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A review by thepurplebookwyrm
Sensor by Junji Ito
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Sensor opens with a woman, named Kyoko Byakuya, coming to the isolated village of Kiyokami – nestled at the foot of Mount Sengoku, a volcano – where, after a strange sequence of events, she becomes encased in a cocoon of golden volcanic threads, which causes her to acquire a kind of… hyper-sensory awareness of the Universe, and its secrets. This, additionally, all ties back to the past, violent death of a Christian Missionary named Miguel, during the time of the Shogunate. But Kyoko isn’t the tale’s main character; this role, instead, falls to Wataru, a ‘no-name’ reporter who becomes intrigued, then captivated by Kyoko, and embroiled with a cult looking to harness the latter’s ‘golden volcanic thread’-bestowed psychic powers.
Sensor was my second manga written, and illustrated by Junji Ito and, what can I say… as with his previously read Uzumaki, I loved the art style in these pages, the deftness with which Junji Ito drew mysterious, and horrific things, and just… the sheer beauty of some of his full-page illustrations.
As to the story itself… well, I enjoyed its start, and the initial stages of its ‘esoteric cult’ plot line. But unfortunately, the manga’s overarching plot never really came together in a satisfying way for me. Mostly, it felt like it was rushed to the finish line; that it lacked a necessary measure of set-up, and breathing space. Especially given the thematic, and emotional notes I felt the story was trying to reach, sadly, felt a little trite… and, interestingly enough, too optimistic. Not, to be clear, that I require my horror – cosmic or otherwise – be unremittingly grim. I actually tend to dislike grimness for the sake of it in stories, in general. It’s just that these optimistic, or hopeful, emotional and thematic notes I encountered in Sensor were executed in a way I found unconvincing, and thus ultimately felt unearned to me.
So, no, Sensor did not, in terms of personal impact, commitment to overarching, thematic motif, or just overall quality, quite simply, rise to the level of Uzumaki for me. But that doesn’t mean it was bad either; it was still a perfectly enjoyable manga in my book, that I do no regret reading in the slightest. And rest assured that I will absolutely be reading more Junji Ito in the futures, oh yes!
Sensor was my second manga written, and illustrated by Junji Ito and, what can I say… as with his previously read Uzumaki, I loved the art style in these pages, the deftness with which Junji Ito drew mysterious, and horrific things, and just… the sheer beauty of some of his full-page illustrations.
As to the story itself… well, I enjoyed its start, and the initial stages of its ‘esoteric cult’ plot line. But unfortunately, the manga’s overarching plot never really came together in a satisfying way for me. Mostly, it felt like it was rushed to the finish line; that it lacked a necessary measure of set-up, and breathing space. Especially given the thematic, and emotional notes I felt the story was trying to reach, sadly, felt a little trite… and, interestingly enough, too optimistic. Not, to be clear, that I require my horror – cosmic or otherwise – be unremittingly grim. I actually tend to dislike grimness for the sake of it in stories, in general. It’s just that these optimistic, or hopeful, emotional and thematic notes I encountered in Sensor were executed in a way I found unconvincing, and thus ultimately felt unearned to me.
So, no, Sensor did not, in terms of personal impact, commitment to overarching, thematic motif, or just overall quality, quite simply, rise to the level of Uzumaki for me. But that doesn’t mean it was bad either; it was still a perfectly enjoyable manga in my book, that I do no regret reading in the slightest. And rest assured that I will absolutely be reading more Junji Ito in the futures, oh yes!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror