Anime is one form of media where animation and mature themes come into play to weave powerful stories. So when discussing anime with psychological themes, we tend to overlook some of the obscure masterpieces.
Most of these shows have been around for a long time, but some of them are also recent ones, which are not quite popular and have a cult following.
Below, we will be taking a look at some of the most obscure psychological anime that can be considered masterpieces.
Psychological anime that are obscure
Shiki
Horror based around a small town setting has had some of the best media out there, and Shiki is no different. Originally written as a Japanese horror novel, it later became a cult classic, popular enough to receive several adaptations in the form of manga and anime.
The story of Shiki is set in 1994, at a small Japanese village named Sotoba. The place is riddled with mysteries surrounding deaths, which got frequent after a sudden family moved into the mansion nearby.
Our protagonist, who is the lone director for the village hospital, suspects that the deaths might be the cause of an epidemic. He is later confronted with a revelation that is far more sinister in this psychological horror mystery.
Box of Goblins
Box of Goblins is known as Mōryō no Hako in Japanese, and it is one of the more obscure psychological horror anime that follows the investigation of a bizarre crime. The show has a long history of adaptations originating from the Kyōgokudō series.
This anime adapts the second novel in the series written by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. The novel has been turned into a live-action film, manga, and even a musical.
The plot starts with Shuutarou Kiba, a detective who comes across the brutal murder of a school girl on train tracks. He gets deeper into the investigation, which turns out to be an intricate mystery.
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
As we already mentioned above, small-town mysteries make for the best kind of media involving themes of psychological horror. Higurashi No Naki Koro Ni is an obscure show that follows a plot set in such a small town setting.
The anime is originally adapted from a visual novel with the same name, which was created by the doujin circle named 07th Expansion, who are well known for their works among the visual novel community, especially the author Ryukishi07.
The plot follows a young boy named Keichi Maebara who moves to the village named Hinamizawa and makes new friends. But soon he discovers that the village is a melting pot for a curse surrounding mysterious murders during the Watanagashi festival.
Boogiepop Phantom
The original Japanese name for Boogiepop Phantom is Bugīpoppu wa Warawanai, which roughly translates to Boogiepop doesn’t laugh. Based on the light novel series written by Kouhei Kadono, it was later adapted into an anime by studio Madhouse.
It is an obscure anime with psychological themes following a string of murders and a pillar that appeared in the night sky. The incidents are blamed on a mysterious urban legend known as Boogiepop, who is supposed to be death himself.
Over the years, Boogiepop Phantom has seen critical reception in the anime community. Noted for the dark and moody atmosphere the show exhibits.
Pupa
Pupa is an obscure mini-anime series adapted from a manga with the same name, which is written and illustrated by Sayaka Mogi. The anime adaptation was made by Studio Deen, which is well known for their works in the industry.
The show touches on psychological horror themes, telling the story of two siblings who can transform into monsters with a hunger for flesh, due to a virus infection.
The anime explores other themes such as body horror and gore, along with problems such as child abuse and abandonment. The virus allows Utsutsu, the older sibling, to gain insane regenerative abilities while the younger Yume gets insatiable hunger.
Jigoku Shoujo
Jigoku Shoujo translates to Hell Girl, and in English adaptations of the show, it is also titled Jigoku Shoujo: Girl from Hell. An obscure anime created by Hiroshi Watanabe, known for shows such as the Slayers series.
The show delves into supernatural and religious themes of repentance and punishment, blending them into a fine cocktail of psychological horror.
It follows a mysterious girl named Enma Ai, who is the titular girl from Hell. When someone wishing hellish torment on a person visits the cult website Jigoku Tsushin, Enma Ai appears in front of them to make a deal for their soul to be received in Hell in exchange for revenge.
Le Portrait de Petit Cossette
Le Portrait de Petit Cossette translates to The Portrait of Little Cossette, and is called Kozetto no Shōzō in the show’s Japanese iteration.
It is probably the shortest anime out of all the obscure psychological horror shows mentioned in this list, spanning only around three episodes. When an art student comes across a portrait of a girl from the 18th century, he becomes obsessed with learning more.
Eventually, he comes across the story of how the girl was murdered and became a soul trapped in the portrait. The anime was adapted into a manga series by Asuka Katsura, which was published in 2004.
