Japanese Horror Manga Artist - Junji Ito

my hobby is reading manga

Strangely I have decided to share one of my many hobbies on my blog so readers could get to know me better (probably freak them out?). Besides blogging, shopping, pampering myself and many other tiny bits of happiness I do in my life, I also read manga (Japanese Comic).

I think my passion in reading manga started when I was in Standard 4 back in this lil' town called Port Klang. The town was bustling with life back then compared to now (cowboy town already). I would wander around the town in the day and night with my younger brother and sister. Imagine that a 10 year old girl wandering around town with 5 year old boy and 2 year old sister. Our dad would give us "shopping" money every Sunday so we could party all day long. One day I bumped into this Chinese "bookstore" library? it was all in Chinese. I didn't understand a word (serious) but the magical cute drawings attracted me and I soon began a manga-obsession in my family. 1 book RM3.00, deposit RM2.50 (50cents would be rental fee absorb by the bookstore). I borrowed hundreds of manga books just to see the drawings and since I can't understand a word they're saying, I actually studied the characters and the expressions in the manga and created my own "version" of understanding.

Manga has a lot of categories (just like books) from Shoujo (puppy love stories) to Fantasy (Sailor Moon) to Echi (ahem would not elaborate on this) and to slice of life (sad manga stories) my interest kept changing. My all time favourite would be HORROR manga stories and my favourite mangaka (manga artist) is Junji Ito. His work is disturbingly cool, I would not recommend those with weak heart or low blood pressure to even look at his drawings. However they don't give me nightmares but I am somehow drawn into his world of weird and creepiness. Those who's also interested in horror manga stories can check him out on www.mangafox.com (you can also download an app on your iPhone to read mangas called MangaDL). ere's some of Junji Ito's works if you're "brave" enough to check it out! (gathered from wikipedia). My favourites are Tomie, Uzumaki, and Gyo. On Mangafox you can get Hellstar Remina, Black Paradox, Yami no Koe, Mimi No Kaidan and Shin Yami No Koe Kaidan.

  • Museum of Terror (恐怖博物館 Kyōfu Hakubutsukan?)

  • Tomie (富江?)

  • Flesh-Colored Horror (肉色の怪 Nikuiro no Kai?)

  • Kakashi (案山子?)

  • Lovesick Dead (死びとの恋わずらい Shibito no Koi Wazurai?) 

  • Uzumaki (うずまき?)

  • Gyo (ギョ?)

  • The Enigma of Amigara Fault (阿弥殻断層の怪 Amigara Dansō no Kai?) 

  • Cat Diary: Yon & Moo (猫日記 よん&むー Neko Nikki Yon to Mū?)

  • Black Paradox (ブラックパラドクス Burakku Paradokusu?)

  • Hellstar Remina (地獄星レミナ?)

  • Yami no Koe (闇の声?)

  • Shin Yami no Koe Kaidan (新・闇の声 潰談?)

  • Mimi no Kaidan (ミミの怪談?)

  • Yuukoku no Rasputin (憂国のラスプーチン?)

  • Comments

    1. You should try Shingeki no Kyojin :)

      Anyway, I'm also a big fan of horror manga too.

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    2. Love manga comic too.. but more into love story.. ;-p

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    3. Syarlynna: serious? hey thanks for the tip! gonna check him/her out. Any other horror manga you can recommend me? top 3?

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    4. CathJ: shoujo types? I read whole load until..... woah.... until now I am still reading but I can't stand school girl love stories anymore. Have you read Nana yet? it's an all time classic now.

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    5. OMG TAMMY!!! I love this horror comic too when i was younger! nowadays I just spend lesser time on comics..

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    6. OMG I love Junji Ito too! I wish they had more horror manga that's translated into English :( My fave Junji Ito title is "Tomie".

      You should check out "Mail" and "The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service". I really love them too!

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    7. i had read Gyo before.. its in malay translation on Gempak magazine. they divide the story to few chapter/ episode. I remember how i save money on school to buy gempak mag every 2 weeks, semata-mata nak baca sambungan cerita!

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    8. Jean: wah!!!! u also another fan?? nowadays u don't read anymore? i wan to read more horror mangas, need some recommendation!!!

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    9. innocent: OMG thanks!!! will check Mail and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service! anymore titles??? I read Tomie liao and most of junjo ito's work. Need moreeee moreeeeeeeeeee!!!

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    10. hida: heeey!!! i am also a Gempak fan! ever since #1 i been a fan, but the comic tak best macam dulu already. Last time those uncle chinese/indian grocery stores that sell books/mags. They got sell malay title mangas like Gyo etc! I bought GYO part 1 & part 2 books from these shops, but tak simpan.. lagi.. duno where the books now.

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