Uncanny by Junji Ito is a masterclass in unsettling horror, where his signature style of grotesque, yet captivating, illustrations combines with spine-chilling narratives to leave a lasting impact. Ito’s ability to twist the ordinary into the extraordinary is unmatched, creating a sense of constant unease with every page. The stories in Uncanny are both eerie and deeply fascinating, showcasing his remarkable skill in blending psychological horror with visual terror. It’s a must-read for fans of horror comics, offering the perfect balance of disturbing and mesmerizing.

Thank you to VIZ Media and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

What a fascinating life Junji Ito has lived! It was so neat getting to read about his life with his own words. I absolutely loved that he included some of his oldest manga from when he was a kid, as well as some select art from the media that shaped his own. He also included the history behind his most famous works, from the inspiration to the process. This is then summarized into common ideas that surround his entire body of work. There are even illustrations he has made just for this autobiography. It's just so cool to see how his mind works and to see where his inspirations lie!

Some things were so surprising to me, like the fact that he was aiming to be in dentistry when he was in high school because he was convinced that even if he did make it into art school he would only become an art teacher. He was supposed to get on the science track in the twelfth grade but it was full, so he ended up on the arts track anyway--which sounds like the universe was adamant about him becoming a king of Japanese horror we know today! He did attempt a job as a dental technician sculpting teeth, but it took such an awful toll on his mind and body that he gave it up to draw manga instead. In his own words, if he was going to die at forty like he saw himself doing while being a dental technician, then he was going to do what he enjoyed until that time came. I admire his resolve and it was quite inspirational reading about how he overcame all the struggles he had getting his start as such a prolific mangaka.

If you are curious about the man behind some of the most famous horror manga, there's nothing better than an autobiography written by himself and this is a great one. Definitely pick it up if you love Ito's work!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher from the free digital ARC. There is so much content packed in this book that I'm honestly surprised it's not longer! It's part memoir, discussion of fear, and writing advice. Ito goes into great detail on how he comes up with his horrifying ideas and is very honest about how he takes inspiration from his own fears. It was interesting to hear his story about how he got into manga in the first place and things just snowballed from there. The book also includes in-progress sketches and notes he made while working on his stories. I loved seeing that! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys either reading or writing manga.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This is definitely a 5* book.
What an absolute treat it was to get a glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest horror mangkas!
I found this fascinating. To see the behind-the-scenes creation of some of his best-known collections, especially Tomie and Uzumaki. A must read!

Junji Ito weaves together the history of manga and Japanese media into his own story, using the milestones of his life to touch on important moments in cultural history as well as well.. Reading this biography will give you a peak into the mind of master of horror manga, while also providing interesting information about the progression of horror, manga, horror manga, and more. It is a charming tale, which one might not expect based on the authors other works.

I suppose being a fan of the author is always a plus when it comes to reading something new and informative, especially as 'Uncanny: The Origins of Fear' delves quite beautifully into who Junji Ito is, and too condense simply, his inspirations and motivations when it comes to writing the horror he is well known for. I found the illustrations immersive and like with Ito's other works, inviting into the world filled with the writer's thoughts and introspection. The book is split into two sections, Ito's autobiography, and the writing process. For those familiar with Stephen King's 'On Writing', this book may feel quite similar in terms of contents and the author's perchance for horror, however, I would argue that Ito's work is far more enthusiastic and illustrated in terms of his writing process and the advice he gives onto inspiring writers and readers alike. I would recommend this book and it should be in every writer's toolkit moving forward.

A new favourite biography. I have loved Junji Ito’s weird and wonderful illustrations and manga for years. This far exceeded my expectations, the way that the history and lore of manga is intertwined with Junji’s own experiences and how the culture wraps this all up in a bow is masterful.

This had more history and cultural information than I had anticipated and I’m so glad it did. It really enhanced the reading experience. A high recommendation.

As a fan of Junji Ito, I was super excited to get my hands on a copy of this book! This reflective autobiography/analysis of horror literature by Ito is a fascinating dive into just how we got here. With lots of quotes from his inspirations and allusions to his own favorites, there’s a lot to unpack here. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but I guess I thought there would be more information on fear and how it’s inspired Ito as well.
I think this will definitely appeal most to those who are already fans of Ito and his work.

Please see my full review in Booklist for a full analysis of this work. Thank you! I appreciate the opportunity to review this work professionally.

I am a huge fan of Junji Ito, so getting a peek behind the curtain so to speak was such an enjoyable experience. The combination of photos and writing elevated this book, and it's definitely an interesting read for fans of his and those looking to develop their own creativity.

Great read that really dives deep into the psyche and origins of Junji Ito. Learn about the origins of his life, what inspired him to write certain stories and he touches on some of his iconic characters.

This book was a great read! The story had a great pace and the characters were well developed. It was very easy to get sucked into the story and in just a few sittings, I was done reading the book!

A memoir and light look of skill of Ito's works. Ito discusses his life and inspirations. This can be somewhat of a collector's book into the art. The book aims to explore whether his love for horror influences his writing and if he can separate it from his family life.

Ito's autobiography is an amazing look into the mind of one of the greatest horror mangakas. He guides the reader through his early life to show how the seeds of his creativity sprouted early and made sure to credit those that inspired him. I really enjoyed the works in progress and early drawings that he included for some of his most famous works and style. This is a great addition to any Ito collection.

This offered some fascinating insight into Junji Ito's influences as well as some context for some of his more common themes, especially dentistry. I discovered Monthly Halloween and the phenomenon of horror shoujo through this autobiography!

Why are you reading this book? If it's to get insight into how Junji Ito creates his manga, you may find yourself a little disappointed. He spends the back chapters discussing that and offers some decent insights into what makes for effective horror. Still, when you compare it to, for example, Hirohiko Araki's Manga in Theory and Practice, it's lacking as a craft manual. If you're reading this to get a bit more insight into Junji Ito the person, you're likely to be much happier. The front chapters are autobiographical and far more interesting.

Ito discusses how he came to horror by way of science fiction which is a fascinating genre shift in and of itself, and what many of his early influences were. Unsurprisingly, a major one was Kazuo Umezz in the same way all of the Gothic novels name-dropped by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey were republished in the mid-twentieth century, some enterprising publisher could put out a collection of Ito's influences since many of them aren't available in English, and some are likely out of print in Japan as well. Most of Ito's early works were published in the shoujo horror magazine Halloween, and Ito talks about why he prefers the short story to a long serial, even when he writes a series of self-contained shorts about the same character, like Tomie or Soichi. He also discusses how he came to write Gyo and Uzumaki, along with specific shorts, such as “Deserter,” and his adaptations of No Longer Human and Frankenstein.

The book itself is very well designed. There's a separate illustration under the jacket, and each page has a centered box of text on a navy blue background with blue-grey images from Ito's work lightly printed on it. Ito's initial sketches for many of his pieces and some of his earliest manga efforts from elementary and middle school are included. On the lower right corners, there's a small flipbook animation from about the halfway point of the book, and a complete bibliography is also included, breaking down which stories are included in which collection. It's a good read; just go into it expecting more of an autobiography and personal musing than anything solid in the craft arena.

Junji Ito is the indisputable master of contemporary horror manga. However, I and many others have often wondered what led him to create such nightmarish depictions of our deepest fears. Anyone that is interested in Ito's background and process will love this book.

I loved this book as it gave us such a good insight into Junji Ito's mind and how he creates the fantastic stories and characters that he does. The mix of writing with his illustrations I really enjoyed as he gave explanations for how he created the ideas for each scene.
The book was incredibly easy to read, and the format worked well.

Highly recommended for all fans of Junji Ito who want to learn more about his creative process and how he became a manga artist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for the ARC!

Prolific horror manga creator Junji Ito somehow manages to come off even more down-to-Earth and relatable (which fans of his media appearances will already be aware of) in this memoir/how-to.

This was an unbelievable memoir and how-to manual that Ito shares with the world. As the premier horror mangaka, Ito explains his upbringing and life and then contextualizes how he approaches creating his art and the stories from character, motivation, fear, etc. It's a peak inside his world and one that every amazing creator must do in their career to pull back the curtain.

It's a beautiful work of art in itself- I just wish that in the earlier chapters when he shares his art and other impactful works that it was bigger. While I recognize I'm reading a digital version, I don't know if it's that much bigger if I had the print version. Thank you, Ito for sharing your genius for all of the lovers of your horror manga.