After the disappointment of watching the Junji Ito collection series of 2018 I was hoping that Netflix would come to the rescue and create a series that made justice to Junji Ito's extraordinary works. Turns out I was completely wrong. The animation style is very underwhelming, the lack of detail made all the episodes very boring and the entire season looked very dull, which is something that shouldnt in any case be associated with Junji ito's original works who leave you traumatized and begging for more. Overall very disappointed and can't see why netflix decided to take on the project if it was going to turn out so bad.
49 Reviews
Wasted Potential
Mateo-EGC21 January 2023
Lousy idea to put two stories in one chapter. They could have developed the stories better in a complete chapter or even in two.
There are moments where the stories feel like they end up very unfinished, without sense, and leave you wanting to see more, everything feels rushed. The stories with potential were never developed well, so it ends up being an entertaining anime with wasted potential.
The animation lacks fluidity and looks static at times, visually it is decently attractive. We are still waiting for a good adaptation of Junji Ito's manga, and please stop adapting several stories in a single episode.
There are moments where the stories feel like they end up very unfinished, without sense, and leave you wanting to see more, everything feels rushed. The stories with potential were never developed well, so it ends up being an entertaining anime with wasted potential.
The animation lacks fluidity and looks static at times, visually it is decently attractive. We are still waiting for a good adaptation of Junji Ito's manga, and please stop adapting several stories in a single episode.
Stories ending way too soon
resuriann20 January 2023
This series some pretty unforgettable stories one of which I like particularly is The Hanging Balloons. I haven't read the manga so my basis would be entirely on how the series was made.
1. The animation all looked similar . It could have been good but I felt like there was no connection on how each stories were grouped together in one episode.
2. It ends way too abrupt. I don't know if this is the way the stories are in manga but it always feel so open ended. Its like I am always waiting for something to be explained but then it just ends.
3. Going back on how it was animated, since it looked similar, watching it in one seating gets old pretty quick. I have some thoughts that this may have more impact as live action will effects and all.
Its an ok watch. I guess I just wanted more out of it. Also the ending music is quite comforting for a pretty dark animation.
1. The animation all looked similar . It could have been good but I felt like there was no connection on how each stories were grouped together in one episode.
2. It ends way too abrupt. I don't know if this is the way the stories are in manga but it always feel so open ended. Its like I am always waiting for something to be explained but then it just ends.
3. Going back on how it was animated, since it looked similar, watching it in one seating gets old pretty quick. I have some thoughts that this may have more impact as live action will effects and all.
Its an ok watch. I guess I just wanted more out of it. Also the ending music is quite comforting for a pretty dark animation.
Unfortunately Underwhelming
xKanonballx21 January 2023
I have to be dead honest unfortunately I'd rate Junji Ito Maniac about the same as the Junji Ito Collection they both have positives and negatives about different thing's focusing on Maniac the writing feels a bit better the suspense build up to the gruesome moments that are supposed to make your skin crawl and gut churn Junji Ito is such a master of fall so flat in this show it feels lifeless because knowing Junji Ito he doesn't rely on cheap scares and such he likes body horror the inescapable what makes his books so amazing and skin crawling he puts such a dreadful touch to his art that's so creepily detailed that it's incredible and this show takes the build up you start to get unsettled just for the big (supposed to be) shocking reveal for it to look slightly cartoonish and dumbed down almost as if it was censored if you're a hardcore Junji Ito fan like me you will find some enjoyment in it it's not all bad not at all just like the Collection it has its shining moments but I'd probably give Maniac a granted biased rating of 6 out of 10 and that's honestly a fanboy opinion so about the same as I'd give the Junji Ito Collection!
1 star or not, the opening is an absolute banger
reagancompton-5196519 January 2023
Maybe I don't understand the 1 star reviews because I'm fairly new to anime, but I quite enjoy the weirdness of this one. Some stories are definitely better than others, but the good thing about an anthology is you can skip the duller ones if you want. In my opinion, the standouts so far are "Hanging Balloon" and "Long Hair in the Attic," but I still have 4 episodes left. I do feel like the majority of them end way too abruptly and it could've been a lot better stylistically speaking, but it still held my attention when other anime's haven't. It's obviously no aot or death note, but it's still entertaining and a decent show.
Beautiful Themes but executed Poorly
vigneshvinod-554717 January 2024
The idea of sticking two stories into one 20-minute-long episode was a horrible decision. The characters are introduced quickly and the stories are happening by the end, we are left with some chills but we still don't know the exact reasons behind those unnatural occurring.
All those stories, especially the Balloon one and the Mold one had very great potential to be great stories if done properly.
Maybe it's because I'm more used to horror stories with correct explanations for the unnatural occurring that I disliked this show.
The Colour grading of this anime was done very well with each colour matching the horror theme of the story. The Voice acting was Nice. The animation was not messed up.
In the end, it was a decent watch.
6/10 Signing Off, Thank You.
All those stories, especially the Balloon one and the Mold one had very great potential to be great stories if done properly.
Maybe it's because I'm more used to horror stories with correct explanations for the unnatural occurring that I disliked this show.
The Colour grading of this anime was done very well with each colour matching the horror theme of the story. The Voice acting was Nice. The animation was not messed up.
In the end, it was a decent watch.
6/10 Signing Off, Thank You.
Holy Jesus. What is this?
samsepilkrnelpanic4 February 2023
Title says it all. How can a show with this much awesome original source material be so incredibly terrible to watch and listen to? I mean it's absurd!
I only made it a few episodes in and it's an hour and a half that I'll never get back.
What's the worst part of the show? The dialogue in this show is SO BAD. I mean god awful. Everyone is saying exactly what they mean, exposition dumping, repeating each other's exact sentences, over and over and over. Who wrote this?
Pretty much the only thing going for it is the existential dread evoked through strange and unique imagery from the source material, and some good animation here and there.
I won't be watching this abomination any more, that's for sure.
I only made it a few episodes in and it's an hour and a half that I'll never get back.
What's the worst part of the show? The dialogue in this show is SO BAD. I mean god awful. Everyone is saying exactly what they mean, exposition dumping, repeating each other's exact sentences, over and over and over. Who wrote this?
Pretty much the only thing going for it is the existential dread evoked through strange and unique imagery from the source material, and some good animation here and there.
I won't be watching this abomination any more, that's for sure.
Must better than junji ito collection but not perfect
dexterbmet19 January 2023
The biggest problem with the junji ito collection wasen't just the visuals but the writing too. Manga and anime work very differently and to have a shot for shot remake of a manga wouldn't work. The junji ito collection lost all of the suspence and tension and mystery behind the original manga because of the exact shot for shot remake. However this one loses the exact shot for shot remake for a structure that works a lot better in the anime format. The stories are a lot more suspenceful and tension filled just like turning the page to a horrifiying image in the manga. It slowly builds up it scares instead of rushing though and it works all the more better for it. The visual is an upgrade but not perfect still. It still is occasionally too basic to truly capture the horror of junji ito. However the writing is 100 times better making it so much better and i would say the best adaptation of junji ito work. We will have to see if uzamaki adaptation takes over or not.
Typically...each story is only half a story.
GiraffeDoor28 September 2023
The title is very honest: they are indeed tales of the *macabre* and not really of *horror*
Watching this, I get the feeling that they found someone's notepad and based every story on one of the grotesque illustrations that a brilliant but tortured mind has created.
Yes, if you happened to switch this on, half way though, you would see some amazing imagery but they forgot something very important:
These tales of the macabre are pretty macabre, but they barely count as "Tales".
They begin OK and often they develop but more often than not they just...stop. No ending, they just stop with me thinking "was that it?".
You know the fake articles you find online about something uncanny? They're kind of like those. Something bizarre and creepy happened but it's a 1 or 2 act structure. There is no pay-off.
It makes the whole thing seem kind of silly. It becomes so transparently gross stuff for gross-stuff's sake. Now, I like violent and transgressive content, I really do, but when it's so transparently just being exploitative, it's just rather dull.
The Twilight Zone, strange things happened but they lead to highlighting some kind of human fragility like greed, loneliness or simply misunderstanding.
There are a handful of episodes that are actually fully formed:
-Layers of Fear -Tomie Photo -The bully -The Whispering Woman
"Whispering Woman" admittedly did not reach its full potential; it doesn't really make sense for reasons I will put in a review for the episode soon and really is more the journey than the destination (I thought the conclusion would have just so much more irony to it, you know?) but it's still one of the better stories.
Watching this, I get the feeling that they found someone's notepad and based every story on one of the grotesque illustrations that a brilliant but tortured mind has created.
Yes, if you happened to switch this on, half way though, you would see some amazing imagery but they forgot something very important:
These tales of the macabre are pretty macabre, but they barely count as "Tales".
They begin OK and often they develop but more often than not they just...stop. No ending, they just stop with me thinking "was that it?".
You know the fake articles you find online about something uncanny? They're kind of like those. Something bizarre and creepy happened but it's a 1 or 2 act structure. There is no pay-off.
It makes the whole thing seem kind of silly. It becomes so transparently gross stuff for gross-stuff's sake. Now, I like violent and transgressive content, I really do, but when it's so transparently just being exploitative, it's just rather dull.
The Twilight Zone, strange things happened but they lead to highlighting some kind of human fragility like greed, loneliness or simply misunderstanding.
There are a handful of episodes that are actually fully formed:
-Layers of Fear -Tomie Photo -The bully -The Whispering Woman
"Whispering Woman" admittedly did not reach its full potential; it doesn't really make sense for reasons I will put in a review for the episode soon and really is more the journey than the destination (I thought the conclusion would have just so much more irony to it, you know?) but it's still one of the better stories.
Junji Ito's Work Just Doesn't Translate Well To Screen
elvis-sheperd720 January 2023
After so much failed attempts, I've come to accept Junji Ito's work should only exist in manga form. This adaptation doesn't give me hope for the Uzumaki adaptation, even if it's a different studio and director. The dubbed version of this is horrendous so don't waste your time. Each episode is more uninspired than the last with bland animation and lackluster stories. There are some flashes of brilliance, the intro for example is a banger but most all else isn't worth the watch. Do yourself a favor and read the manga stories again, this adaptation isn't worth your time. If I could, I'd unwatch this soulless carcass of an anime.
The hardcore purists are trying to sour this
halloweenmisfit20 January 2023
With all manga adaptations it appears die hard fans will rip apart anything that doesn't 'live up to their expectations'. If you want examples of this look no further than chainsaw man, which has been torn apart. Personally, I enjoyed the Junji Ito collection and this take on his work through Netflix. I'd like to say as a fan of Ito I'm extremely happy to see his work come to life in animation form. There are far less anime around horror vs whatever isekai is out or other genre tends to breed more anime for the year. This is spooky fun and pleasant visually. Give it a go without expectations of perfection! Perfection simply does NOT exist.
Not bad, could be better
the_matt-329322 February 2023
I'm a big fan of Junji Ito, have been for many years, so seeing these stories adapted was a treat. Many of them succeeded very well in setting the right mood and theme for the stories, but there were a lot of snoozers where either the voice acting didn't work at all (Tomie, Back Alley) or the stories were awkwardly adapted which took the horror out of them completely (Unendurable Labyrinth, Headless Statue). But there were some absolute bangers there too (Layers of Fear, Tomb Town, The Hanging Balloons).
To sum it up, it was a very nice experience that maybe could have used some better animation, especially in the latter half of the series, but that is sort of the case with a lot of anime, unfortunately.
To sum it up, it was a very nice experience that maybe could have used some better animation, especially in the latter half of the series, but that is sort of the case with a lot of anime, unfortunately.
Disappointing mediocre animated series
badcgishark20 January 2023
This was a series I had high hopes for and was even telling friends about with the launch with the really well made trailer on YouTube. I watched the first two episodes and...it's pretty meh. It's not awful, but it really is a boring mess of a show that has no cohesion in each episode. Nothing was scary, nothing was interesting, just very boring stories with mediocre animation as well (the little kid dancing at the Seance was so badly animated, things like this stick out like a sore thumb).
Not sure who this is for, but as someone who loves horror this is just a lacking show with no real reason to watch.
Not sure who this is for, but as someone who loves horror this is just a lacking show with no real reason to watch.
Several stories specially made and targeted for different audiences. I enjoyed most of them, some i dont even care for it.
sisubalan3 March 2023
Totally not scary but too creepy. Some horrofic sceneries, some goofy. Some western horror refferences - very reminiscene of other horror movies and series. Some are creatively new and different. Different stories in each episodes, some episodes may have 2 shorts - so the run time was not fixed. Quality of the animation was legitly good, very classic hand drawn animation. The scores were terrific, setting up a very chilling vibe and halloween-ish tone.
Characters designs are simple, although i found the blank eye parts to be very creepy. Voice castings were great and totally suit the characters. Very compelling performances. Having a mixed feelings with original songs especially the intro, love the ending song tho. Same casts being used in several stories/shorts - which was a great decision in order to keep the originality of the universe.
Definitely not for everyone due to some horrofic scenes, but still recommended.
Characters designs are simple, although i found the blank eye parts to be very creepy. Voice castings were great and totally suit the characters. Very compelling performances. Having a mixed feelings with original songs especially the intro, love the ending song tho. Same casts being used in several stories/shorts - which was a great decision in order to keep the originality of the universe.
Definitely not for everyone due to some horrofic scenes, but still recommended.
So much better on paper
ptrckkrlssn26 April 2024
I gave it a 7 just because it's Junji Ito, the only author that's really given me nightmares that stuck in my head and are still there. But the show is lackluster, poor animation and a god awful intro.
Why not just animate it in black and white with the penstrokes like in the manga? I'd love to see that and I bet it would be so much better i.e. Scarier, creepier.
Some bits of the show is pretty good but nothing compared to the source material. If you haven't, do yourself a favour and pick up one or two of his collections of stories. Don't judge Mr. Ito on this show.
Some have complained that the episodes ends without you being served explanations, but that's the way he writes the stories. Love it or hate it.
Why not just animate it in black and white with the penstrokes like in the manga? I'd love to see that and I bet it would be so much better i.e. Scarier, creepier.
Some bits of the show is pretty good but nothing compared to the source material. If you haven't, do yourself a favour and pick up one or two of his collections of stories. Don't judge Mr. Ito on this show.
Some have complained that the episodes ends without you being served explanations, but that's the way he writes the stories. Love it or hate it.
Junji Ito's stories befriend Berserk in being not adaptable
beatrice_gangi6 February 2023
In the process of adapting a manga to the serial approach, some productions seem to struggle to conceive that adaptation is a more complex process than simply copying and pasting manga pages and hoping they will work in the same way on screen. This is the problem with an anime that could have had great potential, such as Junji Ito Maniac.
Indeed, in the development of the series, they opted to reproduce the original pages as faithfully as possible, stripping them of the soul given by the author and without caring to translate them into a different communicative medium.
This is unfortunate because animation could allow for the sublimation of master Junji Ito's haunting stories, and the lack of this effort makes the series incomplete, empty, and inconclusive. Moreover, there is a lack of overall cohesion and the pacing is erratic. The episodes are interesting only because of the unique material provided by the manga's sources.
Overall, the product, while not tremendous, comes across as a simple copy of the original manga with no soul and no real point of existence, as it adds nothing to the master's work but, on the contrary, takes away some of its charm.
Indeed, in the development of the series, they opted to reproduce the original pages as faithfully as possible, stripping them of the soul given by the author and without caring to translate them into a different communicative medium.
This is unfortunate because animation could allow for the sublimation of master Junji Ito's haunting stories, and the lack of this effort makes the series incomplete, empty, and inconclusive. Moreover, there is a lack of overall cohesion and the pacing is erratic. The episodes are interesting only because of the unique material provided by the manga's sources.
Overall, the product, while not tremendous, comes across as a simple copy of the original manga with no soul and no real point of existence, as it adds nothing to the master's work but, on the contrary, takes away some of its charm.
Faithful adaptation of Ito's short works
vasiln20 January 2023
Maniac is an animated series of short pieces originally published as horror comic books by Junji Ito (of whom I am a long time fan.) Some episodes have one longer story, while others have two shorter ones. They are independent and can be watched in any order.
It is enormously faithful not just to the actual stories, but to the style of those stories, the style of their art, and even to their dream-like pacing. Ito's unique narratives and style become a unique animated horror series.
The main addition to a lot of these stories (not all, and the choice was made wisely in my opinion), other than animation of course, is *color*, and if nothing else, this has been a joy for me simply to see Ito's work in that color-- to see his autumn leaves in deep red, to see the color of Tomie's sailor uniform, and so on. As with all else in the work, the color remains true to Ito's style.
Western horror fans may or may not appreciate Maniac as much as I did; we are a fickle bunch, with diverse tastes. Ito's stories are surreal and creepy, with a slow pace, and often without the narrative resolution many crave. But they are undeniably imaginative and often deeply disturbing.
If you're not sure whether or not you'd enjoy Maniac, I would recommend skipping the first episode, which I consider the weakest. Please stick around at least once for an incredible closing credits sequence.
It is enormously faithful not just to the actual stories, but to the style of those stories, the style of their art, and even to their dream-like pacing. Ito's unique narratives and style become a unique animated horror series.
The main addition to a lot of these stories (not all, and the choice was made wisely in my opinion), other than animation of course, is *color*, and if nothing else, this has been a joy for me simply to see Ito's work in that color-- to see his autumn leaves in deep red, to see the color of Tomie's sailor uniform, and so on. As with all else in the work, the color remains true to Ito's style.
Western horror fans may or may not appreciate Maniac as much as I did; we are a fickle bunch, with diverse tastes. Ito's stories are surreal and creepy, with a slow pace, and often without the narrative resolution many crave. But they are undeniably imaginative and often deeply disturbing.
If you're not sure whether or not you'd enjoy Maniac, I would recommend skipping the first episode, which I consider the weakest. Please stick around at least once for an incredible closing credits sequence.
Episodes just end
mochteam6 February 2023
It's Rather annoying that most episodes don't finish and just end abruptly at the climax of things when they could have concluded. After a few of those the episodes just go down hill. Some of the stories are written well and some are just pointless. No matter how well an episode is written and animated it all goes in the trash when it just ends and fells unfinished. This anime had a cool concept but lousy execution. I would have loved it if the stories would actually be full on stories with complete endings but this isn't it.
I'm not sure what else to say without ruining the show so like the stories in the series I'll just cut it short and end it here.
I'm not sure what else to say without ruining the show so like the stories in the series I'll just cut it short and end it here.
The best it's going to get
asmith-5214319 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I really enjoyed this series honestly, I mean I never fully watched the Junji Ito collection series but the few episodes I did watch were a chore to finish. So admittedly the bar was quite low when it came to this series, but it is honestly way better. Even small things like how the introduction song was so much better and seemed like it was what the collection was going for, they definitely nailed a lot of the camera movement to ensure it added more to the feel and the soundtrack was incredible. It's nowhere near as good as the Mangas, but I don't think it's possible to be. I feel like this series would be a good introduction to people wanting to see if they can stomach Ito's books, just grotesque enough to get a feel for his stories but not too much that if you're not into that kind of thing it will effect you too much. My favorite story has got to be the Mold short, admittedly I haven't read the original, but I loved how it was in black and white and I fully believe that if Ito's work was to be adapted again it should be monochromatic as the absence of colour seems to make the gore more stomach churning. I believe that adding colour can sometimes make it less disturbing and impactful. And I absolutely loved the inclusion of the continuing story at the end of the credits, kept me wanting to hear where it would go. All in all I think it succeeded at what it was going for and although nothing will ever compare to the horror of reading Ito's Mangas it is definitely enjoyable and DEFINITELY better than the Junji Ito Collection.
Goofy
krachtm22 January 2023
This is a collection of anime horror shorts. Unfortunately, it's as goofy and poorly animated as an episode of the original 1970s Scooby Doo cartoons. I couldn't even make it past the fourth episode, which was mind-numblingly boring. Basically, it was a teenager who was trying to study, but his brother kept interrupting him by making stupid noises. Oooh, the horror. The only short that I liked was The Hanging Balloons, which was both creepy and surreal. That short deserves an 8/10, but almost every other short I saw in the first four episodes was a 1/10 from me.
The animation is Hanna-Barbera quality. While eating dinner, the aforementioned teen complains to his parents about his brother's behavior. While each is speaking, the others are completely frozen in time. I don't remember even seeing them blink. The person who's talking is barely animated and mostly just moves their lips. What's the point of even paying for a Netflix subscription if this is the best that Netflix can find?
The English language dub sounded like they were going for some kind of goofy horror-comedy tone, which ruined a lot of the atmosphere. Switching to the Japanese audio helps. The art itself, though, sometimes had the same problem. If I had known this was going to be a goofy comedy-horror series, I probably wouldn't have bothered. Based on Netflix's description, I was hoping this would be surreal and creepy stories for adults. Instead, you get the Addams Family bickering with each other while holding a seance and a teenager who has an annoying brother.
The animation is Hanna-Barbera quality. While eating dinner, the aforementioned teen complains to his parents about his brother's behavior. While each is speaking, the others are completely frozen in time. I don't remember even seeing them blink. The person who's talking is barely animated and mostly just moves their lips. What's the point of even paying for a Netflix subscription if this is the best that Netflix can find?
The English language dub sounded like they were going for some kind of goofy horror-comedy tone, which ruined a lot of the atmosphere. Switching to the Japanese audio helps. The art itself, though, sometimes had the same problem. If I had known this was going to be a goofy comedy-horror series, I probably wouldn't have bothered. Based on Netflix's description, I was hoping this would be surreal and creepy stories for adults. Instead, you get the Addams Family bickering with each other while holding a seance and a teenager who has an annoying brother.
Most episodes feels like an nothing burger
diasmsuv23 January 2023
All episodes seem to be pure build up to a conclusion that never comes.
It's disappointing when the episode ends and you're like "Wow, was that it?" It's like you're just seeing undeveloped concepts.
Very few episodes really feel like a closed story and others don't even feel like a story at all.
The animation is not terrible but definitely could be better, the opening intro is by far the best part of the whole series.
I think the series is entertaining despite all the flaws, but don't expect something scary or even intriguing, in the end it's just pretty dull campfire stories with some minimally interesting ones in the middle.
Also, I can't even count the number of times a character could have completely avoided their situations by having common sense, but the characters in the series seem to have an extreme tolerance to weird things happening around them, it's like they aren't reacting as they should... This is a spoiler free review but just know that there is a episode where the MC simply choose to keep in a cleary bad looking situation for no reason at all... And the conclusion is as underwhelming as expected.
It's hard to rate it this low because i actually had some fun watching it, but overall it was this disapointing.
It's disappointing when the episode ends and you're like "Wow, was that it?" It's like you're just seeing undeveloped concepts.
Very few episodes really feel like a closed story and others don't even feel like a story at all.
The animation is not terrible but definitely could be better, the opening intro is by far the best part of the whole series.
I think the series is entertaining despite all the flaws, but don't expect something scary or even intriguing, in the end it's just pretty dull campfire stories with some minimally interesting ones in the middle.
Also, I can't even count the number of times a character could have completely avoided their situations by having common sense, but the characters in the series seem to have an extreme tolerance to weird things happening around them, it's like they aren't reacting as they should... This is a spoiler free review but just know that there is a episode where the MC simply choose to keep in a cleary bad looking situation for no reason at all... And the conclusion is as underwhelming as expected.
It's hard to rate it this low because i actually had some fun watching it, but overall it was this disapointing.
A must watch for old and new fans of Junji Uto
shredasaur13 February 2023
I can't believe the negative reviews that this show is getting?! Some of them are just laughable! I thought that every episode was solid from start to finish. As a fan of Junji Uto's works, I thought they really did the books justice in their own way. I think the problem people have is the cliffhanger endings, I quite liked this as it means you have to use your imagination as to the potential outcomes of the stories, much like Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. Can you imagine if movies like The Italian Job or The Thing didn't leave you wondering what happens after the final scene?... It wouldn't have the same affect. We live in an age were people want everything all at once and straight away otherwise they're not happy. Do yourself a favour and watch this and ignore the haters.
The only macabre thing here is immense level of Cringe
PraiseSol5 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Everything is cringe.
Just to let you know, this genre is amazing. I have watched anime since 13. I've been to Japan twice. I don't romanticize the culture, but I like horror anime and Takayama, sue me.
Back to this. This Netflix show of an awesome manga is meant to frustrate you. From cringe drawing....to cringe dialogue. You have to suspend belief on basic human conversations and actions, not just floating heads. It's like these people live in a universe SO f'ed up, you don't need moldy babies. Like, forcing your brother to give a house to some teacher and then when you meet you mumble your words and run off....are they toddlers???? Their day to day is already macabre enough.
Just to let you know, this genre is amazing. I have watched anime since 13. I've been to Japan twice. I don't romanticize the culture, but I like horror anime and Takayama, sue me.
Back to this. This Netflix show of an awesome manga is meant to frustrate you. From cringe drawing....to cringe dialogue. You have to suspend belief on basic human conversations and actions, not just floating heads. It's like these people live in a universe SO f'ed up, you don't need moldy babies. Like, forcing your brother to give a house to some teacher and then when you meet you mumble your words and run off....are they toddlers???? Their day to day is already macabre enough.
Perfection.
sicklittlebunny26 January 2023
As a huge fan of short stories, anthologies, anime, Manga (watching or reading), and Asian stories this has immediately shot to the top of my favourites list. I admit I haven't finished the series yet, because I had to go back and rewatch some of the earlier episodes almost immediately. They're just so good.
Netflix recommended this because I'd just watched (and "love this"ed) Goedam and Asian, Horror, and Anthologies are my most searches for categories, and a relative recommended it because Requiem from the Darkness is one of my all-time favourite serieses and this has much the same feel. I am grateful to them both and fully intend to watch or read as much of Junji Ito's work as I can find.
One of the many things I was impressed by was the story told by the "post credits madman". Which is complete unique as far as I know. Each episode ends with a few short, haunting, lines from an unidentified narrator, and I love the creepiness. It also takes a rare talent to write a story that can be told in chunks of about 30 seconds, by an unseen speaker.
If you aren't into Manga style animations, this is not the series for you.
The drawing style is perfectly legitimate (and I think has a unique beauty) and the stories are typical short stories, there's no closure because if there was the stories would no longer be short. If you don't want to have to work out the characters backstories and what happens after the story ends, then short stories (and Asian media in general) is not for you either. I personally enjoy this snapshot of life. I don't care what happens to the characters after the story is done. Also every story has to end somewhere, why does the ending have to be happy, or have some kind of meaning? The killer is revealed, the monster is fed, the main character dies, whatever, it doesn't really matter what happened next.
Netflix recommended this because I'd just watched (and "love this"ed) Goedam and Asian, Horror, and Anthologies are my most searches for categories, and a relative recommended it because Requiem from the Darkness is one of my all-time favourite serieses and this has much the same feel. I am grateful to them both and fully intend to watch or read as much of Junji Ito's work as I can find.
One of the many things I was impressed by was the story told by the "post credits madman". Which is complete unique as far as I know. Each episode ends with a few short, haunting, lines from an unidentified narrator, and I love the creepiness. It also takes a rare talent to write a story that can be told in chunks of about 30 seconds, by an unseen speaker.
If you aren't into Manga style animations, this is not the series for you.
The drawing style is perfectly legitimate (and I think has a unique beauty) and the stories are typical short stories, there's no closure because if there was the stories would no longer be short. If you don't want to have to work out the characters backstories and what happens after the story ends, then short stories (and Asian media in general) is not for you either. I personally enjoy this snapshot of life. I don't care what happens to the characters after the story is done. Also every story has to end somewhere, why does the ending have to be happy, or have some kind of meaning? The killer is revealed, the monster is fed, the main character dies, whatever, it doesn't really matter what happened next.
Stories that go nowhere / cliffhangers
Daisystdr12 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
As the title suggests - these episodes are pretty much stories that go nowhere or that end abruptly and we're left with no explanation at all of what something was happening.
Some episodes that are worth watching are (in my opinion): Tunnel, Hanging balloons, Tomb town and maybe Layers.
But even these episodes give no explanation at all of why the paranormal stuff was happening.
I suppose Layers is kind of giving us an explanation: their father disturbed an ancient grave and now the curse was transmitted to his family.. but what led to the existence of layered people? How did that happen? Did they cut an ancient sacred tree and now they were cursed to live their lives like a tree trunk? We don't know.
It feels like the idea for a movie or for an episode that was just a phrase was put that into 10 minutes of animation.
Intruder presents a teenager and his friends that see him from another dimension burring his friends in his backyard.
And basically that's it.. we don't know why he killed his friends in the other dimension, we don't know how he travels from one dimension to another, and most importantly we don't know what is he going to do forward regarding this. At the end they just seem pensive of this and burry back their corpses from the other dimension. What??
In Mold a young man lends his brand new house to his former teacher to live in for a few months while he's away and when he comes back the house is a mess. There's mold everywhere that in the end engulfs everything, even him. At some point we're told that the teacher's baby looked like it was made of mold. Ok... How did that even happen? Were they mold people from the start? Were they cursed? Was the house cursed? We don't know. It's just mold that grows and grows.
They seem like 10 - 20 min fast forward stories.
I don't know.. it's a shame honestly. I really thought they were nice ideas, but the execution was just so disappointing.
Some episodes that are worth watching are (in my opinion): Tunnel, Hanging balloons, Tomb town and maybe Layers.
But even these episodes give no explanation at all of why the paranormal stuff was happening.
I suppose Layers is kind of giving us an explanation: their father disturbed an ancient grave and now the curse was transmitted to his family.. but what led to the existence of layered people? How did that happen? Did they cut an ancient sacred tree and now they were cursed to live their lives like a tree trunk? We don't know.
It feels like the idea for a movie or for an episode that was just a phrase was put that into 10 minutes of animation.
Intruder presents a teenager and his friends that see him from another dimension burring his friends in his backyard.
And basically that's it.. we don't know why he killed his friends in the other dimension, we don't know how he travels from one dimension to another, and most importantly we don't know what is he going to do forward regarding this. At the end they just seem pensive of this and burry back their corpses from the other dimension. What??
In Mold a young man lends his brand new house to his former teacher to live in for a few months while he's away and when he comes back the house is a mess. There's mold everywhere that in the end engulfs everything, even him. At some point we're told that the teacher's baby looked like it was made of mold. Ok... How did that even happen? Were they mold people from the start? Were they cursed? Was the house cursed? We don't know. It's just mold that grows and grows.
They seem like 10 - 20 min fast forward stories.
I don't know.. it's a shame honestly. I really thought they were nice ideas, but the execution was just so disappointing.
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