A Guide to Dark / Horror Manga

[@nickweigel4598]

I actually read an interview regarding Junji Ito and it was said that his works don’t have character development because he wants the story to be centered around the environment and situation he has created rather than the characters going through it. The characters are just meant to be a lens that we can look through ☺️

[@nadianadia4867]

that's why I like reading Junji Ito's works. No complex plots, characters or points/problems that author wants to address, just pure horror. His stories really reminds me of old time fairytales where horrible stuff happen just because they happen

[@felipest6926]

That really comes across

[@bunny-ic2qf]

@@nadianadia4867 actually, alot of itos works have critiques of japanese society

[@codybarlik4524]

@@bunny-ic2qf I love how a lot of his works are centered on those societal critiques, but then some of his work is like “yeah one time I went to a used record store and listened to some scat!”

[@Liliquan]

@@nadianadia4867 People who read Ito superficially are superficial.

[@classicketchup8820]

"this phenomenon of being immortal where everyone around u just ages" ok but why does it sound like she is speaking from experience??

[@univod1360]

@Donnette Curit @Kristopher Nickolas shut up bots

[@throneofpages]

why is this exactly what i've been looking for!!!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

So happy to hear that Isabella!! 🥰✨✨

[@Dielawn69]

Because you like horror and manga and this is about horror manga?

[@aubreyjane6659]

SAME!

[@Blue-bi9kw]

@@TheArtisanGeek can you make more for other genres please

[@ItsFreeRealestate0]

Prolly cuz thats what you typed in the search bar lol

[@Mari181198]

ok, now my book wishlist is about to explode

[@TheArtisanGeek]

We love to see it! :D

[@todorokisfavouriteobject9109]

Same, I’ve got like 20 on my list to begin with, I’ve now got even more for my family to choose from!

[@leinahstarr7007]

If you haven't read or watched Naoki Urasawa's Monster, I think you would really like it. It is a psychological thriller that is about a Japanese surgeon, Tenma, living in Germany and how a former patient of his became a serial killer. It's very interesting and dark.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Oh yeah it's on my radar for sure, thanks so much for reminding me :D

[@Sam-lt1pb]

Yeah definitely check out monster! 20th century boys and Pluto are good too, Urasawa is one of my favourite artists for manga.

[@DarkWarden69]

I would love to read Monster, but volume 2 is nowhere to find. Same goes for Pluto volume 1...😣

[@KoffeeKev]

Blood on the track, and happiness scared the shit outta me. Oshimi shuzo makes great horror manga.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Totally! I'm working on a video about him and it's actually really disturbing going through his entire catalogue lol

[@amalia2390]

I’ve read his flowers of evil as well. His work blood on the track is known as “the manga that breaks people”

[@KoffeeKev]

@@amalia2390 Yea both of them were brilliant as well. Bone chilling.

[@Dastardly_Duo]

@@amalia2390 the Aku no Hana anime is better imo

[@tinekeknol5837]

as someone who works in a bookstore, these videos are actually pretty helpful for me to give recommendations to people even if i haven't read certain things (yet) myself. thank you for that!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying Fortnight Frights. My apologies for posting this video so late, but I still hope you'll enjoy it :) Sending you spooky vibes! xx edit: I messed up the translator for 4:44 The Poe Clan -- It's actually Rachel Thorn, not Mari Morimoto. My apologies!

[@hrithikjoshi6918]

Blood on tracks in absolutely horrifying and its most disturbing moments are just simple human emotions. The way they are drawn is otherworldly in itself. I also get horrified while reading PunPun, its a different kind of horror for me.

[@nitya3584]

YES! It totally gave me the chills and it was full of surprises

[@remedy00]

I really liked flowers of evil too, you can really see where the mangaka perfected his art and writing horror while working on that series

[@PumpkinMozie]

You are such a fashion icon. I love every outfit you wear haha

[@jennerial]

I really like this whole idea of doing manga or even graphic novels for holidays. I hope that you do one for Valentines day as well. I would love to sit and read a ton of romance

[@ria9924]

Yes more themed manga recommendations would be great! Would love to see a shojo guide 😍

[@elvenalonly]

I have seen many rich kids flexed their car and big house, big party, and stuff. But this the one that actually got me jealous (in a good way). Like, damn... that book collection you have is really big. Good on you.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Thank you! :)

[@todorokisfavouriteobject9109]

Same, the way to make me jealous (other than nice super cars cuz I’m a car enthusiast) is a large manga collection.

[@mc_zittrer8793]

The fact that Itou wants to immortalize his two house cats with a comic, makes that cat diary one of the top 5 most wholesome pieces of literature.

[@samh7206]

I've wanted to read horror manga but didnt know where to start so thank you for this video!!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

My absolute pleasure! :)

[@LiteraryStoner]

I just read Uzumaki this month and I definitely went into it thinking "How am I supposed to be scared by spirals?" but it showed me alright! I loved it!! Great video. More stuff to check out :)

[@shama1239]

I utterly love Junji Ito. My favorite work of his is "Lingering Farewell", but it is pretty light on the horror and is more tragic than anything else. I would definitely recommend looking for any of his collections if you want horror. He's great because he does a lot of different types of horror.

[@nathancasillas6979]

One of my favorite stories of Junji is the phantom flash flood story (“Roar” from the Smashed collection). It’s a very ominous story that left me sad when I finished it. Doesn’t contain any gore or creepy creatures but conveys the horror in a very different way. Love it so much.

[@ArchAngelManga]

I always mix up The Drifting Classroom and Dissolving classroom too lol

[@carolinaguzman5206]

I recently started reading junji ito and uzumaki gave me so much chills but I love the story so much! I’m glad I found this video it helps a lot because I really want to read more horror manga and more of juji ito’s work.

[@layenny1783]

Just bought myself my first horror manga 😛😛 Uzumaki & I cannot wait for it to get here!!

[@natejones5142]

Super great one to start with!

[@layenny1783]

@@natejones5142 started reading it last night & wow 😳😳

[@nitya3584]

Where do u buy Mangas? It's not available in my region at all 😭

[@todorokisfavouriteobject9109]

My first is GYO and dear god am I disturbed… I love horror and anything related to it but that really messed with me. What happened to Kaori was quite sad but tbh, her constant whining about the smell was a little annoying so I wasn’t as upset as most thought.

[@fvakarian]

In KZbin it's so easy to get used to loud, bombastic, obnoxious youtubers who shove a (bad) joke in every five seconds that, when we find one such as you with a chill, endearing (And informative!) vibe it's hard not getting absolutely enthralled. Thank you and keep up the good work.

[@EastJoNowhere]

You have such a beautiful welcoming energy! Subscribing 💕

[@user-gl7og1iq3c]

Your voice is really therapeutic!! HAHA I enjoyed watching these short reviews since I plan to start collecting more of Ito's works ❤️

[@alexisp.7115]

This is my favourite video I have watched this whole month, thank you! My TBR list just blew up, and I can feel my wallet shaking.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

I'm glad to hear that and also, apologies to your wallet lmao

[@janbonne]

Those faces and quiet moments are really freaky in that one series Blood on the Tracks ... so disturbing and the tension was almost unbearable in at times just in the few volumes I've read. I can't wait to check out more of your reccomendations especially for the binge-able ones

[@ToiThomas]

There's an adaptation of Parasyte on Netflix. It was pretty good to me, but I haven't read the manga yet.

[@oecfim]

I am very new to manga but I am so interested. My first manga was Shiver by Junji Ito and I am just so intrigued by the art style and the stories and to learn more about horror mangas! I can't wait to start my own little collection.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Oooh I'm so excited for you!! I hope that you will enjoy your journey -- Junji Ito is definitely an excellent mangaka! (:

[@drpopo3201]

I'm going to pick up Parasyte on your recommendation! I've seen the anime and I've been meaning to take a look at the manga and you've pushed me over the edge!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

So happy to hear that! I hope you’ll enjoy it! ☺️✨

[@AlucardNoir]

A while since we had a good junji ito adaptation? There has never been a good junji ito adaptation. EVER.

[@franciscofeest6691]

The toonami adaptation looks good...

[@newdivide9882]

@@franciscofeest6691 Where did that go though? It got delayed to this year and it still isn’t out yet despite the fact that it’ll be the first day of June in a few minutes

[@kentjensen4504]

You know you're part of a special world when you smile because see someone sweet and lovable talk about scary and spooky stuff you both love Happy to find this channel. Subscribed.

[@lilydarrington7627]

The first horror series I ever read was higurashi when they cry and it’s still one of my favorite series. I also really love the girl from the other side. 💛

[@jordanterry7468]

I love the pumpkins in the background! I’m so happy I found your channel!

[@dyllanrodriguez2828]

She’s adorable and has very good taste, you love to see it.

[@fufu5068]

The way you explain Blood on the Tracks. I'm intrigued! Gonna read it!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Glad to hear it! ☺️✨

[@johnmazzel2898]

I highly HIGHLY recommend Ryukishi07’s When They Cry (No Naku Koro) series. The first two installments (Higurashi and Umineko) are amazing psychological horror and mystery stories. They’re technically considered VNs but they both have really good (if really long) Manga adaptations

[@LadyMeilin]

This was amazing! Thank you! I have a huge list now.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Happy to hear it was helpful!! Happy reading! :D

[@nanaosa]

I see your classic uzumaki 😌‼️😉🌀

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Brilliant video! Psychological thriller manga and horror manga are just on a whole different level compared to most other genres in the medium. I feel like they often don't get nearly the credit they deserve.

[@KagamiHN]

how did i just get recced this vid now, this is exactly what ive been lookin for

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Glad to hear it was useful! :)

[@Jean-dd1sl]

ive had this video on my watch later list for like a year and really should have watched it sooner. instant subscribe. it's wonderful to see some recommendations that are never talked about by horror manga youtube.

[@morganavickery647]

Your voice is so relaxing I could fall asleep to it (in a good way!!)

[@anitan4544]

Thank you for all these recommendations!!! Can't wait to start reading them this fall

[@apocalypsereading7117]

what a great resource! just started the Drifting Classroom recently - i really want to hear your conversation about Umezz's influence on Ito!!

[@apocalypsereading7117]

also, i don't think i could rank Ito's "big three", but i really love Gyo and not just coz it's the smelliest book i've ever read (next to Perfume by Patrick Süskind). the old Uzumaki film is pretty decent i think, if you haven't seen it then definitely check it out =]

[@francistylercald9587]

Yes omg tysm I’ve needed this for so long!!!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

It's my pleasure! :D

[@luck22ization]

Just what I was looking for, thank you ma'am

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Glad to hear!! It's my pleasure :)

[@leahl442]

I'm in love with your manga collection 😭 I've been wanting to read No longer human since your review video, but I decided I want to read the novel first.

[@Katetanic]

Love your take on Ito. I’m really stoked that more and more releases are coming out! Can’t believe Hellstar Remina is out (even if it’s just called Remina), and Lovesick Dead is coming out too (April in America), although it’ll be called Lovesickness.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Totally!! Just finished reading Lovesickness yesterday, it's really good!! :D

[@shreyabooked9309]

This has become my favourite video! I've heard of the first few manga you discussed and the last few (Junji Ito 🖤) but I want to read all the psychological ones you recommended!

[@mariam97]

You are so young and are so amazing explaining what you found interesting in all this stories. Please keep doing this reviews!

[@Ary13896]

I usually can't watch long reviews in one go, but your video was so well made I couldn't stop listening! You did a really good job and now I have a bunch of manga that I really want to read so thank you!😊

[@sascha758]

Yes!! Junji ito for life!

[@britneycarino]

I finished Uzumaki not too long ago and I’ve become so interested in finding more horror manga! Thank you sm for this video!!

[@ZaidA4K]

Blessed be the content creators who are using timestamps and CC. Yes, I subscribed because of this.. that's a quality seal.

[@anita8277]

The way that already the first thing peaked my interest 😫🤚🏻

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Hahah happy to hear that! :)

[@christinezdiego8508]

This is what I wantttttttr!!!! Thank you so much

[@abeershaikh5180]

Great recommendations! Thank you!!

[@higon99]

Hi, I didn't know "Drifting Classroom" is translated to English. For me, it is one of important manga. My friend in elementary school had it. Looking back, reading it while I was actually a young student was a precious experience. Adult might find it non-sensual right away, but I feel so lucky now that I found a power of art in it in my early days. Pieces of paper can scare you, grow your imagination, make you stronger later. I can now see the author really put incredible effort. It was his first manga for kids! I adore you reading it in 2020 as a youngster. It's truely a classic. And all the other manga you introduced here are good ones too.

[@ihatehxh]

i needed this sm omg thank you

[@girlz4irene55]

ur literally the coolest person ever omg

[@yanlevi3608]

Your content is amazing, thank you. Regards from Brazil!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Thank you very much! :D

[@derrickoakes4879]

Thanks so much. I appreciate your love for manga.

[@katydid4929]

I am SO GLAD I found this channel

[@1999SRoldan]

I found your channel thanks to the algorithm and love how much Latin and Asian representation there is. Thank you loaaaaaads. 💗💗💗

[@stellardong3866]

God tier video, thanks

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Thanks for watching! Cheers ;)

[@pootoobaby738]

Another horror related manga I love is Count Cain/The Cain Saga. It has great Victorian England aesthetics and weaves a story about the enigmatic Count Cain being a quasi Sherlock Holmes solving murder mysteries as well as learning about his family possibly being involved in the occult. The art style is shoujo manga goodness 😍 I love this video and love when people talk about horror manga aside from Junji Ito

[@erinhuh7777]

thank you so much for this!!!

[@TheArtisanGeek]

My absolute pleasure! :)

[@2shadowgamer2]

Thank you so much, these recommendations are fire!!!

[@tapiocababy1701]

I've read the first two volumes of Happiness last year. I almost forgot I read it till you mentioned it. Since its Halloween season I might pick it back up.

[@TheArtisanGeek]

Glad to hear it! I hope you'll enjoy it, if you end up having a read!! ☺️✨✨

[@zazabroom]

Halfway through No Longer Human and yes, it's so dark messed up but I love it! Definitely going to buy Blood on the tracks next. Great video!

[@SHKEVE]

I’m glad you included Blood on the Tracks. I binged it up until chapter 80-ish a while ago. I think it’s up to around 130 now but I just haven’t been able to work up the courage to pick it back up. It’s a wonderful manga but the intense moments just seem to creep back into my mind at the worst times.

[@jumkarmarde9499]

The way you talk about your manga is very soothing😊 great 👍video you earned a new subscriber

[@skullseeker3013]

Wow u made my day, nobody NOBODY did this video, maybe I haven't seen, but I saw your video, thank you, still watching the vid 🙌🥰❤

[@amberreid1059]

I’ve been so behind on booktube videos that I’m just now seeing this....but I’M SO EXCITED because I’m just now getting back into manga and horror/dark stuff is my favorite!! Thank you. 👏🏼♥️

[@greg-e5f]

The STACKS of physical manga volume is great opening flex :) Great video.

[@brielle_16]

IM CURRENTLY READING JUNJI ITO'S CAT DIARY WITH MY CAT LMAOAOA 😭

[@sara.s.7032]

omg I want to read it too! Tell me how it goes :)

[@suicideme]

If youtube had recommended this to me before, I wouldn't just read Junji Ito.

[@B_RADAR420]

Thank you for such a variety. If not for that, i may never have discovered The Poe Clan. Vol. 2 this year!

[@anythingunderthesun9821]

I’m here again, so far this is my fave content that guide me towards Horror manga 👏🏼👻

[@nahallud1071]

Ahem, Junji ito Junji ito and lastly... Junji ito

[@austincde]

You gotta say it in front of a mirror in order for him to appear 😆

[@bookopinions]

Thank you so much for this masterpiece of a video! I was looking for Horror Manga reccomondations just before I found your video by accident and I am so freakishly happy about this coincident.... gonna have to read all of your recs!! 😭

[@SlantedSpines]

Yon & Mu looks like just what I need! Thank you so much for putting this whole video together. So helpful!!

[@Heynowwtf7413]

This is great timing i just finished reading uzumaki and loved it and am looking for more!!!

[@M.I.A21]

I can’t wait to read Happiness. I’m waiting to get a couple volumes that’s I’m missing. But I’ve hear that it’s really good!

[@AmandaDuncil]

I was curious so I looked it up, and Scarlet's (the yuri horror manga) 2nd English volume is coming out in November! Looks like it'll be complete at 2 volumes.

[@D3MONGOD]

going to come back to this video a lot

[@bluetheon]

You have great taste in clothes and books!

[@DrewJoiner]

So many great suggestions

[@alexanderhagen1778]

This video is perfect and everything that online lists of horror manga leave out, you really made a good and helpful list. Thank you!!!

[@nathancasillas6979]

I started my Ito binge reading with Smashed and Shiver. From there I went up to his full story mangas and can tell you that Uzumaki still stands out for me as the best of his works. Not only are the stories messed up, but the sheer intricate work of his drawings will make my skin crawl easily. He makes you dread turning the page when you know a full body horror panel is coming up. Cannot wait to continue to collect Junji’s mangas and CANNOT WAIT for the Uzumaki anime.

[@rauendoza3599]

Thank you for this video. It helped me out a lot choosing my next purchase.

[@rakushasu1262]

I usually skip through review videos a lot to get to the manga I'm interested in, but I have to say, you have such a friendly, cute and happy demeanor I couldn't bring myself to skip forward. I really enjoyed your presentation. I can see you're putting a lot of heart into your stuff! If you like vampire stuff, there are two I'd recommend to you. One is Shiga-Hime which is about a boy becoming a slave to a vampire lady. It's high on sexual imagery, but never crosses erotica, but is fantastic in terms of horror imagery and also quite heave on gore. It's a really good manga. Another is The Laughing Vampire by Suehiro Maruo you mentioned before. This one is a fantastic take on the vampire genre as we learn later on, but the entire thing is fucked up, like seriously fucked up. It's a fantastic work of manga, but it's also one of the most disturbing pieces I read. Still believe it's Maruo's best work out there.

[@justinkitton5492]

I did end up picking panorama island, very pretty, ending is a bit abrupt but it was a good read, thanks!

[@cedvu]

So happy I stumbled on this video, all these sound right up my alley

[@Ps3JessicaBr]

I just couldn't stop looking at your manga collection and your clothes, omg so pretty! loved the video, I just bought Uzumaki and I'm new to all this, So glad I've found your channel!.

[@CaseyHarMegiddo]

Just clicked the video so I can watch it later and just want to say, my gosh that is quite the collection of manga. 😍

[@lysander4084]

Ah,"Poe clan" and "Drifting classroom"!I readed all of these ,but really,it is an awesome list,so thank you for it!

[@glitter7366]

Happiness its such a good manga, story and art are so great, i am still in love with it!

[@oglegman]

I’ve been looking for this video 😂

[@midnightprodigy4724]

I havent seen the whole video yet but if you dont have the Corpse Party series, Flowers Of Evil, aswell as the Higurashi No naku koro ni mangas i highly reccomend both those series also thank you for making the video I discovered some new horror manga I didnt even know about even tho Im a big horror manga fan. Corpse Party and Higurashi are pretty brutal however the endings of both thouse manga are so cathartic after all the trauma they ensue together. My favorite of the story side is easily Higurashi its about a said curse that causes the middle school friends to all kill each however there is ALOT more going on and the true meaning of the manga and story are about friendship and keeping thouse close to you while you can and to know whom and what to trust.

[@cookieshu2146]

this is very off topic but your voice is very relaxing, I could listen to you talk for a whole day and will definitely bingewatch your videos when I got more time

[@ChuhanHana]

I came across the drifting classroom one day at my library as I was browsing their (very limited) manga collection. I was intrigued by the cover and got sucked in! I would also recommend the series I am a Hero, Homunculus and Gantz . And for those who like Junji Ito's art work I would recommend Suehiro Maruo and Shintaro Kago. They draw similar subject matter and have a somewhat similar style to Junji!

[@calvinlee8103]

I read volumes 1 through 3 of Gantz the other day, and it's pretty cool. Lots of wacky, fun sci-fi concepts. I'm looking forward to reading more of it.