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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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™
Ownership: I borrowed this one from the library 👍🏻