This had promise at the beginning and then went downhill fast for me. "Labyrinth Quest", which I would argue was the best, was the shortest of the stories by a long shot. I wanted more from that one. Why were they doing what they were doing? "Curse Room" was an interesting take on zombies and brought a new twist on an old tale. That is where the good ends for me. "Family Portrait" was vile. It is supposed to be horror but pedophila and incest are not it. I hated that one. The last story, "Blood Harvest" had potential but went on too long and over explained what was happening.

A collection of four one-shots from the creator of Dementia 21 and Super-Dimensional Love Gun, this collection skirts now-traditional horror tropes like serial killers, dopplegangers, zombies, omnipotent characters with a very limited/diminishing sense of perspective, and killer cars.

In some respects, it's a bit like Shintaro Kago took a look at popular horror tropes of the late 20th century and took them to their most absurd conclusion. In that respect it shares a framework with his prior works published in English, and similarly the mix of the ordinary and grotesque that characterizes a lot of Japanese horror. However, this illusion of the mundane is shattered in each of the four tales as the situations develop further and further into absurdity, mixing the horror elements with comedy as the reality of each situation breaks around the limits of the concept.

This makes this collection unlike a lot of contemporary horror (like say, the collective works of Junji Ito, whose works this collection is getting a lot of comparison in these reviews) since each tale hits a critical point where the story turns, either in an absurd joke or a complete breakdown (or both) that fractures the concept in a truly conclusive way. Very little is left ambiguous here, and the grotesque elements are framed or developed by the extreme situations, rather than them being the source.

It's a unique perspective that pairs well with Kago's crisp, precise illustration style; but the content really pushes at societal norms and conventional taste. This is definitely a book that the reader needs to be aware will push their buttons and may contain triggers around graphic violence, family abuse, dementia, canibalism, and just general gallows humor.

This manga has a lot of short horror stories that are all interesting & different from each other. Each story is unique and goes to a different places that the reader wouldn't expect to go. Overall it is a good manga that I recommend to anyone who is a horror fan!

Brain Damage by Shintaro Kago will definitely be compared to Junji Ito’s works–the cover alone is reminiscent of many of Ito’s. Nonetheless, the two authors definitely stand apart in artistry and storytelling style. Brain Damage by Kago is shocking, witty, and quick. Each short showed a versatility to the depths of darkness humankind can stoop to. Of the four stories, “Labyrinth Quartet” ranked first for me; it was a pity the story wasn’t as long as “Blood Harvest”. I really wanted to stay with these girls who looked similar, yet were different people. There were definitely ways it could’ve been stretched to fuel my PLL heart. “Family Portrait” was absolutely stomach-turning/sickening, which I guess is the point of horror, but I was not a fan of the last (5?) panels. It was definitely unforgettable, pun intended. “Curse Room” was an interesting twist on zombies, as Kago stated in the notes of the work. I am curious how this type of story will fit in with the symbolism of zombies as a whole and what they represent in literature. No, not everything needs to be analyzed, but my passion (and my degree) beg to differ. As aforementioned, “Blood Harvest” was the longest narrative of the four. Or maybe it felt the longest? If King’s Christine and It Follows had a baby, it would be “Blood Harvest”. Overall, I found this work to really stand for itself in the broadening genre of horror manga. I was intrigued enough to ILL Dementia 21. Thanks to Fantgraphics and NetGalley for the chance to read this eARC.

If you like Junji Ito you are going to LOVE this manga! It is weird, gross, bloody and gory but sill also somehow silly and fun. The art is grotesque, the stories are bizarre and disturbing. Chef's kiss.

This collection of short stories by Shintaro Kago is sure to be a hit with his pre-existing fans, or people interested in the grotesque side of comedy horror. Each story dives into a bit of forbidden territory when it comes to subject matter, with his signature love of gore and playing with subverting expectations. These stories are designed to make you feel uncomfortable, and he really succeeded!

Shintaro Kago is, in my opinion, an incredibly underrated mangaka. At least as far as American readership goes. His visuals are creepy, mind-bending, and fantastically weird. Never try to make sense of Kago; you will be hopelessly lost. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Brain Damage by Shintaro Kago delivers a unique blend of horror, reminiscent of Junji Ito yet disturbingly original.

This was my first experience reading Shintaro Kago and it will definitely not be my last. These four stories are all gut punches combining the grotesque, weird, and horrific to great effect.

In the first story, a group of identical young women wake up together in a locked room and have to figure out what's going on.

In the second story, a woman wakes up in a cell-like apartment and things feel off...I won't say anything more about this one as it would be too spoilery, but the concept behind this one was the most interesting and original to me.

In the third story, a high school-aged girl investigates disappearances in her neighbourhood while dealing with her creepy grandfather (this was the grossest and most uncomfortable story).

In the fourth and final story, people are showing up dead and mangled in their cars, but the police cannot find the cause.

Each story starts by establishing a sense of the uncanny, where some things are just a bit off (love it). The tension builds and builds, leading to grotesque endings that will stick in my mind for a while. Overall, this was a captivating, genuinely discomfiting read. Four stars because the last story was least effective to me, at least until I got to that final haunting image (I think he was going for a bit of absurdist humour here but it didn't land for me).

Thanks for the ARC!

What a fantastic book of peculiarities. There is a very 1990's vibe to it. The body horror and bizarre scenarios which are left feeling strangely familiar and comforting.
I highly recommend this one. It was a fun read and one I found myself wanting to pick up constantly.

Thank to Netgalley for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

This title has very strong Junji Ito vibes, but it is far from a successor. The storied are generally dark, but with a streak of satire.
The quality of stoies vary, but I think they are correctly written in the short form (none of them are novels in waiting).

"Labyrinth" - the best of the lot. Would love to see a horror movie utilize the premise. "Orphan Black" meets "Cube".
"Curse Room" - Macabre and Banal. The scope shifts (there is a twist) and it ends in a very weird spot - I did not see it coming.
"Family Portrait" - Interesting concept, but the grossness of this one turned me off - almost DNFed the rest of the book with this one.
"Blood Harvest" - Pretty good story. This is the one that feels to be the most "Junji Ito" (especially the last page).

Okay, simply put, this was disgusting.

I had no issue with the gore, though it did not really enhance the stories. My beef is with the pointless nudity in the 3rd and 4th chapters, as well as the INCEST. In the 3rd story there was a literal dementia patient raping his grandchild and then his other family members offering themselves as the punchline.

Despite the decent core ideas for each chapter, this entire volume is very juvenile. The stories could have been fittingly disturbing and memorable without adding the creep factor. I hope one day the creator realizes this and reworks them. Until then, would not recommend.

[English is not my native language, sorry if there are mistakes]
Brain damage contains four horror stories, different in their subjetcs, but linked by a very disruptive and deranged vision of human kind. Though the ideas are great, I found the rythm and the twists of the stories too quick to fully embody the subjects and build a massive tension and drown the reader in the horror of the situations. Nevertheless, readers looking for some gore and provoking stories will find what they want.

Body horror and gore galore. Each story has a unique take and can be read separately from the others, although there are distinct links between at least the first two and last two stories. I was thrown by Family Portrait. So many times when a story mentions dementia or Alzheimer's there's a lot of reflection or positivity, but the take in this short story was somewhere on the line of sweet (we are those who remember us) and disgusting (think incest/gross grandpa). I would recommend this compilation for fans of Junji Ito and Hitoshi Iwaaki.

Great artwork and great concepts, but the comedic/satirical parts of the story missed the mark most of the time and the pacing was all over the place. Judging by the author's commentary on the stories at the end, he knows the weaknesses of the stories but didn't know how to fix them. -1 star just for the rapey vibes of the third story, it really cheapened what was a really cool concept.

"Brain Damage" is a unique collection of manga stories that delve into the disturbing and creepy. What initially drew me in was the cover art, which was reminiscent of Junji Ito’s style, and I was pleased to find that the content lived up to that expectation. The stories are original, creative, and distinctly out of the ordinary. I was happy that Kago steered clear of typical horror tropes, something I particularly appreciate in horror manga. Each tale is grotesque and eerie, with a strong plot-driven focus. Some stories can feel disjointed, but I think that’s an intentional choice that adds to the artistic experience. I enjoyed Kago’s unique style and how he boldly experiments with the horror genre.

I enjoyed the grotesque elements, but I found the explicit eroticism less appealing. Kago is known for blending eroticism and horror, and while I recognize this as part of his style, I was uncomfortable with how female bodies were portrayed, especially in the third story. The depiction of a high school girl as an object of desire, alongside explicit imagery of incest and sexual harassment, reflects a troubling focus on the male gaze. The sexualization of high school girls throughout the collection creates a pattern that feels exploitative and fetishized.

Despite my discomfort with these themes, I appreciated the creativity and symbolism in the stories, particularly "Curse Room" and "Blood Harvest." "Curse Room" explores coming to terms with death in a very twisted way, and the shocking twist left a lasting impression. Meanwhile, "Blood Harvest" masterfully blends body horror with the paranormal, and this mix is executed brilliantly.

Episode 2 Curse Room and Episode 4 Blood Harvest were brilliant. 3 was disgusting and I hated it. 1 was just okay. Overall, 2 + 4 were a 4.5-5 star for me, 3 was a 1 star and 1 was a 3 star. This was very Junji Ito coded and in some ways better than his work for me, however in many ways it was… not as good.

The art style is magnificent, but sometimes lacks the shock horror value, and is much less distinctive than that of Ito. However, the stories I liked? I would argue have better storytelling than a lot of Ito’s work. I just wish that all of the stories hit home for me.

I did not enjoy this at all but I’m not sure how much is disliking this specific genre of horror, so I’m giving it an average rating.

I love horror but this one was a little bit too out there for me. I wanted to like it to suggest it for our anime/manga section of the store but it is not a book that would appeal to our audience.

I did enjoy most of the stories within this collection. Family portrait was the only story that I didn't like and it felt unnecessary to include certain elements. It's explicit in nature in an uncomfortable and unnecessary way and I didn't feel the story needed that element.

The other stories in the collection were very well done. My favorite was the Labyrinth Quartet. It was a really thrilling and satisfying story. I would definitely read more stories by Kago in this style. I think it was a good story to open the collection with and kept you wanting to read more.

Curse Room was also a good story that was very haunting as well. Blood Harvest was interesting and had a mystery element to it. The drawings for all stories were really well done and the storytelling was clear. The storylines were engaging and easy to follow. I hope that Kago gets more works translated and released in English.