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“Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre” features several of Ito’s most horrific stories.
Netflix
- “Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre” comes to Netflix on January 19.
- The 12-episode anime series brings 20 of Ito’s horror manga tales to life.
- To watch, you’ll need a Netflix subscription, which starts at $7 a month with ads.
Fans of horror take notice: “Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre” hits Netflix on January 19. Junji Ito is a prominent manga artist who has been writing spine-chilling stories for decades — and now they’re coming to the small screen as an animated collection.
“Junji Ito Maniac” features anime adaptations of some of the artist’s most disturbing tales from print, including “Tomie: Photo,” “The Hanging Balloons,” and more. In total, the series will include 20 stories from a variety of Ito’s mangas that have never been animated before.
Check out the trailer for ‘Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre’
The show is animated by Studio Deen, whose previous works include “Junji Ito Collection,” “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni,” and “The Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath of the Gods.” The voice cast includes Riho Sugiyama, Daisuke Kishio, Rie Suegara, and more.
How to watch ‘Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre’
You can watch “Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre” exclusively on Netflix starting January 19. All 12 episodes will be available at that time, so you can watch at your own pace.
If you have yet to join Netflix, Basic plans start at $7 a month with ads, or $10 a month without ads. Both Basic options offer 720p streaming and support for playback on one screen at a time.
For better quality playback, you’ll want at least Netflix Standard for $15.49 a month. This option gives you 1080p support and up to two simultaneous streams at a time.
If you have a 4K TV, you may even want to opt for Netflix Premium at $20 a month. With this plan, you get up to Ultra HD streaming quality and support for up to four simultaneous streams at once.
Once you sign up, you can access Netflix on web browsers or via the Netflix app on smart TVs, streaming players, mobile devices, and gaming consoles from every major brand.
Is ‘Junji Ito Maniac’ based on a manga?
“Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre” is based on 20 of Junji Ito’s horror stories from a handful of his manga. The plotlines of each tale aren’t necessarily connected. Instead they’re more like standalone scary stories — meaning you don’t have to enjoy them in any particular order.
Here’s a rundown of all the manga stories featured in the show:
- “Tomie: Photo”
- “The Bizarre Hikizuri Siblings: The Seance”
- “Unendurable Labyrinth”
- “Bullied”
- “Where the Sandman Lives”
- “The Long Hair in the Attic”
- “The Hanging Balloons”
- “Four x Four Walls”
- “Intruder”
- “Ice Cream Truck”
- “Tomb Town”
- “Library Vision”
- “Headless Statue”
- “The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel”
- “Mold”
- “Layers of Fear”
- “The Thing That Drifted Ashore”
- “Ally”
- “Whispering Woman”
- “Souichi’s Beloved Pet”
Unfortunately, many of the stories in “Junji Ito Maniac” are featured in manga collections and volumes that are unavailable for purchase in the US, like “Museum of Terror” volume three, “Souichi’s Diary of Curses,” or the “Horror World of Junji Ito” collection.
However, if you’re interested in seeking out the author’s other works, you can find plenty of manga titles from Junji Ito on Amazon.
What is Junji Ito known for?
Junji Ito is a horror manga artist with something of a cult following. He’s known for his grotesque and macabre tales with a dark, striking art style. Some of his most popular titles include “Tomie,” “Remina,” “Uzumaki,” and “Gyo.”
If you can’t stomach the horror in Ito’s work, you can also check out “Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu,” a more lighthearted story in the artist’s signature style about living in a house with his wife and two cats.