The 12 Best Junji Ito Manga Stories You Should Read

Junji Ito is the master of horror manga. For more than 35 years, he’s been crafting disturbing stories that blend psychological and body horror and combine it with wild imagery. It’s what has made him famous, with unique takes on horrifying concepts that push the boundaries of imagination in horror.

The mangaka has an extensive catalogue of long-form and short stories. But what are Junji Ito’s best works? Below are what I think are his twelve best manga stories that you need to read. They cover his unique brand of storytelling and horror, with a few surprises as well, and are a fantastic indicator of what Junji Ito’s work is all about.

Tomio: Red Turtleneck

Published by Viz Signature.

Compared to other stories discussed in this list, this tale’s concept is simple yet effective in its terror. The title character, Tomio, gets into a relationship with a fortune teller who’s bad news. Long story short, he’s now walking around town desperately trying to keep his severed head from falling off his neck.

It’s a story that will make you squirm. And not just because of the brief flashes of gore but for its depiction of desperation. Junji Ito gives it a focused intensity, using his signature depictions of terror that concentrate on the eyes and beaded sweat. It’s enough to drive your anxiety as you check to see if your neck is firmly attached.

Collected In: Fragments of Horror
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Remina

Published by Viz Signature.

A new planet emerges out of a wormhole. At first, it’s seen as a breakthrough discovery. However, it’s quickly realised the planet is sentient, hostile, and heading straight for Earth. All hell breaks loose as society collapses in the panic that ensues, especially after it’s shown to have some unique traits.

While this hostile planet is an ongoing threat, Junji Ito uses it to explore human nature. Like many of his stories, there’s an element of obsession, with Reminia exploring ideas like mob mentalities, the belief in baseless theories, and selfishness in a crisis in extreme ways.

Collected In: Remina
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Fashion Model

Published by Viz Signature.

A student filmmaker comes across an unconventional fashion model in a magazine. Her bizarre features creep him out enough that they haunt him for weeks. Just when he thinks he’s got her out of his mind, she’s cast in a film he’s making with his friends.

While it’s not as grotesque as other stories, it succeeds in being unnerving. The model has an off-putting energy, making readers cautious of what’s to come. This only escalates when the more sinister elements are introduced, leading to a frightening ending.

Collected In: Shiver
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Greased

Published by Viz Signature.

Sometimes, a title is all you need to know that something will be unpleasant. Greased lives up to its name as one of the more disgusting (in a good way) stories in Junji Ito’s catalogue. It tells the story of a family who lives above a poorly ventilated yakiniku restaurant, where the oil unpleasantly covers the interior of their home. It gets worse as the grease takes over the family’s lives.

A greasy house would be horrible enough for most people. However, Junji Ito takes it to another level by exploring the living conditions in extreme ways. This includes how it changes the family’s personality and the bizarre health issues it creates. This peaks on one page, which will have you squirming in disgust and thinking twice about popping pimples.

Collected In: Shiver
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The Hanging Balloons

Published by Viz Signature.

The most ordinary items can be given a terrifying twist – even a balloon. In this tale, they are shaped like heads with a noose dangling underneath them. These sinister creatures appear from the sky to hunt down their human counterparts (with matching faces) and hang them by the neck.

The idea of something with your face coming to kill you is scary. Junji Ito adds a claustrophobic element to the weird concept by isolating the main character in her apartment. Here, she’s all alone while the balloon waits for her outside, taunting her as her neighbours are picked off one by one. It’s creepy, unique, and utterly brilliant.

Collected In: Shiver
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Uzumaki

Published by Viz Signature.

Possibly Ito’s most famous work, Uzumaki takes the creator’s signature themes and twirls them into a bizarre and frightening long-form work. Spiral shapes have begun to appear in a small town. At first, they seem harmless, but things quickly escalate as they impact the inhabitants’ lives in extreme ways – both psychologically and physically.

What makes Uzumaki so effective is the imaginative usage of the spiral motif. Like many of Ito’s works, this begins with characters possessing unnatural obsessions that affect their lives in detrimental ways. For instance, one man becomes so fascinated with spirals that he fills his room with them and spends his days admiring them. However, it becomes body horror when he contorts his body into a human spiral. Uzumaki is filled with instances like these, with Ito upping himself as the series progresses.

Collected In: Uzumaki Deluxe Edition
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Gyo

Published by Viz Signature.

Gyo begins with fish with legs rushing out of the ocean, causing widespread panic and eventually turning into a terrifying body horror.

Junji Ito renders these horrors in spectacular detail using dense line work. Many of these lines are fine, allowing him to show the readers the rotten and disgusting horrors of the artist’s imagination.

But sometimes, it’s not just about what the reader sees on the page. What can be just as scary is what we do not see. Ito structures some of his panels to withhold information. This is doubly effective through frequent and descriptive sound effects, which create as much imagery in the reader’s mind as on the page.

Collected In: Gyo Deluxe Edition
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Cat Diary: Yon & Mu

Published by Vertical/Kodansha.

Cat Diary: Yon & Mu is a good palate cleanser if all the horror is too much for you. In the 2000s, Junji Ito created a short autobiographical series about his experiences living with his two cats. It chronicles little moments, from their disinterest towards Ito to unsuccessful attempts to escape the house.

This series is a change of pace for Junji Ito, leaning into a humourous side rarely seen in his work. That being said, the horror-centric illustration still crops up in Cat Diary: Yon & Mu – albeit used as part of gags instead of aiming to scare readers. The result is some light fun that those who have lived with cats will enjoy.

Collected In: Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu
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The Enigma of Amigara Fault

Published by Viz Signature.

An earthquake has revealed dozens of holes on the side of Amigara Fault after an earthquake. However, these are not regular holes but ones shaped like human beings. Even weirder, each is a perfect match for a person, and those who find their hole compelled, with a white-hot intensity, to enter it into seemingly the abyss.

The Enigma of Amigara Fault is one of Junji Ito’s most intense stories. While there is an element of body horror, much of this intensity comes from the psychological horror elements, with Ito showing the fervid compulsion of the characters to enter the human-shaped holes. For these characters, it’s almost like an addiction as they enter “their hole” beyond reason or doubt against their own will. The result is an uncomfortable read that will have you squirming.

Collected In: ‘Gyo Deluxe Edition’ or ‘Venus In The Blind Spot’
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Library Vision

Published by Viz Signature.

Library Vision is yet another example of Junji Ito exploring the idea of obsession. In this tale, an avid book collection gets the compulsion to memorise his vast book collection to heart. With over 150,000 books in the library, this is an insane task that becomes detrimental to his health and relationships. It all ends with an ironic twist that you won’t see coming.

Ito’s stories about obsession have a fantastical leaning, bringing them into his signature horror. While Library Vision does, it has some grounded elements that could see a version of this happening in real life, perhaps in more extreme disorders.

Collected In: Smashed
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Human Chair

Published by Viz Signature.

Based on the Edogawa Ranpo story of the same name, The Human Chair is an eerie tale that will get under your skin. A writer receives a new writing chair, but something is not right when it feels like something is living in it. At the same time, she receives anonymous letters about the chair and herself.

The Human Chair touches on voyeurism, personal space, and obsession. It’s an unnerving tale, making the reader squirm when an everyday item is turned into a disturbing object.

Collected In: Venus in the Blind Spot
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Tomie

Published by Viz Signature.

Finally, we have Tomie – the manga that kickstarted Junji Ito’s career. This series features several loosely connected stories centring around a supernatural femme fatale, Tomie. She enters her victims’ lives, where they fall in love with her and are forced to do her will. This can range from bratty requests to things much more deadly.

Tomie’s formula could get old quickly. However, Ito keeps it fresh by taking it in new directions. Tomie is often the instigator of horror. However, other times, she’s the victim of her own behaviour, receiving punishment from her victims or some other supernatural justice. Sometimes, the form that Tomi takes is another to push storytelling possibilities into new avenues, whether it be appearing as a child or an older woman.

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