Pet Shop of Horrors

Welcome to the most magnificent pet shop in Chinatown! Operated by the shadowy Count D, the shop specializes in rare and hard to come by pets... but with each sale comes a contract. And if that contract is broken, watch out! Detective Orcott has linked many odd and unexplained deaths to Count D's shop. Will he solve the mystery or fall prey to it?

Pet Shop of Horrors (1999) is a Japanese animated dark fantasy horror mystery series created by Matsuri Akino and produced by Madhouse for TBS. Set in a shadowy Chinatown, the story follows Detective Orcott (voiced by Masaya Onosaka) as he investigates a run of odd and unexplained deaths linked to a mysterious pet shop. The shop is run by Count D (voiced by Toshihiko Seki), who sells rare and hard to come by creatures, including a mermaid, but every sale binds the buyer to a contract. Breaking that contract brings lethal supernatural consequences. Jill (voiced by Satsuki Yukino) adds a further presence to the proceedings. The engine of the four episodes is the detective's push to uncover whether the deaths are murder, a curse, or something stranger, while asking whether he can solve the mystery without becoming its next victim. Each episode is a self-contained case of morbid, tragic unease rather than a sprawling saga, and the single season delivers a compact, atmospheric run. The tone is gothic, sinister and melancholic, with an elegant menace that makes the shop feel both alluring and dangerous. Fans of Hellsing Ultimate and Mononoke will find resonance in its supernatural dread, cursed bargains and moody, stylized storytelling, and its adult, unsettling take on the anime horror tradition.

Audience reception is positive, with a strong per-season rating for this short, self-contained OVA-style run.

• Hellsing Ultimatedark fantasy supernatural horror with a curse-bound bargain and a detective investigating deaths
• Mononokegothic supernatural mystery built on uncanny deals and a moody urban setting
• Gakkou Gurashimacabre anime anthology of cursed objects and eerie tragedy

Created by

Matsuri Akino

Release Date

1999-03-01

Episode runtime

23 min

Rating

7.2 / 10 (50)

What is Pet Shop of Horrors about?

A detective investigating a string of unexplained deaths traces them to a sinister Chinatown pet shop whose exotic animals come with deadly contracts.

What is Pet Shop of Horrors like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pet Shop of Horrors as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Pet Shop of Horrors violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Pet Shop of Horrors as moderate.

What did critics think of Pet Shop of Horrors?

Audience reception is positive, with a strong per-season rating for this short, self-contained OVA-style run.

Which shows are like Pet Shop of Horrors?

Shows with a similar feel include Hellsing Ultimate, Mononoke, and Gakkou Gurashi.

How long is Pet Shop of Horrors?

Pet Shop of Horrors: 1 season, 4 episodes.

Is Pet Shop of Horrors still running?

No, Pet Shop of Horrors has ended.