Junji Ito

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Lenni Reviews: “Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection”by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The actual summary works here, so I don’t spoil or sound rambly: “Art teacher Okabe creates strange, headless statues. One day, he is found murdered, his corpse headless. From that day on, art club member Shimada seems off somehow… Elsewhere, in a curious town custom, the dead are placed on a tatami mat and set out on the river. Kanako’s grandmother lives alone in a house near this river. What did she witness at one of these funerals long ago? And a mysterious disease makes girls suddenly become more beautiful. But soon they all die. The only way to survive might be worse than death itself”

This collection of stories is pretty good, but also very rapid-fire and short. Some of these could easily be expanded a bit more so they don’t feel like they’re incomplete. I still enjoy them, but a couple more pages would have helped them feel more fleshed out. No pun intended. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Moan” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of short stories:

  • Supernatural Transfer Student – The “Supernatural Club” in a school invites the strange new kid to join them
  • Moan – A mother becomes obsessed with cleaning to the point that it corrupts the home
  • Blood Orb Grave – After a car accident, a couple ends up in a village where the residents are obsessed with blood
  • Flesh Colored Mystery – A woman is attacked with a strange substance
  • Near Miss – A flight suddenly goes missing and the desperate search to find it
  • Under the Ground – The graduating class of 1974 has its 20-year reunion, unearthing a time capsule but one classmate can’t let go of the past

None of these stories went where I thought they would, and that didn’t always work for me. They’re not BAD by any means, and a wild twist is preferable to something blandly predictable. I have to admit though, I was left confused more than scared most of the time. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Liminal Zone” Vol. 2, by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of 4 stories:

  • Demon King of Dust: Yuichi lives in a mostly abandoned town that is cursed by dust.
  • Village of Ether: 4 college students find a deserted mountain village that houses a perpetual motion machine.
  • The Strange Hikizuri Siblings Chapter 3: Hotaru encounters this strange family.
  • Shells of Manjunuma: A swamp where the turtles are possessed by ghosts.

These are weird but good stories. I’m glad there are only four, as sometimes the really short ones don’t pack as much of a punch as Ito’s longer works. These also feature some impressively disgusting body horror. That final story is sadder than I’m used to from this author, even with the horror elements. I won’t spoil anything, but overall, this is pretty gross so be aware for any sensitive stomachs. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of short horror stories leans heavily towards urban legends like spirits in creepy alleys and cursed ice cream trucks. Your scare milage may vary throughout this as the stories are hit or miss for me. The hospital one freaked me out the most. The body horror alone gave me chills and is the best in the volume, in my opinion. It isn’t perfect and I don’t wanna say too much lest I spoil something but it’s a decent collection but if body horror isn’t your thing, best skip this one because Ito is very good at that. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Stitches” by Hirokatsu Kihara & Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a horror anthology but is not like what I would typically gravitate to as a work featuring Junji Ito. It’s not a full on graphic novel. It’s a short story collection with illustrations from Ito in the same vein as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with a complete comic at the end as a bonus. The stories aren’t bad but the illustrations do NOT take advantage of how horrifying Ito’s art can be, which is shocking. How do you have Ito collaborate on a project and have him draw more than a puppet on the ground or a pretty girl dancing? The stories are decent, they give the sense of unease and do their job but holy crap was attaching Ito’s name to this a let down… 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Mimi’s Tales of Terror”, by Hirokatsu Kihara, Ichiro Nakayama & Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

College student Mimi and her boyfriend Naoto go through a series of horrific stories in this creepy collection.

This volume has a series of creepy and effectively scary stories that showcase some powerful ability to scare with only a few pages. They’re all strong offerings with some chilling and disturbing creatures. Some of Ito’s work can be hit or miss but this is a solid collection to scratch that horror itch. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Soichi” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of ten stories featuring the creepy Soichi from the Tsujii family.

While I am a fan of Ito’s work and there are some creepy moments in this collection, I felt less scared or unsettled and more “Wow, I’m watching this kid just be a dick head” and the wackiness that ensues around him. I was annoyed with him by the end of it; which may have been the point but I didn’t have the sense of unease Ito’s work usually gives me. Not bad but Soichi is grating in large doses. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tombs” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This short story collection features some great examples of Ito’s work. If you do not like body horror, this is NOT the volume for you. Nearly every story features horrid distortions of the human form. Even the weakest story in this collection will leave a lingering creepy feeling (I’m not a big fan of “Slug Girl”). Some of Ito’s previous collections weren’t doing it for me but this is one hell of a rebound. There’s some very original ideas here and they are executed with Ito’s classic spine chilling art. 4.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Black Paradox” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Trigger warning for suicide.

Four people meetup from a website called Black Paradox in order to commit suicide together. But when they reach their chosen location, strange events occur.

This one is strange even for Ito. The art is creepy, gloppy, drippy perfection as usual but the story went off in ways that were unexpected to say the least. I found myself feeling less creeped out and more baffled. And it just kinda… Stops? It turns into a creepy fetch quest and just ends. I love Ito’s work but this lacks direction as it goes. It started strong then spun out. It’s ok but I’ve read much better from him. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Liminal Zone” by Junji Ito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This manga is a collection of four short stories that are not connected to one another: Weeping Woman Way, Madonna,The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara, and Slumber. These are Ito in his classic, creepy, bonkers form. The art is haunting and I did find a chill running up my spine at some points yet baffled in others. Definitely an example for Ito fans to appreciate and much better than the last collection of his I read. The last two stories are the weakest out of the collection in my opinion but I still enjoyed this book. 4 out of 5.

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