Where to watch Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre is the latest inclusion in the horror anime genre, adapted from the works of the master of horror himself. Manga readers are well aware of the legend that is Junji Ito. He is often considered to be the best mangaka of horror that the industry has ever seen.

Specializing in body and psychological horror, Ito has perfected an art style that holds the ability to invoke terror with the aid of a single panel. Given his popularity among both critics and general readers alike, Ito has a very loyal fanbase that has kept an eagle eye on his recent anime adaptations.

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Stream Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre on Netflix now

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre is licensed by Netflix and can be watched on the streaming platform. It is directed by Shinobu Tagashira and produced by Studio Deen.

First released on January 23, 2023, the series was officially announced on June 8, 2022. The screenplay is by Kaoru Sawada, with Yuki Hayashi composing the main score. Hayashi is known for his works in popular anime shows like My Hero Academia, Haikyu!, Diabolik Lovers, The Junji Ito Collection, Death Parade, and more.

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre has a total of 12 episodes, with a number of them containing two short stories. The opening theme song is by MADKID, called “Paranoid,” while the ending credits are over the song "Iu Toori" by JYOCHO.

Previously, the Junji Ito short stories had been adapted into a 12-episode series in 2018 called The Junji Ito Collection, which received mixed reviews. Many praised the loyalty with which the stories were written for the screen. However, it fell short of delivering the quintessential chilling experience of the original read, a complaint that the current series has also not been able to evade completely.

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre adapts a number of short stories by Junji Ito, with the most popular ones being the Tomie series, The Hanging Balloons, and Soichi.

Tomie was also adapted in the 2018 series. It is considered to be one of the finest works of Ito following Uzumaki or Spiral.

Tomie is a psychological horror spin on the femme fatale narrative. It follows Tomie, an enigmatic girl who can influence men into committing brutal acts of violence over a jealous rage.

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