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Continuing with the spooky October theme this week I’m counting down my favourite creepy anime OP’s and ED’s. These may or may not belong to creepy anime but the music certainly fits a horror story. As always I’d love to know your choices so if you have a favourite creepy OP or ED be sure to share it in the comments below.

Number 5 – From the Edge (ED from Demon Slayer)

There’s not a lot to say with this one and I’m sure most of you have been listening to it for the past six months. While the visuals are relatively optimistic from the opening notes to the undertones of the song, I found this one relatively creepy and when closing my eyes I could imagine a much darker horror story playing out around this music.

Number 4 – Ghost Hunt Main Theme

Visually this one is probably the least spectacular on the list but in terms of atmosphere it has definitely hit the right mark. Despite it being relatively dull to look at I don’t think I’ve ever skipped the OP when watching Ghost Hunt as it really just sets the mood absolutely perfectly. It’s one of those times where I feel if they ever rebooted the series or made a continuation they would have to get this music again.

Number 3 – Still Doll (ED From Vampire Knight)

From an anime that definitely isn’t creepy despite the presence of vampires, unless you find the main character’s relationships shiver worthy, Vampire Knight gives us an ED that is both compelling and unnerving. This is another one of those songs I never skipped and is one of the few anime songs I learned the lyrics to in Japanese because I just find it really great to listen to (not that I can actually hit all the notes). Still, it is one of my favourite creepy anime songs.

Number 2 – Magia (ED from Madoka Magica)

Considering some of the themes and decisions characters had to make in Madoka Magica, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the music in it was quite dark. Where both Ghost Hunt and Vampire Knight go for a more quiet and contemplative take to build unease, Madoka manages to bring the fully creepy while still seeming upbeat and driving. It is one of those songs that just perfectly catches a mood and a tone and fits its anime absolutely perfectly.

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Number 1 – Naraku no Hana (OP from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai)

I absolutely loved this OP the first time I saw it. I remember I saw this as part of a You Tube compilation video and tracked down the anime from there. Which also explains how I managed to watch Kai before the first season because I didn’t actually realise it was a sequel. That said, this opening gives us the full package of creepy music and visuals. Sure there’s moments of brightness and happiness but there’s a lot of fairly dark imagery underpinning this opening as well and it has definitely earned its place at the top of my list.

Over to you: Which anime OP’s and ED’s do you think are the creepiest whether the anime they are attached to are scary or not?

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Karandi James

Creepy monstrous creatures is a great description largely because I could put almost anything here as long as I find it creepy or monstrous. I mean, some people find Kyubey from Madoka Magica creepy and monstrous. That said, I’m going for kind of scary, gross designs and there are a lot of them to be found in anime.

What’s your favourite creepy monstrous creature?

Number 5 – The Skull Reaper from Sword Art Online

This one might be only a program but it is definitely creepy and all those legs are definitely off-putting. This monster is responsible for the deaths of a lot of front line fighters and honestly even the main characters were lucky to get through this fight alive. When this thing appeared above the characters, clinging to the roof, that was one terror inspiring moment that would given any horror movie a run for its money.

Number 4 – Hollows from Bleach

While later on the standard hollows become almost a non-entity in Bleach as the villains and monsters get more and more ridiculously over-powered to match the protagonist’s growth, the very concept of hollows is pretty terrifying. If you think about it from the point of view of someone with just a little bit of spiritual energy, a creature you can’t really see might very easily be stalking you and can kill you before you even know it.

Worse, if your spirit is eaten by a hollow you could become one yourself and then prey on your loved ones. While some of the hollow designs are more amusing than terrifying, they are still pretty creepy both in concept and appearance.

Number 3 – Akuma from D Gray Man

Definitely another case were the concept is pretty horrifying. D Gray Man definitely does creepy well and the primary monster the exorcists are fighting are the akuma created by the Millenium Earl. It gets worse when you realise these things are powered by the soul of a loved who was summoned in desperation and then they were forced to kill the one who summoned them. Yeah, there’s nothing right about the akuma.

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Number 2 – Various Diseases from Cells at Work

You know the problem with anthropomorphic representations of cells in the body is that when creating germs, bacteria and even cancer cells, what you end up with is something straight out of your nightmares. While Cells at Work isn’t aiming in any way to scare, the depictions of the various ailments are sometimes incredibly creepy. Worse when you start thinking about what might be swimming around inside your own body.

Number 1 – Anything from Made in Abyss

The abyss is not a nice place and the creatures that call it home are incredibly monstrous by design. While there’s any number of horrifically creepy crawly I could describe I’d rather not spoil the impact of checking these monsters out first hand. However, for an anime that isn’t necessarily a horror, Made in Abyss most certainly new how to craft monsters.

Your turn now: what are your favourite creepy monsters from anime? I definitely considered the titans from Attack on Titan and the parasites from Parasyte though ultimately they didn’t make the final cut for me. How about you?

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James