Moe and Horror: Can They Work Together?

This conversation started up in this thread and in order to not derail that topic any further, I'd like to move the conversation here.

In short, can moe work well with horror? Can it subtract from or even make some Horror anime scarier? Have some anime done this already?

Discuss.

Judging by Higurashi, yes, they definitely can work together.

I think Madoka should find it's way into that conversation as well.

If anything, the moe artstyle makes the horror worse, because that kind of shit doesn't happen to cute looking characters.

It's twisted and wrong and funny...

ignore that last part.

What Pokenatic said.

Yeah, Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is totally that.

what about Elfen Lied?

Another vote for Higurashi. I mean, damn that was creepy.

I thought Higurashi was hilarious and narmy.

The first scene from this series I've watched was Rika repeatedly bodyslamming/stabbing herself on a knife.

I was scared shitless and wondered what is this scary show. Then I checked the tvtropes page and the page image, this bit about dice-killing, made me think that this is the scariest series ever.

Then I've watched the first episode and what the hell is this non-scary moments?

Then the episode ended and damn, I was in a one hell of a ride.

I liked the first arc the most.

Chalk one more vote to Higurashi and Madoka.

I thought Higurashi was kind of dull, but the art style had nothing to do with that. And, yeah, Madoka

I think cute character design can make Psychological Horror more effective.

Yep, they can. Though the results may not be moe horror. Case in point: Higurashi, which was comedy gold, and Madoka, which is more of creepy awesome.

Yes,YES,!!!YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

I'm trying to imagine a work that's full on horror, while the art style is permanently chibi or even just super moe.

I don't really think Madoka counts as horror. Higurashi and Corpse Party may be candidates though.

Yeah, Higurashi. The actual genre is definitively horror, specially on the Visual Novel (I was really tense while reading the first Chapter). The moeness of the girls and the comedy of the early bits helps to give the Mood Whiplash that made the story distinctive.

I don't consider Madoka horror, though, as I said in the other thread. Still, for reasons similar to Higurashi, the Moe helped to "set" the proper mood.

So, yeah, Moe can be used to great effect in less "light" stories.

Go read Higurashi (preferably the Visual Novel, although the manga is not bad, avoid the anime). Definitively Moecharacter design. Psychological Horror to full effect (it helps the VN have you on the mind of the (properly?) paranoid main character).

edited 6th Jan '12 9:18:13 PM by Heatth

I was thinking of Franken Fran, but that's really not so much "horror" as it is plain old Gorn.

??? Of course Moe and Horror go together.

In live action horror films it's always the pure and innocent girl that is being attacked, and survives (or not).

What kind of characters inspire "moe"?

I would have said Higurashi a long time ago, but while I believe that still holds true for the manga and games, not so much for the anime. It's pretty dated as of now and really narmy.

Sure! I can imagine a series where the characters start out realistic-looking and with rounded, complex personalities, then slowly find themselves turning into moe stereotypes (including the guys) due to an Eldritch Abomination influencing their neighborhood. Creeepy.

Ah the meta angle.

You're right, I think that would work too.

Higurashi really starts out as horror and then shifts into sorta... I dunno, adventure fantasy or something? Good one regardless.