THIRD EYE SPOTLIGHT: JUNJI ITO!
January 26th, 2023
Third Eye Faithful, if you know us, you know we’ve been long time fans of all things JUNJI ITO! And with the recent release of the Netflix series ‘Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre’ we’ve been even more stoked on his stuff! From the depths of ‘Amigara Fault’ to the heights of the ‘Hanging Balloons’ – Ito has truly mastered horror in it’s most bizarre sense! And if you’ve been itching to reread or want to delve deeper into his works now is the perfect time!
Wether you’re a long time fan of his work, or looking for a fresh place to start – we’ve got all the best Ito classics and deep-cuts! Keep reading to check out some our favorite graphic novels by Junji Ito – or swing by our stores and ask us why we love his manga!
Shop all JUNJI ITO graphic novels that we have available on our site here!
Spiral into insanity in this suspenseful long-form horror manga – UZUMAKI!
Uzumaki is probably his most famous work and the perfect starting point for any new fans! This long-form horror graphic novel is disturbing in ways you could never imagine! Taking something so seemingly plain, as the shape of the spiral, and turning it into a fixation for insanity that runs so deep through the people of Kurozu-cho that they will never be the same!
Snuggle up and leave the lights on for this read!
“Kurozu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in everything from seashells and whirlpools in water to the spiral marks on people’s bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi’s father and the voice from the cochlea in our inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurozu-cho are pulled ever deeper into a whirlpool from which there is no return!”
Looks can kill! And TOMIE has mastered the art of beauty!
If you love something – kill it! But careful it might come back! Tomie is the haunting story of high school classmate who just won’t die! Seeking revenge on the boys who wish to see her downfall – Tomie is the definition of a femme fatale! You’ve probably seen her face all over t-shirts, tattoos and tumblr blogs – she’s become a pop-culture horror icon and for good reason! Pick this one up and get in on the gory goodness!
“Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie. For older teen audiences.”
Shop all JUNJI ITO graphic novels that we have available on our site here!
Discover the horrors of becoming a cat owner in this hilarious horror memoir – JUNJI ITO’S CAT DIARY YON & MU!
Wether you’re a cat person or not at all, you’ll find humor in this exaggerated retelling of what it’s like living with felines! Junji Ito has taken inspiration from his own life in this mini horror memoir – focusing the terror on his cats and wife! Laugh along with this all-too-relatable anthology series and discover why we all have love-hate relationships with our cats!
Reigning king of horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hiss-terical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow-Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purr-suaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends. This comedic graphic memoir about becoming a cat owner is reissued in a deluxe hardcover featuring an exclusive interview with Ito and a new cover illustration by the author that glows in the dark!
OTHER JUNJI ITO FAVORITES!
SENSOR
Did she wander in? Or was she drawn in…?
A woman walks alone at the foot of Mount Sengoku. A man appears, saying he’s been waiting for her, and invites her to a nearby village. Surprisingly, the village is covered in hairlike volcanic glass fibers, and all of it shines a bright gold. At night, when the villagers perform their custom of gazing up at the starry sky, countless unidentified flying objects come raining down on them, the opening act for the terror about to occur.
SMASHED
Try not to be noticed when you eat the secret nectar, otherwise you’ll get smashed… What horrific events happened to create the earthbound-people tied to a certain place for the rest of their short lives? Then, a strange haunted house comes to town, but no one expects it to lead to a real hell… Welcome to Junji Ito’s world, a world with no escape from endless nightmares.
VENUS IN THE BLIND SPOT
This ultimate collection presents the most remarkable short works of Junji Ito’s career, featuring an adaptation of Rampo Edogawa’s classic horror story “Human Chair” and fan favorite “The Enigma of Amigara Fault.” In a deluxe presentation with special color pages and color illustrations from his most recent long-form manga No Longer Human, every page invites readers to revel in a world of terror.
DESERTER
A vengeful family hides an army deserter for eight years after the end of World War II, cocooning him in a false reality where the war never ended. A pair of girls look alike, but they aren’t twins. And a boy’s nightmare threatens to spill out into the real world…This hauntingly strange story collection showcases a dozen of Junji Ito’s earliest works from when he burst onto the horror scene, sowing fresh seeds of terror.
Swing by our stores and check out our displays with all the awesome Junji Ito you could need! And maybe check out our sweet extensive manga selection while you’re at it!
Shop all JUNJI ITO graphic novels that we have available on our site here!
