Jan 17, 2019 9:10 AM
The Best Junji Ito Oneshots
Anime Relations:
Itou Junji: Collection
Junji Ito needs no introduction. He is probably the most well known figure in horror manga and for good reason. With works like Uzumaki, Tomie, and Gyo to his name, it is no surprise so many people enjoy his work and respect him as a creator. Ito also has a vast collection of horror oneshots. Seeing as he doesn't tend to focus on characters much anyway, oneshots are great for showing off Ito's work. After reading all 15 or so volumes of oneshots, I'm here to share my favorites with you.
Groaning Drain (In the volume 'Namekuji no Shoujo')
Namekuji no Shoujo may contain possibly the worst Ito oneshot (Biohouse if anyone is curious) but it also hosts one of the best. Groaning Drain is about a family obsessed with cleanliness and bathing. The take multiple showers a day and freak out over the slightest mess. They start to suspect that a boy the daughters rejected is crawling through the drain and the story goes from there. This story proves Ito can create an excellent work without relying on his ability to draw horrifying monsters. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife and the oddity of the characters (especially the mother) is enough to make readers uncomfortable. It doesn't have the most horrifying artwork but it's still well worth a read.
The Town Without Streets (In the volume 'Michi no Naimachi')
Another story that focuses on Ito's supernatural horror rather than bodily horror strengths. Town Without Streets is a lot like the title suggests: it's about a girl that runs away to an extremely bizarre town without streets. This is a pretty long oneshot so there's a little more time for everything to develop and it feels less rushed as a result. The claustrophobic atmosphere is so well developed it practically jumps through the pages and drags you into it as well, making you feel as trapped as the main character. Of course, there's some lovely artwork of deranged characters and the whole thing is a joy (or a nightmare) to look at. One of the best examples of Ito's supernatural work.
The Bully and Father's Heart (Both from the volume 'Ijemetsu Musume')
These stories are somewhat similar and both from the same volume so I put them together. They're both supernaturally focused and have an emphasis on family ties. The Bully is about a man and his childhood bully meeting in later life and Father's Heart is about a man possessing his children and seemingly killing them when they resist. And both stories are very atypical Ito works. Surprisingly, the both have a lot of depth with their characters and incorporate emotional moments that make you genuinely feel for them. Even though they aren't ordinary Ito stories, he still executes them wonderfully. Though both chapters are very strong, I'd have to say that Father's Heart is the better of the two.
Long Dreams (In the volume 'Tunnel no Tan')
This is a more classic Ito story, featuring plenty of horrifying imagery and concepts. What makes a lot of Ito's work so scary is that the horrors the characters are subjected to are almost always completely inescapable. This is a good example. This oneshot is about people having extremely long dreams, sometimes lasting decades, while only a night passes in the real world. They then slowly waste away until they never wake up. This story doesn't have the tension filled plot or emotional moments of the previous stories I mentioned. Long Dreams is honestly just scary. Perhaps you shouldn't read it at night.
Frankenstein (In the volume… Frankenstein…)
This is another very different story. As the name would suggest, this is a retelling of the classic story Frankenstein in manga form. Of course, the amazing story and atmosphere is Mary Shelley's doing rather than Ito's but Ito translates the story extremely well (if slightly rushed) And of course there's the artwork. Disgustingly mesmerizing, horrifyingly magnificent. I could stare at the art here all day. If you want to experience Frankenstein in a more compact format coupled with amazing art, I'd highly recommend this.
Honorable mention: Memories of Real Shit (Also in the Frankenstein volume)
Because this is just really funny.
Groaning Drain (In the volume 'Namekuji no Shoujo')
Namekuji no Shoujo may contain possibly the worst Ito oneshot (Biohouse if anyone is curious) but it also hosts one of the best. Groaning Drain is about a family obsessed with cleanliness and bathing. The take multiple showers a day and freak out over the slightest mess. They start to suspect that a boy the daughters rejected is crawling through the drain and the story goes from there. This story proves Ito can create an excellent work without relying on his ability to draw horrifying monsters. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife and the oddity of the characters (especially the mother) is enough to make readers uncomfortable. It doesn't have the most horrifying artwork but it's still well worth a read.
The Town Without Streets (In the volume 'Michi no Naimachi')
Another story that focuses on Ito's supernatural horror rather than bodily horror strengths. Town Without Streets is a lot like the title suggests: it's about a girl that runs away to an extremely bizarre town without streets. This is a pretty long oneshot so there's a little more time for everything to develop and it feels less rushed as a result. The claustrophobic atmosphere is so well developed it practically jumps through the pages and drags you into it as well, making you feel as trapped as the main character. Of course, there's some lovely artwork of deranged characters and the whole thing is a joy (or a nightmare) to look at. One of the best examples of Ito's supernatural work.
The Bully and Father's Heart (Both from the volume 'Ijemetsu Musume')
These stories are somewhat similar and both from the same volume so I put them together. They're both supernaturally focused and have an emphasis on family ties. The Bully is about a man and his childhood bully meeting in later life and Father's Heart is about a man possessing his children and seemingly killing them when they resist. And both stories are very atypical Ito works. Surprisingly, the both have a lot of depth with their characters and incorporate emotional moments that make you genuinely feel for them. Even though they aren't ordinary Ito stories, he still executes them wonderfully. Though both chapters are very strong, I'd have to say that Father's Heart is the better of the two.
Long Dreams (In the volume 'Tunnel no Tan')
This is a more classic Ito story, featuring plenty of horrifying imagery and concepts. What makes a lot of Ito's work so scary is that the horrors the characters are subjected to are almost always completely inescapable. This is a good example. This oneshot is about people having extremely long dreams, sometimes lasting decades, while only a night passes in the real world. They then slowly waste away until they never wake up. This story doesn't have the tension filled plot or emotional moments of the previous stories I mentioned. Long Dreams is honestly just scary. Perhaps you shouldn't read it at night.
Frankenstein (In the volume… Frankenstein…)
This is another very different story. As the name would suggest, this is a retelling of the classic story Frankenstein in manga form. Of course, the amazing story and atmosphere is Mary Shelley's doing rather than Ito's but Ito translates the story extremely well (if slightly rushed) And of course there's the artwork. Disgustingly mesmerizing, horrifyingly magnificent. I could stare at the art here all day. If you want to experience Frankenstein in a more compact format coupled with amazing art, I'd highly recommend this.
Honorable mention: Memories of Real Shit (Also in the Frankenstein volume)
Because this is just really funny.
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CreativeName42
| Jan 17, 2019 9:10 AM |
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