is a Japanese role-playing horror game developed by noprops. It was first released in Japan in November 2008. It gained a cult following in Japan due to livestreams and playthroughs. Ao Oni was later adapted into a variety of media, including three feature-length films, a series of light novels, manga, and an anime.
The following is a list of adaptations based on the original Ao Oni video game. To be considered for the list, the adaptations must be included on at least two separate articles from different publications.
Video games Ao Oni (2008 video game)
Ao Oni is a freeware horror game developed by noprops. It was first released in Japan in November 2008. It gained a cult following in Japan due to livestreams and playthroughs. Ao Oni was later adapted into a variety of media, including two feature-length movies, a series of light novels, and a manga. A remaster was released on Steam and Nintendo Switch in 2024. The player controls Hiroshi as he explores the locked mansion, gathering items and solving puzzles in order to escape. The creature (the Ao Oni) will begin to chase the player at both random and scripted moments, similar to the Nemesis in Resident Evil 3. This forces the player to evade the Oni by either outrunning him or hiding from him, since Hiroshi is unable to fight back against him.
Novels Novelizations In 2013 – 2017, a series of novels were released which were based on the game. Slight differences to the storyline, mostly based on characterization, are present, but the books are otherwise faithful to the game's plot. The title was licensed for digital distribution in the English language by J-Novel Club. The series is made up of five novels, which J-Novel Club released between 2018 and 2019: Ao Oni, Ao Oni: Vengeance, Ao Oni: Mutation, Ao Oni: Grudge, and Ao Oni: Forever. Over 300,000 copies of Aooni novels have been sold.
Junior novels In 2018, PHP Laboratory began publishing a series of junior novels based on the Ao Oni series. The series follows the game characters, who are of elementary school age instead of teenagers, and is told from the perspective of a stray dog that was taken in by Takuro's uncle.
『青鬼 ジェイルハウスの怪物』(2018, lit. Ao Oni The Jailhouse Monster) 『青鬼 廃校の亡霊』 (2018, lit. Ao Oni The Ghost in the Abandoned School) 『青鬼 真夜中の地下病棟』 (2018, lit. Ao Oni The Midnight Underground Ward) 『青鬼 ドクロ島からの脱出』(2019, lit. Escape from the Ao Oni Skull Island) 『青鬼 ゾンビだらけの遊園地』 (2019, lit. Ao Oni Zombie Amusement Park) 『青鬼 調査クラブ ジェイルハウスの怪物を倒せ!』 (2019, lit. Ao Oni Demon Research Club Defeat the Monsters of Jailhouse!)
Live-action films
Ao Oni was adapted into a live action film of the same name, that was released in Japan on 5 July 2014. A second live action film, Ao Oni ver 2.0, was released the following year with a different director, writer, and cast.
Anime An anime television short series adaptation Ao Oni The Animation (titled Aooni The Blue Monster internationally), premiered on 3 October 2016. The series is produced by Studio Deen, and directed by Toshirō Hamamura and Chisei Maeda, with Kanekoke handling series composition, Kichi designing the characters and Shiyu Yanagida composing the music. An anime film with the title Ao Oni The Animation, also produced by Studio Deen, was released in 2017.
See also
List of adaptations of Slender Man
References