-- Story (6/10) --
I gave the story 6/10 because it's fine. It's kinda interesting and actually intrigued me at the beginning. The problem is - part of the story are characters and the world. And both are just totally ridiculous. Characters are not thinking too much, and the city becomes more and more ridiculous by every next chapter. I know, that this might sound, that Junji wanted it to feel like that (and he partly wanted), but I don't think so that he fully understood what he did. We have a lot of plot holes, things are not explained fully, and the characters' reasoning is just SO, so, so awfully OFF. Some of the side characters' stories might wake up a question in your head - were they possessed before, or just now? Did the possession become stronger? And through this manga I had more and more questions like these coming up. Because, come on. I am not getting scared by scary art only. I need to get deep in the story to actually feel it. And then, when it all comes up together - there comes the fear. Story is the top bun of our hamburger, it's just dry.
-- Art (8/10) --
Well, I don't have that much to say here. The art is awesome, that's why it has received 8/10. It's simple (thus not masterpiece nor great by the ranking), but it actually creeps me out. It is unique too. And that's our patty, it is very good, it tastes awesome by itself, but the buns need to come with it to actually allow us to call this piece a hamburger.
-- Character (2/10) --
And now - the worst part about our hamburger. The soggy, terrifying part. I think I even see mold here? This is our bottom bun.
There is much to say, and at the same time there is not. Characters are (as I have mentioned in story section) just off. They don't stick together. One chapter they are fulfilled with fear, and the other one they keep sitting in this freaking city. They don't try to escape, even though it's later revealed that they can't. But we don't know if they couldn't before. Maybe the curse just became too strong to leave the city? That's the problem with the story - it just wasn't explained.
This section didn't receive 1/10, because at least one character in the story was acting right, and it was the boyfriend of the main character. He was fearful of the situation, of the city - he has locked himself up in his house. But why he didn't run away by himself? People were literally dying here. They were turning into animals, zombies - weird things were happening to them. And both main characters were still staying in this awful city. Also - the main character's (the girl) development through these series is just not seen. She saw so many things by her own eyes and even though she just walks to her school and does her typical everyday things as always. She fears those beasts and accidents only at the critical point, but after that? She just forgets about everything that happened.
-- Enjoyment (6/10) --
I don't count this section to the overall mean as always. Enjoyment was fine, because it was just fine. I kinda feared some things in the manga, but that's only because of the art. The awful reasoning of characters and story did it's work to actually make this piece not that scary at all.
OVERALL (5/10)
And here we go with our hamburger. Taste it. You don't want to taste it? Well, good for you, but you should try it anyways. Just for the patty. And speaking by normal words - I kinda like Junji Ito's work. I love his oneshots, but not the series. I kinda feel that his full stories are kinda off, and he just can't keep the pace with the terror that he has demonstrated through the first chapters. His art is awesome. I really love how he draws the characters' eyes when they are struck with fear. Or even eyes of those who are possesed. It's just scary - does it's work. But every time I read some kind of series from him - the story is just going downhill. Well, sometimes it is interesting, but even when it is (like with the Uzumaki's case) - the characters are dragging it down.
And now - why you should (or not, you decide) taste the hamburger even though it's lower part is just dreadful? Because you may get scared anyways, just by the art of this manga. It really depends on the person, but after looking at some of the opinions of the reviewers here - I think they got scared just by the art.
Also, as one of the previous and recent reviewers said - Ito should stick to short stories.
