Story: 5/10
Art: 7/10
Characters: 4/10
Quality Polish Edition: 6/10
Enjoyment: 4/10
Overall: 5.2/10

A fresh and unique story focusing mostly on body horror. The plot is lacking at times but the art is spectacular as usual and the body horror and dehumanization are done extremely well. Nothing is straight out scary or shocking, but there is a sense of unease and disgust. Often times the manga seems campy which makes it very endearing.

The truly scary and unsettling is the bonus story at the end. Junji Ito truly shines there, and it is honestly spectacularly horrifying. The ending is a punch in the stomach from human nature.

As I already wrote in Junji Ito's Uzumaki, I'm not into body gore, but this one is full of it, yet I still read it because of my friend (the other friend who is Japanese said that it's really really good). And stupid me want to believe my friends ended up reading it.The first few chapters got me, I desperately wanted to know how this happened.



Then after that here starts the body gore:

I skipped so many pages because of the body gore.

Though in manga I can't smell anything, but I think I can smell something smelly whenever I read this manga. Well done, Ito-sensei. You can make me smell something through your manga. Also, the ending is suck.

... Last updated on November 10th, 2019, 1:54am

A very good horror read. Wonderfully drawn, oddly invented but above all perfectly paced. At first the scenery is just bizarre, but then the situation turns worrying, and then tragic, and eventually straight out apocalyptic. The story is always evolving, and when you think it can't get worse, it does. I'm not a fan of pseudo-science in manga because it tends to be pretty lame most of the time but it didn't sound bad in this one (especially considered that experiments on bad smells to use in war have been really made). There are some unrealistic elements that make the story look a bit fake, like



but they are minor ones and not much relevant to the plot. Clearly the characters aren't the main focus of the manga and that's okay. They are given just as much characterization as they need but they do not drive the story, it's actually the fear and the mysteries that make you go on reading. Some of the mysteries are explained later while others, less practical and more existential, are not. That's okay too I think, the main questions are given an answer and for the others the reader can come up with their own interpretation.

Two words on the hidden gem of this volume: The Enigma of the Amigara Fault is the best short horror story I've ever read. Perhaps even more disturbing and teasingly cryptic than The Death Stench (main story). I give 8 to the main story and 9 to The Enigma of the Amigara Fault.

... Last updated on September 8th, 2017, 12:53pm

the main story was good and all... but the bonus chapter tho, especially the second one, it was seriously terrifying in it's own way, the feeling of discomfort after reading that one is still haunt me to this day XD ...damn, the mangaka is a genius

... Last updated on March 20th, 2017, 12:40am

Recommended from a friend who shares very similar disturbing manga reads like I do.

This manga is extremely unique in the idea of being possessed...by robots. The concept (both in terms of artwork and details) is very different, but consistent...which is what I love the most. It really satisfy the horror genre and is pretty disturbing.

The plot is pretty good; people are genuinely afraid and are pretty terrified of what's going on around them. The ugliness of the expressions (of fear and horror) makes it very realistic so one could almost relate to their fear. The plot answers basic questions but more questions continue to arise about how one would live with this kind of chaos as we see the MC surviving all of this madness.

Good read. recommended.

These characters, good lord. It's hard not to giggle at Tadashi every now and then, he really is ridiculous. Half the time I was rooting for him to be infected.
Aside from that, this is a pretty interesting series, kept me hooked. It wasn't scary or even
gross, I thought the designs for the critters were pretty cool (and kinda funny in the later half of the story).

Definitely recommend it, fun little read. And the bonus stories were neat as well.

not mutch to say since the rest of other people comments can exsplain. As for me. Oh god. I notice this manga at bookstore. Shiver and make me want to throw up. reading this but wanted to see how it ended....since it a short story...twisted. ending story was just ahhhhhh. guess this why i stay away from genre like this. shiver yuck. disturbing....

reading this, i can feel various bugs skittering across my hand, my nape, my back, scratching my scalp and biting me till i itch. this is the effect of junji ito's manga, with the other wordly beautiful character juxtaposed with hellishly ugly creatures wreaking havoc to their world. there is no real horror or mystery or plot, just endless slimes and tentacles and boils and pus and all the ugly and wretched things rendered in high detailed to increase the queasy and gag factor to the readers.

truly a work of art to elevate your disgust to perfection.

I actually kind of liked this one. Well, I really liked it but to read it you have to be in a certain mood and enjoy this kind of story. But really, to get the most out of it, you have to have a black humour streak and take this one a little more lightly than most horror series. Because, I mean really, fish with legs scuttling around like a bug? I can imagine my mother screaming "Get it away from me!!!" and that's what did it for me If you start thinking of it humourously, this series is quite awesome ^_^