Junji Ito Collection Episode 4

MID

50%

of 1 scoutsrecommend

Review Summary

Expect a classic trypophobia experience with Shiver, but prepare for an unsettling resolution in the conceptually creepy House of Puppets.

Animation & Style

Character Writing & Lore

Emo Impact

Hype/Writing

Pacing

Soundtrack

Visual

World Building & Setting

👀 SPOILER-FREE SUMMARY

Two more entries from Junji Ito's horror anthology deliver distinct flavors of dread. The first segment, 'Shiver,' builds a slow, creeping unease around a boy entangled with a neighbor's inexplicable affliction — expect mounting paranoia and body horror undertones rooted in the fear of contamination and the unknown. The second, 'House of Puppets,' shifts into psychological territory, examining a family dynamic where autonomy erodes in deeply unsettling ways. The horror here is quieter, more suffocating, centered on control and dehumanization rather than shock. Neither story leans on gore; both weaponize atmosphere and implication. Pacing is measured across both halves, favoring tension over spectacle. This is one of the stronger pairings in the collection, with each story complementing the other's brand of discomfort. Fans of psychological horror over jump scares will find this episode rewarding.

🔥 KEY MOMENTS

⚠️ Spoiler Alert!

Rina's Holes Revealed

Yuuji gets a close look at Rina's skin riddled with clusters of holes, triggering visceral memories of his grandfather's identical and unexplained affliction before his death.

The Jade Statue Connection

Yuuji and his friend Hideo trace the trypophobic illness back to a cursed jade statue once owned by Yuuji's grandfather, revealing the artifact as the source of the spreading infection.

Yukihiko's Puppet Family

Haruhiko reunites with his long-estranged brother Yukihiko only to discover that his family members have been living as human marionettes, their movements eerily controlled as if by invisible strings.

Natsumi Surrenders to the Strings

Haruhiko's sister Natsumi willingly chooses to join Yukihiko's puppet lifestyle, crossing a line that deeply unsettles Haruhiko and signals the family's descent into something inhuman.

Kinuko Meets Jean-Pierre

Haruhiko's girlfriend Kinuko follows him to Yukihiko's house and comes face-to-face with the puppet Jean-Pierre, escalating the story's tension as the boundary between puppet and person collapses entirely.

📍 ARC CONTEXT

Sitting at the one-third mark of this 12-episode anthology, Episode 4 continues the series' pattern of dual-story adaptations following Episode 3's 'The Crossroads Pretty Boy' and 'Slug Girl,' maintaining the escalating variety of Ito's horror sensibilities. The pairing here leans harder into psychological dread than prior entries, broadening the collection's tonal range. Episode 5 carries this momentum forward with 'The Ongoing Tale of Oshikiri' and 'Cloth Teacher,' signaling the anthology is settling into its rhythm of alternating between supernatural and human-driven horror.

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