"Stitches," a collaboration between Hirokatsu Kihara and Junji Ito, brings together a series of ghost stories complemented by illustrations. The collection includes nine tales that explore various themes of horror, alongside a bonus manga story. Ito's illustrations are a key feature, adding visual depth to Kihara's narratives.

The artwork is notable, with Ito's ability to convey horror visually standing out. The inclusion of a manga story at the end provides an added dimension to the collection, showcasing Ito's storytelling skills.

However, the collection has limitations. The stories, while initially engaging, often conclude abruptly, leaving a feeling of incompleteness. This brevity can make the tales less impactful and memorable. The collection's similarity to other horror anthologies aimed at a younger audience suggests it might not fully meet the expectations of those familiar with Ito or Kihara's more in-depth work.

In summary, "Stitches" is an interesting yet uneven collection. Its illustrations are a highlight, but the storytelling sometimes lacks depth. It may appeal to younger readers or those new to the genre, but seasoned horror fans might find it lacking in complexity.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! 3.5 of 5 stars.

I enjoy horror, short stories, and graphic novels so this was right up my alley. I also am fascinated by other cultures and this had really interesting insights, albeit not a lot of explanations.

It was very much a “Scary Stories to tell in the Dark”. I can appreciate the build up and suspense and then the resolutions not really resolving the stories. Or there being resolution but not what you hope or expect.

Vague, I know but I want this to be spoiler free.

I really appreciate horror as a genre and the variety of stories that can be told. I like that these tales had the gloom and darkness aspect but not a “popular” or “mainstream” feel. No “jump scares” so to speak. If you’re expecting something to be entertaining in that way, this isn’t that. To me the stories encapsulate the grim realities of life and take it a step further to give nightmares and fears a reality. They just sit there staring, existing and waiting for you to succumb.

The illustrations were very good. The perfect accompaniment to the tales.

My favorite part is that these are true unsolved mysteries, true stories of the strange and unknown in our world…

The bonus manga at the end was excellent!

The stories were extremely average. Some of them had interesting beginnings, but they always landed badly. Junji Ito's illustrations were good, as always, but not truly stunning like they sometimes are. Just an okay book.

What can I say? I love anything with ties to Junji Ito! This was yet another creeptastic read. I loved the illustrations and story as well.

I love all things Junji Ito, and overall this book was fairly good. I loved the illustrations he did in this book. I realize he was not the author of the stories, but it seems more like a collection of children's scary stories than the normal adult horror of Junji Ito. The stories were intriguing but I wish they were longer and had more details and context. If the stories were more fleshed out, I think it could be great.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a book of short stories with accompanying illustrations by Junji Ito. I wanted to like this collection but honestly it fell pretty flat. The stories were very short (to the point of feeling underdeveloped at times) and not at all scary. These stories felt like campfire stories more than anything. I think in that environment they would be decent but compiled in a book they were very unsatisfying. Even the artwork lacked anything actually scary. I love Ito's talent for drawing the horrific and uncanny but none of the illustrations took advantage, it was mostly just drawings of regular people with occasional ghosts (boring ghosts, at that). I did like the bonus manga, at least.

The illustrations that's Junji Ito does is always masterful and is done with the creepy detail that readers know and love by him. Unfortunately, the short stories that accompany his drawings do fit his usual story telling style but because it is the written word, it's a new format that doesn't possess the same scare factor due to the lack of the suspense that comes from the page turn in Ito's Manga. If the short stories possessed some kind of societal theme rather than most stories being an uncertain possibility of it being a ghost with odd supernatural happenings, it may work in the favour of the story especially since the images didn't enhance any scare factor but instead just added more so an atmosphere.

Junji Ito! Every time! I enjoyed this title so much and it had the hand standing up on my arms in the second half. Thank you so much for the digital ARC!

The stories are short and relatively basic. I had a hard time getting enveloped in them. It was like “this is odd. Aaaand the story is done.” The art rules. That helped tremendously. Worth checking out.

2.5 ⭐

I have grown to enjoy Junji Ito's work over the last few years so even though he didn't write this collection of short stories (he just did the artwork for them) I decided to still give it a shot. I will say that Ito's contribution is the best part of this collection. These (very) short stories are meant to be scary but they are so short that nothing really gets developed and you're just left with shells of potentially good ideas. The collection felt like a children's horror anthology. Ito's artwork does help add a tad of creepiness to each story but doesn't make any of them exceptionally good. Overall, it was incredibly easy and quick reading, but I don't know if I would recommend someone going out and buying the book (unless you truly are a fan of Ito's artwork and want everything he's ever drawn).

Thank you to @netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This quick read is a collection of short stories revolving around Japanese urban legends and decorated with Ito’s signature macabre artwork. The nine short stories average 8 pages each, with Ito’s illustrations placed throughout each story. Each story has numerous small illustrations throughout and all have at least one full page illustration (all artwork is black/white). Some stories have 2-page spreads, further highlighting Ito’s distinctive linework. The text and the beautiful illustrations work together to build anxiety, anticipation, and a sense of dread. This however is not always successful, as some short stories lack intrigue, are awkwardly told, and rely entirely on the artwork to convey the horror. However, these short, simple stories can be a solid match for younger readers who are already fans of short stories and manga. This is a great choice for younger readers, particularly those who were/are fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps. Also a great choice for reluctant readers who are just starting to read prose fiction. Older teens/readers looking for more intense, complex narratives or scarier illustrations will need to look for said scares elsewhere. However, for a young reader who is just dipping their toes in the waters of horror, getting through this book may feel like an accomplishment!

Many thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the advanced reader copy.

Jungi Ito's illustrations steal the show, but the extremely short stories contained here are underwhelming. The writing is too weak to deliver any impact. The stories come across as generic and underdeveloped.

This might be the first disappointing Junji Ito work I've ever read. The stories were so generic and forgettable that the brilliant illustrations couldn't save them.

Stitches was a neat little collection of eerie tales.

The stories in this volume are not quite what you would call "horrific" or "terrifying". Instead they're ghost stories that create a pervasive sense of unease and mounting dread around the mundane, everyday aspects of ordinary people's lives. This brand of lower intensity, lingering, everyday, horror definitely has merit and doesn't always get the attention it deserves in modern media when it seems like everything is trying it's hardest to scar you for life.

I worry that people will see Junji Ito's name and immediately expect a Junji Ito level horror manga, (which this is not, he was merely the illustrator for these tales), and become frustrated when that's not what the book is. This hardly seems fair and on its own merits this collection is a spooky, unsettling series of stories good for a pleasant afternoon read.

People wanting a scarring, mind warping Junji Ito manga will be disappointed but that is not at all the fault of this collection.

Stiches is more of a short story collection than a manga, but it's still a fun time! The stories are quick and spooky, this is not a book that asks for a lot of your time. Ito's art pops off the page, as per usual and adds a nice touch to the book as a whole. If you're looking for a shorter horror experience, you might want to give this a shot!

I enjoyed the 9 short stories in Stitches, especially the bonus story from Ito. I think this would be a great scary story book directed toward younger audiences interested in getting into the horror genre or Ito’s work. It reminded me of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books but with a fresh updated spin. Each story felt unique in tone and voice but all felt within the same world which I loved.

This should not be advertised as a Junji Ito manga. I requested this because Ito is my favorite mangaka and I was incredibly disappointed that this wasn't an adaptation like No Longer Human or the bonus chapter. Speaking of the bonus chapter, reading a digital version is incredibly annoying since I had to scroll past the story and had it all spoiled. Flip the pages so that digital readers can enjoy it. If it was a physical book, it would be fine. Before requesting this, I thought the low rating was weird since Ito is incredibly popular and well-loved, but as soon as I opened the file, I understood why it's so low. This is a light novel, not a manga.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.*
This was a visually stunning horror-filled graphic novel that was intense and easy to read. The simplicity in the drawings made the book more terrifying.

The art was phenomenal, no surprise there. The stories themselves were underwhelming. I can’t think of one that was particularly evocative which is the point of ghost stories.

The bonus manga was an interesting start to something, but reading it digitally did mean having to swiping through every page just to get to the beginning which definitely lessened its effect.

I love Junji Ito’s art, but the stories in this aren’t great. I’ll stick to his original stories in the future.