Horror is pretty hard to do since they main goal is to spook the audience in an uncanny way. People get scared of things that are incomprehensible. Mostly, media tries to scare us via surprises, jump scares, or some terrifying revelation. I think the last one can be used to a great effectiveness if utilized correctly and if not, then that ends up disappointing. Overtime, we tend to get the pattern of how things are going to play out and it gets pretty stale. Even though some shows that have pretty hardcore horror elements, bloods, gores, and unexpected deaths, it starts to feel comedic and cartoonish. But sometimes, out of nowhere you’ll find a story that’ll definitely shake you to the core that mainly tackles the psychological aspect. That is in my opinion is the scariest thing because out of all the abnormality, a person’s psyche is always the root cause of all the mischiefs.
When the Ghosts are scared of Humans
Dark Gathering is an anime started this season, originally by Kenichi Kondō and published by Shueisha at Jump Square in 2019. Studio OLM, Inc. is adapting it and it’s going pretty well. The character design has this sharp look with minimum shading and the visuals & animation picks up the pace when things go down drastically. The background and sceneries have this eerie chilled vibe that tells that something is going on behind the curtain. So visually, it establishes itself properly as a horror anime.
~Be warned: Spoilers ahead~
Now that everything is setup, here comes the characters. The story follows Keitarō Gentōga who has been a shut in after getting cursed by a supernatural entity. He finally comes out, continues his life and tries his best to ignore any aparitions lingering around. His right hand is still cursed and so it attracts ghosts & spirits, and he needs exorcism once in a while to keep it under wrap. His childhood friend Eiko Hōzuki supports him to make the most of it. But for some reason he cannot seem to stay away from trouble. Danger always finds him. He started tutoring job and his first student is Eiko’s cousin who also can see spirits. Yayoi Hōzuki who has skulls for pupils have a boader vision of the other world. Upon seeing Keitarō’s curse to attract ghosts, she takes him to haunted locations and Eiko takes her side very hapily & drives them there. They all have interesting quirks to them and distinct motivations but near the end of episode 1, we see what’s really beneath the surface.
Yayoi is the most flashed out character and even though she deals with the most abnormal aspects, she doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. She’s just an anime kuudere loli with superpower of some sort. But what’s most scary was Eiko’s perception of seeing things even though she can’t see the supernatural and it’s from her perspective we see the frightening revelation of Keitarō’s character. He loves danger more than anyone and subconciously he moves towards life threatening jeopardy despite the fact that he screams out in scary situations. Danger doesn’t find him, he finds danger. And this plot twist is first of many to come that are executed perfectly.


After Thought
Dark Gathering is worth the watch this season as I have recommended this here (check it out for more). This is one of the rare occurrences where a horror anime is handled fittingly. The title also fits the plot. It’s kind of like Mieruko-chan. The characters are utilized effectively along with the plot and it’s entertaining to watch. The anime is on Muse Asia so it should be easy to access. Go watch it and lemme know how it felt. Our discord server is open to join. 2 episodes are out and it’s best to keep up weekly. A little thrill is necessary in all of our lives.