Member Reviews

I love the creepy disturbing art that comes with Junji Ito's mangas. This one did not disappoint, I love the haunting beauty of the story.

Was this review helpful?

Another cool title from Junji Ito. As always the concept is super creepy and unnerving, although I've come to realise that I love the art in these books but horror manga is realistically not my jam. Will not stop me from recommending this at all tho!

Was this review helpful?

Four stories from Junji Ito published through the Line app. The stories are a mix bag of body and psychological horror Ito is so very good at portraying. This is not the strongest of his collections, but fans of his work will enjoy it. I cover design of this Junji Ito western releases are top notch.

Was this review helpful?

While not as good as I would say my top rated Ito books are (uzumaki, tomie, etc.) this was still a fun read! The weeping woman was a good story. As always with these anthologies there are some throwaway stories and some that really stick with you. This may be my favorite cover for an Ito book though, as always the art is in top form.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

Junji Ito fans rejoice! The Liminal Zone is another solid read to add to one's horror comic collection. The Liminal Zone wasn't anything groundbreaking for me, but it was entertaining and delivered on its premise.

Was this review helpful?

This was my second experience with Junji Ito and it solidified him as an auto read author for me. Though I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories and nightmarish imagery the opening story was by far the most memorable. I think fans of Junji Ito, horror, or manga will appreciate this collection.

Was this review helpful?

Not a good intro to Junji Ito, but fans of his work will enjoy this nonetheless. Hard to recommend such a niche book / genre but I enjoyed it!

Was this review helpful?

It seems that Junji Ito can do no wrong. The Liminal Zone has sealed itself as another masterpiece of the master of horror.

Was this review helpful?

I love this author. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed this author so much that I wen out and bought another book by Junji Ito.This is my favorite genre. Great story!

Was this review helpful?

Another creepy tale from Junji Ito. This one includes a lot of his trademark body horror imagery and an interesting tale.

Was this review helpful?

Junji Ito is a master of horror and The Liminal Zone brings more brilliant and terrifying tales! As always, the artwork is incredible and creepy and the stories will keep you up at night.

Was this review helpful?

The Liminal Zone is my first Junji Ito book and I was quite impressed. If you enjoy horror and creepy folklore stories, you'll like this manga. The illustrations are striking and may haunt your dreams. Maybe don't read this one right before bedtime.

Was this review helpful?

What: Horror manga from the revered Junji Ito
About: collection of shorts featuring Ito's signature themes of body horror, grotesque imagery, folklore run amok
Features: dread, story twists, ink that oozes from the pages
Assets: artwork that stays with readers long after finished
Obstacles: Ito has stated that he never knows where a story is going to go, and that ending stories is a challenge. Often, the artwork and feel makes up for an abrupt story finish.
Who it’s for: J-horror fans, readers who value artistic achievement over story, long-time Ito fans.

Was this review helpful?

A wonderfully bizarre collection of weird horror. The artwork is phenomenal; the stories are inventive and feel fresh. Weeping Woman Way felt especially poignant. While Ito creates imaginative new ways to creep and gross us out, his stuff is so fun to read I rip through it.

Was this review helpful?

Forever a Junji Ito fan. I can't say he ever really disappoints. Even though this wasn't my favourite collection of his, the art and the weirdness of his mind and where it takes you, makes it always worthwhile to read his books.

Was this review helpful?

In the afterword Ito talks about how his ideas are getting tired and to be honest, it shows. The setups for each of these stories are interesting, but they just aren't that scary or disturbing. Worth reading, but not a great volume.

Was this review helpful?

ARC From Netgalley.
Another fantastic entry from Junji Ito, the master of horror manga.
Four short stories here:
1) Weeping Woman Way - A couple passes a funeral and hear the sobs of a Weeping Woman, an old tradition where a woman was hired to be an extreme mourner at a funeral. After witnessing the event, Mako continuously cries. This leads to her and Yuzuru seeking out the stories of weeping women, which takes them to a village where weeping women are said to live. They hail Mako as the next leader of their cult, which continues all the way through her death.
2) Madonna - Maria Amano transfers to a new school and becomes quickly known as the most beautiful student. This gains the ire of the Principal's wife, who sees herself as a modern day Mary reincarnate. The story spirals south quickly as only a Junji Ito story can, and the biblical comparisons are thick as the school "falls from grace".
3) The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara - Norio has a terminal disease and goes with his girlfriend Mika into the famous "Suicide Forest" near Mt Fuji. While looking for a comfortable place to die, they witness a stream of light that flows at night. The next day they discover a strange cave and watch the light become a flow of spirits all rushing to the afterlife. Norio jumps into the flow and begins a journey intitally seen as healing, but becomes something much more "streamlined"....
4) Slumber - Takuya is having nightmares and trouble sleeping. When waking in the morning, he is plagued with very specific memories of having committed a murder. As the murders continue every night, Takuya becomes paranoid and starts to believe he might actually be doing the murders. Is he?

Always love when Ito comes out with new material. Quick read, but outstanding illustrations and very deep, well thought out plots.
Strong recommend. Pick up anything by this author. But.... some can be very disturbing or gross. Consider yourself warned.

Was this review helpful?

I felt that there was a real development in Ito's illustrations in The Liminal Zone, lines even more refined and drawings detailed. Ito has an afinity for body horror in his stories and honestly, the amout of ways Ito invents to invoke utter repulsion and horror for the reader is impressive. I wouldn't say the collection is a stand out like Tomie or Soichi, but its still an enjoyable read none the less.

Was this review helpful?

This was another fantastic work by Junji Ito. Of the four stories, I think that the last was my favorite but it's hard to pick since they were all so good. I also really liked the weeping woman story from the beginning of the book. Overall, a great book that I think any horror fanatic should check out.

Was this review helpful?

Another piece of perfection of Junji Ito’s work. This is so creepy & twisted. There's a good variety that will creep under your skin and leave goosebumps on your arms. It's so bizarre and strange...perfect for spooky season.

Was this review helpful?