Best surrealist horror manga

Important takeaways

• Surrealist horror manga can offer captivating and terrifying experiences for readers, immersing themselves in twisted and immersive storytelling.
• Iconic works such as Uzumaki, The Drifting Classroom and Gyo showcase the creativity and boundary-pushing nature of horror manga.
• Fans of the genre should explore titles like Dementia 21 and Franken Fran for unique, grotesque and terrifying stories that push the boundaries of body horror.

Horror manga are a lot of fun to read if the artist in question knows how to scare readers with their twisted art. These stories can be scary to flip through at times, but those who don't mind scaring themselves by reading a edgy and immersive story will love what these stories bring to the table. Of course, horror comes in all shapes and sizes, and many fans of the genre tend to love scary stories that venture into surreal territory.

It can be difficult to find a good one surreal horror manga worth a reader's time and money, but fans can rest assured that there are several great stories worth checking out if these elusive tales are what they're looking for. Horror stories that delve into the realm of the surreal are hard to do well, which is why mangaka who pull off a compelling story in this genre deserve their praise.

5 Uzumaki

The idea of ​​a city plagued by a spiral is as surreal as it gets

• Mangaka: Junji Ito
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Release date: January 19, 1998

Junji Ito has become a household name in modern times, and one of his most popular stories that fans can't get enough of is Uzumaki. It's the perfect depiction of what makes Ito's horror work, with an entire town plagued by something alien. This horror does not come in the form of a monster or a spirit, but a form with which readers are familiar. This is where Ito flexes his creative muscles, turning something as simple as a spiral into one of the most nightmarish things fans can find in a horror story.

Watching the citizens of Kurozu-Cho slowly lose their minds as they are discovered by the idea of ​​a spiral is both engrossing and terrifying to witness. It's easy to see why this horror story is as surreal as it gets, with fans not understanding what's plaguing this town until the final chapters. Even then, the explanation is vague at best, and readers are left with a sinking feeling of dread as they conclude one of the best horror stories of all time.

4 The driving classroom

It is hard to understand how a classroom was transported to another world

• Mangaka: Kazuo Umezu
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Release year: 1972

An iconic manga that has inspired many works, The driving classroom channels much of the energy Lord of the Flies but is much more twisted, with a school transported to a post-apocalyptic future. As you might expect, children and adults slowly lose their minds in this harrowing tale, with the lack of social and legal boundaries causing people to channel their inner demons and engage in monstrous acts that are hard to fathom.

There is an element of surrealism in everything that happens in The driving classroomwhere the biggest is the mystery surrounding the phenomenon that led to the school being whisked away to this unknown future in the first place. This manga can be quite disturbing to read at times and should only be checked out by readers who can understand the events that take place when people lose all sense of decency.

3 Dementia 21

A surreal horror story that depicts a nursing home in the future

• Mangaka: Shintaro Kago
• Publisher: Comiccloud
• Release date: January 27, 2011

Shintaro Kago's signature artwork can be a difficult question for readers unprepared for his grotesque artwork. However, this horror manga remains one of the most respected names in the genre, and those who want to slowly ease into the mind of this fascinating artist will find Dementia 21 to be a simple starting point. The premise seems simple enough, with the manga focusing on Yukie Sakai and her job as a nurse for the elderly.

However, the manga wastes no time in displaying its weirdness for all to see, with readers being taken on surreal adventures with horrific elements that will surprise them. The fact that this series is one of Kago's tamer works makes it clear why this horror mangaka is known for pushing the boundaries of body horror and surrealism.

2 Gyo

The monsters taking over the world are hard to understand

• Mangaka: Junji Ito
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Release date: November 12, 2001

The zombie apocalypse has killed the realm of horror, and some people may unfairly categorize Gyo in the same department. But there is so much more to this monster invasion than meets the eye. What seems like a bunch of fish on legs taking over the world turns into a surreal horror story about artificial machines that use the mysterious stench of death to infect living organisms and turn them into a source of fuel for these nightmarish machines.

The strange and surreal nature of Gyos monster invasion is hard to digest, especially when the Stink of Death turns out to have demonic faces etched into its very essence. IN GyoIto manages to turn a ridiculous concept into something cool, with this page-turner that will keep fans captivated until the end.

1 Frank Fran

Contains moments of surreal body horror that are twisted in every way

• Mangaka: Katsuhisa Kigitsu
• Publisher: Akita Shoten
• Release month: September 2006

Body horror can be a tough sell for people sickened by the sight of these gross depictions, and surreal body horror can be even harder to get into. But readers who have the stomach to brave these sights should give Frank Fran a shot. It's a relatively easy horror story to get into once readers stop ranting about the weird artwork on display.

The manga focuses on an artificially created surgeon who is tasked with working on her patients, only to leave them in despair as she leaves them worse off than before. The surreal nature of the manga becomes apparent in each standalone story, culminating in a finale that flips the script to become one of the most memorable conclusions to a horror story.