Lovesickness by Junji Ito

Title: Lovesickness

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 1998

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 408

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

Ryusuke returns to the town he once lived in because rumors are swirling about girls killing themselves after encountering a bewitchingly handsome young man. Harboring his own secret from time spent in this town, Ryusuke attempts to capture the beautiful boy and close the case, but…

Starting with the strikingly bloody “Lovesickness,” this volume collects ten stories showcasing horror master Junji Ito in peak form, including “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings” and “The Rib Woman.”

This collection didn’t quite work for me completely.

The Beautiful Boy at the Crossroads
A Woman in Distress
Shadow
Screams in the Night
The Boy in White

All of these stories were connected focused on a mysterious fog filled town full of fortune seekers. The middle really dragged, but I did like the ending.

Narumi’s Boyfriend
The Seance

Two connected stories that didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t like the characters.

The Mansion of Phantom Pain - Definitely my favorite! I loved the existential horror in this story.

The Rib Woman - Another great story, this time focused on body perfection.

Memories of Real Poop - Um, what did I just read? That’s going to be a no for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Service Model

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Cityscape

Where I Got It: Library

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

I had absolutely no frame of reference going into this book. It was picked for my speculative fiction book club and I just dove in. Right away, I was intrigued by the narration by the robot. The writing took a bit to get used, but it was perfect for the characters and the story. We slowly orient ourselves in the world and attempt to understand what has happened in the manor. Once that is revealed, we begin our quest with Uncharles and slowly piece together the world as it stands. I loved the language, the characters, and the plot. We get a very fresh-feeling robot story wrapped in a post-apocalypse world. We get to see a future destroyed by humans and continued by robots. I loved that we get a big mystery aspect to the story while keeping our robot a robot. While Uncharles has its own thoughts and decisions, it is still a robot with all the logical thinking and inability to really imagine. I found this book to be very refreshing. I cannot wait to discuss this with my book club friends in June.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 6

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 6

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media 2019

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

During the Goodwill Event, the Kyoto School's authorities order their students to assassinate Itadori. However, Mahito and a horde of special grade curses and curse users complicate matters by attacking the students. The teachers move quickly to counterattack but find themselves cut off by a barrier. Can the students survive this demonic onslaught?!

Oh no! The students are now in some actual danger due to outside influences. I loved seeing how they figured out the new situation and responded accordingly. I loved seeing the students from both schools come tougher to help each other to dispel the curses. The added complication of the bubble targeting Gojo was a fun wrinkle in their plans. I cannot wait to see how they overcome this obstacle and what it reveals about the characters and the larger mystery.

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 5

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 5

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media 2019

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

Everyone’s surprised (and not necessarily in a good way) when they find out Itadori is still alive, but there’s no time for a heartwarming reunion when Jujutsu High is in the midst of an intense competition with their rivals from Kyoto! But good sportsmanship doesn’t seem to be in the cards once the authorities decide to eliminate the Sukuna threat once and for all...

We dive right back into the Goodwill Event between Tokyo and Kyoto. We get to see more of the Kyoto students and learn more about their specific techniques and talents. I loved seeing how the different characters’ personalities simultaneously work together and clash with each other. The new relationship between Todo and Itadori is interesting. I wonder what will come of that…

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Stitches by Hirokatsu Kihara

Title: Stitches

Author: Hirokatsu Kihara (art by Junji Ito)

Publisher: VIZ Media 2024

Genre: Horror Short Stories

Pages: 112

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

A tumor shaped like a man’s face slowly moves across a woman’s body. The sea shoots glowing balls into the sky, much to the distress of beachgoers. And a girl dressed up for a holiday has no eyes, no nose, nothing—her face is a total blank.

Hirokatsu Kihara pens true stories of unsolved mysteries, stitched together with page after page of Junji Ito’s original illustrations in this collection of nine eerie tales and a bonus manga story.

We get a short collection of horror stories illustrated by Junji Ito.

Face - Creepy creepy body horror that I love!

Library - Cute little ghost story.

From the Sea - Lacked the horror factor that I wanted.

Festival of the Dead - Low on horror, but a lovely take on ghosts.

The Play - Anything with marionettes is creepy to me.

Folk Dance - Meh.

The Kimono - Creepy kid ghosts are always great.

Snow Day - Not enough horror.

Lips - Weird and lacking a point.

Bonus Manga: Summer Graduation Trip - Actually my favorite story in the collection. This manga story was full on creepy and lovely.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Remina by Junji Ito

Title: Remina

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 2005

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 256

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

An unknown planet emerges from inside a wormhole, and its discoverer, Dr. Oguro, christens the body “Remina” after his own daughter. His finding is met with great fanfare, and Remina herself rises to fame. However, the object picks up speed as it moves along in its curious course, eliminating planets and stars one after another, until finally Earth itself faces extinction… Is the girl Remina the true cause of the catastrophe? A masterwork of horror from Junji Ito, unfolding on a universal scale.

Not my favorite of Ito’s stories. This one started interested, but quickly devolved into one long chase scene. I wanted more suspense and creep factor in the story. Instead, I found Remina herself to be a blank piece of paper and Remina the planet was not horrifying enough. I would have liked more time spent exploring the surface of the planet. So not my favorite.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito

Title: Dissolving Classroom

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: Vertical Comics 2013

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 178

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

What destiny awaits them after the screaming?

A pair of twisted siblings—Yuuma, a young man obsessed with the devil, and Chizumi, the worst little sister in recorded history—cause all sorts of tragic and terrifying things to happen wherever they go. These scary short stories will shock you with a literal interpretation of the ills that plague modern society.

We get a collection of stories that focus on a mysterious pair of siblings. The first story really just pushes you into horror and doesn’t let up. I loved some of the stories in this collection. The social commentary was spot on! A few of the stories got a little obscure, but the sheer horror kept me engaged. Overall, I really good mini collection of Junji Ito stories.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito

Title: Fragments of Horror

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 2014

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 224

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.

Another collection of short horror stories from Ito.

Futon - Very creepy with a fun twist at the end.

Wooden Sprit - Meh. Not a fan of the weird sexual nature to this one.

Tomio * Red Turtleneck - Fun and gory, but the ending was weak.

Gentle Goodbye - Very sorrowful story.

Dissection-chan - Jumbled and weird, but not in the good way.

Blackbird - My favorite from the collection, very trippy and creepy.

Magami Nanakuse - Not sure what we were going for with this one.

Whispering Woman - Slow descent into madness.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tomie by Junji Ito

Title: Tomie

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 752

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century - 2016

Where I Got It: Library

Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.

I do love Ito’s Tomie stories. You just know going in that everyone is going to die, even Tomie, and somehow she will come back in some creepy way. Most of these stories were great fun and I enjoyed seeing how Tomie manipulates various people. I will admit that over 700 pages of Toomie stories got a little repetitive. But I still really enjoyed this collection of stories.

Next up on the TBR pile: