Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories by Junji Ito

Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories by Junji Ito
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic collection of short stories hand-picked by Ito himself! Fans will not be disappointed.

1. Used Record - A mythical record of a scat recording made from the afterlife has people killing to get their hands on it. An understated story with some classic Ito moments. (4/5)

2. Shiver - This is why I read Junji Ito. Very creepy art. A jade ornament has a curse and whoever has it will start getting big holes all over their body until they die. In the meantime, a mysterious doctor arrives to give you shots. (5/5)

3. Fashion Model - Some amateur filmmakers hire a ghoulish looking professional model and she turns out to not be human. Freaky. (4/5)

4. Hanging Blimp - Totally freaky story! The population of Tokyo is under dire threat of death. It started with an actress found to be an apparent hanging suicide. But then the heads start appearing. Giant heads floating in the sky with ropes hanging from them and when you see your own head ... it hangs you. My favourite so far. (5/5)

5. Marionette Mansion - A boy is unhappy because his family are travelling puppeteers living in a van and never staying anywhere more than a month or so. But one day, his father dies and now it's just him and his little sister. A couple of years later they reunite with their older brother but find out he's become obsessed with the marionettes he ran away from. The question pondered here is who controls who, the puppet or the puppeteer. (4/5)

6. The Long Dream - A dying girl in the hospital is terrified of dying. At the same time, a male patient is experiencing longer and longer dreams. Though his dreams last one night his experience of time grows from months to years to centuries and his body changes with the dream time. I loved this one! Ito's horror art is just so creepy! (5/5)

7. Honored Ancestors - Oh man, totally freaky. A girl loses her memory but when she sees the monstrosity that put her in shock in the first place she remembers everything. Very disturbing art! (5/5)

8. Greased Oil - OK, totally, totally gross and freaky! A family cursed by oil. If squirting pussy pimples gross you out, you may find this story very distressing! (4/5)

9. Bonus Story, Fashion Model: Cursed Frame - The ghoulish model from story #3 is back and she claims another victim. (4/5)