Fans of horror are probably familiar with Stephen King's work, but what about Junji Ito. A famous writer from Japan, 58-year-old Junji Ito is known for his horror manga. Some of his short stories were adapted into an anime called Junji Ito Collection, released in 2018. In the 12 episodes, horrifying monsters, alternate realities, and supernatural events unravel.
Before this, Junji Ito was releasing horror mangas and short story collections. One of his more famous stories is Tomie, a horror manga that ran from 1987-to 2000. A piece of this three-volume story is shown in Junji Ito Collection, leaving the audience wondering who the mysterious and beautiful Tomie truly is. Other strange beings like this are explored in this terrifying anime.
Creature Feature
A special quality in Juni Ito Collection is the monsters. All the stories in the 12 episode anime have some supernatural being or horrifying monster that terrorizes the main characters. One is Miss Fuchi; her first appearance was in episode two, titled "Fashion Model." The story's plot won't be included to avoid spoilers, but what's essential is Miss Fuchi's appearance. Most would assume her to be beautiful as a fashion model, but she's the opposite. Fuchi has an abnormally long face, a tall, slender woman with small piercing blue eyes. What doesn't help her appearance is the claw-like nails and fangs she has, regardless she is a model. Compared to the normal people and environment around them, these monsters like Miss Fuchi stand out in Junji Ito's world.
Some horror fans might not find her appearance that scary, but she is rememberable, almost too much. That's what makes the Junji Ito Collection special, the monsters in the stories leave impressions on the audience. If someone isn't careful, they might find themselves thinking a little too hard on one of them. Leading to imaginations going wild, and nothing is more powerful in horror than a fan's imagination. Besides the fantastic monsters, the series has breathtaking animation. The muted colors and textures shading makes the environment feel dark and foreboding. These particular elements work perfectly with the multiple bug-themed stories in the series. The textured shading and muted color make the insect creatures look real, causing a skin-crawling reaction.
Not Everything is Perfect
Even though Junji Ito Collection has beautiful artwork and memorable monsters, there are a couple of things fans might not enjoy. Each episode has two short stories, meaning fans will see 24 stories in the 12 episode anime. This isn't crazy considering its short stories, but for some like "Window Nest Door," it feels like the stories cut short of an ending. Not all the answers will be provided, especially in a horror short story, but it was like an entire chapter was missing for a couple of the stories. The best way to describe it is through slices of horror. This collection is slices of horror from Junji Ito's original works. Then again, considering all the other works Junji Ito has done in the manga, these stories might be intentionally short. Some word of a second season has been going around, and the manga might shed more light on this situation.
People who are already fans of Junji Ito Collection might agree with this as well. A reoccurring character in both the anime and Junji Ito's work is Souichi. Appearing in three different stories throughout the anime, Souichi is a young disturbed boy with the ability to curse others. In a strange form of comedic relief, the audience gets to watch as this strange young man curses his classmates and teachers, just to have it come back on him. The number of times Souichi made an appearance in the anime and how memorable the character is. Why then wasn't he included more? Well, not necessarily this particular series, but having additional episodes based on Soichi's adventures would have made for great entertainment.
Regardless of this, Junji Ito Collection is a perfect series to watch as a fan of horror, monster movies, or Junji Ito's works. This series would also be excellent for viewers interested in the horror genre. For those interested, Junji Ito Collection can be streamed on Crunchyroll. Those interested in other stories from Junji Ito, check out The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection, Spiral Into Horror Uzumaki, and Gyo.