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aoki_reads 's review for:
Tombs: Junji Ito Story Collection
by Junji Ito
First, I want to say that mangaka Ito never fails to impress me. He’s nothing less than a gift to horror manga fans. And like a large amount of his other works, Tombs is great— probably one of my favorite anthologies by Junji so far.
And as always, Ito’s art is so fire. Grotesquely beautiful. Every panel is full of his trademark artistry that draws you in. While I was reading through the stories, I took a lot of my time admiring those artistic abilities. Even if you don’t like a particular story, the graphics will always pull you in, guaranteed.
In Tombs, some stories work better than others, but you do get a wide variety. Ito’s creative storytelling abilities really shine with this collection. And while some of the stories are eerie and spooky, others read more like a drama— and I liked that, too. The best short story in the anthology is Tombs, and it would be sooooo good as a stand-alone manga. The concept is original, weird, and taboo. It’s the stories like this one that put Ito on a horror pedestal for me. And like so much of Japanese horror writing, it’s steeped in folklore and important themes.
I’m giving it a 4.5 out of 5 is because a few of the stories were so abrupt and short, that they felt unnecessary or thrown together. The collection also isn’t completely new because there are a couple of stories here that are well-known if you’re already familiar with Ito. If you are a well-read Ito fan, this anthology may feel slightly less than you asked for, but a gem in horror manga regardless. Everything else? Amazing. I highly, highly recommend. Especially because of Tombs, The Strange Tale of The Tunnel, and Floaters. Add this to your collection immediately!
Below are quick descriptions of each story and my personal rating, so you can skip this part:
Tombs: A pair of siblings are off to see their friend Izumi after she sends them a letter, asking them to come visit the new, strange town she lives in. In this town of odd traditions and death, the two siblings must face their fate after a terrible car accident in this town of tombs. A piece of guilt and grief horror. 5 out of 5
Clubhouse: A trio of best friends decide they want to enter a haunted clubhouse, not knowing its tragic history. When something sinister brings a rift between two of the three friends, the third tries to bring them both back around. 4.5 out of 5
Slug Girl: Rie is concerned about her friend Yuko, who doesn’t talk much anymore. Here’s the story of Slug Girl, about a teenager whose tongue gets turned into a slug. 5 out of 5
The Window Next Door: Hiroshi and his parents move into an old house in a new town. Next to their home is one that’s seemingly empty, with only one window. This window faces Hiroshi’s own bedroom window. What will he see? Who will he see? 4 out of 5
Washed Ashore: Something monstrous washes ashore, pulling a group of viewers towards its carcass. 3 out of 5
The Strange Tale of The Tunnel:
An evil tunnel? Goro returns to a tunnel that brings dark memories nearly 20 years later. 5 out of 5
Bronze Statue: Be careful holding conversations near bronze statues because you never know who’s listening. A story of obsession and vanity. 4.5 out of 5
Floaters: Floating spores reveal some pretty dark shit. 5 out of 5
The Bloody Story of Shirosuna: A doctor takes a job in a rural village that seems to suck the life out of its locals. 4 out of 5
And as always, Ito’s art is so fire. Grotesquely beautiful. Every panel is full of his trademark artistry that draws you in. While I was reading through the stories, I took a lot of my time admiring those artistic abilities. Even if you don’t like a particular story, the graphics will always pull you in, guaranteed.
In Tombs, some stories work better than others, but you do get a wide variety. Ito’s creative storytelling abilities really shine with this collection. And while some of the stories are eerie and spooky, others read more like a drama— and I liked that, too. The best short story in the anthology is Tombs, and it would be sooooo good as a stand-alone manga. The concept is original, weird, and taboo. It’s the stories like this one that put Ito on a horror pedestal for me. And like so much of Japanese horror writing, it’s steeped in folklore and important themes.
I’m giving it a 4.5 out of 5 is because a few of the stories were so abrupt and short, that they felt unnecessary or thrown together. The collection also isn’t completely new because there are a couple of stories here that are well-known if you’re already familiar with Ito. If you are a well-read Ito fan, this anthology may feel slightly less than you asked for, but a gem in horror manga regardless. Everything else? Amazing. I highly, highly recommend. Especially because of Tombs, The Strange Tale of The Tunnel, and Floaters. Add this to your collection immediately!
Below are quick descriptions of each story and my personal rating, so you can skip this part:
Tombs: A pair of siblings are off to see their friend Izumi after she sends them a letter, asking them to come visit the new, strange town she lives in. In this town of odd traditions and death, the two siblings must face their fate after a terrible car accident in this town of tombs. A piece of guilt and grief horror. 5 out of 5
Clubhouse: A trio of best friends decide they want to enter a haunted clubhouse, not knowing its tragic history. When something sinister brings a rift between two of the three friends, the third tries to bring them both back around. 4.5 out of 5
Slug Girl: Rie is concerned about her friend Yuko, who doesn’t talk much anymore. Here’s the story of Slug Girl, about a teenager whose tongue gets turned into a slug. 5 out of 5
The Window Next Door: Hiroshi and his parents move into an old house in a new town. Next to their home is one that’s seemingly empty, with only one window. This window faces Hiroshi’s own bedroom window. What will he see? Who will he see? 4 out of 5
Washed Ashore: Something monstrous washes ashore, pulling a group of viewers towards its carcass. 3 out of 5
The Strange Tale of The Tunnel:
An evil tunnel? Goro returns to a tunnel that brings dark memories nearly 20 years later. 5 out of 5
Bronze Statue: Be careful holding conversations near bronze statues because you never know who’s listening. A story of obsession and vanity. 4.5 out of 5
Floaters: Floating spores reveal some pretty dark shit. 5 out of 5
The Bloody Story of Shirosuna: A doctor takes a job in a rural village that seems to suck the life out of its locals. 4 out of 5