In the year 2010, practically one hundred percent of Cat Earth’s GDP comes from the megacorporation Catty & Co., which is rapidly spreading across the rest of the galaxy. Here lives Tamala, a beautiful yet foul-mouthed cat, who decides to travel to the planet of her birth, Orion. After an unfortunate crash landing on the planet Q, Tamala meets Michaelangelo, a fellow cat, whom Tamala refers to as “MoiMoi.” As Tamala and Michaelangelo explore the planet’s capital, Hate City—which is under martial law to separate the feuding cat and dog populations—they pass by graffiti and museum exhibits about the ancient cult of Minerva that speak of something dark and sinister. After Tamala catches the eye of the extremely violent motorcycle-riding Kentauros, she and Michaelangelo flee, but mysteries about Tamala’s identity continue to surface. Why did Tamala originally leave Orion, and what exactly is her connection to Catty & Co.? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Short film by Ryoji Yamada. A waiter finished work, goes out and gets drunk.

Short animation directed by Masanobu Hiraoka.

A rusted door opens to a decrepit apartment filled with darkness. Inside, the masked Storyteller waits to spin more twisted tales of horror, inviting all to listen. In one story, a woman is tormented by her past sins; in another, a man visits a chilling art exhibit, where things quickly go awry when he ignores the warnings regarding taking photographs. That is not all, though—an unsuspecting woman hears strange noises from her veranda, but when her boyfriend investigates, he receives the shock of his life; a lady receives a frantic call from her sister, who begs her to come to a phone booth, but when she arrives, she realizes that things are not as they appear; and a man looks for one of his belongings in his little sister’s room, only to soon discover that a malevolent presence lives there. The Storyteller is all too eager to share these tales, which will no doubt shock and terrify his audience. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hashtags: Yami Shibai 7, Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories Seventh Season, Theater of Darkness 7th Season, Japanese Ghost Stories 7, 闇芝居 7期, Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 7

Five years ago, a string of grisly murders shook the city to its core and now the rumors have begun once more. Boogiepop… Everyone knows about Boogiepop: meet her one dark night and you are taken. People tell each other the stories and laugh: no one believes that she can possibly exist in this day and age. Still, strange things appear to be going on and the darkness is taking on many forms. Something is out there. Are you safe? (Source: RightStuf)

Life seems to drift by for Kana Koumoto and her friends in their small Japanese town. Every day is just like the last, and it feels like every new day will be the same. Kana goes to school, hangs out with her friends, and likes to paint her nails and listen to music, but it feels like nothing special is ever going to happen. As a change of pace, Kana and her friends decide to design a bottle rocket and launch it into space, even though it might not get there at all. However, just when the rocket is completed, a robot suddenly crashes into and destroys it, shortly followed by a pink-haired woman claiming to be a “Galactic Investigator.” Kana’s life quickly becomes more exciting than she ever imagined, dealing with new feelings, changing friends, and even boy troubles. It turns out life can go by in the blink of an eye, fast enough to even miss it, so what’s with these weird robots that seem to show up at the worst times?! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

The mysterious, yellow-masked Storyteller is a man whose true name and origin are both unknown. He appears at dusk where children gather and recites sinister tales based on Japanese urban legends, to which his young audience eerily intakes. However, the Storyteller is no ordinary teller of tales. He incorporates a kamishibai, a traditional paper-scrolling device, to add visuals to his already demented narration. A series of short horror stories, Yami Shibai begins with a bachelor who, after moving into a new apartment, immediately starts sensing a malevolent glare being pressed into him. A single talisman rests on his ceiling, but he has no way of knowing it is one of the few safeguards that separate him from a bottomless pit of suffering. Each story is more terrifying, more appalling, and more sickening than the last as the Storyteller’s audience find themselves being sucked into the vicious world of his words. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Fifteen years after a cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact, the world faces a new threat: monstrous celestial beings called “Angels” invade Tokyo-3 one by one. Mankind is unable to defend themselves against the Angels despite utilizing their most advanced munitions and military tactics. The only hope for human salvation rests in the hands of NERV, a mysterious organization led by the cold Gendou Ikari. NERV operates giant humanoid robots dubbed “Evangelions” to combat the Angels with state-of-the-art advanced weaponry and protective barriers known as Absolute Terror Fields. Years after being abandoned by his father, Shinji Ikari, Gendou’s 14-year-old son, returns to Tokyo-3. Shinji undergoes a perpetual internal battle against the deeply buried trauma caused by the loss of his mother and the emotional neglect he suffered at the hands of his father. Terrified to open himself up to another, Shinji’s life is forever changed upon meeting 29-year-old Misato Katsuragi, a high-ranking NERV officer who shows him a free-spirited maternal kindness he has never experienced. A devastating Angel attack forces Shinji into action as Gendou reveals his true motive for inviting his son back to Tokyo-3: Shinji is the only child capable of efficiently piloting Evangelion Unit-01, a new robot that synchronizes with his biometrics. Despite the brutal psychological trauma brought about by piloting an Evangelion, Shinji defends Tokyo-3 against the angelic threat, oblivious to his father’s dark machinations. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Once again, the mysterious storyteller draws in the ears of any willing to listen to his macabre tales of madness—ones that could happen to anyone, no matter who they might be. The ghastly stories delve into the cases of teenagers testing their courage at an abandoned home; children navigating nefarious family traditions; malicious apparitions haunting the lives of innocent people; individuals helplessly watching their loved ones slowly go insane; a woman growing increasingly concerned when her husband’s behavior changes after eating something odd; and an evil snowman or two. These chilling tales promise to leave no soul unstirred in the most disturbing way yet. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Hashtags : Yami Shibai 8, Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories Eighth Season, Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 8,闇芝居 8期

A young boy silently sketches out the forms of the horrors that dwell in his mind. During this adventure into the occult and mysterious, he tells tales that involve dreams of a person with a muscular arm that you must not look at, a hospital with a room that holds a grim secret, and a visit to an eerily silent taxidermy museum. These tales and more are compiled in Yami Shibai 3. Presented in an art style similar to kamishibai storytelling, this horror series stays true to the gruesome and creepy trend that is prominent in Yami Shibai and Yami Shibai 2nd Season. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shinya Tsukamoto’s animated promo for the Ca’ Foscari Cinema in Venice. (Source: Letterboxd)

Somewhere in the desert lies the Wolf Zirkus: a strange circus where Popee, a clown in a pink rabbit jumpsuit, shares the stage with Kedamono, a purple creature who wears a mask. Together, they juggle the whims of performing, practicing their acts, and poking fun at each other. In a world where anything seems possible, there is no telling what will happen next during this eccentric spectacle. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Containing shorts that couldn’t be included in the original, Genius Party Beyond weaves stories that are both deep and insightful: the idea all life is relative in size, the consequences of an oppressive government, and how to deal with your darker desires, among others. From the directors and artists of works such as Samurai Champloo, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Akira, come a multitude of thought-provoking tales, to create a collection equalling the original in storytelling genius. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

A short rotoscope film by Mika Seike.

A video game character finds a VR headset on the street.

Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introverted fourteen-year-old, is one of the many girls from her school to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda—the very same Chisa who recently committed suicide. Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle even basic technology; yet, when the technophobe opens the email, it leads her straight into the Wired, a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. Lain’s life is turned upside down as she begins to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another. Strange men called the Men in Black begin to appear wherever she goes, asking her questions and somehow knowing more about her than even she herself knows. With the boundaries between reality and cyberspace rapidly blurring, Lain is plunged into more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings. Written by Chiaki J. Konaka, whose other works include Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological avant-garde mystery series that follows Lain as she makes crucial choices that will affect both the real world and the Wired. In closing one world and opening another, only Lain will realize the significance of their presence. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tenth season of Yami Shibai

Hashtags : Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories Tenth Season, Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 10 , Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 10 , 闇芝居 十期, Yami Shibai 10

The world of dreams can be an incredible window into the psyche, showing one’s deepest desires, aspirations, and repressed memories. One hopeful tech lab has been developing the “DC Mini,” a device with the power to delve into the dreams of others. Atsuko Chiba and Kosaku Tokita have been tirelessly working to develop this technology with the hopes of using it to deeply explore patients’ minds and help cure them of their psychological disorders. However, having access to the deepest corners of a person’s mind comes with a tremendous responsibility. In the wrong hands, the DC Mini could be used as a form of psychological terrorism and cause mental breakdowns in the minds of targets. When this technology is stolen and people around them start acting strangely, Atsuko and Kosaku know they have a serious problem on their hands. Enlisting the help of Officer Konakawa, who has been receiving this experimental therapy, they search both the real and dream worlds for their mental terrorist. [Written by MAL Rewrite]