3:33 AM Stories, Vol. 1

by Yitan

Strange and terrifying stories that happen in the city while you are sleeping, inspired by probably real urban legends. Who knows?

3:33 A.M. Stories is a Horror anthology which features a collection of four Tales of Horror by Manga Artist sensation Yitan.

STORY PREVIEWS

Guilty: A strange lady appears in a girl's apartment asking about someone that, apparently, the girl does not know.

Make It Home: A salaryman tired of his life meets a mysterious creature who will make him reconsider his decisions.

Blood Ties: A girl wakes up confused in a strange house where a dark truth remains hidden.

Feast: After disobeying his grandmother, a teenager gets involved in an accident that will drastically change the course of his life.

Genres: Manga, Horror, Graphic Novels, Japan

102 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2025

Reviews

[Patrick Saindon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork is incredible and the stories for genuinely creepy i had a little shiver at the end of two of them the only down side is how short it was as i got though it in about 20 minutes just wish there was more 4.7.

[DOOM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the art and shading was great. The atmosphere in most of the stories is creepy. I know they are short stories but some of them end abruptly and are confusing. I would not recommend buying this but I would recommend reading it if you can find it at the library or something. You can probably finish the whole volume in an hour or so. It’s a very short/quick read.

[Mjhancock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yitan offers an anthology of four horror stories that are visually amazing, but less strong in terms of psychological depth.

I'll be honest; I'm pretty novice when it comes to manga in general, so when it comes to horror manga, my knowledge is limited to Junji Ito and his body of work. Ito has become very widely known because of his weird but compelling ideas and great art. That's good in terms of people knowing more about what manga has to offer horror, but somewhat bad for other horror manga creators, because it means that there's a very high standard to live up to. 3:33 AM generally substitutes a bit of vagueness and stock urban legends for truly original ideas, with mixed results. It does create a sense of unrealness to the proceedings, but I'm left flipping back to see if I missed anything rather than feeling the unease of uncertain outcomes.

That said, the art is phenomenal. The scenery is compelling, the shading establishes mood, and the monster design is top-notch. The characters are a little less than the other elements, but the vagueness and stock story part works to shift attention towards the art and away from them, which helps capitalize on the book's strengths. It's typical for a manga or comic to end with some art sketches of the illustrations in the book; I think this is one of the first times I actively cheered that shift, because I knew I was about to see some really cool things, and could put my narrative reservations aside.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slowly, my memories began to appear in front of my eyes. We had studied this plan for months to end with this monster. We couldn't take it anymore. We couldn't stand it for another second. At this point was no return. There was no other choice. It was to devour or be devoured.

I have been slowly adding to my collection of graphic novels and manga from Afterlight Comics, who find some of the best independent books from around the world and translate them for the UK market, as well as producing their own horrific works.

This is a collection of four horror stories from a new Tokyo based author. The stylings are very Junji Ito, with one of the demonic creatures sporting an elongated neck and a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Something which would be very much at home in Ito's works.

Elements of the stories are a little rushed and other jump around a little too much to easily follow them. However, for a first outing, it is impressive stuff. I look forward to seeing more of Yitan in the future and give this a solid 3 3/4 stars.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐s
This is manga collection of horror stories.
The artwork is visually stunning, especially the two page spreads.
The art is what carries the stories, as at least with a few of them there are little words, as it is genuinely creepy and gruesome.

The stories are haunting and build to chilling conclusions.
They all end abruptly and don't always make sense. It's left to the reader to work out what's going on or be left with no real ending or understanding of the story.

I can appreciate that not everyone would like this but I enjoyed just dipping in and out of this world, never fully understanding everything that's happening.

[Unto Koskinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Others have written well about the contents (good art and decent J-horror, if nothing special), so what I will add to is the prestentation: The comic is printed on thick cardstock paper which, while tear-resistant and robust in itself, does make it a bit tiring on the fingers as you read. This also means that compared to the thickness of the volume, there are less pages and thus content than you might expect. I hope the publisher would go with somewhat thinner pages and bit more content in the future.

[Blaine Riesberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

In media res stories you might have to read twice to fully catch what's going on, there are some cool and imaginative panels here, but the stories can be deflated and confusing from the noticeably sloppy translation, what little dialogue there is.

[El Rato Pequeño · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monochrome horror manga stories very much in line with the Junji Ito tradition. The plotlines are definitely on the simplistic side, but the illustrations look very detailed and engaging. Pretty fine if you feel like picking up something short and quick.

[Andy Conduit-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brisk read of macabre tails touching heavily on themes of guilt, depression and despair brought to life by some stunning artwork.

Here for a good time rather than a long time, but a compelling collection all the same.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

God this was creepy, but in a good way.

[Robert Hultman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very cool art and stories that range from somewhat confusing to slightly predictable to incredibly disturbing and exactly what you want.

[Matthew Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely terrifying. J-horror in manga form. Loved it.

[Tom Tipton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling and macabre, artwork is stunning.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty art but very little substance.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly original. Very cool art. I hope they write (draw?) more volumes!