Summary

Lovecraft anime delves into human fears and cosmic horrors beyond imagination. Series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Berserk, and Madoka Magica explore themes of madness and despair. Characters face aging creatures, supernatural forces, and the breakdown of society in these dark, cross-genre stories.

Horrors beyond comprehension await the viewer inside Best Lovecraft anime. HP Lovecraft poured all of his real-life fears and prejudices into his work, which became famous for its depiction of unknowable, indescribable horrors. The myths he created around ancient creatures and the protagonists who drove them crazy only to be discovered influenced horror media for decades.

Anime is no exception: it may even be one of the best media for depicting out-of-this-world creatures and experiences. Many creators apply similar themes of humanity's relationship with the supernatural and the universe itself, as well as the complete breakdown of the individual mind and society as a whole. It's not all horror anime: like Lovecraft and his love of weird science, there are plenty of opportunities to mix genres together.

10 Neon Genesis Evangelion changes people's thinking from the inside out

The original series was written by Hideaki Anno

From the first episode, “Angel Attack,” it is clear that Evangelion is no ordinary mecha anime. Angels are otherworldly beings that come in many forms and terrible powers, and when fighting them, The young EVA pilots not only risked life and limb but also their minds. In one-on-one battles, Asuka gets the worst of fighting Arael, with the painful psychological impact leaving her incapacitated for the rest of the chapter.

Both the show's original finale and the “real” finale, The End of Evangelion, turn the Lovecraftian tone up to eleven. Lilith's awakening activates Instrumentality, forcibly removing all individuality from every human being on Earth and reducing the population to a state beyond comprehension. Shinji is forced to face his own mental and emotional problems and choose between humanity and oblivion.

9 Berserk pits humans against all sorts of cosmic horrors

Based on the manga by Kentaro Miura

Guts struggles as one of the rare and unlucky anime heroes with a terrible reputation in his own universe. To most who saw him, he was a wandering monster, slaughtering innocent people without remorse. But like the apparent madman in the Lovecraftian asylum, he's one of the only people who knows what's really going on with the world.

Guts (mostly) kill the Apostles, Humans turn into bloodthirsty monsters by a powerful combination of desperation and demonic powerof the Hand of God. Both creatures are much more nightmarish in the manga, with the help of Kentaro Miura's incredibly detailed and visceral art. It has been questioned from the beginning of the series whether humanity has control over what happens to them, or whether their tragic fates have been decided by a careless higher power.

8 Puella Magi Madoka Magica defeats the magical girls against Entropy

The original series was written by Gen Urobuchi

While other magical girls can and often do fight against abstract and terrible forces (for example, the Sailor Senshi take on the very concept of Chaos in Sailor Moon), Madoka is truly a collection of Lovecraftian horrors. Venture into the witch's lair, a jumbled mess of the worst memories and emotions of the former magical girl's life, risking a gruesome death every time.

Even worse, however, is the revelation of why the Kyubey species established an entire system of killing magical girls who then became witches. They are fighting an even more imperceptible enemy: the inevitable heat death of the universe, which for some reason can be prevented by sacrificing children's highest emotions. The chapter turns a natural process into a cosmic horror that is invisible, difficult to understand and, due to the machinations of the Incubator, takes lives.

7 Paprika heroes and villains overcome by dreams

Based on the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui

One of the best films by famous director and writer Satoshi Kon is a surreal trip through the world of dreams. Lovecraft claimed that some of his stories were inspired by or directly copied from his own dreams, and several other star protagonists are tortured by horrifying nightmares and nightmares. terrible fear when sleeping. Witnessing the effects of the DC Mini in this movie would give that man incurable insomnia.

As her alter ego Dr. Atsuko Chiba, Paprika and their friends hunt down the terrorist who stole the device to hack into other people's dreams, they must face the deepest abysses in the soul about to awaken. If the victim is not freed from the dream in time, they will suffer a permanent mental and physical breakdown, attempt to take their own life, or if they are really unlucky, both. An encounter with one's own subconscious turns out to be just as damaging as an encounter with a disgusting person.

6 The Other Field Trip is a cosmic and surreal journey

Based on the light novel by Iori Miyazawa and shirakaba

Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina risk their lives to explore what they call “Otherside”, a mysterious extra-dimensional plane containing portals to many other worlds. To find what has been lost in the Other World and the purpose of the kingdom, Sorawo and Toriko must brave this place and all the wonders and terrors it holds. They discover more than they bargained for along the way.

The possibilities of Otherside ports are limitless and of course not all of them are good. During their mission, the girls are forced to escape all kinds of creatures, from giant insects to monsters that can drive people crazy with just a look. Nothing in the Other Side is necessarily what it seems, with environments that can go seriously wrong and creatures whose true forms are initially unrecognizable to humans.

5 Devilman Crybaby crushes humanity under the hands of demons

Based on the manga by Go Nagai

In many ways, the forces of Hell are not much different from the monsters of Lovecraftian mythology. Akira Fudo discovered this in the hardest way possible when he was attacked by demons and painfully merged with a demon. Using Amon's power, Akira tries to save humanity from demons, but quickly realizes that it is not as easy or simple as he thought.

Akira advocates for humanity, an important task in a world where, as Lovecraft believed, humans are to supernatural beings what ants are to humans today. Although he tries to fight, he finds himself and the Earth overwhelmed by forces greater than him. Worse, even the people he thought were his closest friends appear to have their own cruel secrets and hidden motives.

Lain's 4 serial experiments create a technological monster

The original series was written by Chiaki Kosaka

Receiving a text from a classmate wouldn't normally be a shocking experience, except that Lain Iwakura was very, very certain that her classmate had just passed away. But according to Chisa Yomoda, she is not dead, just transferred to a higher state known as Wired. The youth of Lain Town connect with Wired via the Internet, experience the incomprehensible, and consider the space divine.

The movement of consciousness from one body to another and across space and time is a theme that Lovecraft specifically addresses in his work, such as in “The Shadow Out of Time.” Serial Experiments Lain tackles similar concepts, with terrifying new technology replacing the monsters of Lovecraft's imagination. After innocently connecting, Lain quickly finds himself in the middle of a widespread conspiracy and on the verge of losing himself.

3 Housing Complex C is a love letter to Lovecraft

The original miniseries was written by amphibians

The first episode of Housing Complex C takes viewers straight into a world of monsters and madness with flashbacks of brutal sacrifice, a hikikomori obsessively studies the Cthulhu Mythos and chants a call to the Elder Gods. Although the small town of Kurosaki seems quiet and peaceful, something is clearly wrong. When the horrors reveal themselves, the only children in Block C must solve the mystery.

Unfortunately, Lovecraft's intense paranoia and ethnic prejudice drove much of his work. When a group of foreign interns are invited to Kurosaki for training, Residence C's internal community quickly becomes suspicious and believes the worst of them. It is easy for dark forces to operate and take advantage of people's suspicions to create a perfect storm of anger, violence and, ultimately, murder.

2 Junji Ito gives everything a Lovecraftian flavor

The horror master manga has not been discussed

Junji Ito is the most famous horror mangaka today and for good reason. The depth and detail in his most disturbing drawings as well as the external premise of his stories set his work apart in a way that many animated adaptations tends not to be grasped. In addition, the atmosphere is unbalanced and The themes of absurdity and the overwhelming ability to acquire knowledge for humanity are present in his work very reminiscent of Lovecraft.

His heroes are all men (and women) who have no way of predicting what is about to happen to them or understanding why they are facing the troubles they face. this horror. Even if they get a name or a bit of background, that doesn't mean they'll be able to use it in time to escape with their lives, bodies, or sanity intact: extremely rare as protagonist Junji Ito ends up with all three. Often, the audience is never given an explanation either, which creates an unsettling experience.

1 AKIRA shows a Tokyo on the brink of collapse

Based on the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo

Lovecraft feared the collapse of society as much as he feared the destruction of mind and body. The near future of AKIRA shows a Tokyo devastated by war and struggling to get back on its feet. Its technology is advanced, its army and police are armed to the teeth, and even its Olympic stadium does a poor job of hiding the truth: it's a deeply corrupt place that the people are not happy with. , suspicion quickly leads to violence and anger.

Growing up in Neo-Tokyo was bad enough for Tetsuo Shima, but when he was accidentally cursed with psychic powers, all his resentment, rage, and desire to become strong came to the fore. Unfortunately for Tetsuo, he completely did not understand the power he was messing with and it cost him dearly. When he loses control, he loses not only his reason but also his humanity in one of the scariest body horror anime.