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diegolopez's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Gore, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, and Cannibalism
Minor: Car accident
goodchivesonly's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cannibalism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, Body horror, and Medical content
vigneswara_prabhu's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
His stories are anthologies, often set in the Japanese countryside, where mysterious things are afoot, and just around the corner one might encounter the paranormal, that can, for no particular reason latch on to you, ruin your life, and often times end up taking it as well.
They often feature a coterie of everyday people, who are afflicted with, or experience the horrors on the others side of the veil. Where malicious, whimsical and mostly evil incarnate entities toy with you for their own perverted amusement. And there is little you can do to combat them.
The characters of Junji Ito rarely try to fight against their oppressors; you won't find wooden stake wielding, silver bullet shooting monster hunters. Just what one would expect if you were to encounter the monster that go bump in the night. You know the sort of characters, who're shown in the beginning of episodic TV shows, who fall victim to the murderer or monster, which then prompt our protagonists to come investigate the incident? Well, Junji Ito's works are filled with such characters, only, there are no Van Helsings who would come to avenge your murder. The monsters almost always end up winning. That's par for course.
Of course, since this is the drawn visual media of manga, readers are feasted to a litany of creature and body horror, which can keep little Timmy up at night. So, be warned.
On a personal note, the sheer simplicity, yet creativity that is put on display in these stories, has guilted me, in wanting to sit down, put pen to paper, and try writing a few horror stories of my own; quality notwithstanding.
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Blood, Death, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, and Torture
vanillefire's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Murder, Animal death, and Violence
grayreadsmanga's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Medical content, Death, Blood, Cannibalism, and Infidelity
Moderate: Child death, Torture, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
mathildemroy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Vomit, Physical abuse, Death, Body horror, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Violence, and Medical content
caffeinated_or_chaos's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, and Vomit
dhahbiasma47's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
kyy35's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Transphobia, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Animal death, and Domestic abuse
kiara_seoul's review
3.0
Most of Junji Ito’s anthology stories are great, especially when they delve into psychological horror or the unknown, but these stories are just…meh. They feel like ‘Deleted Scenes’ from a movie, stories that weren’t good and were just cut from the official movie. Except these deleted scenes actually got a full manga. The highlights for me were “Gentle Goodbye” and “Whispering Woman”.
I believe Uzumaki or No Longer Human either as introductions or a new Junji Ito manga you want to buy. Or if you’re looking for an anthology, I suggest Shiver or Smashed.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Body horror, and Death