If you follow me on instagram, then you probably already know that I’ve been reading all of Junji Ito’s work. I picked Shiver while working at the library. Since then, I’ve since read everything I can get my hands on. Junji Ito is a wildly successful horror mangaka, or manga artist, from Japan. He started out as a hobby artist while working as a dentist. Now many of his books have been translated into other languages, adapted into films, and rumor has it that he even has a Netflix show releasing in 2023. Ito seems like a nice guy to chill with– soft-spoken and kind– which totally juxtaposes the cosmic and body horror in his work. Junji Ito’s new book, The Liminal Zone, will be released on July 26 2022 in the United States. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Liminal Zone and it doesn’t disappoint.
Many of Ito’s manga are compiled into anthologies, so I’m going to tell you which stories are the best and scariest stories. Of course, you can read his longer stories (I recommend Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, Uzumaki, Gyo, Tomie and Frankenstein in that order), but today I’m only going to be talking about the English translations of his short stories. Without further ado, let’s crack into it!
Smashed
From Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection
I can’t get this story out of my head, so it must be good, right? A traveler returns from a jungle expedition in South America with a surprising souvenir. While showing it off to his friends, he tells them not to let anyone see them eat it, or to eat it very casually. Why, might you ask? You’ve got to read the book!
Greased
Ito is known for his cringe-worthy body horror, but this takes the grossness to the next level. A young girl lives above her family’s restaurant where cooking grease seems up into their apartment and into their skin, causing boils and acne like you’ve never seen before. This story of sibling rivalry made me so queasy with its visceral depictions of the grease. It’s burned into my memory like a pancake on the stovetop.
Billions Alone
“Billions Alone, Billions Alone,” the radio advertisement sings, just before breaking another horrific news story about a couple washing up onshore tied together with fishing wire. Also translated as “Army of One,” Billions Alone is a horrific tale about the burden of loneliness, the dangers of togetherness and capitalism.
The Licking Woman
When Miku’s fiancee is licked by a strange woman on his way home and dies shortly after, Miku sets out to discover why and how The Licking Woman exists. This story is purely bizarre. It takes stranger danger and turns it on its head. As someone who has frequently had weird stranger encounters, I could absolutely see this happening, which makes it all more chilling.
The Earthbound
From Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection
A curse is sweeping the nation; people are freezing in one position in one specific place, and reporter Asano is going to get to the bottom of it. Why are people refusing to move? Do these places hold some sort of significance for them? This story would work so well on film, and I think it should absolutely be adapted for the Netflix series, as it has elements of science fiction, horror, and crime drama. Plus, there’s a twist at the end and it will shock you.
Hanging Blimp
After a young girl goes missing, her giant disembodied head is seen prowling the city at night. Soon, everyone has head balloons in the sky, lurking, waiting and watching. The townsfolk are soon confined to their houses; if they go outside, there’s a chance that their personalized “blimp” heads will find them and hang them. I think this is probably one of the best illustrated stories in this list, as Ito makes each character recognizable both on land and in the sky.
The Human Chair
The Human Chair was originally a short story by Japanese mystery author Edogawa Ranpo, adapted by Junji Ito into manga form. This is one of my favorites because it is so narratively interesting. There’s a story-within-a-story element that is tons of fun. An author becomes obsessed with the idea that someone is living in her chair. The less I say, the better. Ito is so talented at translation through art.
Fashion Model
Fashion Model was the first Junji Ito story I read that made me freeze in terror, and I haven’t been able to get the image of the model out of my head. A group of young adults are casting a movie when a creepy-looking tall thin woman with rows of sharp teeth shows up to the audition, and gets the part. The protagonist doesn’t understand what his fellow crew members see in the horrific woman, as he navigates the film set while carefully trying not to hurt her feelings.
The Long Dream
Ito is so talented at taking something so mundane and finding what makes it terrifying. In The Long Dream, patients at a hospital complain that each night, their dreams get longer and longer. Some dreams start off with lasting an entire day, or entire week, but turn into years and even a lifetime. Can the scientists figure out why this is happening before the patients die in their dreams? This story will make you scared to fall asleep.
The Enigma of Amigara Fault
This story fucked me up more than any of the other stories, by far. After a recent earthquake, hikers gather to see a mysterious rock formation at Amigara Fault. The story plays with the idea of human and nature becoming one with nature, spiritual journeys into the unknown, etc. Ito’s influence from H.P. Lovecraft comes through in spades. Even if you’re not claustrophobic, you will recoil in terror as you read this story.
Did I miss any? What are your favorite Junji Ito stories?
Cover photo “I Don’t Want to Be a Ghost,” Junji Ito
Chloe's Not Scared 
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