Best of Best: Itou Junji Tanpenshuu
Venus in the Blind Spot

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Let’s be honest here, unless this is you first Junji Ito manga, you know very well what to expect here. His stories are unique and creative, yes, but the style and the quality is also very stable. Meaning that you should expect around the same level of enjoyment as you had from most of other Junji’s works. This is amplified even more by the fact that half of this anthology was already published as parts of different works, so even if you haven’t started *this* manga yet, chances are high you’ve already read parts of it.

My favourite part of this collection was the titular Venus ... in the Blind Spot, which again showcases Ito’s craft with fear as yet another creative way to induct dread in the characters and veil the story in a mysterious atmosphere. For fans of Ito I would also like to point out the Master Umezz and Me story which is more unique one – it’s not a straight out horror story, but instead an autobiographical one-shot, which is certainly something that would of interest to the fanbase.

Overall, while I wouldn’t call this the “Best of Best” collection, it’s definitely a good and entertaining read.

Mod Edit: This review was originally posted for Umezu-sensei to Watashi (85533) and has subsequently been merged into Best of Best: Itou Junji Tanpenshuu (119021).


This is a short story in which Ito Junji relates the influence which Umezu Kazuo had on his art and storytelling.

Story, 7: This isn't a horror story, but it does deal with Ito's influences in horror storytelling. it was an interesting tale about Ito's artistic influences growing up.

Art, 7: There are several panels using horror-stricken faces for comedic effect, which were actually pretty amusing for their over-the-top nature. Other than that, the art is good as always.

Character, 6: Ito and Umezu ... are the only characters that are developed/fleshed out in any capacity, but it was nice to see the more personal side of the author.

Enjoyment, 6: It was a nice read, but I don't know if I'll be coming back to it any time soon.

Overall, 6: I would recommend this to fans of Ito's work, if only to see his influences while younger.

Mod Edit: This review was originally posted for Ningen Isu (38635) and has subsequently been merged into Best of Best: Itou Junji Tanpenshuu (119021).


Junji Ito. That name the otaku community knows a lot. He is known for several stories involving terror and the psychological of people, in addition to using grotesque art to distress and cause sensitivity to the reader. I'm really looking forward to reading as much content as possible from this author, but this work (The Human Chair) was a mess about what Junji really is a terror of.

As the story is very short and has little complexity, spoilers ... will be prevalent, so be warned.

Basically, Human Chair is divided between past and present, with the present being focused on an author who wants to buy a chair and the past telling a bizarre event.
Well, the history of the past, Human Chair, begins in a good way: a past where a writer named Yoshiko Togawa receives anonymous letters about a "human chair". The author is intrigued and decides to offer the work for a contest, achieving the feat of winning.

Even though they did not know the real author, the community was scared because he was anonymous, even more than an amateur. It was no different with Yoshiko, she had thoughts and paranoia as the pages went on.

However, like most terrors, some coincidence in relation to what was introduced happens. In this case, Yoshiko's husband bought a chair in which he made the author think that such a story became real. And as expected, the moment happens.

Yoshiko's husband eventually sits on the chair and is stabbed to death by someone inside. After opening, the police saw a space in human form, proving that there was a man there. After all these events, Yoshiko isolates herself and is never seen again.

Returning to the present, the carpentry salesman opens one of the store's chairs and shows two bodies inside, which would belong to Yoshiko and the man who was hidden in the past. The seller also mentions that he is a descendant of the couple, who stayed together after the event. The author of the present is horrified and runs away from the place. In the end, she receives an order, a chair, just like Yoshiko, in the past.

I must say that I was disappointed with the manga. It is not bad for the art, nor for the introduction, but for the final execution. I couldn't like this resolution, because I didn't understand the logic of two decomposing bodies inside an object in the house. Such bizarre misses with the horror genre and I consider it much more as a quick suspense to anything else. In addition, the art was nothing special, I did not feel chills, much less any discomfort due to art. It was a disappointment in a way.

However, I still believe that Junji Ito has some useful work. I've heard a lot about Uzumaki and Tomie, they look very promising. I hope I do not regret reading the works of this renowned artist, as I saw nothing remarkable with Human Chair except my wasted time reading this.