Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre
Oshimeter
Synopsis
Few artists can make someone physically uncomfortable just by staring at manga panels, but Junji Ito is exactly that kind of talent. Itou Junji: Maniac is a 12-episode ONA from Studio Deen that adapts 20 of his stories into an anthology format, covering everything from the iconic Tomie to the deeply unsettling Hanging Balloons. The first episode drops you into the Hikizuri household, a family of siblings living in a decaying mansion who invite a photographer over for a séance, and things go sideways in the most quietly disturbing way possible. That sets the tone for the whole series: each segment is its own self-contained nightmare with its own rules, its own dread, and its own way of crawling under your skin. Some stories lean into body horror, others into psychological unease, and a few just feel plain wrong in a way that's hard to articulate. The anthology structure means not every story will hit equally hard for you, but the ones that land really stick around in your head. If you liked the eerie folk horror vibes of Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories or the unsettling atmosphere of Shiki, this covers similar emotional territory but filtered through Ito's uniquely grotesque imagination. Fans of Mononoke's surreal horror storytelling will also find something to appreciate here. It's a seinen series through and through, dark, psychological, and not interested in holding your hand. Best watched late at night with the lights off, one story at a time.
Episode Guide
Characters
Tomie
Stunningly beautiful and manipulative, Tomie seduces and discards men, repeatedly dying and returning, inspiring obsession and madness.
Rial Monica
Souichi Tsujii
Eccentric 11-year-old voodoo practitioner Souichi Tsujii wreaks havoc, chewing iron nails due to a rare disease.
McFarland Mike
Tooru Oshikiri
Lonely boy Tooru Oshikiri faces supernatural horrors and hallucinations in his large, isolated mansion.
Solusod Micah
Chiemi
Chiemi, a mysterious girl, encounters terrifying supernatural events in her daily life.
Landa Lauren
Tsukiko Izumisawa
Photography club student Tsukiko secretly sells photos, harboring a crush on Yamazaki.
Trott Abby
Kazuya Hikizuri
Kazuya Hikizuri, 19, eldest son of the cursed Hikizuri family.
Scott Jonah
Kuriko
Kuriko, a mysterious girl in Itou Junji: Maniac, harbors a dark secret tied to bizarre events.
Buhr Reba
Sayoko
Buckland Kira
Akasaka
Akasaka, a mysterious figure in Ito Junji's Maniac, encounters unsettling and bizarre events.
Colt Levy Ryan
Ishida
Ishida, a mysterious figure, is haunted by a horrifying, parasitic creature that warps his reality.
Burns Griffin
Community Feed
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It better than jinji ito:collection
Le doy cinco estrellas por la segunda historia. Escabroso de inicio a fin, solo Junji Ito podía reinventar de forma tan visualmente maravillosa el concepto de que los escritores vivimos de los sueños con un mundo interior único... Sin mencionar el nuevo sentido de la frase "juntos hasta el final" que no me permitió sacar los ojos de la pantalla.
No me considero una persona impresionable, especialmente cuando actualmente es díficil encontrar algo que realmente de miedo, pero este capítulo me vacío el estómago, el final de la historia de los globos flotantes me aterro, excelente concepto y narrativa. Lo recomiendo.
Absolutely loved "Whispering Woman". My favourite part was that her legacy was left behind in a way. I wasn't expecting to see Soichi again, but the callback was a nice way to end the series off. I definitely need more of this series!
The first story, "Alley", was not the best of the series, but the second one, "Headless Sculptures", was definitely terrifying. My favourite part was seeing all those mannequins.
Such an underrated episode. I loved the small jumpscares in the first part and the themes about cults. The second part had such a great plot twist!! I loved the psychological horror themes in this episode.
Stunning and haunting episode. I enjoy the idea of Tomie representing a never ending cycle of manipulation. Once again such a unique idea with the photography. 10/10 writing and the animation was nice too.
Definitely my favourite episode so far. Layers of terror was so interesting to watch, I almost wanted to remind and watch again. My favourite part was the cruel ending. I also loved the next story in this episode, but I wish we got to see more of the story.
Un capítulo escalofriante, con finales inesperados y bizarros, no es algo que puedas imaginar por tu cuenta, por otro lado... no volveré a ver el amor por el helado igual.
Mal inicio para una serie escabrosa y fascinante, parece una imitación más ruidosa de la familia Addams.
These episodes just keep getting better. The unique story are so out of this world. This episode really makes you think about consequences of your life choices. I loved that deeper meaning. Amazing writing and good pacing.
Mold was a cool story, but not as fascinating as Library Vision. As a lover of books, this story was amazing to watch. I loved the ambiguity of the story and cool character designs.
I'm obsessed with the concept of Intruder. As someone who was sceptical about horror to begin with, the unique element in this really pulled me in. I also loved the tragic themes in Long Hair in the Attic. Unique plot and great format again.
I always love when we get two stories in one! The second one was definitely my favourite. The first story was also interesting, but not as cool as the concept of the second. It definitely made me think twice before I went to bed. Amazing writing overall!
Such an iconic story brought to life. It thoroughly freaks you out in a way horror anime should. The story really stays with you. Amazing writing, but the animation doesn't do the manga justice. Seeing all the balloons at the end was definitely my favourite part.
I love that we got two mini stories in one!! The first story was a bit more emotional, but the second one was straight up creepy. I like that it has a sort of life lesson attached. Cool format, great story.
Classic Ito vibes, weird, disturbing, and full of body horror. Perfect for late-night horror marathons.
HUH ?1 They brought HIM back ?! Honestly REAL ! I can understand why they brought him back ! His chaotic energy is such a perfect way to close out the series. Not the most explosive finale but it does feel intentional, ending the series on something familiar and a little bit fun rather than going out on pure dread !
Not the strongest episode of the series but a solid penultimate one. Both stories feel more complete than some of the earlier double bills and the pacing is so much better ! One episode left and I am emotional about it T^T
Labyrinth starts things off with two friends on a mountain hike and then things get very very strange very very fast. The community they stumble across is deeply unsettling and the further in you go, the more uncomfortable it gets !
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre
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