It didn’t help that almost nothing that happened was remotely interesting. In addition to being tedious, some episodes were simply baffling. Like when Oba, as a defence mechanism, becomes the class clown, purposely making an ass of himself for the amusement of his classmates. But the grotesque friend Takeichi says that he knows Oba is making a fool of himself on purpose, which is apparently a terrible secret that sends Oba on a mental spiral where he contemplates murdering Takeichi to protect this “secret” - what?!? Yeah, he’s being an ass on purpose - so what?! Maybe it’s a cultural thing or has something to do with the era but I totally failed to grasp the significance of this. Dazai’s influence on Ito is apparent not only through the very existence of this manga adaptation, but also for the fact that Tomie Yamazaki — a woman with whom Dazai famously ran away from his wife and family, and who later committed suicide by drowning alongside Dazai — shares her name with Ito’s first manga publication. Another reason that Junji Ito’s Cat Diary is so unique is that it is one of the most unique uses of Ito’s own imagination and approach to horror art. The final two stories in this list of Junji Ito manga can each be found in different places. This first story, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, can be read as a bonus final chapter in the book Gyo. This was my first experience with Osamu Dazai's novel No Longer Human, which has been considered his suicide note and which is, at least in this form, a haunting and painful tale of, well, lots of things, but perhaps mostly misery and the ways in which our own misery leads us to inflict misery on others.

Originally I read Junji's piece first, not even knowing that it was a version of a Japanese classic book. After finishing it, I decided to read the original and give Dazai his dues. I would also suggest reading into Osamu Dazai's biography as well to get a better picture of what exactly all these pieces mean. Ito’s art though is wonderfully gruesome. I may never have understood what Oba’s problem was but I definitely felt his fear with Ito’s parade of bloated talking corpses, vengeful ghosts and insect people. The nightmare imagery from the suicide attempt on the beach in Chapter 7 (which also really happened to Dazai) was really terrifying.I can't say much about the new arc - going to Africa is dangerous territory for the series to explore without coming across as cringey, but time will tell. That being the case, this series makes a convincing argument that Fujisaku was one of the main minds that made good GITS stuff. It's... that damn good. Ito’s art is on top form here, designing a planet that looks diseased, alive, and monstrous. This Junji Ito manga is vaguely reminiscent of the outstanding cosmic horror comic masterpiece by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham: Nameless.

It’s an ordinary tale; the kind of thing that has happened to many of us (when I lived in Shanghai, my partner one day brought home two tiny terrapins she had rescued. Suddenly, they were our responsibility). Fashion Model is the story that gave us one of Ito’s most iconic characters. When you Google Junji Ito, certain images take the centre stage: Tomie’s face, the Uzumaki spirals, and the fashion model: a predatory, monstrous looking woman with sharp teeth, long fingers, piercing eyes, and a hungry stare. This reminds me of Stephen King, whose lesser-talked-about short horror stories are far smarter and more frightening than any of his novels. Junji Ito is an absolute master when it comes to his artwork and graphic novels. If you pair this with No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai, you have the perfect piece.Found in the Smashedshort story collection, Earthbound is a Junji Ito manga that really leans on the eeriness factor. While many of his stories rely on cosmic horror or body horror, this one is more of a slow, creeping dread. Uzumaki follows a young couple — Kirie and Shuichi — as they witness other townspeople fall victim to the curse of the spiral.

Each of these balloons is uniquely tailored to a specific person, sharing their exact face and hair. Everyone has a balloon, and everyone’s balloon is after them. No Longer Human is a novel inspired by Dazai’s own life, experiences, and behaviours. It shows us a man who feels as though he exists outside of the human experience. Ito followed up on Shiverwith Smashedand, unfortunately, none of the stories in Smashedcan be found here because they simply don’t measure up to the quality of imagination on display in Shiver.

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Ito is a fiction writer, first and foremost, so having something that is personal nonfiction feels delightfully special and intimate.