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"This volume includes nine of Junji Ito's best short stories, as selected by the author himself and presented with accompanying notes and commentary. An arm peppered with tiny holes dangles from a sick girl's window... After an idol hangs herself, balloons bearing faces appear in the sky, some even featuring your own face... An amateur film crew hires an extremely individualistic fashion model and faces a real bloody ending... An offering of nine fresh nightmares for the delectation of show more horror fans"--Amazon. show lessTags
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"𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘱𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭’𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸… 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺… 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘺 show more 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨…" and more!
"Shiver" is a collection of nine of Junji Ito’s best short stories, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that this one is 5 / 5! These are the images you've seen on tshirts, hoodies and as Funko pops! I'll cover my favorites!
"Used Record," unlike most of Ito's stories, doesn't feature an alien, a monster or any kind of surreal apocalypse. It falls under the genre of urban lore, in this case a haunted record that becomes an obsession for anyone who listens to it. It's simple but effective!
"Shivers" is nightmare fuel for anyone with trypophobia. After a deadly illness leaves his grandfather's body riddled with holes, Yuji digs for answers in his grandfather's WWII journal. I loved the contrast between the "manga" styled characters and highly detailed backgrounds. It shows that Ito does indeed have versatility, and gives the story its Shōwa era context.
"Hanging Blimp" is iconic. Only Junji Ito can take a concept that sounds ridiculous written out, but when it's illustrated, it is completely unnerving. It opens with Terumi, a teenage idol unaliving herself, but her grudge manifests as a detached floating head. Her ex is drawn to it, and from there it multiplies as "countless blimps float through the sky" with the victims hanging from them.
In "Fashion Model" we are introduced to Miss Fuchi. An unusually tall, elongated "professional model" with sharp nails and even sharper teeth. A group of young, indie filmakers put out a feeler for their new star and are shocked at Miss Fuchi's appearance. I love that she's frightening right out of the gate. To be otherwise would've been too similar to the infamous Tomie.
If you can only read one volume of Ito, read this one! show less
"Shiver" is a collection of nine of Junji Ito’s best short stories, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that this one is 5 / 5! These are the images you've seen on tshirts, hoodies and as Funko pops! I'll cover my favorites!
"Used Record," unlike most of Ito's stories, doesn't feature an alien, a monster or any kind of surreal apocalypse. It falls under the genre of urban lore, in this case a haunted record that becomes an obsession for anyone who listens to it. It's simple but effective!
"Shivers" is nightmare fuel for anyone with trypophobia. After a deadly illness leaves his grandfather's body riddled with holes, Yuji digs for answers in his grandfather's WWII journal. I loved the contrast between the "manga" styled characters and highly detailed backgrounds. It shows that Ito does indeed have versatility, and gives the story its Shōwa era context.
"Hanging Blimp" is iconic. Only Junji Ito can take a concept that sounds ridiculous written out, but when it's illustrated, it is completely unnerving. It opens with Terumi, a teenage idol unaliving herself, but her grudge manifests as a detached floating head. Her ex is drawn to it, and from there it multiplies as "countless blimps float through the sky" with the victims hanging from them.
In "Fashion Model" we are introduced to Miss Fuchi. An unusually tall, elongated "professional model" with sharp nails and even sharper teeth. A group of young, indie filmakers put out a feeler for their new star and are shocked at Miss Fuchi's appearance. I love that she's frightening right out of the gate. To be otherwise would've been too similar to the infamous Tomie.
If you can only read one volume of Ito, read this one! show less
This book should come with a warning. There were some really disturbing stories here. Several of them began so innocuously that I considered skipping them, but every story was worth reading and several were horrifying enough that I will probably remember them for the rest of my life.
My only real dislike, apart from the nightmares I will surely have tonight, was the dialogue. Translations are always hard, but I've seen them done better and think the writing here deserved a better translation.
My only real dislike, apart from the nightmares I will surely have tonight, was the dialogue. Translations are always hard, but I've seen them done better and think the writing here deserved a better translation.
Junji Ito’s Shiver is a striking example of visual horror, with artwork so disturbingly vivid it lingers in your mind. His grotesque imagination is evident in every panel—twisted bodies, haunting expressions, and surreal monstrosities rendered with unsettling precision.
However, while the illustrations are unforgettable, the stories themselves often feel like mere vehicles for the art. Many of the plots are thin, with characters that serve more as props than people. The narratives tend to rely heavily on shock value rather than building sustained tension or emotional depth. Some stories end abruptly or without satisfying resolution, leaving you more puzzled than horrified.
If you’re drawn to horror for its visual impact and show more atmosphere, Shiver delivers. show less
However, while the illustrations are unforgettable, the stories themselves often feel like mere vehicles for the art. Many of the plots are thin, with characters that serve more as props than people. The narratives tend to rely heavily on shock value rather than building sustained tension or emotional depth. Some stories end abruptly or without satisfying resolution, leaving you more puzzled than horrified.
If you’re drawn to horror for its visual impact and show more atmosphere, Shiver delivers. show less
The body horror on display in this collection is just *kisses fingertips*. I was just enthralled almost the entire time. There were a couple instances where I wish I could have looked away, in particular during "Greased" (if you're into Doctor Pimple Popper then you'd probably be fine). I really loved "The Long Dream" - it's like the terrifying and awful version of "The Inner Light" episode from Star Trek TNG. I also really loved "Hanging Blimp", which has such an odd premise but the sight of the face blimps hanging in the air had so much more of an ominous and eerie quality than a funny one.
Highly recommended if you love body horror and horror in general! Not at all recommended if you're squeamish!
Highly recommended if you love body horror and horror in general! Not at all recommended if you're squeamish!
I don't know what else to say about Junji Ito. He causes me excitement, joy, disgust, and absolute terror. I'm pretty sure he's the reason so many people started obsessing about trypophobia several years back.
As for Shiver, based on past works I've read, I would agree that this is some of his best work. I especially enjoyed Hanging Blimp, a truly horrifying story involving giant balloons shaped like peoples' head and bearing their facial features. I got the super jeebies from that story.
As for Shiver, based on past works I've read, I would agree that this is some of his best work. I especially enjoyed Hanging Blimp, a truly horrifying story involving giant balloons shaped like peoples' head and bearing their facial features. I got the super jeebies from that story.
5 out of 5 stars
I have always loved horror stories. Yet few manage to evoke that raw fear and discomfort so many strive for. Junji Ito’s works are one exception. Never have I come across a Juji Ito story that hasn’t managed to make me feel something. Releasing tomorrow, December 19, 2017, Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories is certainly no exception to the rule.
Shiver is a hardcover manga filled with almost four hundred pages worth of short horror stories by Junji Ito. All vary in theme and tone, but all are frightening. Junji Ito is the only person who can instill an unnatural fear of small holes and cooking oil within a person. These stories are meant to frighten. These aren’t the sort of scary stories that wrap up nicely. There show more often isn’t a happy ending. People don’t always live happily ever after, and evil is sometimes left to wreak more havoc upon the unsuspecting.
This manga is extremely well crafted. There wasn’t a single story that felt weaker than rest either in storytelling or in art. The pacing of this volume as a whole also worked quite well. The first few stories I found quite intense. The pacing was fairly fast, the tension increased very steadily as the volume went on, and if I’m honest, one tale in particular I found downright terrifying. Towards the middle of the book the stories toned down just a little bit. They become more mysterious in nature, the tension no longer quite as palpable as before. Honestly, this was needed and allowed the tension and fear to naturally ramp up again as readers come to the ending of the book.
While I don’t think any of the stories in the book fell short of the mark, some were a little weaker than others. The details of one or two have begun to fuzz over a little between the time of writing this review and reading the manga, but it was nothing a quick flip to the cover page of that story couldn’t fix. Overall, though, I did find the first two or three stories at the beginning of the manga and again at the end of the manga to be the most memorable.
The art is, as always, nothing short of brilliant. Scenes are detailed, filled with shadows and lines. Characters are often portrayed with soft features, their hair light and fluffy. As characters are gripped with fear, disease, insanity, or any manner of other maladies they begin to change. Monsters are portrayed in all of their hideous glory. The progression of fear and stress on characters is often very apparent.
As always, page turns – or what I can assume are page turns with some certainty as I read an early digital copy – invoke a certain sense of fear. Flip a page and suddenly you are faced with the truth, the very thing that the protagonist is trying to discover or else run from, the thing they fear the most. Yet, this isn’t the page turn mechanism used by most. These aren’t mere jump scares. These are horrific scenes, ones that would and do have just as much impact when they aren’t found on the flip side of a page.
Yet, I have to admit, I still get a cheap thrill from turning the page and finding something horrifying lying in wait.
I will always love Junji Ito’s work. I am far from having read his entire body of work, but Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories brings me ever closer to that goal. This manga is certainly not for the squeamish or those who don’t like horror. For fans of the horror genre this is a true gem that isn’t to be missed.
This manga was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review and others can be found on Looking Glass Reads.
show less
I have always loved horror stories. Yet few manage to evoke that raw fear and discomfort so many strive for. Junji Ito’s works are one exception. Never have I come across a Juji Ito story that hasn’t managed to make me feel something. Releasing tomorrow, December 19, 2017, Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories is certainly no exception to the rule.
Shiver is a hardcover manga filled with almost four hundred pages worth of short horror stories by Junji Ito. All vary in theme and tone, but all are frightening. Junji Ito is the only person who can instill an unnatural fear of small holes and cooking oil within a person. These stories are meant to frighten. These aren’t the sort of scary stories that wrap up nicely. There show more often isn’t a happy ending. People don’t always live happily ever after, and evil is sometimes left to wreak more havoc upon the unsuspecting.
This manga is extremely well crafted. There wasn’t a single story that felt weaker than rest either in storytelling or in art. The pacing of this volume as a whole also worked quite well. The first few stories I found quite intense. The pacing was fairly fast, the tension increased very steadily as the volume went on, and if I’m honest, one tale in particular I found downright terrifying. Towards the middle of the book the stories toned down just a little bit. They become more mysterious in nature, the tension no longer quite as palpable as before. Honestly, this was needed and allowed the tension and fear to naturally ramp up again as readers come to the ending of the book.
While I don’t think any of the stories in the book fell short of the mark, some were a little weaker than others. The details of one or two have begun to fuzz over a little between the time of writing this review and reading the manga, but it was nothing a quick flip to the cover page of that story couldn’t fix. Overall, though, I did find the first two or three stories at the beginning of the manga and again at the end of the manga to be the most memorable.
The art is, as always, nothing short of brilliant. Scenes are detailed, filled with shadows and lines. Characters are often portrayed with soft features, their hair light and fluffy. As characters are gripped with fear, disease, insanity, or any manner of other maladies they begin to change. Monsters are portrayed in all of their hideous glory. The progression of fear and stress on characters is often very apparent.
As always, page turns – or what I can assume are page turns with some certainty as I read an early digital copy – invoke a certain sense of fear. Flip a page and suddenly you are faced with the truth, the very thing that the protagonist is trying to discover or else run from, the thing they fear the most. Yet, this isn’t the page turn mechanism used by most. These aren’t mere jump scares. These are horrific scenes, ones that would and do have just as much impact when they aren’t found on the flip side of a page.
Yet, I have to admit, I still get a cheap thrill from turning the page and finding something horrifying lying in wait.
I will always love Junji Ito’s work. I am far from having read his entire body of work, but Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories brings me ever closer to that goal. This manga is certainly not for the squeamish or those who don’t like horror. For fans of the horror genre this is a true gem that isn’t to be missed.
This manga was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review and others can be found on Looking Glass Reads.
show less
I feel like I start every review of a Junji Ito work with 'I was deeply disturbed...but I loved every moment of it', and this collection was no different. What a fantastic collection of creepy and crazy stories, and the addition of Mr. Ito's thoughts on each of the stories and the origins was very cool. It was interesting to get an insight to this man's warped mind. Since this was a collection I will give a short review on each of the stories.
Used Record or Second-Hand Record - The story was cool, but ultimately not a favourite and very forgettable. A mystical record that everyone wants and will kill for. Cool. I guess.
Shiver - I will admit I didn't read this one. I have a mild case of trypophobia (fear of holes in skin), and I could show more not get past the first page with the hole man thing and I had to flip the pages so quickly to get away from it. I heard it's great though, but I will definitely not ever experience it myself.
Fashion Model - I guess a good rule of thumb for this one is is to not be a bitch and don't make fun of the scary long faced monster looking model because she will stalk you and eat your limbs. I also recommend not thinking of leaving said model in the forest to die, because in fact you will die with her scary teeth eating you. GOOD FOR YOU MONSTER MODEL LADY.
Hanging Blimp - I LOVED THIS ONE. IT WAS SO GOOD. The idea of a balloon that just your face floating in the air and chasing you with a noose waiting to go around your neck? Terrifying, but also compelling. Would read this one again.
Marionette Mansion - Hmph. The art was stunning and the concept was cool as hell. People get tired of being people so they decide to become puppets and let other people control them........like normal people do. I truly do not know how Junji Ito comes up with this stuff.
Painter - This was a Tomie story, and it is probably the best one of the Tomie stuff. She wants a painter to capture her true essence and of course because it's Junji Ito her true form is seriously monstrous. If you don't know her True Form, I recommend looking it up because it's scary good. One of the best designs in my opinion of Mr. Ito's.
The Long Dream - I would say this is probably my least favourite of the collection, but it is by no means a bad story. I think the idea of a dream that feels longer is a scary concept, but ultimately I found myself thinking this one was just okay. The art was sufficiently weird, but for me I found the story to be pretty predictable and not one of his best. That's my opinion though, because it is a cool story just not my favourite.
Honored Ancestors - Okay the art in this one is deeply disturbing but oh so creative. The caterpillar looking head thing was so creepy. The idea of having your family's heads attach to your own head throughout the generations and it just keeps growing is....gross. The girl lost her memory and her mind when she saw it and honestly? Good for her. I wouldn't want to remember that either. Great story, and creepy concept.
Greased - Listen I know that Junji Ito's stuff is disturbing and I knew that going into reading his works, but this story was DISGUSTING. Probably the most disturbing one I've encountered thus far and definitely would not experience it ever again. I read this one with a permanent look of disgust on my face the entire time. GROSS.
Fashion Model: Cursed Frame - The return of the scary long faced monster looking model with the big teeth returns!!! and she's jealous and hungry for anyone who disrespects her and you y'know what? Good for her.
Overall, this was a fantastic collection of disturbing stories and if you want to be thoroughly disgusted by everything you should read this and then never read it again. show less
Used Record or Second-Hand Record - The story was cool, but ultimately not a favourite and very forgettable. A mystical record that everyone wants and will kill for. Cool. I guess.
Shiver - I will admit I didn't read this one. I have a mild case of trypophobia (fear of holes in skin), and I could show more not get past the first page with the hole man thing and I had to flip the pages so quickly to get away from it. I heard it's great though, but I will definitely not ever experience it myself.
Fashion Model - I guess a good rule of thumb for this one is is to not be a bitch and don't make fun of the scary long faced monster looking model because she will stalk you and eat your limbs. I also recommend not thinking of leaving said model in the forest to die, because in fact you will die with her scary teeth eating you. GOOD FOR YOU MONSTER MODEL LADY.
Hanging Blimp - I LOVED THIS ONE. IT WAS SO GOOD. The idea of a balloon that just your face floating in the air and chasing you with a noose waiting to go around your neck? Terrifying, but also compelling. Would read this one again.
Marionette Mansion - Hmph. The art was stunning and the concept was cool as hell. People get tired of being people so they decide to become puppets and let other people control them........like normal people do. I truly do not know how Junji Ito comes up with this stuff.
Painter - This was a Tomie story, and it is probably the best one of the Tomie stuff. She wants a painter to capture her true essence and of course because it's Junji Ito her true form is seriously monstrous. If you don't know her True Form, I recommend looking it up because it's scary good. One of the best designs in my opinion of Mr. Ito's.
The Long Dream - I would say this is probably my least favourite of the collection, but it is by no means a bad story. I think the idea of a dream that feels longer is a scary concept, but ultimately I found myself thinking this one was just okay. The art was sufficiently weird, but for me I found the story to be pretty predictable and not one of his best. That's my opinion though, because it is a cool story just not my favourite.
Honored Ancestors - Okay the art in this one is deeply disturbing but oh so creative. The caterpillar looking head thing was so creepy. The idea of having your family's heads attach to your own head throughout the generations and it just keeps growing is....gross. The girl lost her memory and her mind when she saw it and honestly? Good for her. I wouldn't want to remember that either. Great story, and creepy concept.
Greased - Listen I know that Junji Ito's stuff is disturbing and I knew that going into reading his works, but this story was DISGUSTING. Probably the most disturbing one I've encountered thus far and definitely would not experience it ever again. I read this one with a permanent look of disgust on my face the entire time. GROSS.
Fashion Model: Cursed Frame - The return of the scary long faced monster looking model with the big teeth returns!!! and she's jealous and hungry for anyone who disrespects her and you y'know what? Good for her.
Overall, this was a fantastic collection of disturbing stories and if you want to be thoroughly disgusted by everything you should read this and then never read it again. show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Shiver
- Original title
- 伊藤潤二自選傑作集
- Alternate titles
- Ito Junji Jisen Kessakushu
- Original publication date
- 2015
- People/Characters
- Paula Bell; Terumi Fujino; Shinya Shiraishi; Haruhiko Kitawaki; Yukihiko Kitawaki; Natsumi Kitawaki (show all 15); Kinuko Hidaka; Tomie Kawakami; Mitsuo Mori; Nana Horie; Tadao Iwata; Tetsuro Mukoda; Mami Takeshima; Shuichi Makita; Fuchi (shark-toothed fashion model)
- Important places
- Japan; Mount Fuji, Japan
- First words
- "Wow...so this is it, huh? Where- How did you get ahold of it?" "How? God gave it to me. An angel dropped it on down. You want to listen to it again?"
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But we have information that teeth impressions like those of a shark were found on the cross sections, and further investigation is expected.
- Original language
- Japanese
- Disambiguation notice
- Contents: Used Record -- Shiver -- Fashion Model [featuring Fuchi] -- Hanging Blimp -- Marionette Mansion -- Painter -- The Long Dream -- Honored Ancestors -- Greased -- Fashion Model: Cursed Frame [previously unpublished new... (show all) story, featuring Fuchi] -- Afterword
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- Horror, Graphic Novels & Comics
- DDC/MDS
- 741.5 — Arts & recreation Drawing & decorative arts Drawing Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips
- LCC
- PN6790 .J33 .I85513 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Collections of general literature Comic books, strips, etc.
- BISAC
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- Paper, Ebook
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- 6
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