4 Psychological Anime Series to Watch This Winter 🤯

February 26, 2021

By Kathleen Townsend

When it gets cold outside, there is only one thing to do: Cuddle up with a blanket, turn out the lights and watch some anime!

And with the cold comes a knack for the spooky, supernatural and psychological. I mean, you all saw The Thing right? No? Well, we’re here to present four shows from this season for you to settle into if you’re looking for something sinister.

Ready to find your next psychological anime obsession? Let’s go!

WONDER EGG PRIORITY

If psychological thrillers are your jam, you’re going to love WONDER EGG PRIORITY. The series follows Ai Ohto, a young girl who struggles to adapt to life after the death of her best friend. Then, a mysterious entity leads her to purchase a Wonder Egg.

Soon, Ai finds herself traversing alternate worlds, each filled with their own set of horrors, fears and an immense amount of danger. She’s also saddled with the responsibility of shepherding another girl (who hatched from the egg) through this evil fever dream.

It’s up to Ai to face down some creepy demon-like monsters and save them all! Though, some worlds are harder to figure out than others, and the reason for the demons on display isn’t always easy to decipher.

WONDER EGG PRIORITY explores various trauma, inner fears and regrets. Yet at the same time, it’s a story about how to rescue yourself and others from your darkest thoughts. It’s a gem of a series, and a fantastic magical girl-esque thriller to watch on a winter’s night.

Watch WONDER EGG PRIORITY on Funimation!

Otherside Picnic

If you’re looking for something with a helping of mystery, then Otherside Picnic is the pick for you. The series follows two girls, Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina, who meet in a world that isn’t our own.

Each have their own reasons for being in this frightening, otherworldly realm. And even though their friendship slowly blooms, it’s not quite enough to overshadow the psychological horrors of the worlds they face!

Whether Sorawo and Toriko are in the real world or the Otherside, urban legends and local myths are abound, and none of them are very friendly. This is a realm where every scary story you’ve ever heard is very real, very dangerous, and all are looking to kill you.

People have gone missing in the Otherside, never to be seen again—people like Toriko’s friend, the person she continuously searches for, determined to one day bring her home. Strange beings and horrifying creatures abound, each more horrifying than the next. And the more time the girls spend in the Otherworld, the more they find that their physical bodies are being changed by this world of horrors.

Watch Otherside Picnic on Funimation!

Cells at Work! CODE BLACK

You know Cells at Work!, the anime with the anthropomorphized cells that live inside a body which teaches you about science and biology with a touch of comedy? Well, turns out that having the same premise, only set in the body of a person who doesn’t really take care of themselves, turns the entire show into a horror anime. Who knew?

Yep, that’s right. Our poor Red Blood Cell protagonist in Cells at Work! CODE BLACK lives within the body of a person who constantly drinks, doesn’t get enough sleep, doesn’t eat right, doesn’t exercise, and is generally stressed and unhealthy.

There are none of the happy, brightly lit corridors and cheery, smiling faces of the Cells at Work! series here. Instead, hallways are rusting and abandoned. Trash and muck sticks to the walls and floors like glue. The cell-denizens are overworked, stressed and frightened. And, worst of all, real danger lurks around every corner.

Watching our protagonist visit a new part of the body is honestly nerve-wracking, especially for those who’ve watched Cells at Work! and know what their body and home should look like. Rather horrifying creatures and circumstances abound…our protagonist is in near-constant danger.

Watch Cells at Work! CODE BLACK on Funimation!

Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU

Remember 2006’s Higurashi: When They Cry? Well, if you do, then you’ll definitely want to check out Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU, a continuation of the popular horror series.

The anime tells the story of a group of friends who live in the small Hinamizawa village one summer in 1983. That June, a new transfer student named Keiichi Maebara shows up in the tiny mountain town, and just in time for the biggest festival of the year. Soon, he finds himself hanging out with Rika Furude and her friends.

But while Keiichi’s routine started out as pretty mundane, he starts to notice things. His friends seem to behave strangely sometimes. There are oddities about the town, too—the sort of things that don’t really add up—and none of them seem to be the normal quirks of a small, boring town. There’s something dark about this place. There are secrets here, something that’s being hidden from Keiichi.

But what exactly is being hidden from Keiichi? And more importantly, why? Things go from being slightly off to straight-up gruesome. That fear that gnaws and grows within Keiichi is sure to affect you, too, making for the perfect winter night watchthrough!

Watch Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU on Funimation!