TV series
Yamishibai is a picture-story style of animation whose motif is surrounded and based off the rumors, and urban legends throughout the history of Japan.
Availability
Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai premiered July 15, 2013. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Yamishibai is a picture-story style of animation whose motif is surrounded and based off the rumors, and urban legends throughout the history of Japan.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
Thunder rumbles on a stormy night. At a certain house where Ryousuke, a high school boy is currently home alone, the phone rings just moments after the power goes out. Then a flash of lightning displays the shape of a person outside the window...
Written by 佐佐木充郭Guest stars Ryō Hirano
Episode 2
A group of high school students is visiting a certain cave on a field trip. A small group of them enters a corridor leading away from the main cave... but one of them, Tomoko, is ultimately left alone. After a few moments, she hears the screams of her classmates from deep inside the cave...
Written by 佐佐木充郭Guest stars Sara, Yui Ishikawa, Fuuka Haruna
Episode 3
Hideaki is a salaryman who lives alone in a company housing unit. One night, when he returns from the office, he hears the wind blowing through the open balcony door. Memories of a tragic event one month ago then take over Hideaki's mind...
Written by 佐佐木充郭Guest stars Ryouta Murai, 岸野聡子, Ayako Yamaguchi
Episode 4
Haruko moves to a village in the countryside to live with her new husband's family, On the way, he tells her about a custom in the village that requires its residents to toss their most prized possessions into a swamp. Shortly after they arrive at his family's home, Haruko is forced to join in this ritual with the rest of the villagers...
Written by Hiromu KumamotoGuest stars 岸野聡子, Masaki Sawai, Yui Ishikawa
Episode 5
Shimada, a salaryman, stops by a convenience store on his way home from work. It suddenly starts to rain, and he doesn't have an umbrella, so he "borrows" one that he finds on the umbrella rack. But as he walks along with the umbrella open, he senses a darkness approaching from behind...
Written by Hiromu KumamotoGuest stars 柳川薰平, Hiromu Kumamoto, Ayako Yamaguchi
Episode 6
Shouta has been admitted to a hospital in the countryside after a car accident. He finds himself regularly conversing through the wall with two children in the room next to his. Eventually these conversations leave Shouta with a sense of fear...
Written by Hiromu KumamotoGuest stars Sara, 岸野聡子
Episode 7
Takuya is a very shy boy who has moved out to the countryside to live with his grandfather. Takuya felt he didn't belong anywhere in Tokyo, and even here, he still doesn't fit in with the local kids and continues to fear the eyes of strangers. One day, Takuya stumbles upon a cluster of frog eggs and finds them strangely fascinating...
Written by 佐佐木充郭Guest stars 岸野聡子, Ayako Yamaguchi, Masaki Sawai, かねさだ雪緒, Fuuka Haruna
Episode 8
On a certain remote island, a group of concerned fishermen surround Chisato, a young woman trembling in fear. What could have happened to her? Eventually, she tells the terrifying story, which started when she drew a fortune from a certain shrine...
Written by 佐佐木充郭Guest stars Ryō Hirano, 岸野聡子, Yui Ishikawa
Episode 9
Mika drives through the rain to pick up her daughter, Michiko, from day care. She tries to talk with Michiko on the way home, but as their conversation carries on, Mika remembers something horrifying...
Written by 柳川薰平Guest stars 岸野聡子
Episode 10
Twin boys, Takashi and Satoshi, are playing in a forest. The energetic Takashi talks the shy Satoshi into climbing a large tree, but as they do, Satoshi recalls something that had vanished from his memory...
Written by 佐佐木充郭Guest stars Yui Ishikawa, かねさだ雪緒
Episode 11
Shirou is climbing a mountain when he gets caught in a severe blizzard and takes shelter in a nearby shack. The blizzard worsens, and Shirou braces himself to wait it out. But soon, disturbing sounds fill the shack, bringing terror he never expected...
Written by 柳川薰平Guest stars Ryouta Murai
Episode 12
Yurika is traveling with her friends from college. The group finds themselves at a waterfall deep in a forest that wasn't mentioned in their guidebook, and they hear what sounds like objects falling over the roar of the water...
Written by Hiromu KumamotoGuest stars Ryouta Murai, 岸野聡子, Fuuka Haruna
Episode 13
Two young women, Eriko and Shiho, are climbing a mountain. Shiho is having a great time hearing her own voice echo in the mountains, but Eriko just wants to enjoy the view in peace. Then a man's voice breaks through the still air, and the echoes Eriko and Shiho hear suddenly bring a sense of fear...
Written by Hiromu KumamotoGuest stars Fuuka Haruna
Episode information updated Sep 12, 2026
Available now in United States
These shows are available now and closely match Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai.
Kanji TsudaStoryteller (voice)
Yūto IkedaThe Boy (voice)
桃ノ井理子(voice)
Ryouta Muraipolice reporter (voice)
小泉ようEita (voice)
Ryō HiranoTooru (voice)
Risa AizawaAsako (voice)
白石るりThe Dawn Girl (voice)
AT-XJapan
TV TokyoJapan
ILCAJapanTV TokyoJapan
