“Shiver” A selection of Junji Ito’s short horror stories.

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I freaked out when I unwrapped this book on Christmas because it felt like I was just talking about Ito’s short stories. @kommienezuspadt knows what I like and I’m surprised the he was able to catch me off guard with this book. I swear, he’s got this special ability in finding and gifting the best presents. 

If you aren’t familiar with these books or Ito’s work then I suggest you check out my blog post from a few months ago. It’s titled, “Another horror manga by Junji Ito and his creepy illustrations.”

There is a video included in the post (by Super Eyepatch Wolf) which talks about Ito’s work and how media scares us. It’s good and it left me curious about Ito’s short stories, which I thought were unattainable...until NOW!

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INCLUDING NINE OF JUNJI ITO’S BEST SHORT STORIES, AS SELECTED BY THE AUTHOR HIMSELF AND PRESENTED WITH ACCOMPANYING NOTES AND COMMENTARY.

An arm peppered with tiny holes dangles from a sick girl’s window... After an idol hangs herself, balloons bearing the faces of their destined victims appear in the sky... An amateur film crew hires an extremely individualistic fashion model and faces a real bloody ending... An offering of nine fresh nightmares for the delectation of horror fans.

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So far, I’ve only read two out of the nine stories. The one I’m most curious about is ‘Hanging Blimp’. Super Eyepatch Wolf seemed really excited when he spoke about this particular story and I’m hoping that it’s worth all the hype. 

Here is a look into the opening page of the story ‘Shiver.’ I’m still blown away by the art in this book. I want to get better at inking! I also don’t mind the colored cover images. It’s different from the other two books that I own and I think it still looks scary. 

I will admit that the stories so far are not as terrifying as I had hoped. I also felt a little silly when I discovered the last pages of each story filled with notes. I dove right into the book without realizing that there would be a section for the author’s commentary/notes. It’s fascinating to read about Ito’s ideas and where he drew inspiration.

If you enjoy seeing behind the scenes work or watching films with the director’s commentary on then I’m sure you’ll appreciate this collection of shorts.

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Thanks for reading!

Are you familiar with Junji Ito’s work? 🦊