Junji Ito

Junji Ito (いとうじゅんじ), born on July 31, 1963 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, is a thriller comic writer. In the world created by Junji Ito, an ordinary thing, idea or event, because of Junji Ito's realistic painting style, the whole story is as alive and lifelike.

Chinese name: Junji Ito

Foreign name: いとうじゅんじ

Alias: JunjiItou

Nationality: Japanese

Birthplace: Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Date of Birth: July 31, 1963

Occupation: Thriller anime writer, director, Screenwriter

Graduated from: Gifu Prefectural Nakatsu High School, Nagoya Dental Science and Technology College

Main achievements: Animated works and film-based series of works

Representative Works: Tomie Series, Whirlpool, Undying Love, Oshikiri Monster Story, Human Head Balloon, Forbidden Space, etc.

Original occupation: Tooth mold technician

Early experience

Born on July 31, 1963 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

When he was in kindergarten, he read "The Mummy Teacher" read by his elder sister, which ignited his interest in horror (my sister always gave him horror books such as "Baby Girl" on his birthday, and he has been addicted to it ever since. In the horror comics of かずお, はもちろん, Hino Hidashi, and Koga Shinichi. In addition, because my sister is drawing comics, Ito Junji is a great inspiration.

Elementary school one. I started drawing comics when I was in grade 1. My sister had a great influence on Ito.

In high school, I met a fellow comic artist. At this time, my works progressed from pencil drafts to inked lines, and from semi-finished products to finished products.

After graduating from high school, he entered the Nagoya Dental Technician College.

After graduating from the junior college, he worked as a dental technician in Nagoya (that is, making dental models). At the same time, Asahi Sonorama founded "Halloween Monthly". Discontinued)

In 1986, the "__ Award" was established in "Halloween Monthly", the home base of horror comics for newcomers. Junji Ito, who admired __かずお, participated in the submission for the first time and used his short comic works The best works were selected, and since there were no vacancies for the first prize of excellence and excellence, Ito Junji actually won the first place, and the winning work was "Tomie", which later became Ito's masterpiece series. There are かずお, Inagawa Junji, Kikuchi Hideyuki, Narimao Atsuko, Furukawa Mitoshi and the editor-in-chief of "Halloween Monthly"

In 1987, the first episode of "Tomie" was published in the February issue of Halloween Monthly. From then on, he entered the comic industry.

Creative career

After debuting from 1987 to 1997, he did not quit his original job as a dental technician. He held the second job for two or three years, but he felt very tired. It was hard work, and I felt that continuing this way was not a long-term solution, so I later chose to continue my favorite career-cartoonist, and insisted on continuing to do so. At this time, "The Wonderful Story of Sleepless Night" (later) was also published. Nemuki), and later published many stories.

In 1995, "Frankenstein" was published.

In 1997, the comic was serialized in Shogakukan's "Weekly ビックコミック". The four-page short story "The Elegy of the Great Black Pillar" was serialized in the supplement "Manfu!"

In 1998, "Uzumaki" began to be serialized monthly in "Weekly Magazine". >

1999.03.06 The movie version of "Fujiang" was released. The serialization of "Uzumaki" ended and it was decided to adapt it into a movie version. "Tomie" also decided to be adapted into a movie version again (Tomie Replay) (Midnight Ghost - Tomie) in Million. The second serialized short story "The Burial of a Doll in Hell" was published in "Mangagon". In the summer of the same year, two autograph sessions were held in Tokyo and one in Nagoya. It was a very busy year when "Nemuki" started serializing it. ".

The 2000 movie versions of "Fujiang replay" and "Whirlpool" were released at the same time. In addition, some short stories have been adapted into movies (such as "Human Head Balloon", "Oshikiri Kaidan", etc.).

The 2001 work "Undying Love" was also adapted into a movie by "Beautiful Boy at the Crossroads", "Tomie-Rebirth" and "Scarecrow".

In 2002, episodes 1 and 2 of "Fish" were published.

2003 Dark Voices serial Vampire Voices Prime Time Ghost Rumble The Mystery of the Haunted Mansion Triglycerin Earthbinder The Calling Bell of the Death Row.

2004:

In 2006, New·Dark Voices was published including the collection of books Phantom and Collapse.

In 2008, he published "blackparadox" (Chinese translation: Black Paradox)

In 2011, he published "Rasputin, Worried about the Country" (***6 books, completed)

The new work "Dissolving Classroom" began to be serialized in March 2013, and the "Devil's Fragments" began to be serialized on April 13, 2013.

Attachment: Currently known short films are not included in the works "Face Fixed", "The Rib Monster", "The Phantom Pain Mansion", "Lulu", "Lulu's Sorrow", "The Secret Whisper" , "Human Chair", "Summer Graduation Trip".

Catalog of works

Published by publishing house

Independently published issue

Note: "Fujiang Little Finger" was originally published in "Fujiang PART2" A short story, but it was not selected when Asahi Publishing House released "Selected Horror Comics by Ito Junji"; "The Boy in White" is the remaining chapter of "Undying Love", which was also not selected.

Film and TV adaptation

Tomie Series

Unreleased theater works:

A long dream (2000)

Yan Nibang (2000) ) (The Face Thief)

Partial introduction to the TOMIE Tomie series:

Highlights:

Many of Ito's works have been adapted into movies, such as "Uzumaki", "Tomie", "Oshikiri", "Anshanzi", "Undying Love". When the movie "Tomie" was released in Japan, the name of the actor Miho Kanno who played Tomie was deliberately hidden, and it was only shown in night shows and not in matinees. A series of gimmicks made the film even more mysterious and terrifying. Risa Goto, the star of "Undying Love", regarded this movie as a love movie with her innocent and romantic girl's mentality. Of course, she was frightened after watching the movie - love has never been It's not Ito's theme. The little girl would be wrong to participate in the development of the game this time.

Style of work

Main features

Short - Most of Ito's works are short stories or a series of short stories, such as "Tomie" and "Double One" wait. Even the first full-length novel "Whirlpool", which was serialized in 1998, was actually a collection of short stories that had little connection with each other. Maybe the feeling of horror is a process of tension gathering. If you have been frightened for a long time without a breakthrough, you will eventually lose the sense of tension, so the nightmares will not last too long.

Picture - Ito's painting style is realistic, and the characters' faces, hair, expressions, movements, and postures are all described in detail. In his works, the characters are no longer the common ones with nine to twelve heads and bodies, with eyes taking up half or three-quarters of the face, but images with the most normal and standard proportions - even heartthrobs Fujiang is no exception. Moreover, the picture is very clean and crisp, without the abuse of dot paper that is common in horror comics. The hand-drawn background suggests that this is a perfectly normal place, and the upright and peaceful faces suggest that this is a perfectly normal group of people. However, amidst this normality, you will feel a gloomy and ambiguous atmosphere lingering - The low pressure before the storm is coming has slowly enveloped you. The more normal and real it is, the more you can empathize with it. You cannot escape this terrifying fog.

Plot - the most ordinary things seen in daily life will become the starting point for the extension of Ito's story. The beginning of an event is often just a sign of departure from the norm, or the emergence of a legend, story, or metaphorical intention, which you will not mind or feel threatened. However, gradually you will find that you have been involved in this incident. All the clues will make you tremble with fear. All the brows and corners of your eyes reveal conspiracies. You make assumptions and conjectures, and you are busy overturning them. However, you ignore the ending and come straight to it. , you can’t help but struggle, everything is a foregone conclusion, but the mystery in your heart cannot be solved, Ito leaves it to you, just for thinking in the dark night

Source of creation

For Ito, there are so many sources of terror that they can be found everywhere. The following is a summary of opinions from all sides. Perhaps it is not comprehensive. Visual terror is the most common. Tomie’s new and ferocious head, with The bloody limbs with teeth and claws, the disgusting skin that looks like it is covered with hemangioma, the overwhelming meat sauce, the dense hair growing on the face, and the balloon with a human head have to say that Ito's imagination is invincible. Although humanoid monsters such as Tomie and Souichi can scare people half to death, Ito still likes to use ghosts to scare people. Such works include "Exceptionally Close", "Promise", "Home of the Deserter", "The Creature" "Swamp", "Scarecrow", "Ghost Alley" and "Ghost House" and many other chapters. Psychopaths are the creepiest of all sources of horror, because anyone around you could be them. "Bad Boys", "Pen Pal", and "Heart of a Father" fall into this category. Personally, I think "Bad Kids" is the scariest. The loving image of the mother is completely destroyed by Ito: the perverted mother dresses up as a child and takes her children to the park to play every day, reliving the old dream of playing with her husband. There are some terrible things in Ito's comics. With eternal grievances, such as "Tombstone Town", "Map Village", "White River Village Blood Story" and "Whirlpool", please take a detour if you are lucky enough to pass by. Tomie's hysteria is frightening. It's really creepy to see her obsessed with her beauty and youth like a resentful woman for thousands of years. It can be seen that there is no difference between excessive persistence and resentment.

The formation process

Junji Ito, who was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan in 1963, eventually became a master of horror. Of course, it is impossible without reason. Since the first horror comic provided by his sister in kindergarten, Ito has been spending his birthdays in the company of horror comics. Therefore, as he grows older, Ito has become familiar with horror, and he has gone from being frightened to being frightened. other people. I first tried comics when I was in elementary school. I collaborated with a group of colleagues in high school. My works progressed from pencil drafts to ink line drafts, and my skills improved by leaps and bounds.

After graduating from high school, Ito entered Nagoya Dental Engineering College and worked as a dental model maker in Nagoya after graduation. Originally, Ito's horror life ended here, but in 1986, the "Halloween Monthly", a home base for newcomers to horror comics, established the "Umeto Award" (named after the Japanese horror comics master Kazuo Umeto). The first horror comic Ito read was " "Mummy Teacher" is the work of this master) and dragged Ito into the "abyss of darkness". Ito won the "Outstanding Work Award" for his short comic "Tomie". Since the Merit Award for this year’s Meitu Awards is vacant, Ito is the actual first place winner. Since then, Ito has officially embarked on the path of creating horror comics. Subsequently, "The Whirlpool", "Undying Love", "The Flesh-colored Monster", "Long Hair in the Attic", "Human Head Balloon", and "The Horrible Double" have become popular among middle school students with their unique horror content. Create a whirlwind. In 1998, the movie "Midnight Evil" started the Japanese horror movie craze. Ito's comics were adapted into movies one after another, and his career reached a new height. It is worth mentioning that Ito's horror comics are produced in a family workshop style, with his mother and eldest brother as assistants.

Media evaluation

"Thriller Maker" - The World of Junji Ito!

Source: Dongli Publishing House

What is the definition of horror? Why do you feel horrible? They are all horror comics. Apart from the disgusting scenes of blood splattering and stomach-breaking, the only thing that can attract people is the "plot". The most fascinating one among them should be Junji Ito! Friends who love reading this type of cartoons are definitely no strangers to this cartoonist. Friends who have never seen it should take a look. Why does everyone admire him? Let you know right away!

Each cartoonist has his own way of telling stories, and this method sometimes becomes a fixed pattern or habit. However, Mr. Ito’s pattern seems to be very common: there is a puzzling story at the beginning of the story. Suspicious or unsolvable problems, → everyone gradually takes unusual actions, → the truth of the matter is discovered after peeling off the cocoon, → and then the people involved in the incident have unexpected endings (sometimes even unsolvable). Although the mode is so simple, Junji Ito can use it to the fullest, making people unable to stop reading it and have to finish the book before they can give up! Not only that, Junji Ito also used some special picture techniques and angles, so that the reader sometimes becomes the protagonist and sometimes the person who peeks at other people's speech. It is really interesting to be able to personally participate in it. The point is: What’s so scary about Mr. Ito’s comics? How should I put it? Just like what critic Shi Zishun said at the end of the comic: "Unreality, non-daily, non-normal, non-human. It is impossible to happen in reality, invisible, abnormal, and people become different." "The human state" is a kind of uneasiness that gradually attacks, and the tension when a fierce conflict is about to break out.

In Mr. Ito’s works, he often uses some unnecessary trivial matters, customs or legends in daily life as the beginning of story problems, which bring unexpected development to the story. For example: Chizuru, one of the three most ugly girls in the school, is becoming more and more beautiful for some reason, but her beauty has a slightly sickly appearance. Although it is strange, it is natural to love beauty, so why not do it? However, her beauty only lasted for two and a half months. She died suddenly of cardiac paralysis while running in physical education class. The cause of death is unknown. The story begins here. The girl’s friend Hiroko, who is also one of the three ugly girls, has also begun to become beautiful. What’s even more mysterious is that anyone who comes in contact with Hiroko will also become beautiful, but it’s the same as the dead Chizuru. All have sickly looks. As the news spread, people who wanted to become beautiful came to touch Hongzi. In this way, there were more and more weak and beautiful beauties on campus. One day, Hiroko's sister died suddenly! After that, "beautiful women" died one after another. There was a rumor in the school that this was a strange disease at the end of the century that would first make you beautiful and then die in a short period of time. So the whole school's girls fell into panic. There were even rumors that as long as "everyone" "Killing a healthy girl of the same age on the third Friday of the month will keep your beauty and life." This statement is of course absurd, but people who want to live believe it, and the "horror" begins for this reason. More and more people will be killed.

This is Mr. Ito's typical "horror". An ordinary thing, idea or event begins to undergo some unrealistic changes. In order to survive or gain, he kills people and falls into the "human unreality". "Human-like" state, and the crisis buried after the incident does not know when it will be resolved. Coupled with Junji Ito's realistic painting style, the whole story is as alive and lifelike.

Another feature is what manga and film critic Koyo Ono calls "community". "Groups often appear in Junji Ito's horror comics. For example, there are rows of scarecrows, a lot of balloons with human heads hanging on them, and a group of tombstones occupying the road. As for why those weird groups appear, there is no explanation. No. It’s called a horror comic when it needs explanation. It’s the readers’ own interpretations that make the story scary.” When it comes to mentioning this, there are many “groups” that appear, and these “groups” do make people meditate unknowingly. Black horror. Okay, the above are all features in Junji Ito’s works, so you can pay attention to them when reading.

There are two most famous characters in the world written by Mr. Ito. One is "Tomie" who is so beautiful that people want to dismember her and has the ability to reproduce herself; the other is a person who often curses others but harms herself. "Double One".

Since most of Ito-sensei's works are short stories, only these two have the most appearances and their most obvious personalities.

The beautiful Tomie likes to play with men and uses them as a tool to achieve her goals, because she was subjected to strange experiments. The blood and flesh on her body each have life and can reproduce themselves; Shuangyi He is a child who likes to talk to himself, spread rumors, and has a gloomy personality. As long as he doesn't like someone, he will regard the scarecrow as a substitute for the other person and nail it to a tree to curse him. What's funny is that, although he wants to It's others who are harmed, but he is always harmed by the curse he created. It's really scary and interesting, especially the content of his "random thoughts" are completely opposite to reality, and he is always regarded as a "madman".

There are many works by Mr. Ito. If you read them all, you will be amazed at how rich the teacher’s imagination can be. Interested readers must not miss it!

Evaluation of the work

The "Blood of the Holy Demon" was once praised by comic fans as a work that "can never be animated". The reason was that it had a strong Gothic feel. The use of traditional style and large-area color blocks gives the entire work a magnificent atmosphere of a black festival. As a colorful animation, it is difficult to express this feature of the original work; similarly, Junji Ito's painting style is equally special , in most stories tones and shadows are reflected through lines, especially in the expressions of characters, the iconic black lines are difficult to replace with shadows and dark tones. This also shows the artist's conscientiousness.

Having watched the movie versions of "Tomie" and "Uzumaki" or the animated version of "Fish", I feel that it is difficult for film and television works to fully reflect the essence of Mr. Ito's works. Objectively speaking, if you have not read the comics, these works are still considered good, but they only borrow the plot and structure of the comics. In this era of overflowing three-dimensional and special effects, unpretentious two-dimensional art can truly be regarded as low-key gorgeous, and it is also the best way to show the artistic charm of Junji Ito.

Animation works

Animation version of Junji Ito’s classic work - "Fish"

Released: 2011

Number of episodes: 1 Complete Collection

Author: Junji Ito

Voice: Kataoka Mirai Negishi Takuma

Region: Japan

Type: Theater/ OVA suspense trailer

Language: Japanese

Length: 70 minutes

Introduction: The story of "Fish" tells the story of the heroine Huaori and two companions going to the beach of Okinawa Traveling, but found that the sea water there is full of fishy smell. Later in the villa, they found a fish with legs. Although Hua Zhi smashed it to death with a table and threw it away, the smell was still there and the fish body was missing. It turns out that this is just the prologue of the whole story...

Movie review: This is a two-volume comic published by Junji Ito in 2002. Speaking of Japanese horror comics, there are two names that everyone must recognize. One is Kanako Inuki, known as the Queen of Horror. She is good at depicting the dark side of human beings using real-life scenes. Coupled with her painting skills, It will definitely be very unsettling. Speaking of another person, of course it is Junji Ito, the master of Japanese horror comics. Not only are his masterpieces "Tomie", "Whirlpool" and "Ocean" adapted into movies, but he also incorporates crazy ideas into his works, and fully expresses the atmosphere when human nature faces terror, completely immersing the audience in his works. in a world of horror. I believe that friends who have seen Junji Ito's original works will definitely be able to feel the nerve-wracking horror from his works. Friends who like Junji Ito's works finally have the opportunity to see the animation of his work!!

On August 10, 2017, the official announcement of the animation decision of Junji Ito's work was made. The content comes from " "Junji Ito's Masterpiece Collection" "Demon Fragments" (Asahi Shimbun Publishing House), broadcast in January 2018.