REVIEW: ‘Junji Ito: Maniac’ Gets You Squirming

Junji Ito is a master of horror. When it comes to writing dialogue, outlining narratives, and twisting your stomach with disturbing art, there is no mangaka like Ito, and truthfully no storyteller either. While Ito’s work has been adapted many times in both animated and live-action form, especially his masterpiece Tomei, I can easily say that there is nothing like what Studio Deen has brought to life with Junji Ito: Maniac — Japanese Stories of the Macabre. 

Adapting 20 of Ito’s short stories, the series manages to animate iconic stories like “Tomei” and “Kubitsuri Kikyuu” (The Hanging Balloons) and smaller ones like “The Bully.” The twelve episodes do a phenomenal job of capturing Ito’s signature style in full color, which is a difficult feat on its own. Ito’s artwork is as much an arbiter of horror as his writing, the scratchy black and white images eliciting terror and disgust easily in his manga. I was worried that this wouldn’t translate without the heavy shading and use of blank space; however, Studio Deen manages to bring its own element of horror to the series that makes it the perfect companion piece to Ito’s manga works which are currently being published in English from VIZ Media. In fact, subtle changes to the stories and color choices for their animated counterparts manage to bring new emotions to Ito’s work.

This is no more clear than in the opening episode of Junji Ito: Maniac, “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings.” While there are elements of horror, the anime adaptation of the story leans harder into the humor than the written work, and it pays off in spades. In other episodes, like episode three, which adapts the famous “The Hanging Balloon” short story, abject terror comes to the surface sharply. While I want to list every short story adapted in the anime series, I also want to implore you to enter it without looking them up. There are surprises and choices in building each story off of the one that played before it that is artful in its own way. Like any good anthology or collection of works, the thread that connects each story is only revealed as you keep watching and pays off by the series’ end.

To add context, I own every single Junji Ito manga currently available in English. It’s a treasured horror collection that has helped drive my love of the macabre even further than any horror movie has done. The depth and diversity of stories that Ito can tell are perfectly captured in this curation of stories. Cosmic horror, personal tragedy, familial obligation, love. It all swirls together and as a fan of his work, I can’t describe how wonderful it is to see his less-known stories animate alongside his iconic ones.

That said, even in my familiarity, some adaptions kept me squirming in my seat. Both “The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel” and “Alley” made my nightly walk a terror on its own. But none are more insidious than “Ice Cream Bus” which will tap into any parent’s worse nightmare. While you can watch the series spread out, it does benefit from the binge model in that you can see tiny moments that connect the stories without changing too much nor having the small Easter Eggs connecting them overpower the main story.

Like any anime, the opening and ending of each episode should also be applauded; with a rock-forward opening, seeing Ito’s iconic characters adapted in bright colors with mandalas puts forth beauty and the weird that the series holds and MADKID’s song “Paranoid” is a perfect fit. Additionally, each episode features a happy-sounding ending theme song that stands in stark difference to the macabre stories being told. But this tonal dissonance works as a palate cleanser as you watch every episode together. Add in the narration at the end with small micro horror stories that lead into the next episode and it all makes every part of Junji Ito: Maniac feels completely thought out. Studio Deen has managed to use every single minute time of each episode to craft a truly brilliant anime that embodies the complexities and differences across Ito’s work.

Junji Ito: Maniac — Japanese Tales of the Macabre is Netflix’s strongest anime on their platform. It’s humorous, terrifying, weird, beautiful, and disturbing all at once. It captures why I love horror so much, and why Ito is renowned worldwide for his storytelling. If you’re a fan of horror short stories, this is right up your alley, whether you’re an existing fan of Junji Ito or this is the first time you’re hearing about his work. Dive into the stories and try not to get swept away.

Junji Ito: Maniac — Japanese Tales of the Macabre is available now, exclusively on Netflix.