Junji Ito Collection: The Complete Series

Manga artist Junji Ito is one of the most popular contemporary practitioners of J-horror, but this anime anthology featuring adaptations of 24 of his stories will likely disappoint both fans and newcomers. On the printed page, Ito’s sinister images can have a deliciously creepy effect, but while a few of the tales included in this series ("Slug Girl" and "Shiver," for example) remain genuinely unsettling, most have lost a good deal of their impact in mediocre animated form, partially due to visual repetition but also because the narratives—which usually involve a supernatural power unleashed against a terrified protagonist—are one-note affairs, featuring an abundance of sequences in which victims are pursued endlessly through forest and streets by various evil entities. The majority of the tales are standalone entries, although two focus on a strange student named Souichi who uses punishing magic to address grudges held against classmates, and one features an appearance by Ito’s most famous character—Tomie, a manipulative girl who feeds on others to maintain her immortality. Although the Junji Ito Collection can be applauded for bringing the work of a well-regarded mangaka to a wide audience in a new form, its execution leaves much to be desired. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2018 in a dual-language Blu-ray edition, rated TV-MA, extras include two OVAs. Optional. (F. Swietek)