Gyo, Vol. 1

ギョ [Gyo] #1

by Junji Ito

This is the first volume of the long-awaited new horror manga series from the critically acclaimed creator of Uzumaki. The young couple Tadashi and Kaori are vacationing in Okinawa, but instead of enjoying their time, they bicker endlessly about such insignificant topics as Tadashi's bad breath. The source of the stench, though, may actually be something quite different. When a strange walking fish appears, Tadashi and Kaori know something's amiss. And when a Great White Shark attacks — again, walking — their mundane complaints quickly pale in comparison.

Genres: Manga, Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Japan

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2002

About the author

Junji Itō (Japanese: 伊藤潤二, Ito Junji) is a Japanese cartoonist and illustrator, best known for his horror manga.
Ito was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan in 1963. He was inspired to make art from a young age by his older sister's drawing and Kazuo Umezu's horror comics. Until the early 1990s he worked as a dental technician, while making comics as a side job. By the time he turned into a full time mangaka, Ito was already an acclaimed horror artists.
His comics are celebrated for their finely depicted body horrors, while also retaining some elements of psychological horror and erotism.
Although he mostly produces short stories, Ito is best known for his longer comic series: Tomie (1987-2000), about a beautiful high school girl who inspires her admirers to commit atrocities; Uzumaki (1998-1999), set in a town cursed with spiral patterns; Gyo (2001-2002), featuring a horde of metal-legged undead fishes. Tomie and Uzumaki in particular have been adapted multiple times in live-action and animation.

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gyo vol 1 :- 4/5⭐
Gyo vol 2:- 3/5⭐

Hello JUNJI ITO , I want to ask three things ,

1. Do you experience some terrifying and horrifying nightmares in the history of mankind?👻

2. Or are you communicating with some other dimension?👽

3. Is there any way possible, I can come there with you?😻

Because after reading Uzumaki and Gyo vol 1 , I am convinced that Junji Ito is a complete psychopath, and I am in love with him. Like head over heels in love with him , like the day I will complete all his books , I am adding him to my fav authors list , no doubt , he is a genius and world need more of his works.


Speaking of the manga , well it's disgusting and disturbing and I love it, it's only vol 1 , so we are yet to discover the truth but I am sure it's gonna be bizzare and superb and I will scream or laugh maniacally , and for sure I will be having nightmares! 📖
.........
4stars

review coming up.
................

I can't tell how much I am in love with Junji ito , I mean *ahhhhh* i can spend hours looking at his art !!!✨

I have become a fan , and I can't thank enough to the person who asked me to read uzumaki ♥️

[XenofoneX · Rating 5 out of 5]

[There may be some vague spoilage, but it's still perfectly edible. Edifying. Whatever.]

Undoubtedly the smelliest comic ever published, especially for any readers with a touch of synaesthesia. But don't let that scare you off. Light some scented candles or some fucking incense, you'll be fine.



So... a young couple are attacked by a dead fish skittering around on an automated spider-like prosthesis. The stench is almost as horrifying as the sight of it, symptomatic of a deadly and highly communicable virus. Even worse, it's not a freak occurrence... well, it IS a truly freakish occurrence, but it's not isolated. More of the plague-fish are crawling from the ocean, everything from Halibut to Manta-Rays, from Squids to Great White Sharks, moving with a frightening speed, rotting and bloated and spreading the intolerable death-stench with them inland. The virus soon becomes an epidemic, moving from the fish to humans with great efficiency... and so do the mysterious, apparently self-replicating machines.

There's plenty of what-the-fuck weirdness that Uzumaki fans will recognize immediately (yes, besides the zombie-fish-robots). Ito's story-telling comes at you from odd angles that Western readers either hate or absolutely love; I won't risk busting my taped-together brain trying to explain and ruin it for newbs, even though ruination is a hobby of mine.



Junji Ito's greatest work thus far is usually considered Uzumaki, and I won't disagree with that assessment. But I've got a soft spot for this wondrous little scribbled-scrapbook of craziness. Ito has a habit of jamming his narrative steering wheel into the most misshapen, strangely constructed stories you're likely to find, and somehow coaxing an amazingly fast and smooth ride out of them. His razor-sharp line-work -- equal parts Katsuhiro Otomo and Kazuo 'The Drifting Classroom' Umezu -- makes all the rotting and bloating and stinking so much worse (by which I mean better)... even the smell seems to translate. Unlike a lot of the manga being adapted for English audiences, this two-volume work wraps up with a surprisingly brisk under-500-page jaunt. Highly recommended for horror fans... sushi fans, not-so-much.




More Art-book Reviews
More Comic-book Reviews
More Novel Reviews

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last Spooktober, I read another great manga by this author. So I had no objections when I was asked ito buddy-read this too.

It all starts with a young couple on vacation in Okinawa. Tadashi is diving around when he's almost killed by two sharks. He makes his escape back onto the boat where we meet his girlfriend, Kaori. And boy, is she a real bitch (excuse my French)! Constantly complaining, yelling, calling him stupid, demanding he do this or that but never doing shit herself.
So yeah, I wanted them to die and pronto - great start. *lol*
But the story is not so much about them and their characters as what they discover / get caught up in. For the fish have started sprouting legs and are moving on land now!
How can fish sprout legs - and even with legs, how can they survive on land? Good question and one that is answered in this first volume of the duology, but I shan't spoiler it.

As with his other work (a trilogy), the author managed to create some creepy body horror here as well. I must admit that the other manga worked better for me so far, but I like that the apparent slasher fest / body horror was once again intelligently written.

The artwork is black-and-white and ... well, not as detailed as in the other manga either, but it still conveys that sinking feeling you get when you run out of the water to safety - only to realize that this time you won't be safe there either.

[Elle ✟ Søren's ♡ (i'm too old for this shite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* STARS!

Save the best for later. But I didn't find this is as his 'best'. I just love the bizarre element of surprise in Gyo. I watched the anime movie first then read the manga. There's a bit prologue also no sexual scene like in the anime.

It begins with stinky smells invaded part of Okinawa, Japan. The couple, Tadashi and Kaori went on a research or holiday (I think?) when they discovered a weird fish with spider legs. Tadashi managed to kill it but somehow it didn't die. Then there's a big shark attacked their house and they flew back to Tokyo and it's starting to spread out.



Tadashi and Kaori went to his uncle, Professor Koyanagi to search the answers behind this bizarre phenomenon. But Kaori went ill after the attack. Also the professor seems to know something. When the smell is getting worse, something's wrong with Kaori.

Manga Kaori is really different from the anime. She's kinda egoist and clean freak. Anime Kaori is more gentle and loving also a bit clingy towards Tadashi. But in the manga, we get more Tadashi as the main character while Kaori is the main in anime.

Kaori became 'gas monster' from the infection after the attack. The professor finally revealed his crazy experiment. I feel the explanation about this dead fish was quite promising. Shady experiment gone wrong by the government.

When there's no fish anymore, but the claw machine is still alive. That thing is taking over infected human and gas as the fuel. Ewh... Kaori is became one of them. Everything still the same like in the anime movie, just different main leads. Anyway, I enjoyed the premise of the weird fish phenomenon. So thrilling!

[Bandita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely weird and creepy with all the flying - walking fishes who has this foulest, nastiest smell. The artwork is stunning, and by 'stunning' I mean creepy af.

[TAP · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fish walks onto land, and Hell is made free.

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stupid as it is, it's pretty interesting.

[Michael Jandrok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, this manga stinks. It carries a stench from page one all the way through to the end of the book. Horrid. Nasty. Putrid. It’s kinda like that dead cat out there marinating behind the dumpster that hasn’t been picked up for a week during the height of summer. Oh, and it’s pretty fun, too.

“Gyo” is a horror manga written and illustrated by Junji Ito, who is probably better known for two of his other popular horror mangas, “Uzumaki” and “Tomie.” Ito is renowned for his vivid imagination and the carefully crafted depth of his drawing technique. Both of those abilities are fully on display in “Gyo,” as Ito crafts a tale of a sinister and experimental World War Two weapon gone horribly awry in modern day Japan.

The story starts out normal enough, as bickering young couple Tadashi and his girlfriend Kaori are vacationing on the island of Okinawa. It doesn’t take long for the weirdness to start, though, as a strange and putrid odor begins to manifest itself on the coast. This is followed by the appearance of an unusual fish that appears to be walking on land on a pair of metal legs. Tadashi reports the strange sighting to the local police, who pooh-pooh him and threaten to arrest him for pranking them. But things move fast in this story, and by the third chapter Ito has quite literally jumped the shark. Tadashi’s uncle is a scientist, and he goes to him for help as the strange walking fish have now begun to invade the mainland on a large scale. Kaori is feeling and acting strangely, the uncle reveals a horrible secret from the past, the stench of death and decay permeates everything with predictably nauseating results and…..well, you can get the idea that things just get balls out crazier and more disgusting with each page.

As horror manga go, this is pure 1950s-era creature-feature stuff all the way. At the beginning, Ito walks a very fine line between more traditional scares and gross-out action. By the time that the story ramps up he abandons any pretense of restraint and just lets it all hang out in stomach-churning fashion. It’s a real page-turner, though, a tale of science gone too far that never lets up for a second. The reader can almost get a sense of that horrid death-stench…..which reminds me that I need to change the trash bag in the kitchen.

“Gyo” was originally serialized in the weekly Japanese manga magazine “Big Comic Spirits” in 2001-2002. Viz Media published it in a two-volume set in 2003-2004, with a reprint in ‘07-’08. There is also a single volume edition available. I am lucky enough to have the original 2003-2004 first editions of “Gyo,” a fact I put down to a lucky find at the used book store. There is also an anime version of “Gyo” on the market, but it alters a few details of the story substantially, most notably changing the perspective of the main character from Tadashi to Kaori.

Volume One ends on a wild cliffhanger, and I can’t wait to see what hideous and stenchy horrors Junji Ito has in store for me in Volume Two. “Gyo” is a quick, fun read recommended for anyone that enjoys Japanese horror manga. A good bet would be to leave a copy of this in the guest bathroom, right next to the can of air freshener…...good times…..good times.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tadashi y Kaori están de vacaciones en Okinawa, cuando son atacados por peces con patas que salen del mar. A estos peces les acompaña un hedor espantoso, algo a lo que es muy sensible Kaori.

‘Gyo, Tomo 1’ (GYO 1, 2002), de Junji Ito, es un gran manga, emocionante e imaginativo. El dibujo es magnífico, y la idea muy original. Ahora a leer el segundo y último tomo.

[Carrot :3 (on a hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is creepy af! Ah the gore! I love/hate it!

Total time taken: 34min 30s

[Eni Gajanova]

Ne znam kako da ocenim ovo jer je toliko glupo da u jednom trenutku postaje jako zabavno😂
Od dijaloga do samih ideja koje nam Ito baca. Od rasprave o pranju zuba do čudovišta koja su zapravo ribe koje hodaju i ispuštaju gasove i smrde😂 U jednom trenutku čudovište doleti u kesi za smeće koja se nadula od gasova da napadne protagonistu. Ja ne mogu😂 Kažem, ovo je toliko glupo da ću preporučivati ljudima kao dobru zabavu, ali kao horor ne mogu😁

[Sumit Singla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was told about the premise of this story by a friend of mine who is a bit like the IMDB of comics (no exaggeration!). I dismissed the idea of reading Gyo outright till yesterday, because the premise was shocking, disgusting, and frankly, a little too outlandish for my taste.

I did read Uzumaki and liked it, despite its equally quirky premise. So, I decided to give Gyo a chance and was immediately sucked in. After all, who doesn't want to read about a great white shark that lands up on shore with its metallic legs to devour poor, unsuspecting human beings?

There are some parts that are horrifying, some others that are disgusting, and some that are in between the two. Definitely not as gory as other Japanese horror I've read, but Junji Ito does create a world that is as stark and terrifying as something Lovecraft would have been proud of.

Give it a shot, and you will certainly not be disappointed!

[Xam Zepol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah I get the social commentary but wtf that was kinda funny

[˗ˏˋ n a j v a ˊˎ˗ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★½

[Aravena · Rating 3 out of 5]

(vol. 1-2 tamat)

Buat yang dulu suka mantengin bioskop/Layar Emas untuk nonton B-movie tentang hiu/piranha/buaya/serangga super yang menyerbu manusia....

Sebuah persembahan dari komikus horor ternama, Junji Ito, dan karya pertama beliau yang diterbitkan di Indonesia.....



GYOOOOOO //badumbadumbadum

(*entah apa arti 'Gyo' itu sendiri.... tebakan saya, mungkin itu suara jeritan tokoh-tokohnya sewaktu diserbu para monster. Atau suara kalau lagi kecekik tulang ikan)

Seperti disinggung di atas, plot komik ini memang berjalan ala 'film monster yang tercipta karena kegoblokan manusia'.... sebelum kemudian bercabang ke berbagai horor lain. Protagonis utamanya adalah sepasang muda-mudi, Tadashi dan Kaori, yang sedang liburan di laut. Sebelum berjumpa spesies aneh yang kemudian mengubah hidup mereka untuk selamanya, mereka baru saja syuting iklan Pepsoden bertengkar soal perihal pelik yang sangat mengancam jalinan tali kasih...



Kalau ditanya bagian apa yang paling berkesan dari Gyo, saya akan menunjuk ke gambar dan atmosfernya. Ito-sensei pandai melukiskan ketegangan yang dirasakan para tokohnya, lengkap dengan efek seperti 'mata panda', 'tatapan mencerminkan kegilaan', dan 'ekspresi menerawang jauh membayangkan masa depan suram'. Bahkan sewaktu salah satu karakternya mengeluhkan bau busuk misterius yang terasa menyengat, saya jadi benar-benar bisa mencium adanya bau tak sedap.....

.....belakangan saya baru sadar kalau itu bau kaos kaki saya yang nyelip di bawah ranjang. Ehm, poinnya adalah bahwa penggambaran suasananya kuat. Transisi ke adegan aksinya pun bagus, banyak momen yang maha absurd sekaligus menegangkan:



Gaya narasi Junji Ito benar-benar khas. Kalau harus dideskripsikan, ibarat mimpi buruk yang mungkin sering kita alami sewaktu kecil. Mimpi ngacak nan campur aduk, yang kalau diceritakan ke orang lain akan terdengar konyol dan malah kocak....tapi terasa betul-betul menakutkan saat kita sedang mengalami mimpinya sendiri.

Saya tidak berani bilang kalau Gyo itu 'komedi horor', karena bahayanya memang nyata dan karakter-karakternya selalu bersikap 100% serius, tapi tak bisa dipungkiri kalau banyak momen yang seperti memancing pembaca untuk ngakak terjengking-jengking. Misalnya.... penjelasan berikut tentang senjata pemusnah massal yang amat kreatif....



Jadi, bagaimana kesan-kesan saya pada akhirnya?

Sayangnya, walau awalnya kuat, volume keduanya menyisakan beberapa duri yang nyangkut di tenggorokan. Pace-nya agak kurang enak, dan narasinya terlalu asyik menjual adegan-adegan menjijikkan (*patut dicatat kalau saya sengaja tidak membagikan cuplikan-cuplikan gambar yang paling memualkan di sini). Penyelesaiannya pun nanggung ala banyak film tentang bencana global yang ditutup dengan "masalahnya sama sekali belum selesai, namun ada secercah harapan bagi umat manusia. Tapi nggak janji lho.". Rasanya lebih seru kalau ada satu-dua volume tambahan lagi.

Bagaimanapun, ada banyak hal berkesan dari sajian monster ikan ini.... seperti hubungan Tadashi dan Kaori. Mereka menghabiskan banyak halaman awal dengan sibuk bertengkar, tapi momen-momen itu justru menambah realisme. Ujungnya, dedikasi Tadashi kepada Kaori terasa menyentuh walau berakhir mengenaskan. Ada juga dua cerita tambahan yang turut menghadirkan nuansa 'absurd bin WTF', sehingga saya jadi terus berminat membaca karya-karya penulisnya yang lain. Gayanya benar-benar unik, meninggalkan jejak-jejak visual yang membekas kuat di ingatan....

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty terrifying read and i kinda liked it.

It starts with Kaori and Tadashi a couple on vacation when his gf is attacked by a flying fish and she can't bear the smell and he tries to get rid of it but it doesn't work but what follows is an interesting phenomenon as the fish are coming out of the water and well kinda targeting the whole country and it becomes a national crisis and an end of the world scenario and thus we follow Tadashi as he teams up with his uncle Dr Koyanagi and we discover this mysterious origins of this creatures and its deep horrifying secrets but when it hits home for Tadashi, what will happen?

Its a very terrifying book for sure and the art does itself great justice and makes it more haunting, you feel the sense of dread reading it and Ito doesn't miss one beat as he shows the horrifying creatures of the deep like they are right out of Jaws and its well done. The characters and situations are well established and it compels you to read the next volume together! A must recommend!

[Javier Lárraga · Rating 5 out of 5]

No saben el asco que sentí al leer esta historia, para quien alguna vez haya olido el aroma de la putrefacción sabe que no es para nada agradable.

Gyo es un manga de horror en el que aparecen una especie de pescados mutantes con patas y que huelen a podrido, estos seres invadiran las costas trayendo el caos a Japón.

Estoy gratamente sorprendido con Junji Ito, no solo por las increiblemente detalladas ilustraciones además no se como le hizo para crear unos monstruos tan originales y meternos en una atmósfera tan tensa con un argumento tan simple, extremadamente recomendado, ya quiero empezar el volumen 2.

[Siwabhorn Anothaisintawee · Rating 4 out of 5]

เรื่องสุดท้ายในชุดมรณะแล้วค่ะ เรื่องนี้มี 2 เล่มเป็นต้นกำเนิดปลามรณะ อีกเล่มเป็นปัจฉิมบท

เรื่องมันเริ่มจากทาดาชิกับคาโอริเดินทางไปพักร้อนที่โอกินาว่า ระหว่างทริปทั้งคู่ได้พบกับปลาประหลาดมีขา

คาโอริที่มีประสาทรับกลิ่นดีมากได้กลิ่นเหม็นไปทั่วบริเวณ จึงงี่เง่าให้ทาดาชิหาทางกำจัดกลิ่นนั้น

ทาดาชิจับปลาใส่ถุงแต่กลิ่นก็ยังลอดออกมา หนำซ้ำถุงยังพองขึ้นและลอยออกทะเลไป

แต่เรื่องกลับแย่ลงเพราะมีกองทัพปลามีขาบุกขึ้นมาทำร้ายคนบนเกาะเป็นจำนวนมาก

ทั้งคู่หนีกลับโตเกียวไปปรึกษาคุณลุงที่เป็นนักวิทยาศาสตร์ ทำให้รู้ว่านี่คืออาวุธที่หลุดรอดมาจากการทดลองทางทหาร เมื่อมันใช้พลังงานจากปลาหมดก็จะทำให้เหยื่อรายถัดไปติดเชื้อและย้ายไปเกาะ

ซึ่งหนึ่งในผู้ติดเชื้อก็คือยัยงี่เง่าคาโอรินั่นเอง

เอ้า เล่าไปเล่ามาจะจบเล่ม งั้นไปต่อเล่มสองกัน

ทาดาชิซึ่งมีภูมิคุ้มกันแบกคาโอริไปขอความช่วยเหลือจากลุง ลุงเลยเอาขาใส่ให้คาโอริซึ่งน่าจะเด๊ดไปแล้ว และเริ่มส่งกลิ่นเหม็นเน่า

คาโอริติดเทอร์โบวิ่งหนีเตลิด ทาดาชิเลยต้องออกไปหา และได้พบกับเหตุการณ์ประหลาดทั่วเมือง เมื่อพากลับมาได้ก็พบว่าลุงของเขาก็ตายและได้รับการติดตั้งขาเวอร์ชั่นใหม่ไปอีกคน

แล้วเรื่องก็เลยเถิดไปเรื่อยจนจบ

เล่มแรกเรารำคาญผู้หญิงมาก งี่เง่าอะไรเบอร์นั้น

ส่วนเล่มที่สองเรารำคาญผู้ชาย อะไรจะศรร��กปักใจขนาดนั้น ผู้หญิงไม่ได้นิสัยดีเลย เป็นเราเจอสถานการณ์แบบนี้คงแยกกันไปไกลแล้ว

เรื่องมั่วซั่วตั้วเหลงมาก ประมาณเจอฝูงซอมบี้บุกเมือง แต่เป็นซอมบี้ตัวบวมมีขาเหล็ก หนีซอมบี้ไปมาก็โผล่ละครสัตว์ซะงั้น สุดท้ายจบโรแมนติกแบบงงๆ

บันเทิงดีค่ะ

Goodreads เล่มแรกให้ 3.8 เล่มที่ 2 ให้ 4.1 เราให้รวม 3.9

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely ape-shit crazy. One of the strangest, most grotesque, most disgusting things I've ever come across. (this goes for both volumes, but the true shock comes from vol. 1)

My tastes generally run towards the extreme, and it can be tough to find something that fits that description that isn't just pure gore or pure pornography. This is that. One of those things that make you wonder that there is something very different in the make-up of Japanese culture that only comes out in its creative art. I don't mean that as any kind of insult. I think this is genius on a Lovecraft / jaw-dropping level.

As a rule I don't add "old" books to Goodreads, cuz I'd spend all my times trying to remember what I read years ago - and I did read this a couple of years ago - but I'd almost forgotten about it, and it's so bizarre that I can't help adding it here.

If you don't get offended easily or at all, read this.

[carla ☾･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ 4.5 para ser exactos.

Muy buen primer comienzo de esta historia.
No me sorprende que el arte de Junji Ito sea de mis favoritos. Y tampoco que la trama sea increíblemente creepy.

Mi única queja de este volumen fue Kaori. Debo admitir que es infumable durante toda la historia. Y constantemente esperan que otros hagan algo al respecto. ¡Señora, deje de lloriquear como una nena de cinco años, levante el culo y haga algo usted!

En fin, excelente volumen.

[Maria Lago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirada y terrorífica historia de putrefacción, un eco-terror malsano como pocos, que deja un regusto muy amargo en la boca. Quizás no esté a la altura de Uzumaki, pero ¿qué obra lo está?

[B0R3D · Rating 3 out of 5]

HOW THE FUCK DID HE GET UNDER THAT PRINCIPAL POST!!? EXCUSE ME MR ITO?? Are you sure you haven't missed any of the pages??

[⁺₊✧ MYRA ✧₊⁺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uzumaki is still better but kinda sick to my stomach

[marko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Znate da je nešto preeeeeviše bizarno, odvratno, ružno, mučno, smrdljivo, užasno, gnusno, trulo, ogavno i beskonačno uznemirujuće da kada ga čitate u prevozu želite da sakrijete stranice kako ljudi oko vas ne bi primetili šta čitate i zapitali se kakve probleme imate u životu te odaberete da čitate baš ovakav strip. Ovo ume samo Đunđi Ito, čiji horor u ovom slučaju ima primese Lavkrafta i koji nakon prve polovine postaje preteran u svakom smislu da se na kraju transformiše u nešto apsurdno i komično do te mere da sam se naglas smejao dok sam ga čitao. Ludnica u kojoj na neki čudan način i te kako uživam.

[Hanin Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read half of it before lunch and i can say i lost my appetite , please don’t read it while/ before eating.
As always Junji’s art and writing are something else, this was beautifully disgusting.

[mishu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta fue mi primera impresión de Junji Ito y no me arrepiento de ningún peso gastado

[Jon Ureña · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who can beat Junji Ito at drawn horror? It's not only his obsessive attention to detail present in his drawings or his uncanny ability to make you dread passing the page: he's also a prolific writer of bizarre story after bizarre story that display his extensive creativity.

In this one, the male protagonist was diving near the coast of Japan when some eerily fast creature he couldn't identify startles him. After that he almost gets eaten by sharks, so he decides to come back up to his boat and quit diving for the day. The protagonist, along with his smell obsessed girlfriend, are staying at a vacation house that belongs to the protagonist's scientist uncle. The girlfriend can't say two sentences without mentioning some smell that bothers her, starting with the protagonist's breath. It doesn't take long before a different smell, that of rotting fish, takes over the area, and a fast shadow stalks the house terrifying the girl. It's a seemingly dead fish walking on spindly, spider-like legs. This story just gets weirder and more nauseating from here, often in very surprising ways. I mean, look at that shit. Who comes up with this stuff?.

Those who have read Ito's stuff know that it isn't just about scary pictures: the man's stuff gets under your skin like almost no other horror. I read half of this volume on the train to work, and I felt myself getting ill and nauseous. That had never happened before. Almost an hour later I still feel nauseous. Often you need to steel yourself to get into the guy's fiction, and being a masochist helps.

It would probably be unreasonable to expect any aspect of the bizarre, terrifying fiction that this author makes to be common. Ito is clearly afflicted with obsessions, and many of his characters are as well. In this one, the protagonist's girlfriend's fixation with smells reaches the level of a delusion; at some points she does little else than yell at his boyfriend to get rid of whatever smell, present or not. Ito does another weird thing with some of his female characters: they have the exact same face as other characters in his other stories. It's as if the same actress was playing them. I haven't looked into why he's doing it, but I prefer to believe that she represents some real person the author had fixated on. Obsessive people tend to do that kind of stuff.

I also play videogames, and one of my favorite horror ones from recent years was the fantastic "Soma", about a guy who submits to a novel treatment involving mental scans that can help cure his brain damage, and somehow "wakes up" in a ruined underwater facility haunted by robots who believe they are people. Many of the creatures present in that game look dead but are supported by mechanical tubes that burrow into their bodies, that now present disgusting growths. They look too similar to be coincidental.

You'll probably love Ito's shit if you are into genuinely disturbing imagery and daring, uncompromising plots. I should mention, though, that you need to stay away from animated adaptations of Ito's work. As far as I'm aware, none of the attempts have done justice to his work.

[Suica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and many drawings were awesomely gross, but this is nowhere near my favourite work by Mr Junji Ito - "Uzumaki" (Spiral) because its plot was just too... Hollywood and not Japanese enough for me. I wish the plot development could have been more complicated and the characterisation could have been more impactful. Many scenes in this were hilarious (the tank chasing after the big fish HAHAHAHA, the secretary who despite being very stressed always had her hair tied up in a perfect bun HAHAHAHA, the main character piggybacking his girlfriend who already turned into a monster HAHAHAHA, that jealous scene HAHAHAHA) and I suspected that they were intentional because Mr Junji Ito seems to be a crazy guy and I believe it's our luck that he just draws manga.

[Darth Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, like the metaphor of these stories, especially this story, seems to be lost on most people. Most men around the world, and Japan in particular, live their entire lives supporting their families and houses, so to speak. Junji Ito is really quite clever with his horror sometimes.

[P.E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death by dad joke

Edit: This is a review only for the short story 'Sad Tale of the Principal Post'.
I don't know why it has been changed for Gyo since I put down the notes.

All there is to know is in the title of the review... telling more would be spoiling it!