Reviews tagging 'Death'

Lovesickness - Liebeskranker Horror by Junji Ito

33 reviews

ashar_allaire's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

totsfions's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think this is the best Ito collection I've ever read. The title story, "Lovesickness" is a sort of slow-burn horror where the reader is never totally sure of what is happening, and that tension keeps you hooked on the story. The emotional dynamics between the characters are also more fleshed out than they are in some of Ito's other works, which makes the impact of the story even harsher. It's definitely one I feel I would get more from on a re-read, and one that has a lot of metaphorical resonance waiting to be taped. The duology of stories about the Hikizuri siblings is a really interesting take on toxic family dynamics. The stand-alone stories at the end of the book are all excellent, though the final story is more silly than anything else. "The Rib Woman" in particular is a really insightful commentary on the nature of feminine beauty standards in modern society. As always with Ito's work, the illustrations are chilling in a beautiful way. The character designs in this collection, and particularly in "Loveless" are some of Ito's strongest and most compelling. The haunting beauty of the characters adds so much dimension to the eerie nature of the story. I think this and "Amigara Fault" will be my go-to Junji Ito recommendations for a long time to come. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity and Excrement

kiara_seoul's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

Lovesickness is definitely the best manga in this, which makes sense considering the manga is named after it. My favorite chapter in Lovesickness is “A Woman In Distress”, with my favorite additional manga being “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings”.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Blood

mzynda's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Self harm, and Suicide

pclairx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, and Abortion

Moderate: Child death

anime917's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Blood

mir_frog73's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, and Abortion

Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Domestic abuse and Alcohol

lilybear3's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Dysphoria

Minor: Excrement

kelseyr713's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really LOVED the first half of this collection (the stories that make up Lovesickness). The villain/monster is great, and it’s set in a very off-kilter, foggy town. Perfect Junji Ito mood. The Hikizuri sibling stories and the three stand alones are fine.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Pregnancy

Minor: Excrement