Although I haven’t read everything that horror mangaka Junji Ito has done, which goes back to the 1980s, I have read enough to express an opinion about what works and doesn’t work about his way of visual storytelling. His style of horror often works because of his impressive artistry, but when it comes to ongoing narratives where characterization and drama should be key, that’s where Ito starts to lose it. Enter: Remina.

Originally published by Japanese publisher Shogakukan in 2005 – now published as an English-language edition by Viz Media – Ito’s sci-fi horror centers on an unknown planet that emerges from inside a wormhole. Its discoverer, Dr. Oguro, christens the body “Remina” after his own daughter. The sixteen-year-old Remina becomes an instant celebrity as the planet itself picks up speed as it moves along in its curious course, eliminating planets and stars one after another, until finally Earth faces extinction.

I’ve always felt that Ito has always had interesting ideas that form the basis for his horror, as in the case of this title, it explores the fears of celebrity, mass hysteria and even cult-inspired movements. Remina’s character arc is about that journey of self-discovery that feels appropriate in the life of a teenage girl… until people start believing that she is the cause of the planet Remina accelerating to Earth. However, there is never enough time for these ideas to breathe, because Ito wants to rush to the horror as soon as possible.

Taking place in the future, Ito never delves into why the futuristic setting is significant to the story itself, instead seeming content to merely show that flying cars and space travel is a common thing. The story could’ve been told in a contemporary setting, though it falls into the same problem from Uzumaki, in that the longer the story goes on, it just gets so silly to the point that the horror element is no longer scary. As much as Ito is doing a familiar horror trait of making humanity just as monstrous if not more so, it’s hard to root for any characters, because they seem to get thrown into the narrative without much development.

Junji Ito is a better artist than he is a writer. He creates imagery that is haunting and stays with you, usually involving characters who look like they are on the brink of madness. Although the futuristic setting is bland overall, apart from the Jetsons-like automobiles, Remina is described as a “demon planet”, which is a pretty accurate description, from its giant eye and giant tongue that destructively slurps at our home planet.

Ito’s tale of a hellstar may have a chilling presence, along with quality art, but Remina is frustratingly lacking in substance.

I am a huge fan of Juni Ito. I have read almost all of his works. My favorite of all time is Uzumaki. Remina did not live up to that standard. It was a much shorter work and could have used more fleshing out. It was too short and choppy. Everything escalated quickly which did not allow me to get to know any of the characters.

I did not like this book. I thought the story was going somewhere, but it ended with nothing. Not a bang, not a whimper, at best, a fizzle. Too much suspension of belief was asked for.

In works such as Uzumaki, Tomie, and Gyo the Japanese horror writer, artist and Eisner winner Junji Ito has ploughed an uncomfortable furrow with an often disturbing blend of universal and uncontrollable horror alongside the subtleties of human behaviour in the face of the terrible unknown. In Remina – firstly published in Japanese in 2005 under the name of Hellstar Remina – Ito tries to go full on with the existential dread and visceral horror as a new planet threatens the extinction of the Earth and its inhabitants.

After discovering a new planet that has appeared out of nowhere from a wormhole, renowned scientist Dr. Oguro names it Remina after his daughter. As the planet’s fame grows, so does that of his offspring who becomes a reluctant star with thousands upon thousands of screaming fans. But the heavenly body turns out to be rather more hellish – destroying the likes of Neptune and Uranus – and heading to Earth on a destruction course. As the behaviour of the planet becomes ever more bizarre so does that of the people on Earth; suffering a kind of mass hysteria in the face of planet wide devastation, a mob decides that the only to stop Remina the planet is to sacrifice Remina the girl. As she tries to escape, with the help of various friends and hangers on, the true nature of the horror that is engulfing the planet becomes apparent and the world descends ever more into chaos.


It’s unsurprising that Ito has cited HP Lovecraft as an influence in the past, with Remina recalling much of Lovecraft’s spirit – the constant air of the smallness of humanity and our powerlessness in the face of entities that go beyond our limited means of understanding. There’s very little hope on offer embedded within our protagonists either – people are either part of a selfish elite who will use their money and power to try and escape the oncoming horrors, or small-minded venal humans who regress into superstition and fear. Even our titular character (the human version) is something of a cypher, an innocent girl firstly sucked into the jaws of fame and later into the terror of infamy. The late appearance of another protagonist adds the possibility of some hope in the face of the abyss, but Ito does not let humanity cover itself in glory through the course of the story. It’s delving into subjects of mob rule and a populace driven by fear provide some uncomfortable parallels with the state of the world today.

Indeed, Ito tries to deal with many subjects in what is one of his first forays into sci-fi and perhaps sometimes bites off more than he can chew. Alongside aforementioned examinations of fame, power and superstition there are also of plenty sci-fi trappings. But Ito gets caught up with his grandiose horror and – even in the face of Armageddon – things do start to get contrived. A chase scene in which the protagonists float over an Earth knocked out of its orbit is commendable for its invention yet drifts into the realms of the ridiculous. Add in the fact that many of the characters are archetypes and underwritten, Remina is often left wanting on a narrative level.

But unsurprisingly Ito provides many bravura set pieces. A moment in which a character is crucified on the charred remains of their relative is gruesomely well done, a disturbing image of a world burning physically and losing itself to degradation and blasphemy. Another in which the titular planet lets loose a tentacle to lick a groove in the Earth is so bold that you cannot help but admire the sheer audaciousness of the idea. Ito’s style presents us with mess and decay, viscera and destruction. A world in which human order is destroyed by nature and the unknown forces of the universe. The wide-eyed characters – usually denoting a strain of innocence in Manga – here imply fanaticism and insanity. Ito creates a consistently disturbing world of darkness, of smoke and ash and brimstone. A literal Hell brought to Earth.

There’s a certain disturbing joy to Remina, as there is in much of Ito’s work, to experience the world descending into chaos. But the narrative flaws are noticeable and Remina is one of Ito’s more minor works in which atmosphere triumphs over coherence.

Junji Ito is one of the most well-known horror mangakas with an epic catalog under his belt. Remina, released by Viz, feels fairly consistent with his previous works but does manage to branch out a bit into more technological sci-fi alongside his usual cosmic and body horror.

Remina’s plot revolves around a world-renowned scientist discovering a strange new planet. The planet is found on the scientist’s daughter’s birthday, causing him to name it after her, Remina. Other bizarre coincidences between the planet and his daughter begin to occur as Remina seems to gradually come closer to earth. During this seemingly inevitable collision, the public has a growing obsession with the scientist’s daughter, and things quickly escalate from there.

With Remina, Ito goes further with futuristic sci-fi elements than any of his previous work. The setting is an idealized Tokyo in the year 20xx. Buildings with swooping designs and hover cars cover the urban landscape. It is possible there was a deeper meaning intended from this setting contrasting with apocalyptic themes. Still, it could also simply be Ito wanting an excuse to draw something different with futuristic art designs. It’s an interesting departure from his previous work and one that might not really hold huge importance to the overall story but doesn’t distract from it too much either way.

Art throughout is top-notch, and some of Junji Ito at his best. Fantastic character expressions and horrific details are all here, along with the aforementioned futuristic architecture. My personal favorites saw immensely intricate body horror and surreal and abstract cosmic images that show up a bit later on. If Remina was Ito working digitally, it’s indistinguishable from any of his traditional work. His iconic hatching style is preserved and most prominent when in gruesome detail.

The story starts strong and gets straight into chaos almost immediately. From early on, Remina quickly becomes a scenario of escalating circumstances that takes the reader on a rollercoaster of events. Themes of obsession, cult, and mob mentality are featured heavily throughout. Existential dread and desperation loom over every character’s actions and motivations. This leads to a lot of interesting and terrifying scenarios. Ito also manages to balance his dark sense of humor, commonly causing laughs along with scares.

Unfortunately, I did feel that some of the later sections get a bit over the top and slightly more difficult to follow. For some more into heavy action anime and manga, it might not seem like a huge change in tone, but it came across as a little jarring to me. At times it can feel like characters appear like a revolving door coming and going. By the end, it more or less comes together, but coincidence does play a huge part in the narrative. As insane as things get, though, I still really enjoyed this chaotic journey.

Remina takes the reader on a wild and horrifying journey full of apocalyptic and cosmic terror. Junji Ito’s art throughout rivals some of the best in the industry. There are moments near the end that seem slightly out of tone with the rest of the narrative, but it does little to take away from most of the story. Remina might not be the most tonally consistent, but it’s still a scary good time.

Manga is not usually something that I read (especially horror manga), but I've heard amazing things about Junji Ito's works.

This was creepy, slightly confusing, and the art just made the story.

I'm not sure when I will pick up another one of Junji Ito's works, but the art made sure I will pick up another one.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who has read his previous works, or enjoys horror manga.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

A rare venture in sci-fi for one of horror's master mangaka, this new edition of Junji Ito's Remina is a must-have for longtime fans and new readers alike. Ito's work has a tendency to make my stomach twist in a way that no other author or artist can -- and this tale is no exception. It is -- as Ito's work frequently is -- frightening not because of the otherworldliness, though; it's because it's ultimately about the unknowablity of humans themselves.

Once again Ito has surpassed himself, a master of horror and such weird and wonderful delights.
Transport yourself to the distant planet Remina, a triumph that emerged from a strange worm hole. Get to know the curious character that is Dr Oguro and quickly lose yourself in the strange happenings and fickle inhabitants as the planet progresses.

Yet another beautiful collected edition of one of Ito's stories, after loving Hellstar Remina (originally published in 2005) it is a delight to see the story come to live yet again in this new edition.

A must read for fans of Lovecraft.

2020 introduced me to Ito for the first time with 'Uzamaki' and since then, I am equally anxious and excited about any Ito book that crosses my path. In 'Remina', long-time fans will not be disappointed as this another gorgeous and terrifying book to add to your collection.

In typical Lovecraftian fashion, 'Remina' begins with cosmic horror. A new planet appears in the sky from inside of a wormhole. The discoverer of this planet, Dr. Oguro, names the celestial body after his daughter - Remina. After this, the planet and actions of Remina seem to be one and the same. As the planet moves along consuming and destroying stars and other planets, the girl Remina also grows with inhuman power and strength.

'Remind' is a chilling story paired with the kind of pen and ink drawings that horror manga fans will gush over.

If you are drawn to the horror genre, graphic novels, manga, and spins on cosmic horror - you need to add 'Remina' to your collection.

Sadly I am unable to review this title as by the time I was able to find a system that would like me install a programm that allows acsm. files to be read the file had expired I could no longer access it. I have rated it 3 stars based on the details I have of the title.

Tongues. So much, tongue.

I’m very torn over how I feel about this one. Initially, I was really into it. I’ve always been a fan of end of the world scenarios that involve space, so the beginning of this had me real excited. Ooh, an ominous planet is heading towards earth faster than the speed of light! Neat! I was absolutely delighted slash unsettled when an eyeball appeared on said planet. And then, the tongue, of course.

I stopped being delighted when the realistic, aggressive abuse of Remina the girl started. Probably should’ve seen it coming, considering the opening scene was of her, crucified. When she was sexually assaulted by a fan, my feelings took a hard turn towards, “NOPE.” Was that necessary? It only got worse from there.

While I enjoyed all of the sci-fi aspects and the typical gruesome horror that Junji Ito is known for (my GOD, the surface of the planet Remina made my skin crawl off my body), the scenes of graphic abuse overshadowed the things that I liked. Perhaps it’s because it hits too close to reality, and I enjoy living in a state of suspended disbelief when I read his work.

Overall, I’d give it two stars out of five. I’ll keep reading his work, but I don’t think I will be recommending this to others.

I have read quite a few of Junji Ito's works and unfortunately, this one is probably my least favourite. It tells the story of the planet Remina on a collision course with Earth and the human girl, Remina from whom the planet got its name. For me, while this was still full of the tentacular imagery that Ito does so well, the story itself felt pretty light and rushed. It hits a lot of the same story beats of some of his other works, namely persecution and lost love, but it just didn't pack the same impact for me.
I received a free copy of this work from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Junji Ito once again brings a great concept and characters. However the lack of characterization and ending that makes you wanting more feels disappointing.

This manga was entertaining, just like any other Junji Ito manga, however I felt like it was missing that body horror aspect we all love about Junji Ito. Things like Tomie and Uzumaki come to mind as his greats and Remina was “almost” there.

I've been hearing about Junji Ito for a while and it was cool finally reading some of his work. This was an interesting story and looking forward to reading more.

I write this post knowing that I am a complete newbie when it comes to reading horror manga. Works from Junji Ito and so are not a realm that I have explored before, which is why I jumped at the chance to read one of his works when I have the chance. Especially when it involved a lot of science fiction elements in it. Especially weird space nonsense because while I love space stuff in general, weird space stuff is another thing that is my jam. This seemed like the perfect fit for me when trying it out and I can’t help but feel like a mark was made and missed somewhere. Lets see if I can explain why. Spoilers

Remina starts off with a very unique premise. Dr. Oguro sees a strange object out in space and calls it after her daughter, Remina. From this famous event, Remina becomes a star. An idol perhaps and she just raises in fame and gains a larger fan base of people who love her. Of course, the object in space called Remina turns out to be a planet that eats other plants on its way to Earth. With that doom in question, the world slowly raises up against the person Remina with the belief that if Remina dies, the planet can be saved. Yeah, that was the experience. The manga itself opens with Remina being crucified so none of this is a spoiler.


So this is obviously a story that focuses on multiple themes. The first one being the nature of fandom itself in terms of persecuting a famous person with the planet Remina being a representation of the in person Remina’s inner thoughts on what is going on around her. There is even a small amount of 1%er commentary about those idiots landing on a planet that is hostile to them without even considering that issue. Those are two very good things to explore. At the same time, all of that is ruined by the nature of the manga. It’s insane and completely ungrounded in every way possible. Remina’s fame just happens as instantly as all of this insanity happens. A lot of this manga is a chase game with convenient moments that save Remina’s life and that goes from on foot chases to the planet losing gravity from spinning too fast and still chasing Remina in the sky. It’s crazy. There is a very minimal level of dialogue here, it’s mainly action panels and it’s whatever.

At least the art is incredible though. I’m amazed at how beautiful the art is. It’s a very well detailed manga with panels that flow well in time with the barely there narrative to sell the complete package together. The space stuff looked insane and the technology for all the rockets and space suits. If Junji Ito wrote a normal space opera manga, he has more then the artistic talent for it. Would recommend for the art alone. Other then that, I can’t help but say I was completely unimpressed with Remina. It’s just whatever. I may need to check out more of Junji Ito’s work though. Maybe read some real gems or something.

I feel that it's difficult to describe a book like this. I have read Ito's works before and always enjoy them but this was just a bit too much for me. The characters had little depth it seemed and the physics of it all were almost laughable. I think there's something to be said about humans and their panic responses to horrifying situations but all of this just exited the realm of potentiality and dove straight into ridiculousness. It gave an otherwise horrifying, serious story a strangely humorous overtone that detracted from reading it.

This was an interesting, fast read. Not one of my favorites from Junji Ito, as I didn't feel the same connection to any of the characters in Remina that I normally do in his stories. The art, however, was just as stellar as ever. I would recommend this one to tried and true Junji Ito fans, but would definitely go with another of his works when recommending him to a new reader.

Thanks to Viz Media for an advance NetGalley of this graphic novel, which is coming out this Tuesday Dec 15, 2020--

Having a scientific discovery named after you seems rad, right? Your name will be remembered forever--and associated with a cool new star, or the complicated solution to an infamous math problem. But in horror master Junji Ito's manga Remina, this kind gesture becomes an apocalyptic curse.

Remina is a shy young girl who's not interested in the limelight, but she becomes famous after her father, Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Dr. Oguro, names a new planet he discovered after her. Soon, however, it becomes clear that this planet is malevolent; not only is it heading straight for Earth, but it's decimating all the other planets in our solar system along the way. In a state of desperate doomsday hysteria, people become convinced that Remina and her father are responsible for the destructive planet--and that the only way to stop it and save Earth is to kill them both.

Remina is a great showcase of Ito's distinctive (and completely disgusting) cosmic and body horror drawing style: we get bloody crucifixions, gore-splattered head explosions, and a nasty planet-sized wet tongue. Unfortunately, despite the brilliant premise of this manga, the plot and character development are a little lacking. Remina spends a majority of the graphic novel sobbing and being dragged around by underdeveloped men and boy characters--one of whom tries to assault her without any consequences. The creepy cult-like hooded leader of the "we need to kill Remina and her dad" movement gets a pretty lame end reveal: more "boring teenage relationship drama" than "end-of-the-world mastermind." Ultimately, the art visuals here are absolutely horrific and gorgeous; I wish I could say the same of the story.

This was not something I enjoyed. I am not afraid of planets coming from space to lick and eat us, just weird. The rest is kind of torture porn. Not for me.