Why Junji Ito's Worldbuilding is so Terrifying

You have nothing to fear, but fear itself. And spirals. An exploration of Junji Ito’s worlds of terrors, and the secrets behind his unique style of horror.
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What type of story scares you the most?
Perhaps something dark, visceral, rooted in physical danger? Or something subtle, psychological, with layers of unseen dread? Or maybe something unknowable, inexplicable, that lifts the veil on reality and exposes the cosmic terrors of the universe?
The work of Japanese horror manga artist Junji Ito exists at the intersection of all our greatest fears. His tales capture primal anxieties so expertly they can seem truly mysterious. So, what I want to do today is peel back those layers of mystery, and explore what makes Junji Ito’s worldbuilding so darn spooky. And to do that, we’ll need to find our courage and dive headfirst into this ocean of terrors…
0:00 Horror of Junji Ito
0:55 Gyo and Death Stranding
4:06 Thing that Drifted Ashore
8:05 The Enigma of Amigara Fault
12:23 Uzumaki
15:26 Translating a Nightmare
18:28 Understanding Junji Ito
Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All video/image content is edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary.
I do not own the images, music, or footage used in this video. All rights and credit goes to the original owners.
Media Shown: Gyo, Death Stranding, Thing that Drifted Ashore, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, Uzumaki, Remina, House, The Mist, Psycho, It Follows, Eyes Without a Face, The Ritual, Beyond the Black Rainbow, World of Horror, Cat Diaries, Honored Ancestors
♫ Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio:
Mysterious Green Fluid, Sanity Unravels, Haddonfield Horror, Alone in the Dark, Dusk, The Witching Hour, The Vanishing, Tenebrae, The Guardian
♫ Additional music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com):
Beauty Flow
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
#CuriousArchive #Worldbuilding

[@mythicandco]

Junji Ito is awesome because a lot of his stuff comes to him like "hey wouldn't it be fucked up if this happened?" and then he just goes with it

[@claudedebussyreal]

and i mean, it would be fucked up if that happened, so it works alright

[@whitefox3189]

My idea of a Junji Ito anime adaptation is the realistic depiction is what makes it loose its charm. Depict the background unrealistically or weirdly. Use ominous colors. For Gyo, the main the is ocean critters, associated with blue, what do people think opposite of blue. Green. So make normal fish green colored and the infected ones blue. Make the colors as weird without loosing realism, such as how normal humans appear. Kinda like Jojo anime, when battles start.

[@VCV95]

A lot of his manga has really deep seated commentary on Japanese culture. amigara Fault could easily be about forced conformity as just one example.

[@MforMovesets]

It doesn't even have to make sense in the slightest.

[@ender4429]

@@whitefox3189 This is the first I've heard of green being the opposite of blue. Red is much more commonly thought of as the opposite of blue, no? That's why many teams in games are red vs blue.

[@Yora21]

I think when Ito was asked what his inspiration was to create Gyo and the deeper meanings behind the story, he said that he was simply thinking that shark are scary, but would be even scarier if they could chase you on land. And then he just went to draw fish with legs chasing people on land.

[@bitchassmoththing]

fibsh

[@EverTheFractal]

I think when you look at a lot of his stories most of them really wear their hearts on their sleeves. Uzamaki points out that spirals keep recurring in nature, so he takes that to its natural conclusion. This chair is fairly big, a man could hide inside it easily. That dream seemed really long even though I was asleep for like an hour, what if they got longer and longer? Wouldn't it be messed up if I got stuck inside this medical contraption? It's wild that people take drugs that have a chance to kill them instantly- hey wait what if there was an addictive honey that had a chance to make you explode? What if a still alive person had to hold their severed head on?

[@lukelambert78]

he’s not wrong 😂

[@Mate397]

I dunno, I tried to read the manga about that story but it didn't really keep my attention. Dropped it roughly after the shark was chasing after the couple in the house.

[@weq3ei8u42]

@@EverTheFractal yea that lack of sudtley tends to be why i dont find most of his work terribly frightening, as much as i love it. although intrestingly the enigma of amigara falls might have been the story of his that directly affected me the most out of what ive read of his, despite the ridiculus ending.

[@impcityangel3245]

When I saw the human shaped holes, I thought about what it would be like to go into one. I was frightened to know that the characters thought the same thing.

[@nickmorzinski5558]

Gets warped into wierd wiggley monster

[@oo8962]

When I see that, I thought there would be something pulling people in but I never thought that people would willingly put themselves in

[@dorebregolagath7557]

@@oo8962 I mean something was manipulating their heads that drove them to going into the holes

[@MrCBroz]

Have you considered an episode on Fantastic Planet (1974)?

[@Marewig]

He really understood what intrusive thoughts are like, especially the more damaging ones. Then, he dialled them to over 9000.

[@Tyrexthecreaturedesigner]

It’s so interesting how this channel went from weird biology to cosmic horror. I’m not even mad.

[@TisOsha]

eh, personally kinda miss it

[@fakkva2841]

I mean...the video before this one is literally about speculative biology

[@TisOsha]

@@fakkva2841 eh, fair but now i have a feeling speculative is 1/3 now

[@burningbronze7555]

​@@TisOsha well one is a rare genre.

[@TisOsha]

@@burningbronze7555 ehh, true

[@rebelsnowflake15]

Really respect Ito for going "man, I'm so scared of sharks. What if they could come on land and get me" and then making all of us scared of that too

[@randallbesch2424]

How do you think Lovecraft worked? Working his own fears into his works.

[@georgekostaras]

Jungi Ito has a sense of humour, I think that's why he's so scary. He doesn't take anything too seriously. It's why when he gets serious it hits like a freight train.

[@chonaposadas7289]

Dark humor?

[@alexsell9219]

You should read Kafka! People report that he would laugh manically into the night when he wrote. Yet, most people don't consider him a funny writer.

[@Klinoklaz]

souichi series are pretty hilarious indeed

[@Pooky1991]

Probably why his one story The Bully is so disturbing. I own alot of his collection books and i think that is the only story out of all of them that stays grounded in some f-up reality. Same with no Longer Human even though it is technically based off the book from another author.

[@badger6882]

I never really understood how Junji Ito’s horror really scared people until I read the enigma of Amigara Fault. It sunk into me reading it through, page after page: horror just within comprehension yet it’s true scope beyond the human mind. The telling of a hell so uniquely cruel and terrifying, repellent yet calling out to the characters like that. So I’m a fan :)

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

I’ve seen so much of this I’m now just like “okay.” when passing these sorts of things. Although admittedly berzerk had me going “holy shit you can show that?”

[@wren_.]

what’s even worse is that you know what’s going to happen to you if you go in that hole. you know there’s no going back, and while you may not know what the end looks like, you know you’re going to die from the moment you step in. and yet, you just can’t help it. you are a slave to your curiosity. the very act of being human is what has doomed you from the start.

[@holow3038]

​@@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat berserk is not horror but depressing stuff

[@EverTheFractal]

I adore that you put focus on how funny and absurd some of his stories can be. I feel like when a lot of people review his works they leave this out and ignore it entirely because they feel like it's somehow an insult or antithetical to the "point" of horror. I think that, in itself, is a disservice. Horror and comedy aren't as distant relatives as a lot of people try to believe! Sometimes the fact that something is so horrifying it loops back around to being funny can leave you with an awkward dissonance that really sticks with you. Yeah the idea that a large version of your head is floating around with a rope like it's some sort of balloon is hilarious! That's a funny concept! That doesn't make the panel where they find out killing the balloon kills you any less stuck in my brain.

[@anto_point]

One of my favorite example of this is the movie Beau is Afraid by Ari Aster, released this year. It is so surreal, and absolutely and genuinely hilarious at times. Nonetheless, it was one of the most gut-wrenching, gut-wrenching, terrifying, existential crisis inducing experience of my whole life. Comedy and Horror are not antinomic, and in fact, they complete very well as it creates this dissonance that puts your feelings right in an uncanny valley

[@OOOOOO-dx7zu]

also, when you read his work, it's quite spooky, but when you see see the panels at random, it loses most of that and comes off almost ludicrous. The fact that he can make something, that you would otherwise find nothing more than bizarre, scary is his genius.

[@chriss780]

My dad was an EMT, so they would obviously see a lot of horrific things and accidents. He had a friend who once saw a women horribly mangled in a car accident and afterwards when he thought about inexplicably started laughing. When your brain sees something so horrific it doesn't know how to process it a common reaction is laughter.

[@soccerandtrack10]

Maybe foreshadow for the video= Norway thinks its alive,but its made of smaller concius things,and that makes the country thinks its a person,when its made of humans/plants,and other animals.

[@soccerandtrack10]

@@chriss780 i did laugh after reseeing the persons fingers broken for the sameri shamploo. I knew about the batman who laughs because of a dream, the princess is ok. She sees criminals hert people. I dont what they wanted. I resaw the episode 1/2.

[@robertgronewold3326]

The irony that Junji Ito is a giant cinnamon roll, and yet he creates these stories.

[@matrythethird5464]

Something I see a lot in junji ito's work is the invasion of privacy, In a lot of his storys the horrors get really close to the characters, to their space, even the spiral are not a physical monster attacking, they creep in the life of everyone, leaving them unsafe in their own homes

[@AbrahamLure]

Yes, this! This is what I think makes his works so chilling. Characters can never relax, because relaxing is having private moments, and in Ito's stories those private moments are infiltrated by the terrible

[@rmt3589]

"If you can't reason with something, you aren't safe from it." That's an amazing line! And an even better motif!

[@Hadeto_AngelRust]

that inadvertently explains the downfall of Disney

[@rcu1995]

Makes me think of "It" by Stephen King. The clown holds much less power when you don't fear it.

[@randallbesch2424]

@@Hadeto_AngelRust the rise of Disney a better Disney.

[@TheKrilicious]

Junji Ito is the H.P. Lovecraft of our time

[@wren_.]

except without the racism

[@TheKrilicious]

@@wren_. That's a very good point 😅

[@tiberiusdawn2042]

​@@wren_. hey he japanese there is a chance he xenophobic

[@Gordonfreeman551]

@@wren_.what are you talking about?

[@abhinavav7770]

@@wren_. he is racist against eldrich beings always showing them in negative role

[@casualsatanist]

The cat story is honestly hilarious going from his other stuff, you expect the cat to be some cosmic horror, but in reality it’s just a story about a man who’s afraid of a normal cat, and honestly the suspense reading it got me more than anything else.

[@natto4now]

As a fan of juinji ito and death stranding Am glad to hear that it was announced he was working with a gane studio on an open world horror game

[@thecandlemaker1329]

I'm less than glad to hear that the game is open world, but maybe Ito's input can make that work.

[@comyuse9103]

wait what, oh my god that could be the best game ever in a decade

[@Mrow_alt]

@@thecandlemaker1329 what’s wrong with open world?

[@cabbageleon4914]

WHAT, WHAT GAME? HE'S WORKING ON A GAME?

[@nemtudom5074]

Ookay, that sounds cool!

[@JustToSaveYou]

The art style Junji Ito uses is so perfectly suited to comic form that it doesn't translate 1:1 to animation. It can be done, but you have to change things to maintain the feeling instead of just animating the image.

[@purplehaze2358]

I'm not sure how Junji Ito manages to make such superficially ridiculous-looking imagery and ideas absolutely horrifying, but he manages it. I'd compare the feeling it invokes to the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, but frankly, Bosch only manages to make superficially goofy imagery intimidating through its.. _abundance,_ as though a complete and utter breakdown of order as we understand it has taken place. By contrast, a lot of Ito's work generally conveys that feeling through smaller-scale, more intimate imagery; so I'm at a loss for what to compare it to.

[@wren_.]

i think it’s because of the body horror aspect. the body is the one thing a person has complete control over, so to be robbed of that control by something as harmless as a spiral is terrifying.

[@randallbesch2424]

The implications of them if you delve into it over superficial thinking of them.

[@randallbesch2424]

@@wren_. Lovecraft certainly did from ghouls to Deep Ones and partial botched reanimations too that turned people into animals.

[@Coyoteari]

I love that the actual basis for a lot of junji ito’s work is just “hey wouldn’t it be fucked up if-“

[@randallbesch2424]

Messed up. jeeze the 21st century speak is littered with that word.

[@cookiecutter5176]

I think a huge part of my fear actually comes from the art style itself. The stark black and white making such detailed, intricate, busy patterns makes me so nervous I can't begin to understand why.

[@lynxthebobcat2609]

Im so happy you covered Junji Ito's work! I love horror and Junji Ito is one of my favorite artists, its a lovely coincidence to have one of my favorite KZbinrs cover an artist I also like! :D

[@isteyak78]

I was never into horror, But junji ito's manga's are beyond horror

[@EmonWBKstudios]

I was never into breathing air, but oxygen is beyond air. That's you, that's what you sound like.

[@Quacktivate]

​@@EmonWBKstudiosOHHHHH! YOU JUST ROASTED THAT GUY HIGH FIVE!

[@autistichades5552]

@@EmonWBKstudiosGood god, I could’ve never imagined how much someone would misunderstand a comment as simple as that. It’s like you missed out on all of your english classes in all of the schools that you’ve been to. It is so amusing, so tragic, and so embarrassing that it defies words from any dictionary ever made, I need a whole new language to describe how I felt reading that comment.

[@Quacktivate]

​@@autistichades5552 bro stop being mean, you're being mean. That's mean stop it dude.

[@Bionickpunk]

I find Uzumaki incredibly cliche, outdated, and kinda funny.

[@Tarnished-bn5gq]

All of Junji Ito’s methods of writing cosmic horror are phenomenally portrayed in the iconic 2015 video game “Bloodborne”. It’s a slow descent into an increasingly disturbing and unfathomable world of linked nightmares that neither the player or the main character can wake up from. The player and the main character both know much about the world and at the same time know nothing, it only takes place in a single city and several warped nightmare hellscapes after all. The overpowering feeling and knowledge that we know nothing, yet know far more than ever intended for us is almost crushing in the game.

[@Lady_Flashheart40]

The fact that Silent Hills would have had Junji Ito working with Guillermo Del Toro makes it all the more frustrating that it was cancelled.

[@deesevrin8570]

I read Uzumaki in one sitting, perpetually convinced that my imagination was going to do worse to me than the next chapter if I dared go to bed. I was traumatized. I was phobic of spirals for solid month after that...and my business' logo which I designed is a spiral I had looming over me every day. 11/10

[@tVt2000]

Bruh you’re braver than me. I couldn’t work with a spiral over me

[@Hadeto_AngelRust]

wait til you see Sweet Baby.

[@terrythepterodactyl8048]

"There's a scene where a pair of 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐒 kick a cat painting, which destorys the spirit of a cat, because the cat's soul was in the painting of it, or it 𝐖𝐀𝐒 the painting. But then the cat was 𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐎 a part of the lady who owns the house so she's destoryed, 𝑩𝑼𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑵 𝑰𝑻 𝑻𝑼𝑹𝑵𝑺 𝑶𝑼𝑻, not really." "A guy goes to a watermelon stand and asks for 𝘽𝘼𝙉𝘼𝙉𝘼𝙎, which transforms him into a 𝙈𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝘽𝘼𝙉𝘼𝙉𝘼𝙎."

[@0mn1vore]

Terribly inconvenient. :-\

[@Bluegirl12345]

I'm so confused

[@rga1605]

The Remina story is also great because it shows that Ito can also make really good action scenes, like the atmospheric chase scene. Also it's one that he explores social panic as a whole as well.

[@AstridIlledia]

Honestly Hellstar was one that truly got me in a sense of panic

[@Rum-Runner]

If you ever have the time, might you consider covering the worldbuilding of Gemini Home Entertainment? It’s an analog horror series that manages to seamlessly blend monster horror, body horror, cosmic horror, and, of course, analog horror into a single narrative through various forms of media. Mostly through KZbin videos made to look like home tapes, but also through posts and even a video game they developed. It’s right up your ally I think. Anyways, love your videos, and I look forward to the next one, whatever it may be. Cheers.

[@polybius-jy5rc]

id also recommend vita carnis which is more biological horror (i guess) but if you'r looking for cosmic horror then local 58 is simple but good there's also Mandela catalogue which is something

[@Rum-Runner]

@@polybius-jy5rc Those are all great, but I think GHE has a little more meat to it in terms of worldbuilding, which seems to be the overall theme of Curious Archives’ channel.

[@polybius-jy5rc]

@@Rum-Runner makes enough sense i don't watch this channel much. i don't know many analogue/digital horror series with a big focus on world building. the June archives may count but A.R.G's are were it's at in terms of world building. the sun vanished, the muse A.R.G, there's something in the sea and more all build a world or area.

[@polybius-jy5rc]

monument mythos dose have a focus on world building just not a massive one now that i think about it.

[@Rum-Runner]

@@polybius-jy5rc Ooh, I really like that one too. I’d argue the worldbuilding in that one is roughly on par with GHE.

[@anakin-is-panakin]

I think the thing that traumatized me the most from Junji Ito was when that kid and his bully both become snails and mate together in front of their classmates. It’s just so unsettling.

[@corvus8996]

im sorry the what now

[@anakin-is-panakin]

@@corvus8996 yeah 😔 idk how to provide context because nothing can make it make sense lol you should read Uzumaki and see for yourself if you have a strong mind and stomach 😭 I don’t but I still read it

[@finneldereverett7881]

His work is irrational because fear isn't rational. He is truly my favorite artists & horror writer.

[@randallbesch2424]

Fear without danger is irrational.

[@Jjonahlamison]

Man. I would never think that you would do something like junji ito. Maybe you could do other books too? There’s one called apocalypse taco. While it may seem silly at first, the book dives into body horror pretty well. It revolves around the idea of bees, genetically modified to create things out of wax. But once it goes haywire, it turns people into creatures made of human teeth or arms. It is a really good book and I think you should make a video on it.

[@winniethexiping1062]

I also want to point out that the one with the human shaped holes is a metaphor for japans social pressure on young people they have a predetermined path like a mold to get a job work and work and be remotely successful even if that’s not what they want to do they feel like they have to go through that mold and get shaped into a miserable person that just works and works

[@matteste]

Now that you have covered Junji Ito i hope you cover the world of Made in Abyss. It just has so much world building for its strange setting to create something truly special.

[@s0cks548]

I absolutely love Junji Ito’s books. He captures fear he way no one else can.

[@AJScraps]

Love Junji! He also does so much hands on research in to spooky phenomena and he is great at interacting with his fans!

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

From my perspective, Uzumaki is far and away the most noteworthy Ito story, followed somewhat distantly by Tomie and then even more distantly by Flesh-Colored Horror. The latter is a good "exception that proves the rule" to the idea about not adding color to Ito adaptations, as the creepily unsettling portrayal of the manga would turn to visceral nausea if you were actually seeing the pinks and reds of exposed musculature, rather than imagining them. Tomie is probably the most famous story, and I'm quite surprised it wasn't mentioned here.

[@alexterieur8813]

Just bought it as i really enjoyed Nanno on netflix which is inspired by Tomie.

[@brooke3394]

the thing that drifted ashore is my favorite story of his and it’s soooo underrated! thank you for covering it!!!

[@theexchipmunk]

Uzumaki will probably always be one of my favourite works of his. It´s just such a genuine and incredible depiction of cosmic or lovecraftian horror. That creeping wrongness that slowly starts to seep into reality, only to exponentially escalate with each step till it twists ;) reality itself. And I really adore it for not being some amorphous many limbed and deformed horror. While it has those, they are a result, not the thing itself. Because the actual horror of that story isn´t something tangible. It´s a concept. The concept of spirals either themselve or being a gateway for the "thing" that bleeds into existance. And it´s even in a metaphorical sense very fitting. The spirals are not really malicious. They still just do what they always do. Twist. But instead of themselves, they twist objects, minds, bodys and at last reality itself.

[@elizabetho.7484]

Great video and great to see you covering Junji Ito's work. Also, your description of House is the best ever.

[@bonelessbaby6908]

Dude this is awesome, I just read remina last month and you're my favorite channel. This also gives me hope that maybe one day you'll cover more manga like Nausicaä of the valley of the wind.

[@awsomeness]

Curious Archive is back with another fantastic video! You never fail to impress with the versatility of the topics you dive into and always so captivating!

[@lezbefrenz]

Ito is incredible, and that's an understatement. I love his work so much, and the fine line drawing he does, omg.. super artistic talent and incredible body horror stuff. Thanks for the coverage! Gotta spread the good word of Junji to all! ;)

[@munchi674]

I’ve always been a huge junji ito fan ever since I was 14, I’ve somehow collected all of his manga. His way of telling horror stories has always surprised and inspired me, from his illustrations to his story lines, he’s an incredibly creative man. My favorite book by far was either Frankenstein or one of his most popular books, Uzumaki. The story of the spiral had always irked me, and for someone who isn’t scared easily with certain aspects of horror, Ito still finds a way to freak me out! He’s a wonderful artist and I’ve loved his work for a while now, he’s inspired me to create my own disturbing art as well! To all who read this, have a wonderful day💗 :)

[@BeinBr33zy]

I've been a fan of horror (and specifically cosmic horror) for a long time, but I've never experienced dread that compares to when I saw the top of the lighthouse in Uzumaki.

[@pap64]

I just want to say THANK YOU for giving Junji Ito credit for the fact that many of his stories are so absurd they reach high levels of Stephen King camp. I know horror is subjective and what may be terrifying for someone may be just weird to someone else, but one thing that attracted me about Junji Ito's stories is how he can go from something that is sick and horrific on a psychological level to something that is just so ridiculous you love it. Like the "Ice Cream Bus" story; all it is is that the Ice Cream man visits a neighborhood and the kids get addicted to his ice cream (I won't spoil it for those that don't know that story). And the 'Melting Classroom" series has moments that make me squirm...but then I back out and think that the premise is that the main character is controlled by the devil and he kills people by apologizing to them. It's like if he were to make a KZbin apology video, complete with ukulele, and it would go viral in the most literal sense ever. I think the reason comedy and horror often go so well it's because of the absurd and how the characters react to it, and I feel Junji Ito does that well when he wants a story to be that. Though stories like "Uzumaki", the holes one, "The Bully" and such are very unsettling and not funny.

[@PopeIvanThe11th]

It is always so good to see a new release from you! I love your work, and I hope it continues for a long time.

[@marshalmarrs3269]

Junji Ito himself is actually the human form of some of the nicest, sweetest things in existence.

[@lionessoftor4139]

I always worry about artists who work on things like this. If this is going through their head what else is. I hope they are okay.

[@hal9713]

junji ito is such a lovely and well-adjusted man! he’s a great cat dad. i mean, just from what they’ve said in interviews, i think it’s more reasonable to be worried about miyazaki; he makes such sweet and cute creatures but they’re… almost always very deeply tied into his childhood trauma regarding war.

[@VS-kf5qw]

I love that you touched on the absurdity. Hellplanet Remina left me feeling that complex soup of emotions more than any other work, like an insane dream. The absurdity and laughter was almost comforting in those moments where everything seemed utterly grim

[@mtreding]

12:06 The body's were noodleated beyond recognition

[@dinomatians9889]

I’ve been a fan of junji ito for a while and it is so cool to see you cover his works and what goes into them and keep up the good work I really enjoy your videos

[@valentinhalau3396]

you are genuinly the only youtuber of which i watch all of the videos he would make and patiently wait for a new one , my fav vids are the speculative alien planet biology videos , would like if you would make more , keep it up

[@Cp-71]

What bothers me somewhat in cosmic horror is that, in spite of its concentration on humanity being small and meaningless, the otherwordly beings ALWAYS seem to be interested in it - which kind of negates the point. Like, why would any of these things even come to Earth when it's so unimportant?

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

The best stories in this vein make it clear that they're not here for us, and probably aren't even here on purpose, but just passing through and casually destroying our whole universe without even noticing we exist.

[@changsangma1915]

If thats how you interpret it, thats your problem.

[@memesfromdeepspace1075]

Like child interested mound of ant

[@johnathanmonsen6567]

They generally aren't. The meetings that happen in cosmic horror stories between humanity and the cosmic are happenstance; neither side sought out the other. To quote Loki, "An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

[@Blueskirtt]

A video on my favorite horror mangaka AND you bring up one of my favorite films of all time too, House? Bravo, good sir.

[@natto4now]

The way he draws fish disturbed me I legit couldn't eat seafood for months

[@shinyeevee456]

I was so excited when I saw this upload I audibly gasped. Thank you for your amazing content, CA!!

[@yugioht42]

Ito’s work is actually quite simple. It evokes fear from the human form and simply twists it. The circles are actually from the rare fear of spiral patterns in objects. It’s basic phobias that exist but Ito twists it into something new. I found Ito’s drawings fascinating more than scary as the complex patterns have a odd effect on my mind. It doesn’t exist as fear more like I want to understand it and dissect it for study.

[@margchannel7430]

The art of junji ito is so terrified and lovely at the same time, good video mate.

[@Zaprye]

Great entry, thank you so much for covering Junji's work!

[@camchem]

The most recent Uzumaki trailer looked gorgeous and very promising! I’m really excited to see the final results.

[@cerouluxray6394]

Art like this has unexpected effects, and can influence individuals differently. When I first came across the Enigma of Amigara Fault, it absolutely terrified me and I hadn't even read it. For a full week, it kept me from sleeping properly as I kept asking myself why I found it particularly disturbing. The mere concept that someone would be compelled to slot themselves into a space "made for them" with such intensity that it overrides all reason and self-preservation. Even to this day, such an idea strikes a pang of instinctive terror. At the time, I was slowly breaking my mind out of a cultish church group, staring into the cracks as I tried to sift the truth away from the lies. For nearly two decades, my family had thrown themselves into it, getting taken advantage of in the process. This story's main concept is what finally tore the veil and made me see what happened. Two family members out of our group of five had gone so headlong into it that they came out the other side as someone else entirely, twisted and deformed beyond recognition. Myself and one other barely got out, the one with renewed scars from her childhood, and myself now unable to ever consider going back to a church of any kind again. The fifth? One could say he made it about halfway down the hole before we pulled him out. If I ever get the chance to thank Junji Ito myself, I will. I don't know if he considered the Enigma of Amigara Fault's metaphoric parallels. It's the beauty of art, even if it inspires terror.

[@pigeonmama]

It was great to see one of my favorite KZbinrs explore the work of one of my favorite artists! Thank you for this. :)

[@KrazyKaiser]

How are your videos so consistently amazing and interesting?

[@fidde208]

You could look into the manga Mushishi. Quite otherworldly and sometimes dangerous for the characters, but with a very calm and soothing atmosphere to it.

[@LegionsOfLoodle]

I watched the anime, its one of my favorites now

[@fidde208]

@@LegionsOfLoodle if I remember correctly the anime was two season and both were very faithful to the manga, so you won't miss much if you don't read it. But I think the atmosphere comes across even better when you can read at your own pace and stop and wonder at certain pages.

[@matteste]

How about Made in Abyss?

[@lollipoplemur5073]

I love his art. Thank you for making a video about it.

[@seawarshark6674]

Your voice narration combined with Junji Ito's arts is amazing.

[@bluehairedemon]

one of my favorite horror podcasts (the magnus archives) was heavily inspired by junji ito's work, especially the things concerning a specific character named michael

[@alfredlaalpacadeageofempir9215]

This is one of those channels i never expected to talk about manga(Although i shouldn't surprise me, taking into acount the main medium it reviews is visual in nature).

[@chaoserror3156]

very surprised you uploaded this right after I was watching a bunch of junji ittos work

[@Lady_Flashheart40]

I love that Ito can take frankly ridiculous concepts and make them truly terrifying. It's so disappointing that the live-action and animated adaptations haven't lived up to the source material. The live-action films are so bad they're riffable. As for the animated series, it's too polished. Ito's art isn't polished, it's visceral and detailed and that's what makes it so memorable. Thank you for doing this video! 😁

[@fexus9730]

I loved reading Uzumaki. At the end of the book, there are some extra chapters which Junji Ito has inserted himself into, searching for answers to this mysterious yet natural spiral shape which occurs seemingly everywhere in nature. Uzumaki in my opinion works the best because it uses a theme that we are always surrounded by. Whereas the sharks would have to come from the ocean, the spiral has already manifested everywhere and the manga makes it clear that escaping it is utterly futile. Makes me really happy that the real life spirals in nature tend to be peaceful and really beautiful :D

[@superspider64]

I may not like horror and have a dislike of bad endings, but I wholeheartedly support Junji Ito's dedication to his craft

[@laurelsilberman5705]

You know, there’s not much content on the internet that I wouldn’t put on too close to bedtime. I’m a horror lover and a comics freak through and through, but I’ve also been reading and studying Junjo Ito’s work for half my lifetime. While I will oftentimes fall asleep to unimaginably scary stories, THIS-This I put on for less than one minute as I was eating a bedtime snack, and I said, “Nah. That’s a video for daylight hours.” Ito is a certified physiological horror legend and I’m so glad to see one of my absolute favorite channels on KZbin covering one of my all time favorite horror comic artists. Much love, Curious Archive. ❤😊✨👌🏽👍🏽❤️

[@gabeyeah297]

this was such a sick video i love junji ito and u even mentioned the uzamaki series that was coming out

[@rayanderson5797]

This guy seems to do Lovecraftian horror better than Lovecraft ever did.

[@anonfinally1692]

In my opinion, Lovecraft is not the best but he started it. Some cosmic horrors trump Lovecraft's writing but those wouldn't exist without him. The great cosmic horror writers of today stand on Lovecraft's shoulders.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

It's almost healthy for our own well-being to be able to allow ourselves to embrace the Absurdity about the difficulties of Life. Rather: if we don't, we would just be pessimistic, negative, stressed, depressed, hopeless, nihilistic. *So finding a healthy way to balance dark humor & Absurd sarcasm alongside the difficulties that life entails is actually a beneficial trait to gain. As long as you still empathize, care about, focus on safety & respect those who sadly endured difficult situations. Then I think that's a healthy location for a person to exist in.

[@coldcallerloopy]

This video felt like 40 minutes not 20. And I mean that in the best possible way. Bravo! Amazing video quality!

[@kiyohiyt1562]

I NEVER expected to see House make an appearance on this channel. Or any other ones really. Such a weird and niche film, but I'm glad it's getting talked about more, because it's a pretty fun watch!

[@swordofdoom1517]

Surprise House mention!! Absolutely love that film, and great vid too

[@Mr_W1nkle]

Hey archive I love your videos I always find it fascinating I was wondering will u ever do some Hp love craft stuff?

[@MayorDesu]

I remember watching Gyo as a kid and it was facinating to watch and the storyline was ok. I would definately watch it again. Didnt know there was a manga for it.

[@thecandlemaker1329]

The anime is good as far as horror anime goes, but the manga is a masterpiece.

[@MayorDesu]

@@thecandlemaker1329 just read the manga and it's very different from the anime + a lot better than the anime as the characters are given more personality than the anime

[@squeethemog213]

This was a fantastic watch. Love hearing about Ito 😃

[@TapeCollageForEloise]

I am always here for Junji Ito content!

[@moonbanggi]

Well done on writing your commentary. I literally can never lol. 👏👏👏

[@BeardVsTheWorldUK1]

Amazing stuff-extremely well done. My daughter got me into this Manga artist, and every little bit I see from him makes me want to see more. Hell of a lot more interesting than anything Hollywood does...Your video makes me want to work with Junji ASAP!

[@DragonDogFilmsG]

When I first read Uzumaki, I felt very queasy for a few hours and I absolutely enjoyed the book. After listening to some creepypastas for a couple of years now, it’s hard to find something to make me feel disturbingly uneasy and boy did I hit the jackpot with Junti, like his work is like horror in abstract art form

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

16:27 after being aware of dead space and many scps, “out there” seems so quaint

[@ashleyallison6205]

I feel like another reason his art works at being unnerving is the use of line. It goes hand in hand with the insane amount of detail he puts in his work. The sheer overwhelming amount of line and detail forms something akin to a visual form of static. Static can often be used in horror as a form of "nothing is scarier" - you listen long enough and you hear things. You look at it long enough and you see patterns you could swear weren't there five minutes ago. Your mind has trouble interpreting this morass of information so it tries to translate it into manageable chunks. The "static" here is often part of something bigger- a character or entity, or parts of the background-. Its a detail in the thing that should not be, and the more you stare at it the more you, the reader, try to suss out the danger before it can get you. And much like Ito's forays into the unknowable and absurd, it's brilliant. Just another layer to his creative works that adds to it all.

[@eeb1019]

hey! i really like your videos and i was wondering if you could do a video on wobbledogs? the things that look like jello

[@selbyscutari4880]

One thing to consider about Ito's work (that can actually defang a lot of the horror) is that much of it happens to be a veiled critique of society or aspects of the culture he grew up in that never sat well with him. For example, In the sad tale of the principal post. An elderly hardworking father, by some inexplicable reason, ends up under the main support beam of house newly constructed for his family. The family scrambles to remove him from it but he urges them to leave him there as removing him might destabilize the entire house. He chooses to sacrifice himself in order to save the house for his family, and eventually dies. Many have drawn the conclusion that this is alluding to how many fathers in Japanese society work themselves to death to support their families. The Enigma of Amigara Fault was said to be a look at how the rigid aspects of Japanese society's need to conform can feel excruciatingly punishing. Often straining, distorting and literally stretching a person too thin. Nosy neighbors, the scary features of foreigners, Insomnia, the list goes on. While there are many stories that may contain these levels of subtext. Junji Ito has said that many of his stories are also things that typically scare him on some level and writing them out help him to confront it. One story might be about his displeasure of how town rivalries can turn people ugly and hostile. Another can just be that spirals really just hate humanity.

[@carlrazonanle487]

12:50 it looks like her heart and actions are utterly unclouded

[@grilledpook]

im psyched for the uzimaki adaptation , what ive seen so far looks quite interesting as someone who has just started checking out junji ito's work

[@yalaus1497]

I loved this video and I would love to hear your thoughts on his oneshot: layers of fear.

[@simonvelar]

It's about spaces - you look at a painting and you feel like it drags you in, or it reaches out - tapping into subconscious memories - it changes your field of involvement, unintended participación. You learn that in theater, especially in Japanese theater.

[@rotciv1492]

I'd absolutely love if you could do a take on the world of "Blame!". Very few mangas have ever caused me an impression as deep as this one.

[@Ph4ntomHourGlass]

This channel went from mostly speculative evolution to basically a horror analysis channel and I'm all here for it

[@glynfordgrind-artcabarse588]

one of my inspiration in art and the stories he make's, such a genius!

[@bryannelsen2243]

This was a great video. Is there enough to do a video on the works of Trevor Henderson since you did Ito here and Valdez-Hevia before?

[@SAmaryllis]

The intense amount of detail in all panels is astounding. His story about mushrooms lingered in my mind for a long time, which was a problem especially because I'm a vegetarian and normally I love eating mushrooms 🫠

[@mathieugariepy2948]

Great video!

[@MrTheDudeManGuy]

you know it is a good day when curious archive uploads a video, it is gonna be a really good day today

[@JBOMB802]

I never thought id see curious archive cover ito, but im here for it!

[@troycoley-cn5bb]

Amazing Video!!!

[@kirisakijake7028]

I remembered reading somewhere that Junji Ito was working with kojima on the canceled silent hills game. and wouldn't be surprised if junji ito played a part in death stranding's art direction.