Kemonogari

Kemonogari is a claustrophobic horror manga set in the isolated village of Habaki, a community bound by an ancient and unsettling custom that grants absolute authority to its chief. The story follows Akira Sasaki, the second son of the ruling family. As the new year approaches, his older brother Hikaru prepares to undergo the sacred ceremony that will officially crown him as the next village leader. While the settlement remains consumed with ritual preparations, Akira harbors a quiet plan of his own: he intends to use the gathering as a chance to ask Kotori Karino, his childhood friend and secret crush, to flee the village with him. However, an ominous shadow falls over the region when two men mysteriously vanish in the mountains bordering Habaki. Despite this disturbing disappearance, the villagers press forward with their traditions, seemingly blind to the encroaching danger. On the day of the ceremony, Hikaru dons the ceremonial mask symbolizing his ascent to power and steps forward to deliver his inaugural address. Before he can speak, the ritual is shattered by the sudden arrival of a terrifying, unnatural creature, plunging the village into panic.