Fragments of Horror (Junji Ito)

Junji Ito is amazing.His stories are actually creepy and weird, and interesting. I mean, they will creep you out!He himself cites H. P. Lovecraft as one of inspirations and it shows, but not at all in a pandering or derivative way (as some fans of Lovecraft can sometimes be).His stories in this collection are vignettes of terror, and while reading them I was reminded of watching episodes of Tales From The Darkside when I was a child, with the main difference being that these tales are never really corny or cheesy. Some are actually a little gory and adult or sophisticated in tone. There are certainly some 'episodes' that are scarier than others. 'Magami Nanakuse' is of a seemingly less serious tone, or is maybe simply less frightening than 'Futon' for example. 'Gentle Goodbye' is melancholy and alienating, and 'Dissection-Chan' and 'Blackbird' are outright disturbing. But I'm sure you'll have your own favorites.I think the thing that makes Ito's works so appealing is that the artwork - the expressions - as well as the human dialogue and reactions are very realistic and believable. Through his talent, he allows the reader/viewer to actually ACCEPT situations that are insane and horrifying, which is something that is very much lacking nowadays in modern American cinema and literature. The reader is pulled in from the very beginning, from the opening line the tone and believability is set, and this is carried through at a steady and proper pace until the story reaches it's crescendo. It's never heavy-handed or excessive, though - in true horror story fashion - many of the endings are startling twists or peaks of terror. I was describing some of the stories to friends of mine (who had told me that they weren't planning on reading these - I never give away spoilers otherwise), and they all always react with a disturbed grimace or an expression of disgust. So you know this is good. :)Junji Ito is a good artist and a wonderful storyteller, and this collection won't disappoint.If you're looking for a collection of modern horror stories that are actually unique and different and completely unpredictable, this is the book to get.

In the Afterword of this book, author Junji Ito wonders if his horror instincts have returned after his eight-year break. After reading through "Fragments of Horror", I want to reassure him and his readers that his creative mind is just as fantastic as it ever was. This collection is great!As usual, Junji Ito's stories blend bizarre, unnerving scenarios with dark images and occasional eroticism. Even the cover is impressive and beautiful. Be sure to peek under the colorful dusk jacket for a different, yet equally cool image.I felt that the first two stories, "Futon" and "Wooden Spirit" were a tad weaker than the rest plot-wise. They're more weird than scary, but they do contain some pretty crazy visuals."Magami Nanakuse" was more like a dark comedy than a horror tale. It really makes you wonder how in the heck Ito can come up with something so completely... insane."Gentle Goodbye" isn't a horror story at all, though it does contain supernatural elements. I found it to be sad and sweet.The rest of the tales are Junji Ito's work at its finest again. Creepy, violent, gruesome and captivating. "Red Turtleneck", "Dissection-chan" and "Whispering Woman" were all terrifying and contained unexpected twists and turns to surprise the reader.My personal favorite is "Blackbird", which actually left me with a sick and shaky feeling at the end. Nightmare fuel for sure.Fans of Junji Ito or of horror manga in general will love this. Do yourself a favor and read it alone in the dark!

Anthology series and short stories has always been my favorite medium for horror whether it be literature or comics/manga. This is hands down one of the best anthologies of comics, each containing a unique story, I have ever owned. The stories are very Lovecraftian in a sense that they read more like weird tales, since some of them are so bizarre, are not overly gorey, and leave you with a very unsettling feeling. This book was Junji Ito's return to horror, for he had not had a horror book released for American audiences since Gyo which originally came out well over a decade ago. Nearly every story in this book is 5 out of 5, which such a wide range of topics and some are so bizarre that they are hard to describe in a review. The book is greatly priced and should be on the shelf of any horror or manga fan. The book has a lot of re-read value too since the art is so beautiful and some of the stories so short and poignant. Highly recommended.

After an 8 year Hiatus, Junji Ito returns to horror. He was anxious about it, but it's excellent. Is it equal to Museum of Terror Vol 3? Maybe not, but his one shots are strong. The best one in my opinion is Blackbird, about an injured mountaineer, who while completely immobile, is inexplicably fed chewed up food by a woman passing by. She literally pours it down his throat, like a bird. Hence the title. The twists after that I will not say. Not only intriguing plots, but his art style is incredibly detailed. Even the worst story (in my opinion) Magami Nanakuse, has an incredibly disturbing facial disfigurement portrayed that makes it all worth it. Ito has a good sense of humor that translates well. You're guaranteed to have fun. The bar for some manga is low to the point where any one that has characters that are above 12 and aren't little girls, are trying something different.