Junji Ito is one of Japan's most renowned horror manga authors and is considered a master in his craft. If it exists, Junji Ito has probably found a way to make it scary. From hair, chairs, ice cream, mountains, and mazes, to the mere concept of spirals, there's a terrifying story about anything to be found.
With Junji Ito Maniac just around the corner, classic Junji Ito stories like "Hanging Balloons," "Ice Cream Truck," and "Where the Sandman Lives" are finally getting well-deserved attention. But with over a hundred short stories under his belt, there are still many incredible tales that deserve the spotlight. Perhaps for season two? Here are eight Junji Ito short stories worthy of animating!
8 A Deserter In The House
- Original Publication: 1997
- English Collection: Deserter (VIZ Media)
Everything is not as it seems with "A Deserter in the House." This Junji Ito story is set in 1953 and follows a family that is 'generously' harboring war deserter Saburo Furukawa, who deserted the Japanese army during World War II. As an act of sick revenge for a horrible crime committed a decade ago, the Kikuyo family has convinced him that the war never ended.
Believing he is still wanted for desertion, Saburo hides in their store room and only comes down occasionally to eat. Soon, however, the Kikuyo family learns another sinister truth about Saburo Furukawa.
7 Blood Bubble Bushes
- Original Publication: 1993
- English Collection: Not officially published in English
"Blood Bubble Bushes" is one of the most unique, haunting horror stories out there. Full of self-loathing, a woman believes she is so horrid that when she cuts herself or gets a nosebleed, that means her blood is desperately trying to escape. Unfortunately for her, that might actually be true.
When Ansai and Kana's car crashes, they have no choice but to wander a blood-stained village in search of help. There, they discover a man who claims to be the only person living in the village, who enlightens them on the true mystery of the blood bubble bushes...
6 Drifting Spores
- Original Publication: 1997
- English Collection: Tombs (VIZ Media)
"Drifting Spores" (sometimes known as "Floating Particles") follows the strange phenomenon of floating spores that speak people's innermost thoughts into the air. It starts small - with a boy named Masao who collects them in his home.
When a classmate visits and opens the window, thousands of these spores are released into the world, and the spores start to appear from other people. World chaos ensues. Depending on interpretation, this story could veer into sci-fi horror, because the nature of the 'spores' is never truly explained.
5 The Earthbound
- Original Publication: 1991
- English Collection: Smashed (VIZ Media)
"The Earthbound" is a chilling story following a bizarre supernatural phenomenon. People begin to mysteriously freeze in place becoming statue-like, unable to move - and when they're physically moved, they reappear in the same space.
A volunteer for 'Blue Sky,' a group determined to help the Earthbound, begins to suspect that the phenomenon is caused by internal distress, rather than some sort of external force. She's proven right when a boy becomes Earthbound at the spot where his beloved dog died. Soon, the Earthbound start to freeze and shatter like statues!
4 Venus In The Blind Spot
- Original Publication: 2020
- English Collection: Venus in the Blind Spot (VIZ Media)
As one of Junji Ito's mesmerizing heroines, Mariko Shono is a beautiful woman and the daughter of renowned UFO scholar Professor Shono. Together with her father, Mariko runs the Nanzan UFO Research Society, attended by three men who only wish to get close to her.
Shortly after meeting Mariko, all of the men suffer a headache and wake up in a blinding white room, only to re-surface in a park hours later with no memory of what happened. After this, Mariko starts disappearing altogether! The men begin to truly believe in UFOs, but the true reason for Mariko's disappearance is even more sinister.
3 Army Of One
- Original Publication: 2004
- English Collection: Venus in the Blind Spot (VIZ Media)
"Army of One" is another of Junji Ito's most renowned works. It's one of the very few Junji Ito stories to have no overt supernatural elements, depending on the interpretation of the reader. Dead bodies sewn together begin to appear all over Japan - seemingly spurred on by a group known as the "Army of One."
This group drops fliers via plane, and regularly makes radio appeals for new members, but never provides any details. These stitched bodies start appearing so frequently that people are encouraged to avoid socializing altogether - making this a somewhat relevant story in the pandemic era.
2 The Enigma Of Amigara Fault
- Original Publication: 2001
- English Collection: Short story in Gyo (VIZ Media)
This short story from Junji Ito is one of his most famous, its popularity was spurred on by countless "This is my hole! It was made for me!" memes. It's this sort of story that fans expected to see in Crunchyroll's Junji Ito Collection.
It follows, like most Junji Ito manga, a bizarre event with no discernable cause. People-shaped holes begin to appear on Amigara Fault, attracting media and tourist attention. These holes seem to be calling out to specific people, compelling them to find their perfect match. Somehow, it gets weirder from there.
1 Conversation Room
- Original Publication: 1997
- English Collection: Not yet published in English
"Conversation Room" is the tale of a disturbing... monster? Like many Junji Ito stories, the true cause is eerily unknown. Hashimoto, a victim of a car crash, awakes in a hospital bed with some disconcerting roommates - four women that refuse to be separated for any reason.
As the story evolves, the women become more and more inseparable, and more and more creepy. Hashimoto eventually deduces that some kind of creature is using multiple people as its host and that the terrifying tendrils that start attacking people must be its nervous system. This story is only heightened by Junji Ito's iconic art style and the lack of pupils in the women.