3 Forgotten Junji Ito Horror Short Stories | Billions Alone, Human Chair, Phantom Mansion

[@GaskyChan]

I have actually read all 3 stories. Im trying to read all his stories. My interprentension of billions alone is that it is supernatural. Something is affecting people and making them do this to themselves. The flyers with the mantra "infect" the people. It preys on peoples need for connection. Michio isn't affected because he is Hikikomori. I do agree with you on the 1 story needed to marinade a bit and the human chair tells too much

[@loreelaiii]

i think i'm close to reading all his stuff by now as well! its difficult to find all the short stories in all the different collections, i'm trying to find "Lovesick Dead" right now myself. That's a really neat interpretation of Billions Alone, that would be a really cool twist, especially since it doesn't make sense Natsuko wouldn't be in on everyone disappearing at the School Reunion. She seemed to love her fiancee so it doesn't make sense why she'd get rid of them unless it was something supernatural. I still picture hundreds of people infected with the "brain-virus" marching into the hall to take everyone to the forest and stitch them together though hahaha

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

You could even extend that and make it so the "stitching" is a metaphor for connection and we are seeing things from michio's perspective, that's why they only happen during events and hangouts and why his love interest was "stitching" them

[@JungoFunko]

Babe wake up, new Loreelaiii vid just dropped

[@jabrak1]

It's funny because The Human Chair and Billions Alone were the first stories I read, but by this point I think I've read just about everything he's made.

[@coraline2770]

Also idk if it was a cult i thought it is a supernatural power that is making people do this like how could 500 people do this without it being some kind of supernatural influence like the radio signal or he flyers cause it

[@coraline2770]

Billions alone just messes me up so much i love it

[@donstarplayz]

Well, I just had to subscribe for this. Sidenote; have you read Inside Mari? It’s an amazingly good manga. I love it a lot.

[@user-yr2lw9nm9m]

The fact I read all of these just proves how absolutely obsessed I am...

[@aqueousmutivity]

This showed up in my recommended, so glad I clicked! Amazing 10/10 video, keep up the amazing work!

[@coraline2770]

Why you gotta call me out like that yes i have read all his work and i need to find more lol

[@loreelaiii]

please stop junji can't draw any faster please he's suffering (jk I'm waiting for more too)

[@justinebidulopoutchini9774]

I’ve read the two last one, so im pretty awesome x)

[@user-tr9pi6fv6u]

I have read Billions Alone, but I have never seen that title translated as that. In the versions I have read, I have always seen it as "Army of One". Army of One isn't an entity so much as a mass hysteria (a social virus) that causes people who are isolated and alone to sew themselves together en-mass (Look up the dancing plague in Europe). "Nobody likes a lonely-only. Everyone join hands now! Everyone join hearts now! Army of One! Army of One!"

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Totally agree. Horror works best when it doesn't explain everything. The vagueness adds to the scare. Be it because nobody gets that far, be it that it simply isn't told to the audience, or be it cosmic horror that is simply unknowable.

[@QuinnBuckland]

I'm working my way through his work, and these stories are next level

[@Neku628]

Have you ever heard of Kanako Inuki? She wrote School Zone, I heard the last volume gets pretty ludicrous.

[@provokedutensilsunited6354]

I thought "billions alone" was called "army of one"?

[@loreelaiii]

I haven't heard that title before, but it's definitely possible that some publishing company decided to use that title! Sometimes translators get pretty weird with their titles, though. I can read Japanese a decent bit and the title Billions Alone is more of a direct translation -- but Army of One could be a localization thing, VIZ media especially likes to do that kinda thing!

[@tazandalsoalastname]

The human chair is one of my favorite shirt stories ever!

[@loreelaiii]

I love the original story!! The vague nature of the Japanese language and the note that's sent is soooo creepy!

[@attackfrogs]

i thought the Billions Alone/Army of One story _was_ something supernatural? like people were being mysteriously compelled into sewing each other/themselves together, and the girl at the end just got infected with the compulsion

[@loreelaiii]

thats a god interpretation!!

[@Che1Angelius]

I have read the last two, but the 2nd one wasn't it called army of one? the first one I may have read it, but I don't remember it because I get confused for the multiverse mansion one.

[@loreelaiii]

I see it called Billions Alone on the MAL database, it's possible if you read scanlations sometimes they do wonky stuff!

[@Che1Angelius]

@@loreelaiii I did read it in scans, it could be the case. I don't believe it was supernatural, but more subliminal messaging like an experiment. The msg was drop by planes, it was a part of Japan. Not really worldwide unless I forgot they mentioned in the story. I believe the popular girl was extremely influence by it but wanted the protagonist to be part of it because maybe she did like him and figured this is the only way to be together as one.

[@att6479]

Hey can u do a complete review on rosalind plz

[@loreelaiii]

Heard loud and clear!

[@att6479]

@@loreelaiii thanks 😊

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

17:50 are you planning on doing a video on gyo? I'd love to watch it I was surprised you said you liked gyo because personally that one has the biggest examples of overexplaing in all of junji's writing

[@loreelaiii]

You know, I never thought about it being so over-explainy but you're right! I'll add Gyo to my scriptlist hahaha I think I like it so much, in a TLDR format, because i like zombie stories and Gyo feels like a wack ass zombie story to me

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

@@loreelaiii I both like and dislike gyo for many reasons, it has probably one of the best openings of any junji ito book, the initial concept is quite interesting, the fact that it started from junji ito thinking "sharks are scary, if they could walk they would be scarier" is very funny and the references/homages to it in other anime/manga like zom 100 are great But the protagonists aren't likable or interesting, it's both overexplained(they spend pages and pages yapping about the bacteria and the gas and the machines) and underexplained(wtf was that circus chapter) at the same time, it has a lot of stuff that feels like it's just there for the sake of shock value, and the anime adaptation is atrocious

[@loreelaiii]

Oh don't worry I am planning on making a video entirely dedicated to the horrid anime adaptations of Junji Ito. I just wanna get through all his manga first before i even touch there ;-;

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

@@loreelaiii good luck, hopefully adult swim delivers with their adaptation of Uzumaki

[@AllAboutThat]

I’ve read all of them 😗

[@Hatsune_mikuxX]

Werid is called billions alone I remember this being called army of one

[@loreelaiii]

oftentimes things are localized, which means that there are different ways to translate the same thing when the direct translation sounds strange in the target language. Another example is "Shinigami" to "Angel of Death" in english. that is not what a Shinigami is, at all -- they're different beings, completely separate from angels in japanese folklore -- but that's the 'closest' thing to English that they use. They'll do that a lot!

[@Hatsune_mikuxX]

​@@loreelaiiiah OK thanks for telling you me

[@Hatsune_mikuxX]

​@@loreelaiiilove your videos

[@etonasama]

Since when did Army of One become Billions Alone?

[@loreelaiii]

something called localization exists

[@etonasama]

@@loreelaiii oh, alright.