The world of josei manga has encompassed a wide variety of genres over the years. While most commonly associated with romance and drama, it has also veered into horror territory from time to time with some intriguing results.

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Josei is primarily marketed towards an adult, female audience. It first caught fire in the ‘80s, with a wide variety of romance series quickly fitting the bill. Where josei is meant for adults, the arguably more famous shojo scene is typically targeted towards female readers in the young adult age range instead. However, despite the obvious difference, the two manga sectors often overlap, leading to a variety of interesting storytelling results. Of the josei tales to move into the worlds of suspense and horror, a select few have managed to stand out from the rest. From intriguing mysteries to deeply unsettling villains and situations, these series have proven that josei and terror can go hand-in-hand.

4 Something’s Wrong With Us

An Eclectic Mystery

• Genre: Mystery, romance, drama
• Writer/Artist: Natsumi Ando
• MyAnimeList: 7.38

This murderous romance saga covers a range of themes and genre tropes. Readers are introduced to young, prodigious sweets chef Nao, whose life is turned upside down more than once by the enigmatic sweets company owner, Tsubaki.

When they were teenagers, the sinister Tsubaki framed Nao’s mother for his father’s murder. Now, 15 years later, Nao seeks to investigate Tsubaki and finally uncover the necessary evidence to expose his crimes and discover the truth about what happened all of those years ago. Unfortunately, in this twisted tale of psychological thrills and death, getting close to Tsubaki leads to unexpected romantic complications for Nao. In turn, she winds up in the murderous confectionary tycoon’s web. Subtle and unpredictable, Something's Wrong With Us is not all-out horror, and instead emphasizes subtle, slow-burning suspense and psychological tension to crank up the fear factor.

3 Helter Skelter

A Walk Into A Terrifying World Of Extreme Surgery And Vanity

• Genre: Psychological thriller, mystery
• Writer/Author: Kyoko Okazaki
• MyAnimeList: 7.44

This bleak psychological horror saga introduces readers to a supermodel named Liliko Hirukoma. In a bid to remain a big deal in modeling, Hirukoma has undergone all manner of cosmetic surgery from head to toe.

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Needless to say, this decision does not prove to be all sunshine and roses, with unsurprisingly grim results for her health and well-being. Maddened by the unpleasant side effects of her near-endless surgeries, Hirukoma’s increasingly dangerous frame of mind is further exacerbated by the arrival of a younger, more popular model named Kozue Yoshikawa. The often-grim manga also highlights a series of mysterious deaths and stolen organs, adding to the uncomfortable sense of bodily dread displayed throughout. With its emphasis on body image and torment, Helter Skelter proves to be unnerving in more ways than just the grisly nature of its main mystery. Overall, it’s a suitably unpleasant, often-compelling piece of vanity-studying horror.

2 Tomie

Weaves A Chilling Tale Of A Deadly Entity Out To Cause Chaos

• Genre: Horror, drama
• Writer/Artist: Junji Ito
• MyAnimeList: 7.78

Horror master Junji Ito is on suitably-unsettling form in this succubus tale of terror, showcasing his well-regarded mastery of unsettling visuals along the way. The titular character of Tomie is an attractive, enigmatic woman who has a penchant for driving those around her mad.

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While men often go insane with obsession over her, even killing for her, women also lose their minds when it comes to dealing with Tomie. The sinister figure’s powers don’t end there, either. Tomie is able to quickly heal herself from most wounds by committing horrendous crimes such as cannibalism, adding another predatory vibe to her grisly, sadistic actions. Worse still, she can grow new copies of herself out of tumors, among a variety of other body horror-esque feats. Intense, unpleasant, and sporting a gripping narrative, Tomie is just one of many prime examples of Junji Ito’s exceptional mastery of all things horror.

1 Petshop Of Horrors

A Thoughtful, Unconventional Look At Friendship And Creature Features

• Genres: Horror, comedy, fantasy, mystery
• Writer/Artist: Matsuni Akino
• MyAnimeList: 8.24

The straightforward title should give readers a good idea of what they’re in for in this eccentric, psychological chiller series. Set in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, the series follows the unpredictable Count D, an enigmatic, potentially dangerous figure running an out-of-the-ordinary pet shop.

The animals on sale are far from normal, with most of them exhibiting oddly humanoid esthetics. More alarmingly, each pet comes with strict rules that must be adhered to at all times if the new owners want to sidestep a horrifying disaster. The numerous, potentially fatal dangers of the animals being sold leads to a detective named Leon Orcot investigating the matter, sparking a complex, unpredictable dynamic with Count D as the series moves along. With great character development and an effective emphasis on interpersonal drama, this creepy series provides both poignant laughs and unsettling scares in equal measure.

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