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Japanese horror master Junji Ito has teamed up with Netflix for an anime anthology series based on his works, “Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre.” A brand new clip teases some of the adapted stories, and when we can expect to see these twisted tales.
The clip below gives a better look at Ito’s most popular character, Tomie, and confirms five new stories for the series. Even better? Netflix will release “Junji Ito Maniac” on January 19, 2023.
Stories “The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel,” “Mold,” “Layers of Fear,” “The Thing That Drifted Ashore,” and “Back Alley” join the lineup.
About the series: “Featuring a selection of 20 macabre masterpieces brimming with his original worldview and fascinating characters drawn in his stunning style, including popular titles such as ‘Hanging Balloon’ and fan-favorite characters Tomie and Soichi, this animated series will totally immerse viewers in the maniacal charm of Junji Ito.”
Previously, the mangaka legend detailed Tomie‘s significance as his debut work and its horror inspirations. The character, who has a knack for refusing to stay dead, was first introduced in 1987. The manga has been adapted into a live-action series and, at one point, was set to appear on Quibi. The artist also explained some of his designs behind another popular character, Souichi, a troubled and mischievous child with a penchant for inflicting curses and dabbling in dark arts. The Hanging Balloons deals with suicide, another indicator of Ito’s dark and nightmarish horror brand.
Junji Ito’s distinct, terrifying art style evokes a visceral response in his works, and it has thus far been tricky to translate the nightmare fuel to other mediums. “Maniac” isn’t the only upcoming Ito adaption in the works either, with the previously announced Adult Swim adaptation of Uzumaki slated to arrive this October.
Look for the series to release in full, exclusively on Netflix, on January 19, 2023.