Other Junji Ito works that deserve anime series adaptations

Key takeaways

• Uzumaki is a successful adaptation, retaining the original story and style.
• Gyo taps into the common fear that revolves around the horrors of the ocean.
• Tomie can be featured in an anime series, exploring his dark and fascinating stories.

Junji Ito Famed for producing some of the scariest manga known to mankind, often reaching into the realms of cosmic and surreal horror. There have been many anime adaptations, not infrequently anthology series that cherry-pick short stories from his vast collection of work.

Adult Swimming and IG USA decided to dedicate an entire season to one of their most famous works, UzumakiRemaining faithful to the original style and story of the manga. With a complete adaptation already made and to great effect, it's likely that fans will see more adaptations of his works, and these most deserve their own show.

Blood-bubble bushes

A delicious blood vampire story

• Publication year: Year 1993
• Collection: Monthly Halloween

Who doesn't love a good vampire story? In a monthly Halloween publication in 1993, Junji Ito's own tale of blood and death terrified readers. In typical vampire-film fashion, a couple find themselves lost in the woods at nightfall, and the area isn't as deserted as they'd hoped. One pair is attacked by bloodthirsty creatures of the night, and the other escapes to what they believe to be a sanctuary.

There are already countless amazing vampire anime available to watch right now, and its popularity is still there. Of course, a Junji Ito vampire story will surely interest anime fans of any genre, and as such, this Ito story will definitely be worth an adaptation.

Frankenstein

Junji Ito's own take on the classic sci-fi novel

• Publication year: 2018
• Collection: Frankenstein

Junji Ito and Mary Shelley is a collaboration that no one could have predicted, but it happened in 2018 Frankenstein A collection of short stories, including the manga, eponymous Frankenstein the story Everyone will know this iconic, gothic novel that follows the troubled story of Dr. Frankenstein, who finds a way to birth life through galvanization and corpse parts, only to abandon his creation out of sheer fear.

Junji Ito's version of the story remains a faithful adaptation, drawing iconic scenes from the story and refining the dialogue to match Shelley's quality. To see it animated would be to witness anime poetry, and it's past time that anime fans received an adaptation of the horror classic.

Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon and Mu

Even cute cats aren't immune to Ito's horror artstyle

• Publication year: Year 2009
• Collection: Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon and Mu

You might not expect a horror writer like Junji Ito to create a collection based on mischievous adventures that all cat owners can relate to and have a laugh or two over, but that's exactly what he did with his. Cat Diary. Yeon and Mu are actually Ito's cat friends in real life, and he depicts the struggle with the two using his creepy art style that lends a certain playfulness to their depictions, but in the end the two real-life images of them will be offset. creep factor.

If there's one thing anime needs, its more cat stories, because one can never have too many, and Ito's collection can definitely spice up the genre a bit with his signature horror art style, while providing some hearty laughs as viewers watch them. Get up to all kinds of shenanigans. This Eye Bleach anime fans might need after watching his other horror works.

Tommy

The most iconic Ito character deserves his very own series

• Publication year: 1987-2000
• Collection: Monthly Halloween Manga Magazine, Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection, Junji Ito Masterpiece Collection

Tomi has become Ito's most famous and popular character, appearing in many of his manga collections, anthology anime series, and even live-action movies. Tomie business is always popular, with his also a collaboration with Sanrio, which is a combination that no one could have predicted.

As such, there is one medium still missing, and that is her own anime series, showcasing the stories of this shape-shifting succubus who can transform from beautiful to grotesque in the blink of an eye. Tommy himself is an evil force, tempting others to fall prey to their lust, but in some cases, Tommy is more of a victim, as his nature can exude violence, possessiveness, and obsession. It's quite possible that in Tommy's story, the humans are the real monsters, and it would be interesting to see the horror captured in dynamic as well as anime form.

Junji Ito stories that deserve another adaptation that is more faithful to the visual style of the source material.

Several Junji Ito manga have been featured in anthology series, most of which are very weak and fail to capture the magic of the source material. Here are some stories that deserve a more in-depth spotlight, even if it's just a mini-series adaptation.

long dream

An attack of nightmares with terrible consequences

• Publication year: Year 1987
• Collection: Junji Ito's Horror World, Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection

Although the long dream Already featured in an anthology adaptation, it shares its run-time with another episode, offering a brief synopsis of the story. The long dream The short story taps into the fears surrounding sleep and dreams, showing the slow decline of patients who suffer increasingly long nightmares each night, outwardly manifesting as disfigurement and aging in the body.

As patients are constantly attacked by dreams as doctors race to find a solution, this manga story could benefit from a full season showing a new one, slowing down the progression, and exploring the nightmares the patients face. Grows increasingly terrifying and long with each episode.

Hanging balloons

An apocalypse story that doesn't rely on corpses or natural disasters

• Publication year: Year 1998
• Collection: The Horror World of Junji Ito

Everyone knows that it usually involves zombies, chains of natural disasters, or aliens, each showing exploring the collapse of life that wipes out entire cities and large swathes of people. But, the hanging balloon does it in a different way that can be more terrifying than the other three combined.

Balloons begin to appear in the sky, each bearing an uncanny resemblance to a real person, and if they catch them, they wrap strings around their necks and hang them to death. It saw a small section Junji Ito Mad: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, But imagine if this manga had a full series adaptation, following the struggles of a few survivors as they try to find a way to escape and survive in typical apocalypse fashion.

Gyo

Sea creatures transform into terrifying monsters

• Publication year: 2001-2002
• Collection: Great comic spirits

While sea critters such as sharks, octopuses, squids, and mysterious sea creatures that dwell in the abyss may not seem like the most friendly and loving creatures, it's no wonder that both the sea and the creatures that live within are common fears. . People still know very little about the ocean and its inhabitants, leaving countless species that have yet to be discovered, and who knows what they look like?

Hopefully nothing like the creatures Gyowhich shows sea creatures slowly evolving into equal parts grotesque and terrifying. An anime series revolving around this premise taps into the common fear of marine life and terrifies those without this phobia. Watching the transformation of these creatures and the reactions of the characters will be a great experience.

Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack
Struggles to capture the magic of the source material and is mostly entertaining in a B-movie kind of way.