Junji Ito's Black Paradox is Almost a Masterpiece

[@Bracketbasket]

In the start of the book maruso said that almost everything she's anxious about and says it will happen will come true or something along those lines so that could explain her seeing the future

[@Bracketbasket]

I went back to check and on page ten she said she had a vague sense of anxiety for her future and she has a feeling that a series of disasters lie in her future, so thats where I got my original comment from but I feel like this hints to her being able to see the future though it should have been explained better in the book

[@Bracketbasket]

@@noahmcalister I get what you're saying but I feel like that was supposed to reference it on reading it a second time while I really wish they did provide a better explanation for it

[@Benzlisting]

@@Bracketbasket I’m currently still reading this so I don’t know the ending, but on page 10 she actually also says “my premonitions often come true” so that does make a lot of sense In The context of this comment

[@Bracketbasket]

@@Benzlisting I'm so sorry if my comment spoiled anything, but thank you so much that makes a lot more sense

[@Benzlisting]

@@Bracketbasket lol no worries didn’t really spoil much and I shouldn’t be watching this video to begin with if I didn’t want spoilers! I’m going to finish reading it later today :)

[@spotlessmind2406]

Black Paradox was the first Junji Ito mangá I read and damn, it opened a whole new world for me. I have been a fan of him ever since. This work has a special place in my heart ❤️.

[@essandera9499]

Idk, I think that the doppelganers are the result of everyone's mental health struggles- Pii-tan feels like he's not good/valued enough by his friends so his friends build a replica of him. The half-faced woman hated her appearence, hated looking in the mirror so the reflection became alive and haunted her. Not quite sure about the guy just worried about his doppelganer- maybe he was suffering from paranoia/or was afraid of death. Maruso is scared of the future so she eventually gains that what she fears- insight into the future that is doomed.

[@ShinyAvalon]

I have the same problem with this story - except that, to me, the doppelgänger plot was WAY more interesting. The paradonite plot was a fascinating story, don't get me wrong, but it never hits the surreal, haunting note that the doppelgänger chapter does. And yes, Junji Ito's Cat Diary is still #1.

[@Nmila369]

I think that the reason for the doppelgängers is because they go back into the underworld later in the book, to say that the doppelgängers are actually themselves going into the underworld or to the past because we see Maruso can play around with the future and maybe she learns how to go to the past. So it’s a tiny bit far fetched, but I was able to grasp that concept shortly after reading the book. With Maruso’s future telling, it probably is linked to her anxiety as if everything she is anxious about actually comes true (as I think @normalguy1428 mentioned already) or at least that’s what I thought. Plus, she seems to be the main character obviously so something has to set her apart. In addition to that, she probably doesn’t have a doppelgänger because she has a pretty good idea of the effects that humans have on themselves/their souls/their fates so she probably wouldn’t have sent a doppelgänger of herself to the past in the risk of changing her fate which would change her reason for suicide, hence changing her ability to see the future/maybe time travel. Hope you see this because I’m pretty confident in this explanation 💕💕

[@ohItsDennis]

Great video, I agree with a lot of your points. I felt a bit of whiplash trying to understand the through lines of black paradox’s story as it kept changing focus, but regardless it was an unsettling ride from start to finish, packed with some jaw dropping page turns. My first Ito book and now I’m excited for more

[@powerbelly211]

This is the nicest looking book on my shelf

[@turtleanton6539]

It is super nice

[@zaneviper]

I always took the ending as them deciding to leave and stop going into paradise

[@aaronatkinson177]

I personally think the unexplained aspect of itos work help make his work stand out more

[@Jayv1313]

Great video!!!

[@danielaalbuquerque6483]

THIS IS SO COOL ! loved your critiques and the format plese keep up the good work

[@CoolFishFunk]

Ive heard of Junji ito before, but never read him until i discovered black paradox at my library. I plan on reading more of his works.

[@DKwildrift]

I just read this from start to finish at a local Barnes and Noble and decided to buy it anyway since I liked it so much. I'm gonna read his other stuff too.

[@Pandadown9244]

Great synopsis ❤❤

[@KingAges]

I like the use of SMT IV music in 3:26

[@iansrife5107]

And I do believe I sensed the Resident Evil 4 save room music in there, too.

[@niceguy0080]

I love junji ito books because then entire read I’m like “wth is happening” until the end 😂

[@simonphoenix2563]

Basically a prequel to Doom.

[@jdktube]

I haven't read much Ito and picked this up on a whim. Making it up as he went a long is right. There is definitely a stark plot switch from Chapter 1 to the rest of the chapters. You think maybe it's going into some macabre, suicide Groundhog Day story... then it's just the illustrated history behind mining spirit balls. Terrible plot and the art isn't enough to save it. What "Black Paradox"? From what I understand, this ia very early work from him and from what I've seen his other stuff seems better but Black Paradox is a bit of dud.

[@jdktube]

@@noahmcalister I like his art for sure but I just did not get it with this manga. Remember, this is a society so advanced that it's able to create a humanoid robot so convincing, it drives the human it's modeled after suicidal. This society is also fascinated by... soul balls for energy consumption? You didn't even need the soul balls, the robot should be compelling enough. The catalyst for the story to begin with is a website, which is the only thing that is actually a "Black Paradox". Again, that seems pretty interesting but never looked into again after page 1. I like pulp horror comics like og Tales From the Crypt but even BP is able to make its characters thinner. Don't even get me started on this doctor, who shows up out of no where and does everything and at the same time does nothing. He's the villian and seemingly wins in the end. This can be fine in horror but the tone is more bizarre than creepy. Sorry if I sound like I'm hating but I'll definitely read some more from Ito. EDIT: I know you mentioned there is a lot of "chaos" in this book and I agree with that.

[@Yongy7448]

🙏🙏🙏

[@turtleanton6539]

Naah it is a masterpirce