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frostybee_bookcase's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.0
voxvenati's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.25
Some stories were as high as a 4, others as low as a 2. Keepsake was probably my favorite, in terms of concepts fully realized.
Plot-wise, these probably would not hold up as short stories, for the most part. A good chunk of the enjoyment comes from the illustrations and full color pages - the art style is, of course, gorgeous. There were definitely some unique premises, though none got a visceral reaction out of me unfortunately.
Was hoping there would be something really fucked up here but these were pretty tame, in my opinion. Still, loved the art and some of the concepts.
Plot-wise, these probably would not hold up as short stories, for the most part. A good chunk of the enjoyment comes from the illustrations and full color pages - the art style is, of course, gorgeous. There were definitely some unique premises, though none got a visceral reaction out of me unfortunately.
Was hoping there would be something really fucked up here but these were pretty tame, in my opinion. Still, loved the art and some of the concepts.
cobra_k's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
It's one of my favorite Ito books but I need to reread it before giving it 5 stars.
msrcreation's review
5.0
Creepy, Unsettling, and Wonderful. Junji Ito always manages to bring out the most disturbing in every story. I'll do a short break down of each story and my thoughts.
Enigma of Amigara Fault - Having a pretty big fear of small spaces this one definitely messed with me. I felt like looking away at certain points because I was just that uncomfortable.
Billions Alone - Creepy for sure but probably my least favorite in this anthology. Nothing bad about it but if I had to rate all of them Billions Alone would most likely be close to last at least.
The Licking Woman - Disturbing for sure. Most of Junji Ito stories leave you with a ton of questions and zero answers. Which I like but this was one where I wish some questions were answered maybe a little. I just wanted to know more about the licking woman since she kind of seemed like a victim in this situation. But who knows.
The Human Chair - Loved this one! I know some of these stories are written by Edogawa Ranpo and this was one I could see reading the short story for in the future. It's a disturbing idea and I loved the ending.
An Unearthly Love - Did not see the ending to this one coming. I don't know what I expected though I had many ideas through out reading it but the actual end was not one of them.
How Love Came To Professor Kirida - One that is odd but not necessarily creepy. Mostly was cheering the "evil" on in this one since the main guy was the worst.
The Sad Tale of The Principal Post - Very short and weird. Not much else to say but that.
Venus in the Blind Spot - Starting off mentioning UFOs I really expected that to be the focus of this one but it surprised me with something else entirely. The end was really sad.
Master Umezz and Me - For a story that isn't meant to be scary the art was still creepy. Interesting insight into Junji Ito's love for Kazuo Umezz.
Enigma of Amigara Fault - Having a pretty big fear of small spaces this one definitely messed with me. I felt like looking away at certain points because I was just that uncomfortable.
Billions Alone - Creepy for sure but probably my least favorite in this anthology. Nothing bad about it but if I had to rate all of them Billions Alone would most likely be close to last at least.
The Licking Woman - Disturbing for sure. Most of Junji Ito stories leave you with a ton of questions and zero answers. Which I like but this was one where I wish some questions were answered maybe a little. I just wanted to know more about the licking woman since she kind of seemed like a victim in this situation. But who knows.
The Human Chair - Loved this one! I know some of these stories are written by Edogawa Ranpo and this was one I could see reading the short story for in the future. It's a disturbing idea and I loved the ending.
An Unearthly Love - Did not see the ending to this one coming. I don't know what I expected though I had many ideas through out reading it but the actual end was not one of them.
How Love Came To Professor Kirida - One that is odd but not necessarily creepy. Mostly was cheering the "evil" on in this one since the main guy was the worst.
The Sad Tale of The Principal Post - Very short and weird. Not much else to say but that.
Venus in the Blind Spot - Starting off mentioning UFOs I really expected that to be the focus of this one but it surprised me with something else entirely. The end was really sad.
Master Umezz and Me - For a story that isn't meant to be scary the art was still creepy. Interesting insight into Junji Ito's love for Kazuo Umezz.
lady_doowop's review
5.0
This collection was so great and the art is as always no less then terrifying. Honestly the perfect horror book to get me hyped for fall but my favorite part about this piece was the personal story of his in the middle. It talked about the creator who inspired him and gave me a whole lot more to read in the future.
amg_reads's review
4.0
I would recommend this book, truly disturbing imagery. I truly enjoyed Billions Alone, The Human Chair and Keepsake. The remaining 7 were interesting but a bit forgettable. Even so I would still recommend for a light enjoyable read. Even though I only really liked the 3 stories mentioned, they were very good that I gave it 4⭐️
n011ya's review
4.0
pretty good, contains my favourite junji ito story ever. I adore the story about the carpenter and the chair, its so well done and horrifying. Also really enjoyed the story about the priest and the writer and the licking woman one. The one where the husband is sexually attracted to a doll, the one where the father has an alien club and makes it so no one can see his daughter, and the man who killed his wife for his mistress and banged her and they had a weird child is absolutely wild tho
autumnalfantasy's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
linnaboobooks's review
4.0
As per usual with Junji Ito's works, I was thorough entertained and creeped out by his art style and the stories. In this collection, there are only two I've read before, which was a relief to me as I worried I had read most of them before.
I cannot recommend these enough for those who like horror, manga, and are okay with body horror as that is one of the common characteristics of Junji Ito's art style.
I cannot recommend these enough for those who like horror, manga, and are okay with body horror as that is one of the common characteristics of Junji Ito's art style.
janagaton's review
5.0
im glad this wasnt as sci-fi as i expected because i absolutely loved every single story! maybe one or two were meh but still had solid creepy elements! happy to have another junji ito under my belt♡