12 Days of Anime 2019 – The Promised Neverland’s Big Reveal

Christmas is almost upon us, and that can mean only one thing… No, not mince pies, presents, or ugly sweaters (though those are all good things). That’s right, it’s the return of the 12 Days of Anime series! The next 12 posts are all dedicated to the anime-related highlights of my years, of 2019. I had so much fun writing them – I hope you have just as much fun reading them!

It’s not often that an anime’s first episode grabs you by the shoulders and refuses to let you go. In my experience, a show usually takes three to five episodes to really get into its groove, which is why I won’t even consider dropping an anime until I’m five episodes in. But when a show does manage to establish its story (its tone, its conflict, etc.) and its characters (their personalities and relationships with each other) all within its opening episode, it truly is a thing of beauty! It makes me feel as if I’m onto something really special. Erased, Made in Abyss, Attack on Titan, Haibane Renmei, and Samurai Champloo are some excellent examples of anime with first episodes like this. 

Winter 2019’s The Promised Neverland also falls into this category. Major spoilers ahead for episode one…

Ty’s Top 10 Terrifying Anime

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved all things scary! Anime, books, films, you name it. In fact, one of my earliest memories is sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to watch the old black and white Dracula film! Yeah, I was a strange child. I think I scared even my parents! Maybe this adoration is a cocktail of schadenfreude, deriving enjoyment from other people’s misfortune, or a bizarre fascination with creatures not of this realm or hellish versions of those that are. But it’s more likely because, more so than with any other emotion, fear is so damn immersive! It gets you invested in the safety and well-being of the characters that you’re watching or reading about and leaves you wondering just what you’d do in their situation.

So in honour of the spooky season I’ve put together a list of my favourite scary anime. Please note that I didn’t say horror anime – even those that don’t fall exclusively into the horror genre can have their scary moments, as you’ll soon discover! So, ghouls and boys, without any further ado, and in no particular order, here’s Ty’s Top 10 Terrifying Anime!