Junji Ito is often hailed as the greatest author to ever grace the world of horror manga. He has two upcoming series based on his works, including a compilation of his short stories called Junji Ito Maniac: Tales From The Japanese Macabreand one of them is an adaptation of his infamous series Uzumaki. However, much of Junji Ito remains a mystery, despite its popular cult following. From dental technician to the esteemed author, to everything in between, Junji Ito has done it all.
Junji Ito is the manga artist behind it? Tomie, Uzumaki, Gyo, and many short story compilations, which are his main focus as a manga artist. He often writes about both cosmic horror and body horror, combining the two concepts in most of his works. He also adapted Mary Shelly’s frankenstein, for which he won an Eisner Award, and even had a cameo in Death Stranding. What is it about this small-town guy from Japan that makes him stand out from the rest of horror mangaka? What works did he make outside of horror? What put him on the path of terrifying manga panels that kept international manga fans up at night? This article will explore the depths of Junji Ito and highlight some of his best works.
His humble beginnings, to the beginning of Tomie
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Junji Ito grew up in a small town and in a 2019 interview revealed that his two older sisters read horror manga by authors like Kazuo Umezu. Growing up, he read the same manga his sisters read. He drew his own manga from childhood until he was consumed with his career as a dental technician. After a few years of dental work, he wrote a short story to Monthly Halloween and won the Kazuo Umezu Prize, with the same Kazuo Umezu he grew up with as a judge.
This short story became what is now known as Tomie. The series is about a young woman named Tomie, whose presence and manipulation prompt men to commit violent acts. Junji Ito’s legendary first series ended in the same magazine for thirteen years. The series was incredibly popular in Japan, where it has been adapted into nine films and an anthology series.
His most popular works
Tomie is just a drop in the ocean of Junji Ito’s work. Another of his most popular series is Uzumaki, a horror series about the sudden supernatural obsession and paranoia of a spiraling city. The franchise is currently being adapted into an anime miniseries by Studio Drive and will premiere on Adult Swim. His other popular series Gyo is about undead fish with metal legs that terrorize a young couple during a diving vacation in Okinawa. Aside from the original horror series, he has also adapted Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and has written an original lifelike manga about his cats called Junji Ito’s cat diary: Yon & Mu.
Junji Ito is not only known for series, however. Most of his work is actually short stories collected in anthologies with its unique blend of cosmic and physical horror. Some of these anthologies include: Flesh-colored horror, heartbreak deadand Solve class. Some one-shots that are not part of short story anthologies include: Snow White by Junji Ito, Phantom Mansionand Ghost Heights Management Association. He was also part of a canceled silent hills video game project with Guillermo Del Toro and Hideo Kojima, and later had a cameo in the game Death Strandingshowing that he is still in touch with the two.
What makes Junji Ito so popular?
This is partly due to his drawing style. Junji Ito does not draw his manga in the typical style that we often associate with manga and anime. It is drawn in a much more realistic art style, rather than a cartoonish one, and makes the terrifying events and images more terrifying. Many fans of Ito often talk about how empty and hollow the artwork and dialogue are, adding to the overwhelming eerieness of his works. Junji Ito also creates contrast, with eerie images that often have dark, busy backgrounds, keeping his artwork simple and neat between the statues of honour. This also helps give the horrific images a much bigger punch.
Another thing Junji Ito is exceptional at is making pace. Many of his stories are slow-paced, rather than action-packed. Often Junji Ito manga makes ‘jump scares’ from full-page, or even two-page, terrifying images during a boring scene. Junji Ito’s panel planning is often compared to: the incantationbecause he often saves the truly terrifying for later and spends most of his work slowly building suspense, through background information and subtle hints. Often on a second or third reading of his works you can find hints and more in the series that you may not have noticed before, giving what was once a dull scene a much deeper and terrifying meaning.
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