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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
SOICHI: Junji Ito Story Collection
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: SMASHED, SHIVER, TOMBS
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781974739028
Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Manga, Horror, Graphic Novels, Short Stories
Sub-Genre/Themes: Family, Curses, “Bad Seed”, Creepy Kid
Writing Style: Whimsical, dark comedy, over-the-top
What You Need to Know: This is a short story collection centered around one of the most disturbing young boys I’ve ever read. Soichi. I would say mild triggers for harming a frog in one story and maybe just a general trigger for child neglect/children with behavioral issues. It might be too much for people who are sensitive.
My Reading Experience: I am so addicted to these Junji Ito short story collections. They are so much fun. I enjoy binge-reading an entire collection while relaxing on the couch with a little snack. The illustrations are pure eye candy. I love that there are always a few panels with a solid jump scare. I turn the page and there will be a full-page, gross-out, or some detailed horror-filled scene of graphic violence. Something to look forward to with each story.
This collection is focused on a character we have met before with his own story in previous collections. Soichi is memorable because he’s so young but so inherently evil. Sometimes, like in this sampling, he’s just presented as being mischievous and maybe misunderstood.
I almost felt sorry for him a few times, almost…because immediately upon experiencing empathy, Soichi would act out again and do something totally bananas. He really is such a little monster.
A HAPPY SUMMER VACATION- we see Soichi in his natural habitat when his cousins come to visit. He has a wicked hatred toward them and makes their trip miserable.
A HAPPY WINTER VACATION- *see above haha. Plus Soichi fancies himself a vampire which is disturbing
SOICHI’S HAPPY DIARY- a cousin discovers Soichi’s gross, evil diary. What could be worse?
SOICHI’S HOME VISIT- We learn Soichi is in the 6th grade. His teacher comes to visit. It does not go according to plan. This one is pretty creepy and gross.
TEACHER OF THE CLOTH- A continuation of this situation with Soichi’s teacher. It’s so weird but mostly kind of funny. The illustrations are hilarious.
SOICHI’S BIRTHDAY- This is the one that made me a little sad for Soichi. Because he’s such a menace, people blame him for everything even when he’s not doing anything
SOICHI’S PETTY CURSES- This is the frog one if I remember correctly
FOUR-LAYERED ROOM- I think this was my favorite. It kind of reminded me of Joe Hill’s LOCKE & KEY
COFFIN- The perfect balance of fun & creepy
RUMORS- The best story to go out on. I hate Soichi haha
Final Recommendation: I had to read this on my tiny phone screen through my NetGalley app but it was well worth it. It just makes me all the more eager to get the physical copy. I absolutely love Junji Ito’s work. All of it!
Comps: Joe Hill’s LOCKE & KEY, BERSERK Kentaro Miura, Shuzo Oshimi
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: SMASHED, SHIVER, TOMBS
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781974739028
Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Manga, Horror, Graphic Novels, Short Stories
Sub-Genre/Themes: Family, Curses, “Bad Seed”, Creepy Kid
Writing Style: Whimsical, dark comedy, over-the-top
What You Need to Know: This is a short story collection centered around one of the most disturbing young boys I’ve ever read. Soichi. I would say mild triggers for harming a frog in one story and maybe just a general trigger for child neglect/children with behavioral issues. It might be too much for people who are sensitive.
My Reading Experience: I am so addicted to these Junji Ito short story collections. They are so much fun. I enjoy binge-reading an entire collection while relaxing on the couch with a little snack. The illustrations are pure eye candy. I love that there are always a few panels with a solid jump scare. I turn the page and there will be a full-page, gross-out, or some detailed horror-filled scene of graphic violence. Something to look forward to with each story.
This collection is focused on a character we have met before with his own story in previous collections. Soichi is memorable because he’s so young but so inherently evil. Sometimes, like in this sampling, he’s just presented as being mischievous and maybe misunderstood.
I almost felt sorry for him a few times, almost…because immediately upon experiencing empathy, Soichi would act out again and do something totally bananas. He really is such a little monster.
A HAPPY SUMMER VACATION- we see Soichi in his natural habitat when his cousins come to visit. He has a wicked hatred toward them and makes their trip miserable.
A HAPPY WINTER VACATION- *see above haha. Plus Soichi fancies himself a vampire which is disturbing
SOICHI’S HAPPY DIARY- a cousin discovers Soichi’s gross, evil diary. What could be worse?
SOICHI’S HOME VISIT- We learn Soichi is in the 6th grade. His teacher comes to visit. It does not go according to plan. This one is pretty creepy and gross.
TEACHER OF THE CLOTH- A continuation of this situation with Soichi’s teacher. It’s so weird but mostly kind of funny. The illustrations are hilarious.
SOICHI’S BIRTHDAY- This is the one that made me a little sad for Soichi. Because he’s such a menace, people blame him for everything even when he’s not doing anything
SOICHI’S PETTY CURSES- This is the frog one if I remember correctly
FOUR-LAYERED ROOM- I think this was my favorite. It kind of reminded me of Joe Hill’s LOCKE & KEY
COFFIN- The perfect balance of fun & creepy
RUMORS- The best story to go out on. I hate Soichi haha
Final Recommendation: I had to read this on my tiny phone screen through my NetGalley app but it was well worth it. It just makes me all the more eager to get the physical copy. I absolutely love Junji Ito’s work. All of it!
Comps: Joe Hill’s LOCKE & KEY, BERSERK Kentaro Miura, Shuzo Oshimi
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
While I did thoroughly enjoy devouring these evil little stories, I also don’t think it’s Junji Ito’s best work. Now it’s still absolutely amazing and spellbinding, once you start turning the pages you just can’t stop. But it lacked a little oomph I normally get from their work. Still stunning and highly recommend if you’re a fan of his work though!
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes