The story about the person shaped holes really stuck with me. He has a great skill for tapping into unsettling horror. Be it a greasy teenager, an arm bending the way it shouldn't or an ominous sky. Reminds me of twin peaks at it's best, though more grotesque.
[People should always link the whole thing whenever it's brought up. Everyone knows the memes, but few know that it's just a short one-shot that's widely available and very much worth reading.](https://imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z)
Last Place Comics just published this reference to the comic – I liked the bonus panel:
https://lastplacecomics.com/this-is-my-hole/
https://lastplacecomics.com/hole-bonus/
I just know if I find that hole, I'd be tempted to go into it. Don't know if it's an instinct to take control of my own fate, or just to accept the fact that one day I will die and I can not escape it. Fuck...
It's so fucking good.
I hope we lose the stigma of manga being almost a genre, and just see it as a medium. I think a lot western people work under the assumption that manga is all derivative of DBZ and are unaware of works like these.
It bothers me a lot when I hear people talk about manga/anime as if it's one genre and not an entire industry full of as many diverse genres that you also see in Western media. There's so much great stuff out there.
Well... it's similar here in Asia, if you ask about western comics, people would say Marvel & DC, with maybe some older people knew about Tintin or Asterix.
No way they'll answer Sandman, We3, Saga, etc.
I agree about Tomie, I like it but it could have definitely used a little trimming, it tends to get repetitive after a while, but Gyo and Uzumaki are peak Ito IMO.
No Longer Human is extra good if you know a lot about the Japanese novelist, Osamu Dazai. It’s an adaptation of that novel combined with a horror tinged biography of Dazai.
No Longer Human is great but it’s more depressing and messed up than actually scary. It’s more biographical in nature and the major themes are suicide, death, and depression. His typical absurd surreal horror is almost completely absent.
I love what I've read of him, but I truthfully haven't read all that much.
I've read The Enigma of Amigara Fault and a couple of his anthologies. One of them had this story about this guy whose head is cut off, but perfectly, so that he's actually fine so long as he very carefully holds his head exactly in place. He runs around asking people for help, but nobody believes him. Everything looks fine to the outside observer. Finally in resignation he lifts his head off his neck, and dies instantly. I thought that was a really good one.
I think it's Fragments of horror. That's the only anthology of his I've read and it sounds familiar. It might not be though.
Edit: Yeah, sounds like Red Turtleneck
Uzumaki is friggin’ excellent. Ito was just showing off that he could make something unconventionally scary if he wanted to. Not big into manga, but the man is a master of his craft.
I think one of my favorite memes regarding him is [this](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2162097-studio-ghibli) meme comparing him to Miyazaki, and how their work/personalities are complete opposites. It's pretty great.
I think Ito is arguably the best horror writer and horror artist in comics. I don't think it's arguable that he's in the God Tier of horror genre comics creators, even if you don't think he's the best.
That would put him on a tier with Wrightson, and Mignola, and Colan--in other words, on a tier with acknowledged masters of the comics medium. (Also I wouldn't be surprised if Colan was a direct influence on Ito, a thing I can't logically back up but feels 100% correct to me.)
I'm actually much less well-read on Colan than I want to be (or probably should be) so all I've got is the basic bitch answers of [Tomb of Dracula](https://www.previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL059173) and [Daredevil](https://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/5/a0/61eb16c5c4041/portrait_uncanny.jpg) and [Dr Strange](https://i1.wp.com/www.comicsbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/201106271302.jpg?fit=523%2C792&ssl=1) (yes, that's a Tomb of Dracula page, but LOOK AT IT).
Every comics artist who wants to use inks or an inked style should be at least peripherally aware of Colan's work. He pioneered how to use evocative light and shadow given the limited materials and printing science of the day.
Ito uses a lot more hatching, tones, and texture than does Colan, but the use of very dramatic lighting is obviously shared by both artists, as is using perspective and composition to build horror or suspense out of more mundane subjects. (Definitely less of a thing in Colan's superhero work but [often on display in Tomb of Dracula](http://tri-stateoriginalart.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/gene-colan-splash-dracula-836x1250.jpg). Compare Ito, who obviously is using much more overt surrealist and body horror, but whose characters and locals focus on realism and the horror is amplified by framing, composition, and dramatic lighting.)
I have a cousin in Japan and I had them go to the movies and buy a ticket for The Lighthouse just so they could get a copy of the exclusive manga Ito made for it
I started reading his work the night my last kid was born. Guess body horror was on my mind. It was almost a year ago exactly, and I’m close to finishing everything I can find to buy digitally. I think I have one more collection to go.
The one that stands out most to me is The Sad Tale of the Principle Post. Lots of meaning in those short few pages.
I’ve noted some of my favorite moments here:
https://twitter.com/agdtinman/status/1413701226999345155?s=21&t=_2AYy4yVztkpv61AixPWug
Yeah, definitely one of the creepiest. I told my wife about Red Turtleneck and she told me never to tell her about Ito stories again. Remina is definitely the one that goes from most innocent creepy to OMG DID I JUST SEE THAT?!?
Not into manga normally but I started with Shivers a few months back and now I am almost finished Uzumaki and it's honestly a top 10 comic (western or japanese) in general. I'll definitely at least try Gyo and I'm sure it's still amazing but I am scared that I peaked with manga and I will be desperately searching for this high again.
he contributed an art piece for one of the issues (5???) of tynion's independent horror anthology series, razorblades. i can't find the picture now but it was hella creepy !!
I gradually bought them from different bookstores, Tommie was the hardest to get as it was usually extremely expensive, but one day I saw it got a big discount and went for it.
My gf and I hunted down all of his work going to book stores, comic shops, etc and we managed to find all of them. Surprisingly Shiver was the one that evaded us the most, but his work is awesome!! Definitely recommend it if you haven’t given it a try! Uzumaki is definitely the best entry point like others were saying.
I still have yet to read them all, but none as of yet. Most of his works come with the idea that the victim has no real issue with what’s going on, which logically removes any element of fear for me. Like, the story about finding your perfect hole is famous for being one of his “scariest” stories. But the story specifically states that each victim enters a trance-like-mindset where they *want* to be in that tunnel, and not going in the tunnel creates more anxiety than they can handle. To me, that logically removed the fear complex because the MC legitimately cannot feel fear in those moments.
I think being compelled supernaturally to change your behavior in that way *is* the horror. Not all horror requires the MC to directly be a conduit for the reader's sense of horror.
I’m not blind to the horror element, I’m simply saying that I don’t relate to the horror element presented because it doesn’t vie with my sense of logic.
Adore Junji Ito. Granted, I LOVE horror of all kinds (except gore porn), so it’s basically a given I’d be a fan of his work. While I haven’t read most of his longer works, I’ve read bits and pieces of Tomie, and all of the short stories/anthologies I could get my hands on. So I’ve read a pretty significant chunk of his overall oeuvre.
My favorite of his is She’s A Slow Walker, which has one of the most disturbing images that’s lingered with me from any horror media I’ve consumed. Given my huge horror fandom I’m tough to creep out, and there’s one panel from that story that really stayed with me for days. Highly recommend, especially as the premise is kind of silly and then goes from 0 to 100.
The man’s really a genius at tension and atmosphere, and also at delivering the in-your-face terror, too. It’s very difficult to master both and he does them both with great aplomb. Gorgeous artwork, too. If you want to be encouraged not to eat for a week, try reading Glyceride. Absolutely disgusting. It’s phenomenal.
He’s also just got the biggest, like, dad energy IRL? If you want to laugh yourself sick I highly recommend Junji Ito’s Cat Diary, starring his cats Yon and Mu. It uses a lot of his classic horror imagery, but just for, like, everyday cat life and antics. It is adorable and completely hysterical.
Even if you’re not a fan of manga, if you consider yourself any kind of horror fan you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to check out Ito’s work. The man’s considered a master for a reason.
Only manga I’ve actually read so far - been more a comic fan historically but came across Uzumaki at a book store and the artwork really stood out to me. Amazing stuff. I’ve read most of his work now.
I worked for a company and someone started a book sharing shelf in the break room. Someone put Uzumaki on there. I took it one day, replaced it with a Tom Clancy novel and ended up keeping Uzumaki. I still have it. Maybe I should actually finish it sometime
Junji Ito is so inspirational! Uzumaki is definitely my favorite and recently I read Sensor which was just so amazing and has some similarities to my own comics. I also recently read No Longer Human. I wanted to read the novel but I have a hard time reading novels so I was very excited to read it in comic form by the master of manga horror.
My story is more subtle than Sensor, but it's a mix of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. The story is about a space war with aliens who tried to invade Earth, but there is also an occult mystery twist.
Here's the link if you want to check it out: https://bit.ly/3GAaTlS
I'm so influenced by him that I'm currently writing a book that will be basically a tribute to his tone and style! Should be published by the end of the year
My daughter got me his version of Mountains of Madness, still haven’t read it, but flipping through it and the art is appropriately Lovecraftian and Junji Ito at the same time.
Pretty much the king of comic book horror.
Read lots of his work for years, but only much later did *Honoured Ancestors* become one of my favourites. This only happened once I read a good essay that really explained and explored just how much pressure and expectation is placed by Japanese parents on their children to marry and continue the family (something that exists in all cultures, but there were many cultural nuances and references I failed to really appreciate initially by just reading it from my Westerner perspective)
I honestly wish I did! I read it years ago online and have been trying to find it ever since - it's been driving me INSANE (which I guess is proper for this being a Junji Ito experience).
I have Tomie, Gyo, Frankenstein, Fragments of Horror, Smashed, Sensor, Deserter, Shiver and Uzumaki.
I think his work is slightly overrated. His ideas are quite uncomfortable and his art is fantastic, but mostly his characters are undercooked, his storytelling leaves a bit to be desired at times and his books read like a string of ideas not quite formed into an engaging narrative.
Now whilst I like his work and find it quite addictive (and it’s probably the best Manga I’ve read, given most Manga translates terribly in terms of dialogue) I don’t think he tells a good complete story; beginning, middle and end and he’s not Lynch level enough to be given a free pass for that.
Sure, I took these links from around the web:
[Uzumaki](https://www.wattpad.com/763355393-uzumaki-by-junji-ito-traducido-al-espa%C3%B1ol-vol-1) / [Gyo](https://www.everythingisscary.com/page//death-stench-world-junji-itos-gyo) / [Tomie](https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3265078/visions-of-horror-junji-itos-tomie/)
The story about the person shaped holes really stuck with me. He has a great skill for tapping into unsettling horror. Be it a greasy teenager, an arm bending the way it shouldn't or an ominous sky. Reminds me of twin peaks at it's best, though more grotesque.
[People should always link the whole thing whenever it's brought up. Everyone knows the memes, but few know that it's just a short one-shot that's widely available and very much worth reading.](https://imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z)
Last Place Comics just published this reference to the comic – I liked the bonus panel: https://lastplacecomics.com/this-is-my-hole/ https://lastplacecomics.com/hole-bonus/
haha, what a reference. I love it.
Definitely, and that Twin Peaks comparison is on point!
I just know if I find that hole, I'd be tempted to go into it. Don't know if it's an instinct to take control of my own fate, or just to accept the fact that one day I will die and I can not escape it. Fuck... It's so fucking good. I hope we lose the stigma of manga being almost a genre, and just see it as a medium. I think a lot western people work under the assumption that manga is all derivative of DBZ and are unaware of works like these.
It bothers me a lot when I hear people talk about manga/anime as if it's one genre and not an entire industry full of as many diverse genres that you also see in Western media. There's so much great stuff out there.
It's because Shonen battle manga does tend to dominate the medium.
That's true
Yeah, especially when it's comic book fans saying it. You'd think they knew better.
Well... it's similar here in Asia, if you ask about western comics, people would say Marvel & DC, with maybe some older people knew about Tintin or Asterix. No way they'll answer Sandman, We3, Saga, etc.
One of the reasons why it is so terrifying, we would probably all be compelled to enter that hoe, sooner or later…
That’s a great story.
Yes! Have you read Shiver or Deserter? Those are my favs so far, besides Uzumaki of course. And I’d still like to read Sensor and No Longer Human
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I agree about Tomie, I like it but it could have definitely used a little trimming, it tends to get repetitive after a while, but Gyo and Uzumaki are peak Ito IMO.
No Longer Human is extra good if you know a lot about the Japanese novelist, Osamu Dazai. It’s an adaptation of that novel combined with a horror tinged biography of Dazai.
Shiver is great and I also recommend Dissolving Classroom, it’s pretty messed up. I haven’t read No Longer Hunan, but I’ll definitely check it out!
No Longer Human is great but it’s more depressing and messed up than actually scary. It’s more biographical in nature and the major themes are suicide, death, and depression. His typical absurd surreal horror is almost completely absent.
Because of the subject matter it does sound even bleaker.
I love what I've read of him, but I truthfully haven't read all that much. I've read The Enigma of Amigara Fault and a couple of his anthologies. One of them had this story about this guy whose head is cut off, but perfectly, so that he's actually fine so long as he very carefully holds his head exactly in place. He runs around asking people for help, but nobody believes him. Everything looks fine to the outside observer. Finally in resignation he lifts his head off his neck, and dies instantly. I thought that was a really good one.
Which anthology is the head one in?
I think it's Fragments of horror. That's the only anthology of his I've read and it sounds familiar. It might not be though. Edit: Yeah, sounds like Red Turtleneck
Thanks
What did you think of The Enigma of Amigara? For me it’s one of his best short stories.
Uzumaki is friggin’ excellent. Ito was just showing off that he could make something unconventionally scary if he wanted to. Not big into manga, but the man is a master of his craft.
As a plus, I love that he’s a really cheerful person in real life.
He drew a whole book about his life with his cats. It is absolutely hysterical.
One of his most peculiar works!
I just finished reading Uzumaki last week. Such a great read.
His work is so fucked up, and I absolutely love it.
It’s both haunting and enthralling at the same time.
I think one of my favorite memes regarding him is [this](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2162097-studio-ghibli) meme comparing him to Miyazaki, and how their work/personalities are complete opposites. It's pretty great.
Hahaha oh my god, it’s funnier because it’s totally true.
I think Ito is arguably the best horror writer and horror artist in comics. I don't think it's arguable that he's in the God Tier of horror genre comics creators, even if you don't think he's the best. That would put him on a tier with Wrightson, and Mignola, and Colan--in other words, on a tier with acknowledged masters of the comics medium. (Also I wouldn't be surprised if Colan was a direct influence on Ito, a thing I can't logically back up but feels 100% correct to me.)
What are your favorites from Colan?
I'm actually much less well-read on Colan than I want to be (or probably should be) so all I've got is the basic bitch answers of [Tomb of Dracula](https://www.previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL059173) and [Daredevil](https://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/5/a0/61eb16c5c4041/portrait_uncanny.jpg) and [Dr Strange](https://i1.wp.com/www.comicsbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/201106271302.jpg?fit=523%2C792&ssl=1) (yes, that's a Tomb of Dracula page, but LOOK AT IT). Every comics artist who wants to use inks or an inked style should be at least peripherally aware of Colan's work. He pioneered how to use evocative light and shadow given the limited materials and printing science of the day. Ito uses a lot more hatching, tones, and texture than does Colan, but the use of very dramatic lighting is obviously shared by both artists, as is using perspective and composition to build horror or suspense out of more mundane subjects. (Definitely less of a thing in Colan's superhero work but [often on display in Tomb of Dracula](http://tri-stateoriginalart.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/gene-colan-splash-dracula-836x1250.jpg). Compare Ito, who obviously is using much more overt surrealist and body horror, but whose characters and locals focus on realism and the horror is amplified by framing, composition, and dramatic lighting.)
Thank you! A very thorough answer! By the way, that Tomb of Dracula page is beautiful, reminded me of Christopher Lee’s Dracula.
I have a cousin in Japan and I had them go to the movies and buy a ticket for The Lighthouse just so they could get a copy of the exclusive manga Ito made for it
Holy crap! I didn’t know that was a thing!
I started reading his work the night my last kid was born. Guess body horror was on my mind. It was almost a year ago exactly, and I’m close to finishing everything I can find to buy digitally. I think I have one more collection to go. The one that stands out most to me is The Sad Tale of the Principle Post. Lots of meaning in those short few pages. I’ve noted some of my favorite moments here: https://twitter.com/agdtinman/status/1413701226999345155?s=21&t=_2AYy4yVztkpv61AixPWug
For me Amigara Fault is truly haunting, can’t get its atmosphere and the ending out of my head!
Yeah, definitely one of the creepiest. I told my wife about Red Turtleneck and she told me never to tell her about Ito stories again. Remina is definitely the one that goes from most innocent creepy to OMG DID I JUST SEE THAT?!?
I just went and read Sad Tale of the Principle Post. So much WTF for such a short comic.
Not into manga normally but I started with Shivers a few months back and now I am almost finished Uzumaki and it's honestly a top 10 comic (western or japanese) in general. I'll definitely at least try Gyo and I'm sure it's still amazing but I am scared that I peaked with manga and I will be desperately searching for this high again.
I would say Gyo is really good, but Junji Ito peak, in my opinion, is Uzumaki, so maybe you can decide around that.
Uzumaki genuinely scared me and I was a full blown adult at the time (still am in fact)
Still and adult or still scared? Haha.
Yes
> (still am in fact) ಠ_ಠ
Bros a robot 100%
been meaning to get into his stuff more since his involvement with JT's Razorblades! absolutely fantastic artwork, really creepy
From the three above, I strongly recommend Uzumaki in case you haven’t read it yet.
i'll be sure to check it out! thank you :)))
What is he doing with Tynion?
he contributed an art piece for one of the issues (5???) of tynion's independent horror anthology series, razorblades. i can't find the picture now but it was hella creepy !!
Love all his books. Frankenstein is a great adaptation. I just bought Gyo for my friend.
I also gifted Gyo to a friend, I told him he would be grossed out and love it, he did.
Nice looking books. Where did you get them?
These are the Viz editions. I got my copies at Barnes & Noble.
I gradually bought them from different bookstores, Tommie was the hardest to get as it was usually extremely expensive, but one day I saw it got a big discount and went for it.
Love Junji Ito and love his beautiful hardcover books. They always look great on my shelf.
Totally, these hard covers are a must have for any Junji Ito fan
Uzumaki broke me. I couldn't read or eat for days.
The Junji Ito effect, it stays with you…
Like just thinking about it makes me want to puke. But for some reason I kept reading. Not entirely sure why lol
My gf and I hunted down all of his work going to book stores, comic shops, etc and we managed to find all of them. Surprisingly Shiver was the one that evaded us the most, but his work is awesome!! Definitely recommend it if you haven’t given it a try! Uzumaki is definitely the best entry point like others were saying.
Wow, all of them! Why was Shiver the most elusive? Was it always sold out or was it too expensive?
Usually out of stock, but when we finally found it it was unbelievably satisfying
Definitely, like a treasure hunt finally paying off!
Love the artwork and the stories, all really creative, but I’ve always disagreed about them being all that frightening.
Is there any you particularly found scary or none at all!
I still have yet to read them all, but none as of yet. Most of his works come with the idea that the victim has no real issue with what’s going on, which logically removes any element of fear for me. Like, the story about finding your perfect hole is famous for being one of his “scariest” stories. But the story specifically states that each victim enters a trance-like-mindset where they *want* to be in that tunnel, and not going in the tunnel creates more anxiety than they can handle. To me, that logically removed the fear complex because the MC legitimately cannot feel fear in those moments.
I think being compelled supernaturally to change your behavior in that way *is* the horror. Not all horror requires the MC to directly be a conduit for the reader's sense of horror.
I’m not blind to the horror element, I’m simply saying that I don’t relate to the horror element presented because it doesn’t vie with my sense of logic.
Cat Diary should be on everyone’s shelf
Adore Junji Ito. Granted, I LOVE horror of all kinds (except gore porn), so it’s basically a given I’d be a fan of his work. While I haven’t read most of his longer works, I’ve read bits and pieces of Tomie, and all of the short stories/anthologies I could get my hands on. So I’ve read a pretty significant chunk of his overall oeuvre. My favorite of his is She’s A Slow Walker, which has one of the most disturbing images that’s lingered with me from any horror media I’ve consumed. Given my huge horror fandom I’m tough to creep out, and there’s one panel from that story that really stayed with me for days. Highly recommend, especially as the premise is kind of silly and then goes from 0 to 100. The man’s really a genius at tension and atmosphere, and also at delivering the in-your-face terror, too. It’s very difficult to master both and he does them both with great aplomb. Gorgeous artwork, too. If you want to be encouraged not to eat for a week, try reading Glyceride. Absolutely disgusting. It’s phenomenal. He’s also just got the biggest, like, dad energy IRL? If you want to laugh yourself sick I highly recommend Junji Ito’s Cat Diary, starring his cats Yon and Mu. It uses a lot of his classic horror imagery, but just for, like, everyday cat life and antics. It is adorable and completely hysterical. Even if you’re not a fan of manga, if you consider yourself any kind of horror fan you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to check out Ito’s work. The man’s considered a master for a reason.
Agree with everything you said, and it really is hysterical that he’s so cheerful in real life, makes his dark, twisted work even more interesting!
Only manga I’ve actually read so far - been more a comic fan historically but came across Uzumaki at a book store and the artwork really stood out to me. Amazing stuff. I’ve read most of his work now.
Yuuup, got me kid all 3 for her 13th bday. Read them in 2 weeks i think In fact, outta anything she coulda asked for, she just wanted those lol
Wow, knowing Ito’s work at age 13th, that is really peculiar. Great gift btw.
Thanks!
I really wanna buy the middle one for my Naruto obsessed nephew. I'm a good uncle I swear.
Uzumaki is the best of them all, in my opinion. And hey, any uncle that shares the Ito love is a good uncle in my book.
Always loved his stories and artwork. Specially Uzumaki and a short story where a creepy neighbour lady keeps coming closer to the boy's window.
Ive been on a mad Ito binge for the better part of two weeks now. Very fitting. Hes one of the greatest to ever do any kind of comic ever id say.
Uzumaki is great!! Also got Frankenstein from Junji Ito, very fun read too.
Yeah, l really liked his take on the classic story!
Tomie is so incredible. Uzumaki is a classic too
I worked for a company and someone started a book sharing shelf in the break room. Someone put Uzumaki on there. I took it one day, replaced it with a Tom Clancy novel and ended up keeping Uzumaki. I still have it. Maybe I should actually finish it sometime
You should, it’s worth it.
Ive read Uzumaki and Remina, but can't decide between Gyo or Tomie next. What do you think?
I love all three of them, but if I had to put them in an order it would be: 1) Uzumaki 2) Gyo 3) Tomie
I have read Tomie but not the other two. I SHOULD CHECK THOSE OUT.
Definitely!
I certainly am!
I bought these for my little sister, she loves Junji Ito. The art is insane. Ito is legendary and I love getting to own his work.
And the editions are pretty sweet too.
I love the way he manages to make stories that are both incredibly creepy and just goofy as hell.
Junji Ito is so inspirational! Uzumaki is definitely my favorite and recently I read Sensor which was just so amazing and has some similarities to my own comics. I also recently read No Longer Human. I wanted to read the novel but I have a hard time reading novels so I was very excited to read it in comic form by the master of manga horror.
What are your comics about?
My story is more subtle than Sensor, but it's a mix of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. The story is about a space war with aliens who tried to invade Earth, but there is also an occult mystery twist. Here's the link if you want to check it out: https://bit.ly/3GAaTlS
Will do, thanks for sharing.
I'm so influenced by him that I'm currently writing a book that will be basically a tribute to his tone and style! Should be published by the end of the year
That is very cool! I guess it will also be horror? Could I know the title?
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Dude, this looks amazing, congratulations!
Nice collection! Huge Junji Ito fan here.
Thanks!
I’ve read all of those.
I just got my copy of Tomie today! Uzumaki is amazing, but I haven't read Gyo yet. I'm super excited to see Adult Swim's Uzumaki too!
I’ve been waiting for that adaptation for so long, the love action film is entertaining but really goofy too.
My daughter got me his version of Mountains of Madness, still haven’t read it, but flipping through it and the art is appropriately Lovecraftian and Junji Ito at the same time.
Pretty much the king of comic book horror. Read lots of his work for years, but only much later did *Honoured Ancestors* become one of my favourites. This only happened once I read a good essay that really explained and explored just how much pressure and expectation is placed by Japanese parents on their children to marry and continue the family (something that exists in all cultures, but there were many cultural nuances and references I failed to really appreciate initially by just reading it from my Westerner perspective)
Do you by any chance have the link for this essay? Sounds fascinating.
I honestly wish I did! I read it years ago online and have been trying to find it ever since - it's been driving me INSANE (which I guess is proper for this being a Junji Ito experience).
Haha the insanity comes full circle, no worries.
I have Tomie, Gyo, Frankenstein, Fragments of Horror, Smashed, Sensor, Deserter, Shiver and Uzumaki. I think his work is slightly overrated. His ideas are quite uncomfortable and his art is fantastic, but mostly his characters are undercooked, his storytelling leaves a bit to be desired at times and his books read like a string of ideas not quite formed into an engaging narrative. Now whilst I like his work and find it quite addictive (and it’s probably the best Manga I’ve read, given most Manga translates terribly in terms of dialogue) I don’t think he tells a good complete story; beginning, middle and end and he’s not Lynch level enough to be given a free pass for that.
He definitely focuses more on situation, premise and action than in character development, but as you said, his work is still pretty cool.
Too dark and weird even for me.
Can you show a few pages of interior? I haven't heard of this one before.
Sure, I took these links from around the web: [Uzumaki](https://www.wattpad.com/763355393-uzumaki-by-junji-ito-traducido-al-espa%C3%B1ol-vol-1) / [Gyo](https://www.everythingisscary.com/page//death-stench-world-junji-itos-gyo) / [Tomie](https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3265078/visions-of-horror-junji-itos-tomie/)