“Marionette Mansion,” asks the question of whether we control the puppets, or they control us.
“Used Record,” tells of a sought-after vinyl, one where the lyrics sound emotionless, lifeless, yet strangely beautiful. I find this change of pace to be very welcome, and they certainly make for a creepy and mysterious read. “Used Record” and “Marionette Mansion” are some of Ito’s less graphic works, but I like them due to how they feel more akin to “The Twilight Zone” than something that involves the main character mutating horrifically. These stories are all interesting yet disturbing in their own way, and while they certainly contain some very memorable panels of Ito’s artwork, I personally find them to be outclassed by the other stories found within this book.
“Greased” is by far one of Ito’s grosser stories, centering around a family that lives above a failing barbeque shop and what the terrible, greasy conditions do to them. “Honored Ancestors,” tells the story of a girl who loses her memory for a reason nobody, not even the reader, is sure about, but does it have something to do with something at her boyfriend’s house? As the dreams get longer, they start to have strange effects on him. “The Long Dream takes place in a hospital’s neurosurgery wing, where a patient complains how every dream he has each night starts to feel longer. These themes of strangeness are most present in the stories “The Long Dream,” “Honored Ancestors,” and “Greased.” Never expect to go into one of his stories knowing what is going to happen, you will probably end up being very wrong.Īnother important piece of information one must know is that in addition to Ito’s world being horrifying, it is very, very, very strange. The first thing that must be said for Ito’s work is that it is unique in terms of its content and themes. Published in 2015, it contains nine such short stories: “Used Record,” “Shiver,” “Fashion Model,” “Hanging Blimp,” “Marionette Mansion,” “Painter,” “The Long Dream,” “Honored Ancestors,” and “Greased,” along with a bonus story in the form of “Fashion Model: Cursed Frame.” Does Ito continue to deliver chilling tales from his strange and terrifying world with this collection? Let us open the book, shall we? In addition, Ito is also noted for his short stories, which are often chronicled in his many collections. Both a literary and artistic genius, Ito’s work is best known for his disturbing illustrations, which utilize body horror and his signature shading-style to highlight the terror that exists in the bizarre and eldritch world that his stories take place in.Īmong Ito’s work, two of his most famous stories are “Uzumaki” and “Tomie,” which are in his portfolio of longer stories. In the world of manga, no name is more well-known in the horror genre than Junji Ito.
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