What do you think?
Rate this book
Hell Babies
A collection of Junko Mizuno's early works at the start of her professional career. Her powerful female characters with a transgressive twist in a brightly colored fantasy world fascinated audiences in Japan.
Featuring the distinctive, delicious and disturbing art of Japanese artist Junko Mizuno, Hell Ladies presents a collection of her early works (1998-2001) of brightly colored, manga-inspired girls with a transgressive twist, playing with razor blades or butcher knives with rattlesnakes in their hair.
Junko Mizuno is notable for her psychedelic flair, mixing sweetness with horror and feminine sexuality - juxtaposing the hyper-cute with the grotesque. For mature readers.
Featuring the distinctive, delicious and disturbing art of Japanese artist Junko Mizuno, Hell Ladies presents a collection of her early works (1998-2001) of brightly colored, manga-inspired girls with a transgressive twist, playing with razor blades or butcher knives with rattlesnakes in their hair.
Junko Mizuno is notable for her psychedelic flair, mixing sweetness with horror and feminine sexuality - juxtaposing the hyper-cute with the grotesque. For mature readers.
Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Junko Mizuno
36 books143 followersJunko Mizuno (水野純子 Mizuno Junko) is a Japanese manga artist.
Mizuno's drawing style, which mixes childish sweetness and cuteness with terror and erotica, has often been termed a Gothic kawaii or kawaii noir style. However, Mizuno has stated that she does not feel comfortable about those terms, as she doesn't want to label her work with words because it keeps changing and is influenced by many different genres.
Mizuno has stated that her work is influenced by shōjo manga works; this influence is exhibited through her use of bright colorization and the large eyes she provides for her characters. Her art has a decidedly pop-art and psychedelic flair, and a sizable proportion of her published work is colored, rather than the black and white format typical of most Japanese comics.
A part of Mizuno's oeuvre revolves around fairy tales, showing titles such as Cinderalla, Princess Mermaid and Hansel&Gretel. The story behind this is that after the release of Pure Trance, Mizuno was approached by a publisher who was interested in working with her because of her unique style. However, this publisher did not like the story of Pure Trance as it differed a lot from mainstream comics at the time. Because of this, he suggested she'd make comics about fairy tales, which were commercially more viable. Mizuno has stated that as she was just starting out her career as a professional artist, she decided to take the opportunity, and that while in hindsight she was not very comfortable with the situation, it was a good experience for her.
Mizuno has participated in the Angoulême International Comics Festival and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. In 2007 Mizuno's work was on display at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles, in an exhibit titled Heart Throb and at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California in an exhibit titled Tender Succubus. In 2014, Mizuno held an exhibition of her work titled Belle: the Art of Junko Mizuno at the Atomica Gallery in London.
(from Wikipedia)
Mizuno's drawing style, which mixes childish sweetness and cuteness with terror and erotica, has often been termed a Gothic kawaii or kawaii noir style. However, Mizuno has stated that she does not feel comfortable about those terms, as she doesn't want to label her work with words because it keeps changing and is influenced by many different genres.
Mizuno has stated that her work is influenced by shōjo manga works; this influence is exhibited through her use of bright colorization and the large eyes she provides for her characters. Her art has a decidedly pop-art and psychedelic flair, and a sizable proportion of her published work is colored, rather than the black and white format typical of most Japanese comics.
A part of Mizuno's oeuvre revolves around fairy tales, showing titles such as Cinderalla, Princess Mermaid and Hansel&Gretel. The story behind this is that after the release of Pure Trance, Mizuno was approached by a publisher who was interested in working with her because of her unique style. However, this publisher did not like the story of Pure Trance as it differed a lot from mainstream comics at the time. Because of this, he suggested she'd make comics about fairy tales, which were commercially more viable. Mizuno has stated that as she was just starting out her career as a professional artist, she decided to take the opportunity, and that while in hindsight she was not very comfortable with the situation, it was a good experience for her.
Mizuno has participated in the Angoulême International Comics Festival and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. In 2007 Mizuno's work was on display at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles, in an exhibit titled Heart Throb and at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California in an exhibit titled Tender Succubus. In 2014, Mizuno held an exhibition of her work titled Belle: the Art of Junko Mizuno at the Atomica Gallery in London.
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 20, 2019
Un recueil d'illustrations de la mangaka pour divers publications dans le style qu'on lui connaît bien.
La vaste majorité des images, toutes des femmes, parfois accompagnées de créatures ou d'un homme (plus rarement) combine une esthétique boulimique, sexuelle et psychédélique avec, souvent, leur part de monstrueux et de saignements. Certaines illustrations semblent précéder les mangas de conte pour enfants qu'elle écrira. L'illustration "Wannabe Super Stars" n'est pas sans rappeler son Cinderalla; plusieurs rappellent les thèmes de Junko Mizuno's Hansel And Gretel, mais il s'agit probablement plus d'une transposition de son esthétique en texte et me fait ré-évaluer fortement sa lecture maintenant que j'ai vu ces illustrations.
Présentant une kyrielle de femmes, de tous corps, formes, aspects et monstruosité, souvent sous la forme de pin-up ; on peut penser que Mizuno précède cette multiplication d'illustrations de pin-up à la diversité corporelle que de nombreuses artistes féministes ont explorées ces dernières années. La couverture du recueil illustre bien à un potentiel lectorat ce qu'il va retrouver dans le recueil.
Le seul symbole que je comprenais un peu moins dans ces illustrations est la présence répétée de biberons. Avec la présence incessante des seins nus (et parfois allaitant), on peut cependant y voir une continuité de l'oralité persistante dans les théories psychanalytiques. En ce sens, l'illustration de couverture où le biberon symbole un pénis n'est pas persistante dans son travail ou possède un sens variable en fonction de l'illustration.
La présence de petits récits dans une section intitulée "Lady Files (2001)" brise un peu le moule de présentations d'illustrations pour présenter trois dessins d'une femme dans un court récit qui expliquent leur parcours (plusieurs de ces femmes sont tirés d'illustrations précédentes) avec un style visuel légèrement différent (plus flou et moins tracé sur les contours et avec un décor).
Définitivement pertinent pour les fans de Mizuno, un lectorat peu ou pas familier avec son oeuvre n'y trouvera cependant que peu sinon un panoplie d'illustration au style visuel bien particulier.
La vaste majorité des images, toutes des femmes, parfois accompagnées de créatures ou d'un homme (plus rarement) combine une esthétique boulimique, sexuelle et psychédélique avec, souvent, leur part de monstrueux et de saignements. Certaines illustrations semblent précéder les mangas de conte pour enfants qu'elle écrira. L'illustration "Wannabe Super Stars" n'est pas sans rappeler son Cinderalla; plusieurs rappellent les thèmes de Junko Mizuno's Hansel And Gretel, mais il s'agit probablement plus d'une transposition de son esthétique en texte et me fait ré-évaluer fortement sa lecture maintenant que j'ai vu ces illustrations.
Présentant une kyrielle de femmes, de tous corps, formes, aspects et monstruosité, souvent sous la forme de pin-up ; on peut penser que Mizuno précède cette multiplication d'illustrations de pin-up à la diversité corporelle que de nombreuses artistes féministes ont explorées ces dernières années. La couverture du recueil illustre bien à un potentiel lectorat ce qu'il va retrouver dans le recueil.
Le seul symbole que je comprenais un peu moins dans ces illustrations est la présence répétée de biberons. Avec la présence incessante des seins nus (et parfois allaitant), on peut cependant y voir une continuité de l'oralité persistante dans les théories psychanalytiques. En ce sens, l'illustration de couverture où le biberon symbole un pénis n'est pas persistante dans son travail ou possède un sens variable en fonction de l'illustration.
La présence de petits récits dans une section intitulée "Lady Files (2001)" brise un peu le moule de présentations d'illustrations pour présenter trois dessins d'une femme dans un court récit qui expliquent leur parcours (plusieurs de ces femmes sont tirés d'illustrations précédentes) avec un style visuel légèrement différent (plus flou et moins tracé sur les contours et avec un décor).
Définitivement pertinent pour les fans de Mizuno, un lectorat peu ou pas familier avec son oeuvre n'y trouvera cependant que peu sinon un panoplie d'illustration au style visuel bien particulier.
July 26, 2019
Fans de lo kitsch y el melodrama sabrán apreciar esta joya: pegatinas, colorines, ositos sangrientos, pezones floridos y la fauna habitual de Mizuno asoman en este volumen de ilustraciones de cuidadísima edición. Un libro entretenido y precioso.
August 28, 2018
Junko Mizuno's artwork is amazing! I'm in complete awe; I love all these badass babes. This book is also textually fun with its puffy pink design
May 13, 2025
i love you gross little ladies
November 15, 2022
Mizuno's art is just a fascinating combination of cutesy, erotic, disturbing, and powerful. This book feels (and smells) like a toy with its puffy rubber cover. It collects some of her artwork from 1998-2001, which consists of an entire character universe of females (picture the Power Puff girls if they lived in a drug-infested bordello). I think the only reason I docked it a star is because I would have liked a little more text (some background/context; a couple characters have either name labels or a short paragraph describing their trippy personas, but for the most part the images are just presented as is).
June 1, 2024
Or 1998-2001 Early Works. I've been a fan of Junko Mizuno's art for a long time and came across a puffy, sparkly cover of this book. It may be the coolest book I own!!!
In these early works, the only difference I see is less detail and not so much trippy backgrounds. It's fun, brazen, naughty; sometimes gorey, sometimes fetishy, but above all, cute. Like, so, so cute.
In these early works, the only difference I see is less detail and not so much trippy backgrounds. It's fun, brazen, naughty; sometimes gorey, sometimes fetishy, but above all, cute. Like, so, so cute.
April 13, 2019
Just a kitschy art book from the pioneer of the type
December 17, 2021
This artworks is both creepy and beautiful.
August 16, 2023
Totally Cutes!
November 28, 2024
I was unaware that this didn't have an actual storyline but the art was beautiful just not specifically my taste
April 30, 2025
so fucked up n cute! 🎀🩸
August 21, 2025
Undeniably, Mizuno is a talented artist and I love her books, but this one gave me the ick. It’s too close to resembling child pornography and I did not like it.
December 11, 2019
Picked up a sealed copy solely because it was a staff pick at a bookstore; I had not realized it was an art book of erotic manga without a story line. A bit bland and monotonous to me, but maybe I just wasn't the right reader/viewer.
May 10, 2009
There's not really a lot to read here so much as there are freakishly sexual violent moppets to look at. Her fairytale re-tellings are much more interesting in the reading sense.
April 13, 2009
I love Junko's art. This book has a glittery, plastic-puffy cover, which makes it even more fun to look at. Her art is crazy, cotton candy, sexy drawings of nymph cartoon girls.
August 5, 2015
&*^#@*g AMAZING
November 24, 2020
WTF was this?
But I loved it.
But I loved it.
October 31, 2022
Альбом ілюстрацій з веселими і огидними дамочками від альтернативної японської мангаки з дуже незвичним стилем.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews