Netflix’s Maniac: Junji Ito’s work becomes a terrifying anime

A man experiences dreams as if they last for thousands of years, eventually drying up and crumbling in his bed. Insect-like mechanical limbs manifest themselves on the rotting corpses of sea creatures (and eventually humans). People all over the world feel an inexplicable urge to enter the humanoid crevasse that appears on the edge of a cliff, and when they appear from beyond…

Junji Ito has painted some of the most enduring horror images of the last decade. He has gone from a cult figure to a sort of creepypasta icon among comic book fans as his work has been shared on social media sites such as his Reddit and his Imgur. His various series and collection editions, which have been officially translated and published in the United States, have been published at a brisk and steady pace over the last few years, further expanding his exposure. And now the anime his anthology his series has appeared on his Netflix. It consists of segments each based on his one of his short stories. Unfortunately, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Creepy Stories It’s a nasty adaptation as its title suggests.

Not recommended maniac The show’s value comes directly from Ito’s ideas and images. Still, this also makes for an oddly informative case study for those interested in the quirks of adaptation. It accurately and faithfully reproduces Ito’s story, and in many cases, his panels are accurately reproduced with many shots. I was able to read it. So why are stories like “Hanging Balloon” and “Whispering Woman” so terrifying to read, but so much less fascinating to watch?

The problem is that different media require different efforts. Ito is admired by fans for his rather insane imagination, but there’s more to his illustrations than just how creatively he can portray monsters and terrifying body contortions. Even without it, his work would have been impressive for its complexity. (This is most evident when he steps out of horror.) He layers on a myriad of tiny (often gross) details that give his photos weight and an uncomfortable verisimilitude. Whether what he’s drawing is smooth and smooth, jagged and rough, or covered in dirt, you can almost feel it with his fingertips, and even tremble.

Image: Junji Ito/Viz Media

Image: Studio DEEN/Netflix

Studio DEEN, by contrast, employs a generic and often barren aesthetic. Technically the same image will be significantly less sharp. In “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings,” there’s a moment when one of his famous siblings vomits ectoplasm in a seance. Ito portrays the story to look so viscerally defiant that I gagged a bit when I first read the story. It’s strangely smooth and clean in anime, and Ito’s art is immediately recognizable not only in his design of distinctive characters, but also in the way he draws stains and shadows. Most of the stills in this show appear to come from a number of other anime.

As another example, I’ll take one of my favorite Ithos stories, The Tale of the Mysterious Tunnel. The plot is about a disused train tunnel that lures unlucky people and gets them hooked on the walls and floors. In a climactic set piece in which several characters attempt to escape the tunnel, most fail and scream as they melt into the tunnel. In the manga, each brick has a rich texture, and the stipple paintings on the floor are as if they are digesting the characters. One man’s face is a mask of pain—his eyes are wide open, the dark circles beneath accentuate his terror, but his mouth has a loose chin.Deep wrinkles and sweat. Ito draws with a pencil on the ball.this guy is Extremely And he knows it, and all he can do is beg someone to explain what’s going on. looks mildly agitated and confused as it slides into.The impact is simply not the same.

A big reason for the loss of detail between formats is the transition from black and white in manga to color in anime. He is a master of shading, especially contrast. Just like Edward Gorey crossed with his H.R. Giger (not to mention his ancestors in horror manga like Kazuo Umezu), he’s approached Chiaroscuro at times. However, it’s still a difficult element to incorporate into a video that you want to keep readable, and as a result the anime is literally brighter than Ito’s art and less atmospheric horror. It contains imagery that is worthy of , and can effectively creep the reader out.so much maniac Move without proper atmosphere.

Image: Studio DEEN/Netflix

DEEN is the same studio behind Junji Ito Collection, A previous anime anthology that adapted parts of Ito’s shorts, and all the issues I explore here were already there. Many of the same staff members, including director Shinobu Tagashira and writer Kaoru Sawada. is back from its earlier series, with Ito’s work being treated like cash grabs based on his “brand” recognition rather than an attempt to truly convey Ito’s ethos. One of his most popular stories, “Hanging Balloon,” saw a titular being rendered junky with CGI effects, and instead of inciting fear, it was a tale of hunting. tanked by the fact that it’s awkwardly juxtaposed with civilians playing.

All of these issues are not unique to this show, but are symptoms of the inherent problems that come with hasty and cheap production in the anime industry. This is especially evident in horror, which relies heavily on careful attention to rhythm and framing to elicit the right response from the audience.But maniac Awkwardly animated, generally soundtracked, and indifferently acted. Mr. Ito can spend hours by himself working on his one page. Without attendant level care, adaptation cannot be measured.

A promising contrast can be seen in the upcoming (and, frustratingly, continually delayed) anime version. Uzumaki, Ito’s classic series about a town collapsing under a series of spiral-themed curses.This is even more impressive considering what we have so far Footage less than 1 minute of that program.But look at itNotice how detailed it is, how much attention is paid to just the animation of the girl walking down the path, how impressive the composition is. Spooky Although there is little real action. That seems to speak for more investment from the creative staff. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Creepy Stories Currently streaming on Netflix.