Tag: horror

Shiver by Junji Ito

shiver

genre: manga. horror. teen.

The Review

Happy Halloween! I couldn’t resisted holding off on this review so I could post it today. Just like the last Junji Ito review, this is a horror manga collection and I’ll be including some panels from the stories. If this isn’t your thing, you’ll probably want to skip this one!

Used Record: 2 out of 5

I think the main reason this story landed flat for me was because it was sound dependent. “Used Record” is straight up about a spooky recording that makes listeners obsessed with it. But it’s hard to really get into the story when … well, when you can’t really hear said recording.

Shiver: 3 out of 5

Man, this one had so much potential. It could have been so much scarier though. If anyone has Trypophobia this story is basically your worst nightmare. These random holes start appearing in people’s skin and eventually makes them deteriorate. This is creepy in and of itself, but then Ito starts mentioning bugs and … ick! The imagery is just out of this world for this story. This one honestly ended way too fast. Right when it was getting good.

Fashion Model: 4 out of 5

I can’t really put my finger on why I liked this one so much, but it’s just so fun to read. This lady … she is just so disturbing! This story is very much a slow-build. You know there’s something wrong with the creepy fashion model, but really there’s no outward evidence that she’d a bad person. The end comes up fast and is so satisfyingly grotesque.

fashion model

Hanging Blimp: 4 out of 5

This is such a bizarre story. I can’t even begin to imagine how Ito comes up with the majority of his ideas, but this one is pretty out there. How he manages to make giant head blimps (yes, you read that right) terrifying is just unbelievable. That’s pretty much all I have to say about this one haha.

Marionette Mansion: 5 out of 5

A classic spooky subject that was given Ito’s trademark twist. Marionettes, puppets, whatever. They’ve always been a big subject in the horror genre, but, as always, Ito takes it to a whole new level. Another slow build, this story is inherently creepy from the start, but there’s no violence or straight up here until the very end. This was one of my favorites because it makes you feel uneasy from the very first page.

marionette

Painter: 5 out of 5

I don’t know if anyone here follows me on Instagram, but I love the Tomie story. “Painter” is a part of the Tomie set and it’s perfectly disturbing. The idea of a girl being so beautiful that she drives people mad is sick and it’s the kind of story I’d read over and over again. Although Tomie looks a lot Ito’s other beautiful protagonists, there’s just something about her — which, is kind of her whole thing. This was definitely my favorite story in this whole collection.

painter

The Long Dream: 4 out of 5

This is one of those stories that really gets under your skin. There’s no jump-scare kind of horror or overtly gross imagery (although some panels are creepy). “The Long Dream” was disturbing because of the idea behind it. Every night your dream gets longer and longer. One night your dream lasts a century and you have no idea what had happened the day before. You’ve lived through so much time in your dream that you’ve lost touch with your own reality. So much so that the dream feels so real when you’re in it. So … how can you be sure that this, right now, isn’t a dream. You’ll wake up and it was all in your head. NOPE.

Honored Ancestors: 3 out of 5

This is another one of those “how did he come up with this???” kind of stories. Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain it. Just don’t read this if you’re scared of caterpillars. I wasn’t before, I definitely am now.

Grease: 2 out of 5

If you like gross stories, “Grease” is right up your alley. I do not, so I had a really hard time reading this one. This is a gross fest. Ito really pulled out all the stops for this one and I found myself flipping pages and skimming as much as possible. I can’t even add an image here because there’s no way I’m googling this story.

Cursed Frame: 4 out of 5

This technically isn’t a full story — it’s more of a bonus. But I loved it! This is a companion piece to “Fashion Model”. It’s super short (only a few pages), but those last few panels really hit me. This was a perfect ending to this collection.

cursed frame

The collection as a whole:

I liked this one way more than the first collection I read (Smashed). I think the stories in this set are much better and flowed better when I was reading them. Just like the Smashed, it took a few of the stories for me to really get into the groove of it. The first few are a little weak, but eventually you really get that classic Junji Ito feel.

I mentioned this last time, but Ito has such a unique artistic style that draws me in. It’s crisp and beautiful even when it’s offset by the horrible images he conjures up. This is a good collection for anyone who’s interested in his work and wants some good spooks!

approx read time: 17 days. I got distracted, okay 😬

Rating: 5 out of 5 Screems™

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Ownership: borrowed from my library

Links: Author. Goodreads.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

turn of the screw

genre: horror. classics.

The Review

This book had been on my list for years. I finally went out to buy it after watching the opening scene of the Haunting of Bly Manor. I was a huge fan of the Haunting of Hill House and I appreciated the adaptation they did of Shirley Jackson’s book. Since I’d wanted to read the Turn of the Screw already, I figured now was as good a time as any! I certainly wasn’t expecting what this book had to offer.

Characters:

The characters in this story are dated, but not to the detriment of the story. In fact, I think because of when this book was written, the characters are all the more impressive. The main character is a woman. Her confidante is a woman. I love that this story was centered around intelligent women who are still aware their feelings. The governess, the main character, is a force to be reckoned with. She is absolutely sure of her conviction. Very rarely, she doubts herself and continually tries to barrel through her situation with logic. Throughout this, she’s dealing with the strong feelings she has for her charges and the insane events that are occurring around her.

The Governess’s relationship with Mrs. Grose is excellent. I think strong relationships between two female characters are so important in literature and media. These two characters fully support one another through the entire ordeal and this is probably what I liked most. They never turn on one another, even when there is evidence contrary to what the other is saying. There is no drama between them. No false fronts. Just support. To me, this was the best part of the book.

Set-Up:

Despite the phenomenal characters, I can understand why a lot of people rate this book low; it is hard to read. This was published in 1898 so the writing is complicated and convoluted. The English is difficult to decipher and very old-fashioned. In fact, the entire situation is old-fashioned and a little weird. A lot of things that happen in this book — or short story, more aptly — would be completely different in present day. The way the Governess behaves with the children; how the “help,” while still older than the children, aren’t really in charge. This is off-putting, but eventually I got used to it. This book was written in a different time and you have to bear that in mind while reading.

As to the most important part of any horror story: this book really did put me on edge. If you can take the time to really decipher what James is saying and what the words are showing you, there are some absolutely terrifying scenes. The writing was more like an unsettling mood for me than a jump-scare worthy fright, but it definitely did the trick. I have a lot of feelings about the ending. I’ll leave it in the spoiler block below if anyone is interested!

Spoilers below: highlight text block to view

The end of this story is a whole discussion. I was so caught off guard. This ending is so ambiguous and left such a sour taste in my mouth (in a good way. I’m sure that was entirely the point). The fact that James cuts the book off where he does, just makes the story that much better. Because really, you have no idea what happened. Did you just read a book about an insane governess who sees things and finally loses it? Killing one of her charges? Or was she right all along and poor Miles died of fright? Absolutely crazy.

approx read time: this story is only around 86 pages, but don’t let that fool you. It took me 5 days to wade through this.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Screems™

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Ownership: I did purchase a copy of this book and it will be going in my bookshelf!

Links: Author. Goodreads.

Smashed by Junji Ito

Smashed

genre: manga. horror. teen.

The Review

As a disclaimer, this is a horror collection and I’ll be including panels from the manga in this review. So if that isn’t your thing, maybe skip this one. This also won’t follow the same format as most of my reviews because this is a collection of stories. I’ll list out each one and say a few words and then move on. At the end, I’ll discuss the collection as a whole.

Bloodsucking Darkness: 4 out of 5

This was a solid opening for this collection. This is a perfect example of how Ito uses his storytelling to discuss important societal topics. This story is focused on a girl struggling with bulimia and general eating disorder. Ito puts his own spin on the idea and gets his way right under your skin.

bloodsucking darkness

Ghosts of Prime Time: 2 out of 5

Honestly, I didn’t really get this one. It was fine. I just didn’t find it scary or particularly interesting. The idea behind this story is pretty weird too. I think I would have rather had a story focused on why the main character can see spirits. I’m sure that he would have experienced scarier things than these two creepy comedians. Just felt kind of “eh.”

Roar: 3 out of 5

There was nothing really wrong with this story, but there was nothing about it that I loved either. It’s a good interpretation about life after death and holding on too long to those who have passed on, but that’s about all I got from it.

Earthbound: 5 out of 5

This. This is the one that really reassured me that this collection was going to be worth it. Because oh my gosh. This story is so unsettling and inherently creepy that I was glad I wasn’t alone when I was reading it. The imagery is pretty off-putting on its own, but the way Ito wraps up the story and the reasoning behind these Earthbound people … wow. Way to go, Ito. I’m disturbed and I love it.

Earthbound

Death Row Doorbell: 2 out of 5

Another okay read. It’s got a good purpose. It’s all about forgiveness and moving on after a crime has occurred. Violence for the sake of violence and all that jazz. The idea is good, but the delivery didn’t really impress me. It was probably because I was still so shaken from “Earthbound” haha.

The Mystery of the Haunted House: 4 out of 5

Um, so this isn’t necessarily a unique story, but holy crap. This is some scary stuff. Ito really goes all out with his art for this one. The monsters are disgusting and so grossly evil that I wanted to turn the pages as fast I could. I’m not including a pic for this one because no thanks.

The Mystery of the Haunted House (Soichi’s Version): 3 out of 5

This is pretty much a sequel to the previous story and provides both a conclusion and explanation. This is a good follow-up, I just didn’t really love it.

Soichi’s Beloved Pet: 4 out of 5

This started out with a really low rating for me because I hate pet violence. I think it’s a horror copout to inspire immediate disgust from an audience. However, this story redeemed itself. This cat is crazy and the imagery is so gross and Ito-esque. What else could you want besides a haunted, violent kitty?

beloved pet

In Mirror Valley: 3 out of 5

This just felt like a weird Romeo and Juliet story that Ito put his own twist on. It was cool, but not really memorable.

I Don’t Want to Be a Ghost: 5 out of 5

This was a ride. This felt like a classic Junji Ito story for me. I loved every second of it. The scary girl, the blood, the ghosts. There’s nothing wrong with this one at all and no one can convince me otherwise. Pure gold.

be a ghost

Library Vision: 5 out of 5

Jeez I loved this one as well. The idea of a haunted library is just 👌🏻 The obsession and the slow growing spookiness of this story is excellent. This one kind of had me looking over my shoulder and feeling uneasy. And nothing really happened! It was just that good.

library

Splendid Shadow Song: 2 out of 5

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. It’s a cool idea, but the delivery of it in a manga is a little unforgiving in my opinion. It’s about a musical or sound anomaly so it’s hard to portray on paper. Or at least, it was hard for me to interpret.

Smashed: 2 out of 5

I was actually already familiar with “Smashed” because I watched the Junji Ito Collection anime. I think “Smashed” is right on the edge of my understanding. Because I think I get it, but I don’t … get it. Got me?

The Collection as a whole:

I’ve been on kind of Junji Ito kick for the past month and it’s the perfect time. Nothing gets you more into the Halloween spirit like some of Ito’s work. This collection is about as unsettling as it gets. There were a few stories in here that I wasn’t overly impressed with. However, Ito more than makes up for them with some of the later parts of this collection. Ito is such an impressive story-teller to me because he takes everyday phenomena and puts then into the most terrifying retellings imaginable. I think Ito succeeds so much because he focuses on the unsettling. Don’t get me wrong, some of his stories are absolutely terrifying, but the majority just kind of creep under your skin and settle there.

It doesn’t help that his artistic style is jammed right between beautifully aesthetic and disgustingly horrible. The lines are crisp and pretty which only makes every turn of the page a gamble. Sometimes Ito slaps out a terrifying panel with no warning just after a page turn. It works almost perfectly like a movie jump-scare. I don’t know how he does it. This is a great collection and it definitely picked up (for me) around the middle. This is a must for any Ito fan, horror fan, or anyone just looking for a spooky seasonal read.

approx read time: about 4 days

Rating: 4 out of 5 Screems™

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Ownership: I borrowed this one from the library 👍🏻

Author. Goodreads.