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The Uzumaki anime is set to be released on September 28, 2024, and before the fandom delves into one of the best horror series, they should read some other Junji Ito manga series that would give them a gist of what to expect from the anime adaptation of Junji Ito's work. Uzumaki explored the fascination with spirals, so works that explore similar plotlines would be a good read before the anime.
In this article, 10 of the most popular Junji Ito series will be compiled, which are good reads for fans who are unfamiliar with the author's work. Moreover, these manga series showcase the fear of a certain aspect, just like the Uzumaki anime series.
Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the listed Junji Ito works and has the author's opinion.
Shiver, Tomie, and 8 other Junji Ito manga series you should read before the premiere of Uzumaki anime, ranked based on popularity
10) Lovesickness
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The spotlight chapter, titled Lovesickness, of this compilation of Junji Ito short stories features the tale of a beautiful boy who appears when people are guided through a fog-covered area by a stranger.
Ryusuke, the protagonist, returns to his hometown to discover the tale of this boy who could be a murderer and have some connection to the protagonist's past. Capturing the same chilling factor as Uzumaki anime with its creepiness, this manga series is a hidden gem in the horror collection of Junji Ito works.
9) Frankenstein
A collection of short stories from Junji Ito's works, the main spotlight to which is the first chapter titled Frankenstein, a manga adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel of the same name.
The story follows the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a being through human parts and later tries his best to kill it before it kills every human. Although not as impactful as the Uzumaki anime when comparing the eerie art style, this manga is still a good way to warm up for the upcoming Junji Ito manga's anime adaptation.
8) Black Paradox
A tale of four people who gather and try their best to unalive themselves, only to see their lives take another turn, Black Paradox is one of the best manga series to read before Uzumaki anime premieres.
The manga combines an amazing art style with a slow-burn story that gets amazing as you turn each page. Although the book remains one of the least popular works of Junji Ito, it is still one of the best reads once a reader gives it enough time.
7) Remina
The story explores the fear of a mysterious planet that is trying to devour Earth, Remina tells the tale of Remina, whose father named a mysterious planet after her, who faces the backlash from people after the planet of her name becomes a calamity for them.
The manga series is also an Eisner Award winner in 2021 and one of the most cherished works of Junji Ito. The manga has quite possibly one of the weirdest art styles, making the viewers question what is happening while leaving an undertone of horror.
6) Fragments of Horror
One of the best Junji Ito short story collections for beginners in the horror manga, Fragments of Horror consists of some nerve-wracking stories that could make your spine chill through their grotesque artwork.
Where Uzumaki anime follows a more creepy art style that makes the reader scared, this manga's artwork makes one feel uneasy. One of the biggest examples is The Dissection Girl, the story of a girl obsessed with dissecting herself and getting most of her body parts replaced with that of animals.
5) Smashed
The first manga of the two best Junji Ito horror short story collections, Smashed is one of the best Junji Ito manga to read before Uzumaki anime airs. The story has a set of short stories that explore a fear just like the upcoming anime adaptation, each of which portrays a similar eerie feeling.
The spotlight chapter, titled Smashed, of the series explores a story where people eat a forbidden honey that is addicting and later dwell in the fear of getting smashed by a mysterious force. Similarly, the fear of books from Library Vision and many others are also explored in the series.
4) Shiver
The other book from the two best Junji Ito horror short story collections, Shiver takes the fear of mundane things to another level, adding to the eeriness with its storytelling, making it a perfect manga to read before Uzumaki anime premieres.
The spotlight chapter, titled Shiver, follows the story of a disease that gives shivers to anyone who witnesses the person diagnosed with the disease. While the spotlight chapter might be a bit lukewarm, other chapters take the spotlight with The Long Dream exploring the fear of dreams and Hanging Blimp exploring the fear of balloons.
3) Gyo
Gyo is one of the three spotlight Junji Ito manga series, exploring a couple on vacation that met with grotesque creatures titled the Gyo which are a hybrid of aquatic animals and spiders.
While this manga is more on the creepy side, rather than the horror, it does take the position of one of the top horror stories through a special chapter that is considered by the fandom the best short story of Junji Ito titled The Enigma of Amigara Fruit. The story explored claustrophobia by showing characters entering small holes designed for them.
2) Venus in the Blind Spot
Featuring colored panels and also an Eisner Award winner, Venus in the Blind Spot is a collection of the best Junji Ito short stories, each of which portrays a fear of something, just like the fear of spirals from Uzumaki anime.
The spotlight chapter, titled Venus in the Blind Spot, explores the story of a girl, Mariko, who is invisible to some people due to illegal experimentation. Other stories follow the fear of everyday things like the fear of chairs in The Human Chair.
1) Tomie
The most popular work of Junji Ito and also the work that marked the start of the author's career as a mangaka, Tomie is a manga series that explores the horror and fear of Tomie, a mysterious human female, who manages to return whenever she is killed.
Final thoughts
While the fear of Tomie does align with the curse of spirals from Uzumaki anime in its horror, the fandom is still at war to determine which one of these is the best work of Junji Ito as a whole manga series. However, this battle could be decided through the anime adaptation of Uzumaki because Tomie has already received a lukewarm adaptation and things are looking bright for Uzumaki anime.
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