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Meet the recurring stars of Junji Ito’s manga universe
by 
Kara Dennison May 23, 2024
Many of Junji Ito’s manga, by their very nature, do not feature recurring characters, especially when the protagonist’s fate varies from twisting into a spiral to being thrown down an ancient mountain cleft. But the horror manga master hasdo has classic characters who’ve appeared in so many stories that it’s a manga collection’s worth, and best of all, you can read them all for free right now. Viz Manga Subscription!
Meet three of Junji Ito’s recurring characters and find out more about them in the ever-growing catalog of Ito-verse manga online.
Business Soichi Tsujii
We all have that one slightly eccentric relative, but they pale in comparison to Junji Ito’s mainstays. Soichi Tsujii He is the youngest child in an otherwise perfectly adorable family, and resembles his aunt more than either of his parents. He has nails stuffed in his mouth and loves to spit on and bite people. He is constantly cursing at his cousins, classmates, and anyone who dares to upset him.
But eventually, his shenanigans catch up with him. Or will they? In one of Ito’s short stories, we meet an adult Souichi spreading fear far and wide through a haunted house, but it’s up to the reader to decide how plausible the story is.
Business Mimi
When Junji Ito isn’t adapting a classic work, his horror tends to come from his own fears.Mimi’s Horror Story is an exception, compiling documented urban legends into short stories, and tying them all together is Mimi, a college student who somehow encounters all sorts of paranormal occurrences—and more often than not, her boyfriend simply doesn’t believe her.
From the ghost of a drowned child, to a peeking gravestone, to an eerily tall neighbor, Mimi encounters all sorts of terrifying things, and luckily, she survives them all… even if she doesn’t necessarily know all the events she encounters.
Business Tom Kawakami
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Possibly the most famous (or infamous) character of Junji Ito. Tom Tomie bucks the trend on this list because, rather than surviving any longer than the average protagonist in an Ito work, she dies. Over and over again. Not only is she incredibly beautiful, which is all she is. And that’s because technically Tomie isn’t a single person. She can replicate quickly and infinitely. Like a very beautiful virus.
Generally, Tommy’s strange beauty drives men to become violent towards her, which leads to her cloning. There are ways to slow her down, such as acid or fire. But all things considered, assume she will return again and again.
More Must-Read Mangataste!
Source of this program
“These components are huge.”
“The nature of many of Junji Ito’s manga doesn’t lend itself to recurring characters. When the protagonist’s fate is spirally twisted, oppressed, or otherwise varied…”
Source: Read more
Source link: https://otakuusamagazine.com/meet-the-recurring-stars-of-junji-itos-manga-universe/
