Disgust combined with nagging curiosity. The perfect combination for some unforgettable stories.
I enjoy anything horror. I am that person that binge-watch those top five scary or ghost caught on camera YouTube videos. I would choose a horror movie over something like a romantic comedy. I also like my horror in video games.
The only medium that I dislike when it comes to horror was art. I do enjoy looking at the works of Franciso Goya and Zdzisław Beksiński but those art don’t really evoke that fear I was hoping for.
That was until I saw the works of the Japanese manga artist, Junji Ito.
The Discovery
I was quietly browsing Reddit when I encountered this photo:
“What the hell?” was my initial reaction as I was disgusted with what I was looking at. Then, the curiosity set in. I want to know who created this drawing and what is the context.
Based on a comment in that post, this came from the manga Uzumaki by Junji Ito. Right there and then, I looked for someone I know who owns a copy then borrowed it.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Reading Uzumaki lead me down a rabbit hole. That manga made me uneasy about looking at spirals and snails for a long time. It still even gives me the chills as I recall some of the art in that manga that gave me goosebumps.
After Uzumaki, the next one I read was Gyo which just made me confused. What I like in that manga was the short story at the end called The Enigma of Amigara Fault.
Then I read my favorite one, Tomie. A series of stories about a beautiful woman named Tomie who has this succubus-like ability that has the power to make any man fall in love with her. She can drive people crazy jealous which oftentimes leads to gruesome results.
I started reading more and more from Ito. There are some hit and miss but each story offers a different sort of horror. Needless to say, I was hooked, but why?
Oh, the Horror!
I think it was the timing of the page turn.
Ito does this thing where he gives you an idea that there is something scary or weird in the next few pages. He will add these small clues. Tiny details before you reach that panel in the corner of the page. Then, when you flip it to see what comes next. Boom. A WTF image that can either make you scared or just plain disgusted.
One perfect example of this is in the first chapter of Uzumaki. I won’t spoil it but you’ll know when you see it.
Another thing I noticed is how Ito can instill fear in the mundane. Like how he used the simple spiral and turned it into something that threats an entire town. Even a simple cat he managed to draw to look sinister.
I also like how each of his stories doesn’t explicitly tell you why and what is happening. Just look at the art and watch the story unfold.
Ito’s work usually isn’t that scary but after reading his work, the sense of wrongness is really hard to shake off.
If you’re curious about his work. I suggest you try and read the manga instead of watching any anime or movie adaptation. In my opinion, the manga is better. His stories range from the unknown, apocalyptic to domestic and body horror. So, just pick one and read!
