Review: Fragments of Horror
Junji Ito is to Graphical body Horror, what Lovecraft was to cosmic existential horror.
His stories are anthologies, often set in the Japanese countryside, where mysterious things are afoot, and just around the corner one might encounter the paranormal, that can, for no particular reason latch on to you, ruin your life, and oftentimes end up taking it as well.
They often feature a coterie of everyday people, who are afflicted with, or experience the horrors on the other side of the veil. Where malicious, whimsical and mostly evil incarnate entities toy with you for their own perverted amusement. And there is little you can do to combat them.
The characters of Junji Ito rarely try to fight against their oppressors; you won't find wooden stake wielding, silver bullet shooting monster hunters. Just what one would expect if you were to encounter the monster that goes bump in the night. You know the sort of characters, who're shown in the beginning of episodic TV shows, who fall victim to the murderer or monster, which then prompt our protagonists to come investigate the incident? Well, Junji Ito's works are filled with such characters, only, there are no Van Helsings who would come to avenge your murder. The monsters almost always end up winning. That's par for course.
Of course, since this is the drawn visual media of manga, readers are feasted to a litany of creature and body horror, which can keep little Timmy up at night. So, be warned.
On a personal note, the sheer simplicity, yet creativity that is put on display in these stories, has guilted me, in wanting to sit down, put pen to paper, and try writing a few horror stories of my own; quality notwithstanding.
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