Worldbuilding is one of the great things about anime. Time and time again, anime delivers with extremely unique worlds. Some fictional universes are exciting and enticing, and audiences envy the characters who get to live there. Then there's the ever-popular genre of horror anime; these worlds are not so enticing.
At this end of the spectrum are the fictional universes that may be interesting to read about, but not so much to actually be a part of. Whether it's the unique ways to die in these worlds or the horrifying characters who live there, the implications of actually living in these universes are enough to make viewers glad they're fictional. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows in the following universes, and it's safe to say they're downright terrifying.
10 Death Note Is A Paradise Of Paranoia
Paranoia is the word to describe what living in the same world as L and Light would be like. Knowing that anyone could be killed literally with the stroke of a pen would be absolutely horrifying. Those who know about the Death Note could never live in peace, always looking over their shoulder with that fear in the back of their mind.
In Death Note, Light Yagami can kill anyone, so long as he knows their name and face, by writing their name in a book. The fact that it's possible to be killed so easily in this universe is what makes it so unnerving. Living in perpetual fear like that is not exactly appealing.
9 It's Tough Being A Kid In The Promised Neverland
Being farmed and slaughtered like an animal wouldn't appeal to most people. Now imagine being a kid and having to outwit adults to fight for your life. That's what living in the Grace Field House would be like.
Where to start? First, there's the trauma of a child finding out that they're nothing more than food for monsters. Then, that child has to plan and execute an escape. The one silver lining would be that the kids in this universe seem to be supernaturally smart. Regardless, fighting for freedom as an 11-year-old is undoubtedly terrifying.
8 Parasyte: The Maxim Is A Gory World Of Alien Imposters
This universe is not for the faint of heart. In this bizarre story, Shinichi Izumi has his right arm replaced with a talking alien Parasite. Actually, the Parasite intended to take over Shinichi's entire body, but failed. If that's not enough to be considered terrifying, there are plenty of other Parasites in this world, all a lot less friendly than Shinichi's.
Imagine a sort of alien invasion. Now imagine said aliens cause human bodies to morph and open up in ways that they never should. It takes a stomach of steel to survive in this world. Parasyte can make anyone understand the meaning of body horror.
7 Deadman Wonderland Is Not Your Average Amusement Park
Amusement parks are great! That is, unless the park in question is anything like the one in Deadman Wonderland. Deadman Wonderland is actually a prison, but to the public, it's just an amusement park. When Ganta's whole class is murdered on a trip there, he's charged with the crime, and thus becomes one of the death row inmates.
Surviving in this amusement park prison isn't amusing in the slightest. Nothing, not even a decent meal, comes easy. Being hunted down or even killed by the Red Man is a very real possibility, and other possibilities include being stabbed, poisoned, maimed for public entertainment, and of course, put to death.
6 Tokyo Ghoul Can Quickly Ruin Your Day
Gore is a huge part of what makes Tokyo Ghoul so horrifying. Would anyone really choose to live in the same world as these man-eating monsters?
This dark series sees the main character's life flipped upside-down forever after a chance encounter with a ghoul — and presumably, what happened to Ken Kaneki could have happened to anyone. Not only are ghouls themselves terrifying, but there's the possibility of an unsuspecting human being turned into a half-ghoul, as happened to Ken.
5 Angels of Death Is Full Of, Well, Death
After Rachel Gardner wakes up in a strange building, she soon realizes that she is not alone; there are plenty of colorful characters around who wish to do her harm, including a serial killer and a mad doctor. From there, she starts to discover why she ended up in the building in the first place. Not many people would want to be a part of this Saw-esque death trap.
Anyone living in the universe of Ray and Zack would need to be very okay with death, as death is everywhere. To avoid it, victims must rely on their wits to escape each floor. The scariest part, however, is simply being stuck in the building with all of the other...lovely residents.
4 Black Butler Features Some Serious Issues
Sure, the Victorian aesthetic may be enticing, but if that's the only draw, then there are plenty of other universes out there. Victorian England is only the backdrop for this dark story. To really grasp how awful it can be, look no further than through the perspective of Ciel Phantomhive, the protagonist.
Ciel has been through an unimaginable amount in his 13 years of life. He lost his parents and his home, was kidnapped and tortured, and more. His only way out? Selling his soul to a demon. The scariest parts of Ciel's world, ironically, are not the demons. The atrocities that Ciel faced can — and do — happen in any world, and that's what's terrifying.
3 Elfen Lied Is A Waking Nightmare
Kouta and Yuka of Elfen Lied get themselves into a nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing what they thought was the right thing. When they decided to aid a seemingly helpless girl, Lucy, they didn't realize that the girl wasn't entirely human, nor did they know what madness they'd be pulled into.
There is, naturally, the typical gore and violence, and a ton of it. In this world, the Special Assault Team, as well as others involved with Lucy, relentlessly hunt people down. This universe also deals with government conspiracies and human experimentation to make it a whole new level of terrifying.
2 Berserk Is Infamously Brutal
The universe of Berserk is a notoriously dangerous one. For one thing, this universe is filed with violence, blood, and torture, and the manga shows even more gory detail than the anime. The main character, Guts, seemingly cannot catch a break. While on his mission for revenge, he has to constantly look over his shoulder for demons and others who are hunting him. This man is attacked in practically every episode!
Some of the enemies in this universe can slaughter 50 men single-handedly, and some are even worse. While the anime, specifically the 2016 adaptation, got reviews that were mixed at best, one thing fans can agree on is that they wouldn't want to be a part of this world.
1 Jujutsu Kaisen Is A Wild World Of Cursed Combat
The world of Itadori and Gojo has it all: death, gore, and curses. At Tokyo Jujutsu High, Yuji Itadori and his classmates learn all about exorcising curses. Curses in general are quite dangerous, and the destruction and mutilation they can cause is terrifying. The things these characters see on a regular basis are generally horrific.
First off, there's the possibility pf being mutilated by a curse not even visible to the average eye, and after getting involved with the wrong curse at the wrong time, an execution may be an order (see: Yuji Itadori). This is yet another universe where death is always a possibility for any character. Horrible yet bittersweet is the way Itadori accepts his fate while still trying to help others have "proper deaths." Most people wouldn't be able to handle that.
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