Train of Terror by Hideshi Hino

So this a comic I just read recently.

Well, uh... I'm not sure what to say, man.

Let's just get this terror train a-rolling!

CHOO CHOOO!

Souichi's Beloved Pet by Junji Ito

I figured that since the last story I reviewed was a Souichi story, another Souichi story would be appropriate. Let's begin our journey through Souichi's Beloved Pet!

Secret of the Haunted House by Junji Ito

This is the first horror manga I've ever read, so I suppose it makes sense for it to be the first one I review!

About Junji Ito

Born: July 31, 1963

Debut: 1987

Junji Ito started a lot later than the other manga-ka I'm featuring. During the late 80s/early 90s he was actually a dental technician, and drawing manga was just a hobby. A lot of his inspiration for drawing comics came from Kazuo Umezz's works. Since his debut, several movies based on his more popular works have been made.

Tomie poster

Based on his Tomie series, about a beautiful girl that is always murdered by her lovers, and always regenerates from her remains.

Most of his works are based on ghost stories, horrifying body transformations, people suddenly becoming compelled to do very strange things, ancient secrets, strange creatures, and out-of-proportion punishments.

Before I read some of Junji Ito's by chance a few years ago, I had no interest in horror comics. I didn't even know about horror manga, even. I'm pretty sure this is true for many other fans.

I've noticed that Junji Ito is the most popular manga-ka overseas. He's not one of the grandfathers of horror manga like kino or Umezu, but if you ask any Western fan of Japanese pop culture about horror manga, Junji Ito will almost always be the first name to come up.

Just like the other artists featured, Junji Ito is very good at crafting humorous tales as well as horrific ones. One of my personal favorites is his Cat Diary. Cat Diary is drawn in his usual horror manga style, but the volume is just all stories about him and his wife living with cats. They are very funny stories.

About Hideshi Hino

Born: April 19, 1946

Debut: 1967

Hideshi Hino was born in Manchuria just when Japan surrendered. Because of the strong anti-Japanese movement after Japan's surrender, his family moved to Japan to avoid being lynched. His father was a pig farmer and his grandfather was a yakuza. Parts of his life are told in his manga, most notably in Panorama of Hell. Unlike Kazuo Umezz's stories that often span volumes, Hideshi Hino's stories are usually short and sweet... Err, disgusting might be a better word. His most recognized works are Hell Baby, Panorama of Hell, and Hino Horrors. He has also done many shojo style horror stories, which has gained him a decent female readership. He also collects swords and practices budo. What an interesting dude!

Hino is very good at varying his style.

Not only does he do manga, he is famous for his horror movies as well. His Guinea Pig series is very controversial. One time Charlie Sheen watched his film Flower of Flesh and Blood, a movie in which a samurai (played by Hino himself) kidnapped a woman and dismembered her. Charlie thought his movie was a genuine snuff film and reported it to the FBI! Also, in the early '90's there was a lot of buzz surrounding the series, because Mermaid in a Manhole was found in the 5,763 tape collection of Tsutomu Miyazaki, the "Otaku Murderer".

It's difficult to find a screenshot from any part of the Guinea Pig series that ISN'T utterly revolting!

From Mermaid in a Manhole

About Kazuo Umezu

Kazuo Umezu in his natural environment

Born: Aug. 3 1936

Debut: 1955

Kazuo Umezu (Or Umezz) is an odd and very humorous man. His stories are often horrifying, but there is always a touch of humor in them. Some of his stories have more humor than horror, like his Makoto-chan series. He as an obsession with red and white vertical stripes. Even his house is painted in this pattern!

His stories usually are about monsters, inspired by the bedtime stories his father would tell him at night. The horrors of mankind is also a re-occurring theme.  His Drifting Classroom series demonstrates the blending of both themes. He is not afraid to show children in peril or being killed in his manga.

My favorite stories by Kazuo Umezu are the ones about The Cat-Eyed Boy. The Cat-Eyed Boy is the son of a nekomata, but he was abandoned because of his human-like appearance. The boy is  not accepted by the monster world or the human world. His adventures usually involve him being stuck in between, often as a sort of mediator.

Above: A nekomata

Below: The Cat-Eyed Boy

In 1995 he had to retire from comics because of his acute tendinitis. He is still contributing to the creative world, though. He is now involved in television, film, architecture, and even a haunted house.

A commercial for his haunted house that opened in 1995. I would like to visit it!

Information gathered from http://umezz.com/

Introduction

Hello!
This is a blog for my reviews of horror manga.
My main focus will be on works by Kazuo Umezu, Hideshi Hino, and Junji Ito. These three manga-ka are widely considered to be the masters of Japanese horror, so this is a good place to start. As I continue my reviews, I will branch out the other mediums, such as movies and anime, as well as works by other authors.
In my reviews I will try to explore why certain stories are so scary, as well as elements of Japanese culture present in these stories.
Many review blogs have a ratings system, but I will not use one. I will just point out positives and negatives to each story and let you decide if you think it's good or not.
About the title: Kaidan is the Japanese word for traditional ghost stories. I thought it would be good for the title of a horror review blog.

Note: All of my articles are written under the assumption that my audience already has the understanding of basic Japanese pop culture terms.