image Source: IMDb

It is no secret that anime and manga have taken the West by storm over the last few years. While anime was huge here in the 90s and early to mid-2000s, it had seemed to drop off in popularity. The Covid-19 pandemic saw many people have more time on their hands, and it saw the boom of TikTok which is a platform that many anime fans have joined looking for other anime fans to connect with. Thanks to these factors and the fact that new anime is just better than it has been over the last decade, there are a lot of new anime fans. As anime continues to grow in popularity here in the West, it can get difficult to understand the different anime genres, 

especially if you are talking with a seasoned anime fan who uses words like “shoujo” or “shounen.” While anime is broken down into genres such as romance, fantasy, horror, and action, it is typically labeled with a different genre first. This genre lets people know what age group the anime or manga is intended for and then it will be categorized by one of the more common genres I listed above. In the past, there were five main categories of anime: shoujo, shounen, seinen, josei, and kodomomuke. Josei and kodomomuke are no longer widely used genres, so for this list, I will be breaking down the modern big five genres that are listed on most streaming services. 

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Shounen

Shounen

Image Source: IMDb

Shounen, or Shonen, is by far the most widely known anime genre as it contains many of the most popular anime series. It is also the oldest genre of anime and manga.  This genre is content that was created for young male audiences typically in the 12-18 years old age range. They are typically defined by their action sequences, character growth, rivalry-focused plots, and a clear good vs evil format. Modern anime series have begun to change these characteristics though and are creating a new age of Shounen content. 

Popular Examples: Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Chainsaw Man, Fire Force, and My Hero Academia. 

Shoujo

Shoujo

Image Source: IMDb

Shoujo, or Shojo, is the second most widely known genre, and that is because it is the exact opposite of the Shounen genre. This genre is content that was created for young female audiences and focuses on themes like friendship, romance, and character growth. The leads in this genre of content are typically young women who are forced to navigate their emotions and difficult situations. This genre has been growing in popularity recently as more anime creators and mangakas have begun to push the boundaries of this genre. 

Popular Examples: Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, The Apothecary Diaries, Yona of the Dawn, My Happy Marriage, and Nana. 

Seinen

Seinen

Image Source: IMDb

Seinen is by far the least well-known genre on this list, and that is because it was considered more taboo than the other genres. This genre is content that was created for adult male audiences and makes sure that its content reflects that. The genre typically features stories similar to those in Shounen anime and manga, but the focus is on the violence, psychological impact on the characters, and overall darker themes rather than on battles and supernatural power-ups. The protagonists are also typically a bit older than those in the other genres. 

Popular Examples: Vinland Saga, Tokyo Ghoul, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Classroom of the Elite, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War

If you are thinking to yourself that many of the anime you love could fit into multiple of the above genres then you’re not alone. Since these genres are focused on audience demographics and not content alone there are plenty of hybrid anime and manga that fall somewhere in the middle. The last two genres that I am including are two of the newest ways that streaming services have begun to categorize content on their platforms. They are focused on content rather than audience demographics, so they can be a bit easier to navigate. 

Isekai

Isekai

The word isekai directly translates to “other world” or “differently world” which is exactly what this genre is. Every anime included within this genre features at least one character who is transported to a different world. Typically, this is a fantasy-style world with magic and fictional creatures, but there are a few where the character or characters are transported to another version of the real world. There are also a few anime in this genre where the character is reincarnated into a different world. The most common trope within this genre is a weak protagonist who gains incredible skills once they are transported/reincarnated where they get a chance to be the hero of the story. 

Popular Examples: Suicide Squad Isekai, Farming Life in Another World, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Sword Art Online, and Re:Zero. 

Slice Of Life

Slice Of Life

Image Source: IMDb

Slice of Life is one of my favorite genres of anime because anime within this genre are typically comfort animes. Every anime in this genre follows the “mundane” life of the main character or core group of characters. Mundane life is subjective because when these are set in fantasy worlds their version of mundane is pretty different from ours. The protagonists in these anime are typically working towards a goal or working on a relationship which could be platonic or romantic. 

Popular Examples: My Dress Up Darling, OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She’s Saying, BOCCHI THE ROCK!, Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You A Wizard?!, Call of the Night, and Jellyfish Can’t Swim at Night. 

While the anime mentioned in this article are spread across streaming platforms they are all available for streaming.

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Top 5 Horror Anime

Anime horror

Image Source: IMDb

Anime popularity has boomed over the last few years thanks to TikTok spreading the word about lesser-known series and so many new and incredible series. Most anime conversations revolve around series like Dragon Ball, Naruto, My Hero Academia, and One Piece, while the horror subgenre of anime is almost completely absent. However, series like Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen have helped the subgenre to get a little bit more attention, and still, there are so many incredible series that are completely missed. Let’s take a look at five of the best horror anime series currently available to stream. 

Quick Note: Horror anime can be incredibly difficult to find, so I only included ones that you can find on streaming platforms. It also should be noted that horror anime can be incredibly graphic, so please check the synopsis before watching! 

5. Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead (2023)

Image Source: IMDb

Zom 100 is one of my favorite anime series of all time, and the only reason it isn’t number one on this list is that I do believe that there are some better horror anime series. This show follows Akira Tendô as he navigates the zombie apocalypse. While this might sound just like every other zombie apocalypse film/show, it really isn’t. Not only do the creators of the show use bright colors rather than the darker colors we are used to, but the overall tone of the show is actually really upbeat and happy. Akira is ecstatic that there has been a zombie apocalypse and spends his time creating a bucket list of things he wants to do before he becomes a zombie. 

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is available to stream on Crunchyroll in both Japanese and English. 

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4. Higurashi: When They Cry- GOU (2020-2021)

Higurashi

Image Source: IMDb

I want to be completely transparent when I say that this show is not for the faint of heart. I have never seen a show with so much blood, and while I love this show, it does not have a ton of rewatchability because of how bleak it is by the end. There are also multiple different versions of the show that have been coming out since 2006, but if you watch the series labeled “GOU” then you will have the most book-accurate and most recent version of the show. The series follows Keiichi, who has just moved to the quiet village of Hinamizawa. He makes friends quickly but can’t kick an overwhelming sense of dread. 

Higurashi: When They Cry- GOU is available to stream on Crunchyroll in both Japanese and English. 

3. Erased (2016)

Erased

Image Source: IMDb

Erased is the least gory series on this list, so if you want a horror anime with minimal blood, then this one's for you! The show follows a struggling manga artist named Satoru who is struggling to make a name for himself. He is also living with an ability that no one knows about – he is forced to travel back in time to the moment right before a life-threatening event occurs. He can only stop this if the source of the threat is erased. This show is amazing and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the conclusion. 

Erased is available to stream on Crunchyroll in Japanese and on Hulu in English. 

2. Another (2012)

Another

Image Source: IMDb

This was one of the most interesting horror anime series I have ever watched. The show follows a high school student named Kouichi who has just moved to Yomiyama to live with his grandparents. He is quickly hospitalized, and when he finally makes it to his new school, he learns that his class and the school have been hiding a dark secret since the spring of 1998. This show is perfectly paced, and it kept me guessing until the final twist, which is really rare. 

Another is available to stream on Crunchyroll in Japanese. 

1. King’s Game (2017)

King's Game

Image Source: IMDb

King’s Game is another series that is incredibly graphic with its violence, so make sure that you go into it prepared. I loved this show, and while I hated the ending, it is definitely the most original horror series I have ever seen. The show follows Kanazawa, who has just transferred to a new high school after a horrible event took place at his last one. Unfortunately, tragedy has followed him, and soon he and his classmates are getting text messages from “The King”. Each message includes a command that is designated to specific students. If the students do not do what they are told, then they will suffer a punishment. The commands and the punishments continue to get worse as the show goes on, and the students race against time to discover the true identity of The King. 

King’s Game is available to stream on Crunchyroll in English. 

Honorable Mentions: Junji Ito’s Collection & Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2018 & 2023)

Junji Ito

Image Source: IMDb

I don’t usually include honorable mentions in my list, but I had to for this one. Junji Ito is a mangaka known as the master of Japanese horror. Most recently, his manga, Uzumaki was turned into an anime that ran on Adult Swim. Both Netflix and Crunchyroll have created anime series that are collections of some of his scariest stories. If you love horror, then you definitely need to check out these collections!

Collection is available to stream on Crunchyroll, and Tales of the Macabre is available to stream on Netflix, and both have a dub. You can also stream Uzumaki on Max.

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