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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
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
The visual style by Junji Ito is still great here. This is the fourth book that I read from him. This time the story is the weak part of the story. We have the same people getting into the same situations in every story. There is no change. The characters do not learn from their prior situations. The character of Soichi is really nerving and uninteresting. The look with the nails though is an interesting concept.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
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
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty fun read. Not the scariest (although there’s signature creepy moments and imagery), and Ito’s humor doesn’t always work for me, but it’s a solid collection!
dark
funny
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
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If Soichi has one defender, it’s me. If he has zero defenders, I’ve died 🙏 But, PLEASE… someone give this poor boy some antipsychotics and maybe a hug.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma
A short story collection featuring the unusual child, Soichi, this graphic novel by the incredible Ito is a mixed bag. Some stories were strong and creepy, but then others fell short. I think for me, the weakness was that this one was one of Ito's 'lighter' works, incorporating humor that sometimes hit and other times fell flat. This is still a goo read for any fan of Ito.