Pet Shop Of Horrors Episode 2: Delicious

Pet Shop of Horrors is a four-episode anime television series produced by Madhouse, which aired in 1999 as a miniseries on the TBS television network.
The anime is a loose adaptation of the manga of the same name created by Matsuri Akino, focusing on the horror elements of the source material by re-imagining four chapters from the original series.
The story centers on Count D, a mysterious and androgynous proprietor of a pet shop located in Los Angeles Chinatown, who sells rare and mythical creatures that often appear human to clients seeking to fill emotional voids.
Each self-contained episode follows a customer who purchases one of these creatures, bound by a strict contract; breaking any rule leads to tragic and often gruesome consequences.

The series was initially released in North America by Urban Vision on VHS and later on DVD, with a Blu-ray release also available.
It has been praised for its atmospheric tension, well-written plots, and the compelling performance of Toshihiko Seki as Count D, whose voice is described as charming, darkly sweet, and dangerous.
Despite its short length, the anime is considered a fascinating and thought-provoking work, often compared to "The Twilight Zone" for its moral parables disguised within horror.
The series has a cult following, with fans noting its dated animation but strong storytelling and character development.
The original manga, which contains 41 chapters, offers a broader range of stories and deeper exploration of themes like human weakness and emotion, which the anime adaptation only partially covers.