Best Horror-Comedy Anime

Horror and comedy always seem like two genres that couldn’t possibly mix together. Horror stories generally involve morbid, grim topics that are meant to leave the audience frightened, while comedies are generally light-hearted affairs that leave viewers with a smile on their faces.

Despite this, there are actually quite a few examples of horror and comedy mixing well together. The juxtaposition of lighthearted comedy and grim or grotesque horror might seem like too much of a contrast, but it can be a change of pace for those who aren’t fans of normal horror. Here are some of the best horror-comedy anime.

The focus is on anime that incorporate both humor and horror elements, so there could be situations when a series is primarily a comedy.

Updated on January 10, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Horror-comedy anime are very rare, just because one of those genres barely ever receives any new series. Still, there are a handful of shows that try to blend scares and laughter, even if they tend to shine in one area more than the other. This article has been updated with specs for each series, along with a new recommendation.

9

The Human Crazy University

A University That Lives Up To Its Reputation

Hirofumi Satake is a man on death row for supposedly murdering his fiancée. When he miraculously survives his execution, he is handed over to a professor who studies bizarre phenomena in life. As the two talk about various things, the story behind Hirofumi’s crime starts to become crowded.

The Human Crazy University is a comedic series that revolves around a number of bizarre urban legends. Despite its usual lighthearted nature, it often delves into dark subjects such as serial killers, torture, and murder.

8

Princess Resurrection

Takes On A Plethora Of Genres

Hiro Hiyorimi sacrifices his life to save a young woman from a speeding car – only to come back as an undead due to the power of Hime, the woman he saved. Hime is one of several successors to the throne of the Monster Kingdom, and Hiro is tasked with protecting her from the many assassins her siblings throw at her.

Princess Resurrection is a horror-comedy with some slight rom-com elements. It also has plenty of action, so fans of more battle-oriented anime are sure to enjoy this series, even if horror isn’t exactly their thing.

7

Mieruko-chan

Cute Girls Doing Cute Things…And Creepy Spirits Are Also Here

Miko Yotsuya lived a normal life; that is, until she suddenly gained the power to see ghosts. Now, the monsters haunt her daily life, and the only thing she can do is avoid them and ignore them for as long as she possibly can.

Mieruko-chan is a horror-comedy series with some elements of slice of life. Watching Miko try her best to ignore the grotesque and frightening spirits that haunt her world is hilarious, and the many misunderstandings that come up as the series goes on only make things more complicated.

6

Hell Teacher Nube

A Teacher Who Is Also An Exorcist

Meisuke Nueno is a normal elementary school teacher who is popular with his students thanks to his easygoing nature. Nicknamed “Nube” by the class, he also holds a job as a skilled exorcist who fights off evil spirits. To protect his students, who are constantly getting into trouble, Nube must use the Demon’s Hand attached to his left arm to fight them off.

Hell Teacher Nube is an episodic horror-comedy series that sees Nube combating supernatural threats daily. While the threats are often numerous, the light-hearted nature of the series keeps things from getting too serious.

5

Sankarea

Primarily A Romantic Comedy, With Some Horror Elements

Chihiro Furuya has always been interested in zombies and tries to use a mysterious resurrection potion to bring back his recently killed cat. He meets Rea Sanka, a beautiful daughter of an obsessive father, who ends up drinking the resurrection potion herself. The potion does not affect her until she falls off a cliff while running away from her father, turning her into an undead zombie.

Sankarea is fundamentally a rom-com series with heavy elements of horror integrated into the story. The slow deterioration of Rea’s ego is sharply contrasted with the general lightheartedness of the story to a strong effect.

4

Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories is a weird case since the Japanese and English dubs are entirely different experiences. The former is a straightforward horror anime that follows a group of relatively nondescript children as they investigate ghost stories around their school. It has very little in the way of effective humor, and the scares are quite tame and forgettable.

However, the English dub is a full-on irreverent comedy that turns the original on its head, including transforming the children into hilarious jokes who have an adult sense of humor. The comedy is so silly that it kills any potential scares, but the stories themselves still follow a traditional horror format.

3

Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead

A Zombie Apocalypse Breaks Out, But It Is Still Better Than The Daily Grind

Akira Tendo was once a bright-eyed rookie ready to tackle the world, but the exploitative conditions at his company left him lifeless and devoid of any will to live. Everything changes when Akira suddenly finds that the world has become overrun with zombies, and he realizes that he no longer has to go to work.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a fairly modern anime series that took the world by storm when it debuted, particularly its first episode. While it sports many of the usual zombie tropes, it has a surprisingly optimistic spin on the zombie apocalypse, with Akira enjoying a life free of obligations.

2

GeGeGe No Kitaro

An All-Time Classic

Kitaro is the last member of the Ghost tribe, making him a yokai. Kitaro is a kind-hearted boy who hopes for the worlds of humans and yokai to come together. He goes on many adventures that cause him to come into conflict with many monsters from folklore.

GeGeGe no Kitaro is a classic horror-comedy series that debuted in the 60s. It has undergone several updates in style and aesthetic, with the most recent series in 2018 being the most modern update of the concept.

1

Dorohedoro

Dark Fantasy With Horror Imagery And Consistently Funny Characters

In the dark and slumlike Hole, a lizard-headed man named Caiman assaults sorcerers who try to test their magic on regular humans. With the help of his best friend Nikaido, Caiman is looking for the person who turned him into a lizardman and took his memories. His actions draw the attention of a powerful sorcerer who seeks to put an end to his rampant attacks.

Dorohedoro is a dark fantasy series that mashes together grotesque, mind-bending horror with goofy characters and off-the-cuff comedy. While it looks quite dark, it is actually quite the silly series, though there is certainly plenty of drama and tension as well.