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maxor76's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The siblings story felt like part of a series that I've been missing, the first story is fun but the second feels pointless.
The rib woman is an entertaining enough short story, it's simple.
The poop story I thought was stoll going to become horror so it was funny how it wasn't at all! It's just a wee tale.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Torture, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
Minor: Excrement and Stalking
jackiepreston's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I did really enjoy Lovesickness out of this collection. It was an interesting premise that was executed well. I just didn't really care for any of the other stories in the collection.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy
vigneswara_prabhu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The master of Japanese Horror, nay, graphic horror worldwide. As usual he has the unique ability to take day to day, mundane aspects of life, and turn them into graphic, disturbing, macabre displays of terror.
The premise of these series of interconnected short stories involves our protagonist, who has returned to his childhood home, a childhood which I might add, has some seriously disturbing repressed memories attached to it.
Right after his arrival, mysterious incidents begin taking place, ending in a serious of disturbing suicides and deaths. As the body count rises, and bit by bit the townspeople turn to rabid, maniacal, insanity, it's upon him to solve this phenomenon and stop the violence.
It seems as if, in every other of his stories, things go bad, and everyone goes mad. But despite a predictable pattern, we still tune in for the monster of the week, and the slideshow of disturbing visuals put on page. Which might speak to the reader's particular mental state than anything, but that is for the psychoanalysts to decide.
But where Mr. Ito really shines is, despite the degree of detachment and indifference that the narrative has in regard to what happens to its characters, the visual impact they have is considerable. There are some frames where you're being maintaining a baritone of horror and jump scares, where you think, you are used to whatever the story throws at you.
Then, out of nowhere, it throws something like THIS, at you...
Or THIS
Unlike typical western horror stories, where either the heroes triumph over evil, or succumb to the darkness and the world ending, Japanese form of horror is pretty matter of fact. By taking away any power that the characters have in opposing these dangers, and showing how their struggle means so little, Ito Junji is able to wind up the proxy terror we feel for them all the more.
Oh, a bunch of people died gruesome deaths because of some malevolent entity?... Cool.
An entire town went insane over a short time, and then suddenly up and disappeared into oblivion?... Neat.
There is a ghost stream in that mountain, where the dead spirits from decades ago repeatedly drown in agony unable to find peace?... Interesting.
Another thing that I, as well as others have observed is the sheer randomness of the whole thing. Sometimes, a person does something, that makes them deserving of the gruesome fate that befalls them. But most of the times, the people who die have abso-lutely nothing to do with the instigator of the whole thing. They're just random people, who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Japanese horror, especially Junji's horror, treats ghosts and evil spirits like they're a loose beam that fell on a guy walking down the road.
Like Opera giving out gifts, it's like... 'You get cursed, you also get cursed, EVERYBODY gets cursed'. For those who've seen the J-Horror classics like the Ring, would find this to be quite par for the course.
One thing that sets apart the protagonist of the story from your usual heroes or victims is the respond he has to the horrifying series of deaths surrounding him. Sure, for a while there, he, much like your typical Junji protagonist, faithfully goes insane, obsessed, losing weight and human like complexions.
Then, after some time, he gets fed up with the evil spirit perpetuating this whole thing. He's like, 'you know what! F**k you! And F**k your sob story!". He literally decides to kill him with love. Which is something quite hilarious and something you need to read.
Of course, then there are also other unrelated, hellion like, abominable, irritable characters, who go about making the lives of people a living nightmare, and really need to have their faces intimately acquainted with the floor. But that's neither here nor there.
For the most part, Lovesickness is another entry into Ito sensei already impressive library of work. Not for the faint hearted, and definitely for all of us disturbed weirdoes hiding in plain sight. So, you know who you, Enjoy.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
adventurouspotato's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
the strange hikizuri siblings: ★★★★☆
the mansion of phantom pain: ★★★★★
the rib woman: ★★★☆☆
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Minor: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, and Death of parent
wends_nblw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Aside from the comedic ending of this story, I found the other pieces to be lackluster. I'm not sure why, but it felt like it was missing something. The Lovesickness story was good, though I wasn't fond of the reveal. The other pieces weren't as good.
I think this collection comes off as more comedic than dark. I snorted quite a few times while reading.
I will continue with my Ito journey, but I'm unsure if anything will top Uzumaki. (And I might be regretting selling my copy of Deserter.)
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness
urezia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
lilaceous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
scared the crap out of me lol. after reading the first story in the collection i was sprinting around my apartment to turn on all the lights and make sure no zombie girls were hiding behind my shower curtain. the rest of the collection isn’t as scary but is mostly well-written.
the way junji ito uses ink in his illustrations is horrifying without losing any visual clarity. my one complaint about this collection is that the endings are never satisfying, but it doesn’t make the stories any less unsettling.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Gore, Miscarriage, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
pclairx's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, and Abortion
Moderate: Child death
mir_frog73's review against another edition
- 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
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
silverraine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury