I found this week's anime of choice, The World Yamizukan, while browsing through some of the new anime out this season on Crunchyroll. I was actually really surprised to find it because it's the spring anime season and I don't really expect to see new horror anime until fall. (But of course we also have the second season of Attack on Titan airing right now too, so I guess there is no real time for horror anime to air)
This anime is extremely similar to Yamishibai Japanese Ghost Stories in that their formats are almost identical. Each episode is about five-ten minutes long in run time and they're both anthologies about creepy events. Although this one feels a bit more western in its style of animation despite having even less movement than Yamishibai and its opening kind of reminds me of Tales From the Crypt. It starts out with someone opening a mysterious encyclopedia and their hand (in the first picture) is very gross and creepy. After opening to the page with the story for the episode the person then begins to narrate. This is also different from Yamishibai in that these episodes so far have all been entirely narrated as if you were reading a story.
However, The World Yamizukan is also drastically different from Yamishibai in that the stories showcased are all way more grim and straightforward. In each anecdote nothing was left ambiguous and every terrible thing was shown. (Spoiler alert!!) There is a story about aliens abducting a couple and then proceeding to experiment on them in front of each other. There's another one about a hitch-hiker being picked up by a car that eats humans for fuel to keep driving on the highway, and one about a creature posing as a snowman that kills a kid's father and then the kid shortly afterward. The stories have all been a lot less creepy, but way more horrific in my opinion which is pretty cool. It won't make you jump (well I mean it might) but it will make you wonder what could possibly happen in the next episode.
Also just a short sidenote, I noticed recently that there have been a lot of short anime series (not in episode length but in run time) and although I personally love them because I have a busy schedule and a short attention span, I found out that this new trend in anime isn't actually something normal. It was caused by a shortage in animators which also explains the weird art styles in anime now like The World Yamizukan. I just thought it was interesting and thought I would share with you! Anyways, check out this anime and continue to watch it as it airs! I personally love all these short horror anthology anime that have been coming out and can't wait for more.
-Bookwyrm
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