How is Anime Similar to the Friday the 13th Series?
Friday the 13th is a day that is shrouded in misfortune and slaughter by Jason Voorhees. The American horror series somehow made a simple hockey mask into an iconic image of slasher films and most recognized villains. Jason strikes a chord with viewers because of his past at the summer camp and the accursed lake where he was tortured and met his downfall. Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in New Jersey is so infamous for Camp Crystal Lake scenes that fans are only selected to go in a lottery-type system for viewing.
Similar to the tragedy of Jason, Higurashi When They Cry? is an anime set in a small town of Hinamizawa where the residents are devastated by unforeseen events. The main character, Lord Oyashiro's curse is that he is blamed for disappearances and murders on the night of Watanagashi. This series definitely delivers on violence and gore for those who want a similar plot to Friday the 13th.
A secondary anime series that comes to mind where horror, mystery, and death are the main concepts for the series is Another. Another’s plot focuses on the mysterious death of a student named Misaki in the town of Yomiyama. Misaki’s death shrouds the town, causing the townspeople to fear the unknown dark secrets hidden within. Kouichi Sakakibara is a transfer student in Another who strives for answers and ignores all the warnings he’s been given about getting close with a particular classmate.
In Boogiepop Never Laughs: Boogiepop Phantom takes a tamer approach than the others, exploring different accounts of the same killing spree five years ago. The storyline focuses on rumors that tell of a legendary Shinigami who will release people from their pain and suffering, also known as Boogiepop. Is it Boogiepop, “Angel of Death,” that is causing these mysterious cases of people vanishing or is it something else entirely?
Paranoia Agent has the infamous Shounen Bat (Lil' Slugger) who causes terror for many citizens in Musashino City. Not unlike Jason’s signature machete, Paranoia Agent rollerblades and hits unexpected victims with a golden baseball bat. The Shounen Bat is spreading paranoia so much that the detectives investigating the attacker might even get caught in the crosshairs of the paranoia.
Last but not least, Tokyo Ghoul comes to mind when the subject of Jason is brought up. Yakumo Oomori is so known for his brutality and extreme torture that he gets coined the alias, “13th Ward Jason.” If you want to see a very drastic personality change in Kaneki, then you need to see the Aogiri Arc from Tokyo Ghoul.
In all of these Anime series, you can definitely see the influences in the horror pop culture series, Friday the 13th.
