Gyo - a work that hasn't quite reached the pinnacle of Itto. When I compare Gyo to series like Tomie or Uzumaki, it doesn't captivate me as much. My expectations were high when I began reading chapter one, and as the story unfolded, everything continued to meet those expectations; it was logical, bizarre, and sparked my curiosity about the ending. I anticipated a perfect twist akin to Uzumaki, but towards the end, the story surprisingly turned dull, as if the author didn't know how to conclude it. I simply don't enjoy stories with endings that are too rushed or overly simplistic, especially when they've been progressing well. That's all.
Horror has been somewhat stagnant, at least in Western media. It seems to be stuck in a MORE GORE mindset, where bodily fluids are the main attraction, and nothing stands out as unique or memorable. However, Gyo takes this concept in a direction I appreciate.
I do prefer the bonus stories over the main story. They have an almost strange parable-like quality, with some underlying message. This is clearer in the Principle Post short story than in the fault. Speaking of which, the fault was my favorite. It was odd, surreal, and gave me a slight shudder. I'd love to see it adapted into a short film.
As for the main story, an original concept with a few twists is always enjoyable. I didn't particularly like Kaori—not as a character, but as a person. Sure, she was going mad and was sick, but before her final state, she had a ridiculous temper and would explode if anything minor went wrong. She almost seemed like a control freak.
Overall, it's a decent read. You could easily finish it in an afternoon with time to spare. I recommend the short stories over the main one, but that's just my opinion.
Nothing could have prepared me for the manga titled Gyo. Right from the start, I found myself constantly surprised by the unfolding events. The story takes a bizarre turn, but it's an intriguing kind of weird rather than off-putting.
I appreciated this narrative because it was evident that the author had a clear vision throughout the storytelling process. The vivid depiction of scenes caught my attention, and I enjoyed the emphasis on onomatopoeia. Particularly, I loved how the sequence of events escalated continuously in each chapter. There's nothing quite like a good read that leaves you both stunned and overwhelmed!
If someone asked me for a solid hour-and-a-half read, I would wholeheartedly recommend Gyo: Ugomeku Bukimi. That is unless they're squeamish—hee hee hee >:)
Junji Ito's horror style typically hinges on a complex blend of visual and symbolic narrative techniques. With his meticulously grotesque artwork, he has the ability to transform even the most innocuous objects or symbols into something deeply terrifying.
Gyo, however, diverges from this pattern. It lacks the intricate complexity found in his other works; instead, it offers pure visual horror. In cinematic terms, it resembles something like The Human Centipede. Calling it disgusting would be an understatement, and I must admit that some of the later panels in the manga had me fighting off nausea. While I wouldn't personally rank it as highly as the brilliance of Uzumaki, it undeniably does justice to its genre.
Gyo is Ito's most chaotic and least impactful work that I've encountered so far. It contains a hint of dark and whimsical humor, which usually appeals to me, but it doesn't fully leverage this morbidity within the narrative context.
The story is bloody and dramatic, sometimes overly so, contributing to its comedic elements. However, this alone doesn't deliver the chillingly satisfying experience that I've come to anticipate from Ito's creations. Perhaps, this wasn't the intended goal this time around. Regardless, it didn't quite hit the mark. The plot spends too much time explaining rather than allowing events to unfold organically.
Despite these shortcomings, I still found enjoyment in it. Certain parts had me laughing, which I believe was the author's intention. After all, I have a soft spot for a good fart joke, haha. It's alright; give it a read if you're curious.
So in Mr. Ito's next manga, we witness machine-legged fish attacking humans, a circus that seems extremely Tim Burton-esque, and humans being dragged to the machines where the fish were originally attached, which also turn out to be monsters.
Now, I have to say, the ending was a literal near-tearjerker even if you didn't like this particular character from the start. Since I'm keeping this review spoiler-free, you'll need to read it yourself to find out what happens. This manga wasn't as extreme as Uzamaki; it reminded me more of the Facebook stickers featuring Business Fish. Well, it's not really horror but comedy—y'all get what I mean, jeez!
Will I say this is better than Uzamaki? Personally, no, but it's still worth reading because it's entertaining enough. Additionally, you get two bonus one-shot stories, "The Enigma of Amigara Fault" and "The Sad Tale of the Principal Post," to enjoy!
Yes, Junji Ito is weird and a genius at the same time. This is my second Junji Ito manga that I've read; the first was Uzumaki, which I really enjoyed. Now, Gyo – I went in because I wanted to read more of Junji Ito's work, but it was a meh experience for me. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad manga, but it wasn't good either. It was just okay. I really enjoyed the first seven chapters and got really into it, but after that, it descended into chaos. And that's only because Junji Ito tried to make sense out of his work, which isn't what he usually does. I would have preferred no explanations and just gone with this bizarre idea. I truly enjoy his art so much that I forget about everything when I stare at a scary double-page panel of his. It was a short read, and that's really good. The ending was good, especially the last three chapters, where I think Junji redeemed himself. I rate this manga a 6/10.
Junji Ito's phenomenal, highly-detailed artwork featuring sickening and disturbing imagery is once again showcased in Gyo. However, this story feels more like an homage to campy B-movies rather than his usual fare, and it fails to deliver enough scares. Scenes are often more ridiculously goofy than scary, and it's only really in the final act where the chills briefly emerge. Even then, nothing about Gyo is "traditionally scary," as it relies more on Ito's body horror tropes than past stories that coupled this body horror with psychological themes and twisted characters. The story is often hard to follow, and the characters are highly unlikeable (especially Kaori, perhaps intentionally), so Gyo's only saving grace is the art. The Viz collection I read this from also contained The Enigma of Amigara Fault, which was genuinely horrifying—it's a shame it had to come at the end of such a stinker of a book (no pun intended).
If you're looking for some B-movie-level schlock in manga form, then this is right up your alley, but when I'm looking to read Ito's work, I want to be legitimately spooked, and Gyo is not it.
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Gyo - a work that hasn't quite reached the pinnacle of Itto. When I compare Gyo to series like Tomie or Uzumaki, it doesn't captivate me as much. My expectations were high when I began reading chapter one, and as the story unfolded, everything continued to meet those expectations; it was logical, bizarre, and sparked my curiosity about the ending. I anticipated a perfect twist akin to Uzumaki, but towards the end, the story surprisingly turned dull, as if the author didn't know how to conclude it. I simply don't enjoy stories with endings that are too rushed or overly simplistic, especially when they've been progressing well. That's all.
Horror has been somewhat stagnant, at least in Western media. It seems to be stuck in a MORE GORE mindset, where bodily fluids are the main attraction, and nothing stands out as unique or memorable. However, Gyo takes this concept in a direction I appreciate.
I do prefer the bonus stories over the main story. They have an almost strange parable-like quality, with some underlying message. This is clearer in the Principle Post short story than in the fault. Speaking of which, the fault was my favorite. It was odd, surreal, and gave me a slight shudder. I'd love to see it adapted into a short film.
As for the main story, an original concept with a few twists is always enjoyable. I didn't particularly like Kaori—not as a character, but as a person. Sure, she was going mad and was sick, but before her final state, she had a ridiculous temper and would explode if anything minor went wrong. She almost seemed like a control freak.
Overall, it's a decent read. You could easily finish it in an afternoon with time to spare. I recommend the short stories over the main one, but that's just my opinion.
Nothing could have prepared me for the manga titled Gyo. Right from the start, I found myself constantly surprised by the unfolding events. The story takes a bizarre turn, but it's an intriguing kind of weird rather than off-putting.
I appreciated this narrative because it was evident that the author had a clear vision throughout the storytelling process. The vivid depiction of scenes caught my attention, and I enjoyed the emphasis on onomatopoeia. Particularly, I loved how the sequence of events escalated continuously in each chapter. There's nothing quite like a good read that leaves you both stunned and overwhelmed!
If someone asked me for a solid hour-and-a-half read, I would wholeheartedly recommend Gyo: Ugomeku Bukimi. That is unless they're squeamish—hee hee hee >:)
Junji Ito's horror style typically hinges on a complex blend of visual and symbolic narrative techniques. With his meticulously grotesque artwork, he has the ability to transform even the most innocuous objects or symbols into something deeply terrifying.
Gyo, however, diverges from this pattern. It lacks the intricate complexity found in his other works; instead, it offers pure visual horror. In cinematic terms, it resembles something like The Human Centipede. Calling it disgusting would be an understatement, and I must admit that some of the later panels in the manga had me fighting off nausea. While I wouldn't personally rank it as highly as the brilliance of Uzumaki, it undeniably does justice to its genre.
Gyo is Ito's most chaotic and least impactful work that I've encountered so far. It contains a hint of dark and whimsical humor, which usually appeals to me, but it doesn't fully leverage this morbidity within the narrative context.
The story is bloody and dramatic, sometimes overly so, contributing to its comedic elements. However, this alone doesn't deliver the chillingly satisfying experience that I've come to anticipate from Ito's creations. Perhaps, this wasn't the intended goal this time around. Regardless, it didn't quite hit the mark. The plot spends too much time explaining rather than allowing events to unfold organically.
Despite these shortcomings, I still found enjoyment in it. Certain parts had me laughing, which I believe was the author's intention. After all, I have a soft spot for a good fart joke, haha. It's alright; give it a read if you're curious.
So in Mr. Ito's next manga, we witness machine-legged fish attacking humans, a circus that seems extremely Tim Burton-esque, and humans being dragged to the machines where the fish were originally attached, which also turn out to be monsters.
Now, I have to say, the ending was a literal near-tearjerker even if you didn't like this particular character from the start. Since I'm keeping this review spoiler-free, you'll need to read it yourself to find out what happens. This manga wasn't as extreme as Uzamaki; it reminded me more of the Facebook stickers featuring Business Fish. Well, it's not really horror but comedy—y'all get what I mean, jeez!
Will I say this is better than Uzamaki? Personally, no, but it's still worth reading because it's entertaining enough. Additionally, you get two bonus one-shot stories, "The Enigma of Amigara Fault" and "The Sad Tale of the Principal Post," to enjoy!
Yes, Junji Ito is weird and a genius at the same time. This is my second Junji Ito manga that I've read; the first was Uzumaki, which I really enjoyed. Now, Gyo – I went in because I wanted to read more of Junji Ito's work, but it was a meh experience for me. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad manga, but it wasn't good either. It was just okay. I really enjoyed the first seven chapters and got really into it, but after that, it descended into chaos. And that's only because Junji Ito tried to make sense out of his work, which isn't what he usually does. I would have preferred no explanations and just gone with this bizarre idea. I truly enjoy his art so much that I forget about everything when I stare at a scary double-page panel of his. It was a short read, and that's really good. The ending was good, especially the last three chapters, where I think Junji redeemed himself. I rate this manga a 6/10.
Junji Ito's phenomenal, highly-detailed artwork featuring sickening and disturbing imagery is once again showcased in Gyo. However, this story feels more like an homage to campy B-movies rather than his usual fare, and it fails to deliver enough scares. Scenes are often more ridiculously goofy than scary, and it's only really in the final act where the chills briefly emerge. Even then, nothing about Gyo is "traditionally scary," as it relies more on Ito's body horror tropes than past stories that coupled this body horror with psychological themes and twisted characters. The story is often hard to follow, and the characters are highly unlikeable (especially Kaori, perhaps intentionally), so Gyo's only saving grace is the art. The Viz collection I read this from also contained The Enigma of Amigara Fault, which was genuinely horrifying—it's a shame it had to come at the end of such a stinker of a book (no pun intended).
If you're looking for some B-movie-level schlock in manga form, then this is right up your alley, but when I'm looking to read Ito's work, I want to be legitimately spooked, and Gyo is not it.
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