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Japanese horror manga legend Junji Ito has spent decades establishing himself as a master of spine-tingling stories. He has crafted a network of unsettling stories throughout his lengthy career, each characterized by a distinct kind of horror that has both enthralled and frightened readers. For this reason, his work has gained a sizable cult following.
Ito began his profession as a dental technician while also contributing short stories to local publications. Eventually, he was unable to maintain balance and decided to pursue his aspiration of becoming a mangaka.
Join us as we explore the height of Junji Ito's imagination, from the spiraling madness of Uzumaki to the never-ending pain of Tomie.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the anime and character fates mentioned therein. Some of its aspects are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.
Exploring Junji Ito's greatest manga
Junji Ito's works focus on mind-bending body horror. A number of outstanding manga have established themselves as some of his best works. Ito's unparalleled talent for creating terrifying stories is seen in these creations, which have both intrigued and horrified readers. However, the following works are arguably regarded as his best:
Uzumaki
In Uzumaki, Kirie Goshima and her family have a very typical life in the village of Kurouzu.
One day, Kirie observes Shuuichi Saito's father examining a snail shell in an alley as she makes her way to the train station to meet him. She tells Shuuichi about the event without giving it much thought, and he remarks that his father has been acting strange recently.
Shuuichi expresses his growing wish to leave the town, claiming that it is infested with spirals. However, his father's obsession with the shape quickly becomes lethal, setting off a series of horrifying and bizarre occurrences that send the people of Kurouzu into a state of chaos.
The tale is brilliant, and the art is fantastic even if it is horrifying and nasty. The manga is fantastic and has an endless capacity for creativity. The tale gets increasingly bleak until the very end. It is undeniable that this unsettling thriller will give fans nightmares.
Tomie
In Tomie, students in a high school classroom lament the death of Tomie Kawakami, who had been killed and mutilated. The class is shocked to hear of her passing and perplexed by the awful tragedy that has befallen someone so close to them. However, at the entrance to the classroom, a startlingly recognizable student arrives. Tomie grins and says she's sorry for being late.
However, the questions surrounding this allegedly nonhuman woman are just getting started. The unfortunate men who manage to grab her attention swiftly fall in love with her, but they are also frequently motivated by a horrible instinct to dismember her.
Overall, Tomie is a rivetingly gory horror manga that never tries to explain the origins of its horrifyingly attractive creature. The artwork is too eerie to overlook, and the tale is excellent. Even though it wasn't his greatest work, this manga helped Ito gain popularity.
The peak of the mangaka's career explored
Junji Ito's journey to becoming a titan in the manga industry began with his debut work, Tomie, in 1987. This was a turning point in his career since Tomie gave readers their first taste of his brand of horror. His career, which would revolutionize the horror genre in manga, was launched into the public eye by the popularity of the series.
The popularity and sales of Junji Ito's manga are among the most important measures of his success. His creations, such as Uzumaki, Tomie, and Gyo, have had enormous commercial success both in Japan and abroad.
In 2003 and 2009, Uzumaki received an Eisner Award nomination. His manga version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein won him his first Eisner Award in 2019 for "Best Adaptation from Another Medium." Remina and Venus in the Blind Spot won Ito two more Eisner Awards in 2021 for "Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia" and "Best Writer/Artist."
The impact of Junji Ito goes beyond the confines of manga. A number of his novels have been turned into live-action films and anime shows, broadening his audience and bringing his horrific stories to new fans.
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro noted on his official Twitter account that Ito was initially a collaborator on the computer game Silent Hills. Del Toro and game creator Hideo Kojima were the title's primary directors. The project, nevertheless, was abandoned by Konami, the IP's owner, a year after it was first announced.
Del Toro and Ito eventually contributed their avatars to Kojima's subsequent game, Death Stranding.
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