The name Junji Ito has shot up in popularity in no time. This endearing mangaka looks like the nicest guy in the world, only for his works to shock and scare readers who can’t believe just how terrifying some of his panels can be. He’s the master of the page turn who can somehow cause readers to be jumpscared despite having complete control over when they move on to the next set of panels this talented artist has concocted.
Most fans of this mangaka know that the true meat of his horror lies in the short yet sweet stories he has drawn up, giving readers a fascinating glimpse into the terrors that be and delivering a payoff that is equal parts horrifying and mysterious. The latter is an important element of any horror story that ensures fans will be in fear of the unknown — an effective tool that helps the best horror tales stand out. However, while it may be easy to dismiss the long-form stories of this mangaka because of how this mystery is explained and reduces the fear factor, the truth is that someone as talented as Junji Ito knows how to scare readers despite this.
5 Gyo
2 Volumes, 19 Chapters
- Ran from: November 12, 2001 – April 15, 2002
Along with Uzumaki, Gyo is one of the scariest stories where Junji Ito flexes his skills for creating long-form manga. The story starts with undead fish on robotic legs walking onto the shores of Japan and terrorizing the people. While this is scary enough as is, things take a turn for the worse when these death-stench machines arrive seeking out a host after lacking any aquatic bodies to take over. This leaves the humans vulnerable, who are infected by this horrifying gas and turned into hosts for these machines.
While the second half of Gyo brings forth revelations that reduce the scare factor by a bit and unwittingly turn the series into a weird horror-comedy of sorts, that takes nothing away from the unwavering horror of the first half. It’s a unique take on an apocalyptic event, with these man-made machines from World War 2 rearing their ugly heads and turning Gyo into an experimental Junji Ito work that is as scary as they come.
4 Remina
1 Volume, 6 Chapters
- Ran from: September 16, 2004 – July 24, 2005
Everyone knows Junji Ito’s penchant for writing stories that touch heavily upon the genre of cosmic horror, and this is precisely the genre that Remina leans heavily toward. After all, there’s nothing more cosmic than the idea of a ravenous planet-sized organism so massive that Earth is nothing more than a snack in its way. Scientists treat the discovery of this so-called planet as a major discovery, only to discover a horrible truth that sends Earth into a state of despair.
What follows is an exploration of mob mentality and how humans deal with the hopelessness of losing their lives to a threat so massive that comprehending its dangers can cause them to go insane. At the heart of this tale is Remina, a girl who served as an inspiration for coining this organism’s name. She becomes the focus of all the hatred and vitriol the public has for this ravenous entity.
3 No Longer Human
1 Volume, 24 Chapters
- Ran from: May 2, 2017 – April 20, 2018
Osamu Dazai is one of the most fascinating authors in the history of literature, with No Longer Human serving as his more popular work by a country mile. It serves as a quasi-autobiographical look into his life, focusing on a man who feels disconnected from human life and tries to take his life numerous times after facing a string of tragedies, both self-inflicted and otherwise. People who either love this story or are interested in checking out a unique take on this tale will love Ito’s take on this legendary tale.
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No Longer Human‘s manga adaptation shows Ito at his very best, turning a tale without any supernatural influences into a brilliant showcase of psychological horror that will leave fans both fascinated and uncomfortable at the events that transpire. It’s a riveting page-turner and one of Ito’s best long-form stories that shows off his strong storytelling chops.
2 Tomie
1 Volume, 20 Chapters
The tale of a mysterious and beautiful woman who wraps men around her fingers and slowly sucks their life energy is easily one of Ito’s most popular stories by far. Tomie’s horror lies in her seemingly normal appearance that hides something sinister. Watching promising men lose their minds to her beauty is hard to watch time and time again, but there are tales where other people figure out Tomie’s secret and try to do away with her evil persona for good.
However, this is where Tomie reveals her twisted nature. She’s a malevolent presence who can’t be killed, no matter what. Even if her evil nature is exposed and she’s killed, Tomie always finds a way to come back as a beautiful girl who will go somewhere else to find her prey. In many ways, the true horror of this antagonist is her inevitability. No man is safe from her wily charms, especially when rendering a permanent death onto this entity is seemingly impossible.
1 Uzumaki
1 Volume, 19 Chapters
- Ran from: January 19, 1998 – August 30, 1999
What makes Junji Ito such a masterful horror mangaka is his ability to inject horror into the unlikeliest sources around. There’s no way that anyone would find the concept of something as banal as a spiral to be scary, but it’s how Ito approaches this concept that has helped Uzumaki become one of his most celebrated long-form stories by a country mile. A huge part of this series’ success is how Ito manages to use his strength — short-form horror stories — and merge it into a long-running story with a defined beginning and end.
Kurozu-Cho seems like a run-of-the-mill town, only for the obsession over a shape to upturn the lives of many. The sheer number of horrific occurrences that take place here can send shivers down the spine of any horror enthusiast, making Uzumaki a must-read for anyone who wants to witness Ito’s magic for themselves.