Another creepy collection of stories from the master of Japanese horror! Village of Ether was my favourite of the four stories, as well as being the most disturbing. Definitely don't read before going to bed!

Ito is the master of horror in this specific format. No other writer is able to bring this much dread to the page quite like Ito can!

Actual rating: 3.5-4.0 stars.

The Liminal Zone, Volume 2 is a collection of manga short stories by horror master Junji Ito. This particular collection includes four stories: "Demon King of Dust," "Village of Ether," "The Strange Hikizuri Siblings Chapter 3: Uncle Ketanosuke," and "The Shells of Manjunuma." The nice thing about most of Junji Ito's works--with the exception of certain series, such as Uzumaki and Tomie--is that most of them can be read as standalone stories, so new readers can often jump in wherever they like. This book is no exception--though I've read previous iterations of the Hikizuri Sibling stories (and watched the anime Junji Ito Maniac), it's been a while and I've forgotten things, but I could still follow Chapter 3 well with very little context. I also found the premise of "Demon King of Dust" personally a bit funny because of my own experiences dabbling with urban exploring, including creepy dolls.

Junji Ito's strength as an artist is the detail of his renderings and his dramatic visuals--the first time I read his work, I had never been so unwilling to even touch the horror artwork since I first encountered Ryuk (Death Note) and Gluttony (Fullmetal Alchemist) as a kid. (I've since recovered, haha.) From an artistic point of view, I admire his dedication to his craft, and first-time readers will delight in the shocked surprise of his buildup of tension. Longtime fans also enjoy--among other things--Ito's chill demeanor (especially with his cat), and the internet memes contrasting him to Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli. Ito is thus a creator whom I would love to one day meet in person, and who has definitely influenced a plethora of fans and creators alike.

That said, my observation of Junji Ito's work--like those of many other famous creators--is that once the reader gets used to his art style and mode of storytelling, the horror element stops being scary. The art is still fantastic, but while the jump scares may still surprise, they don't terrify. Thus, I don't necessarily recommend bingeing his work so that it can stay fresh. Readers familiar with Japanese folklore and superstition may recognize the elements he draws from, including the trope of monstrous/demonic women; his stories can feel a bit...male-gazey at times. Also without his distinctive horror style, some plotlines would feel rather quotidian and boring, but even an expert in one's field doesn't create masterpieces all the time. Junji Ito himself admits to struggling with the stories in this particular collection. I wouldn't say this one is my favorite of his extensive bibliography, but, like everything he's created, it's still worth reading, especially if you're looking for something short, quick, and creepy. "Village of Ether" has the most distinctive visuals of all the stories in this volume (in my opinion), so give this book a peek if you dare....

Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy: The Liminal Zone (Volume 1), Uzumaki, Tomie, Junji Ito's Cat Diary, and pretty much anything else Junji Ito has created, many of which have also been adapted into anime and live action films. Uncanny is Ito's autobiography; fun fact--he also did artwork for a band named Phantom Siita. Other horror stories of interest may include: The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, Phantom Tales of the Night by Matsuri, Her Frankenstein by Kawashima Norikazu, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Ōtsuka and Housui Yamazaki, and MPD Psycho by Eiji Ōtsuka and Shōu Tajima, among many, many others.

Once again, Junji Ito has created something wonderfully creepy and disturbing. Many of these stories were very classic Ito, but it seems like he was also being a little experimental with some concepts he hasn't used before.

Junji Ito is back with another volume of The Liminal Zone! Newly translated into English, this collection offers four new stories from the horror manga master. One revisits The Strange Hikizuri Siblings: a new series cut down after just two chapters. While the new installment is (as always) a heck of a read, we’re here to dive into the trio of new standalone stories in this volume.

From dust to turtles to perpetual motion machines, Ito is here to make all sorts of things terrifying. But which will become mainstays in his catalogue? Read on to find out!

Demon King of Dust

Junji Ito has a way of finding the horror in commonplace things, from shower drains to snails. Demon King of Dust is his latest crack at bringing horror to the mundane. Yuichi, our young protagonist, comes from a line of celebrated actors. His father, who hasn’t had a role in years, owns a lonely, dusty inn. It’s just Yuichi, his dad, and two housekeepers living there. Oh, and dust. Lots of dust that just won’t go away. It seems to be coming from the closed-off top floor, but Yuichi’s father refuses to acknowledge this.

As the story progresses, Yuichi discovers a bumper crop of skeletons in the family closet. Or, rather, in its attic. Not only that, but his father’s fear of a “demon king of dust” seems to have some grounding in reality. The reminder that dust is largely human skin cells feeds into the big reveal for this story: an eerie, hard-hitting one that leaves off on a terrifying cliffhanger.

Village of Ether

We all learned about simple machines in school, right? And we’ve all at least heard of perpetual motion machines: impossible devices that, once they start running, will continue to run under their own power. But in Junji Ito’s Village of Ether, the impossible becomes possible when a group of college students enters a seemingly deserted village. One scientist remains, carrying out his late father’s dream of creating true perpetual motion machines. And it seems he’s succeeded—the caveat being that these machines only continue running within the village.

Body horror meets a portal straight to Hell as the story continues, unveiling the truth behind these machines. Fans of Ito’s gorier works will love this one, as machines fuse with flesh to create horrifying new creations. The feral cat prowling the village (seen above) is just a taste of what this mad scientist has been up to. This is our personal favorite out of the three stand-alone stories. Its bizarre designs, paired with its surprisingly sentimental ending, make this a must-read.

The Shells of Manjunuma

In the back of this volume, Junji Ito discusses his inspiration for each story. The Shells of Manjunuma came about after he picked up a turtle in the road one day. It went “Ngeh” and urinated on him, and this story was born. (Yes, that is indeed what he cites as his entire inspiration.) But that strange encounter is, at least in the story, the beginning of a curse. These strange-sounding turtles bear markings akin to human faces on their underbellies. Moreover, local birds eat the turtles, dropping empty shells that look disturbingly like locals. Soon after, those locals die.

One day, Kunikazu finds a turtle whose underbelly bears a face like his absent mother’s. And from there, terrifying karma appears to visit his home—specifically, Kunikazu’s father. But how much of the legend is manufactured, and how much is the universe taking revenge? While this is the weakest of Ito’s new stories, a weak Ito story is still very strong. The eerie faces on the turtle shells are, on their own, enough to make this a creepy read.

Junji Ito has come out with another book of short stories. However, these stories are a little longer than some of the others so there are only 4 in this book. For the most part, I enjoyed all of the stories but I had the same problem with these that I've had with other stories in previous books - a lot of times they just end without much of a conclusion.

Story 1 - "Demon King of Dust" focused on how the dust in a town/house hides some secrets.

Story 2 - "Village of Ether" finds a village few of people that are not what they seem.

Story 3 - "The Strange Hikizuri Siblings: Uncle Ketanoskue" focuses on how karma can be passed down through generations

Story 4 - "The Shells of Manjunuma" tells an interesting urban legend about how deaths are predicted in a town.

Other than some of the stories ending abruptly, I did enjoy all of the stories and thought this book was a lot of fun. As always, the artwork is strange and creepy. If you're a fan of Junji Ito then I am pretty sure you will enjoy this one.

"The Liminal Zone, Vol. 2" is another delightfully creepy and macabre collection of short graphic stories featuring both new and recurring characters from other Junji Ito collections. The stories are spooky as always, although I did find these tinged with a little more sadness that usual. Still, Junji Ito fans will be thrilled with this newest volume. This master of manga horror never disappoints.

I love Junji Ito's earlier short stories but I found these to be some of his weakest. The art is still good and creepy but nothing really stood out.

I really enjoyed the first volume, but I wish these stories had been fleshed out more--the fact that there are only four of them doesn't help. "The Demon King of Dust" is the most engaging and horrific one (and happens to be the first story).

Junji Ito came through with another banger. His art style is always phenomenal and his stories are spooky. This book had new horror elements that I haven't seen from him before and were deeply disturbing, but also included some storylines with familiar characters. It is a great continuation of The Liminal Zone, but could also be read and understood without reading the first one.

I was a little disappointed with this one. Liminal Zone vol 2 is a collection of short manga horror stories. I wish the volume had been longer because I think it was only 4 or 5 short stories. I do like that they added another story with the Hikizuri siblings from the previous volume. I will still continue reading all the Ito I can get my hands on though.

I’ve read Volume 1 and this may be even better. The stories are solid Junji Ito, terrifying and emotionally impactful.

Liminal Zone 2 by Junji Ito is another captivating and unsettling collection that showcases his mastery of horror. In stories like The Strange Hikizuri Siblings, Ito explores the eerie, otherworldly nature of human connection with his signature grotesque detail and haunting visuals. Each tale pulses with a sense of creeping dread, leaving readers both fascinated and disturbed. Liminal Zone 2 solidifies Ito’s skill at blending psychological terror with supernatural horror, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

The art style of Junji Ito is hands down one of the rarest ones that can truly show the emotion of darkness and horror that you cannot find anywhere else. You can always look forward to a twist that you were not prepared for in anyway.

“Demon King of Dust” - This was a twisty tale, but overall gave me some serious cottonmouth and I’m still thinking about it.

“Village of Ether” - A bit slow to start, but there was a huge turn that pulled me in. Although, I’m a little confused at how the mechanics looked on women versus the men (once you read it you’ll understand).

“The Strange Hikizuri Siblings Chapter 3: Uncle Ketanosuke” - I have never liked the stories of the Hikizuri Siblings. They’re basically a darker Addams Family. Also, what is it with tongues in this novel this time around? And “karma”? The last pane of this story sealed it that this was a skippable story.

“The Shells of Manjunuma” - Junji Ito speaks about the inspiration of this story which I did appreciate.

Overall, I wasn’t a fan of this one. It’s rare for me to rate this author’s books so low, honestly I think the only other one I rated low would have been the light novel released but I don’t think I rated that one since I DNF that one. Read this if you’re a Junji Ito fan, but definitely don’t recommend this one for a first timer.

Aside from the negatives, I am always beyond excited when I get the notification that a new Junji Ito graphic novel is available to request for arc, and I will always make it a priority to request, read, and comment on them.

3.5 ⭐️

I’ve heard a lot of things about Junji Ito and mannn this was good. I don’t do horror, but I love the look of his art style so I thought I’d give it a go.

The first chapter and the last chapter I really enjoyed. The two in between were also good but i enjoyed the others more.

Thank you NetGalley and Viz Media for the ARC!

Another unsettling horror manga collection from Junji Ito. Leaves you wanting more (as always). Actual score 3.5, rounded up.

Junji Ito continues to develop his oeuvre, adding more fever dreams and time-worn ghost stories to his impressive collection.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

As always Junji Ito is a treat. I love these collections, and as per usual there are several stand out titles alongside some weaker ones. All in all, it's a fun set.

I mean, what is there to say, really? It's Junji Ito. He is the undisputed master of horror manga. I never thought dust could be scary, but here we are - yet another fear unlocked due to Ito's masterful storytelling.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for an arc copy!

I love Junji Ito's art style so much, the way he can protray emotion on characters faces in insane. I enjoyed the first story in this a lot, there was one story with a family that has appeared in one of his previous manga's that I didn't love and I felt the same the first time I read about that family's story. Apart from that the manga was great, it has slightly unsettling horror vibes and again the artwork in this is truly phenominal.