![\"Fragments](\"https:\/\/images-us.bookshop.org\/ingram\/9781421580791.jpg?height=500&v=v2\")
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Fragments of Horror <\/em>by Junji Ito<\/p>\n Viz Media, 2015<\/p>\n ISBN: 9781540050465<\/p>\n Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition<\/p>\n Buy:\u00a0Bookshop.org<\/a> |\u00a0\u00a0Amazon.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Junji Ito\u2019s Fragments of Horror, <\/em>consists of\u00a0eight original manga horror stories published in Nemuki+ <\/em>in 2014, created after a hiatus from horror. Tales have a wide range in terms of content and atmosphere.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In \u201cFuton,\u201d new wife Madoka is lamenting her husband Tomio\u2019s strange affliction. He refuses to come out from under his futon because of strange visions. Soon, Madoka experiences her own visions. Is there something supernatural going on, or is there a more mundane explanation for the strange occurrences the couple is witnessing?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Megumi and her father are quite proud of their old house and accept a new boarder in \u201cWooden Spirit.\u201d The young woman eventually charms her way into the family, but it isn\u2019t Megumi\u2019s father that is attracting her affection.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTomio: Red Turtleneck\u201d is one of the strangest stories in this anthology. Tomio returns to his ex-girlfriend Madoka, desperate for help. He has his hands covering his ears when he arrives at her house. At first, she tells him to return to \u201cthat woman\u201d when the story turns to three days earlier. We see Madoka breaking up with Tomio for being unfaithful with a fortune teller they consulted. He goes back to the fortuneteller who turns out to have a unique collection, and she wants to add Tomio. If he removes his hands from his head, she will surely get her new addition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGentle Goodbye\u201d is a touching story, a departure from Ito\u2019s usual horror fare. Riko, who is afflicted with nightmares of her deceased father, marries Makoto Tokura, although the family disapproves of their marriage. When she sees ghosts in the familial home, Makoto explains that his family has the ability to create afterimages of family members who have passed on. Through this ability, Riko discovers the shocking secret about her own nightmares.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In \u201cDissection-chan,\u201d a class in the dissection lab at Chuo Medical University is preparing to dissect a cadaver. When they open the body bag, however, the body within is not dead. One of the students recognizes her as a childhood friend, and when the young woman realizes who he is, she won\u2019t leave him alone, begging him to cut her open.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rescued and injured hiker Kume is taken to the hospital in \u201cBlack Bird.\u201d When he reveals how long he was lost- for a month– nobody can believe it. Then, there is the strange woman who visits him and feeds him every night..<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n \u201cMagami Nanakuse\u201d is a somewhat problematic story in this anthology. Kaoru Koketsu finally meets her favorite author, the titular Magami. The author is strangely obsessed with people\u2019s nervous tics and uses them as a sort of muse for their work. They\u2019ve gotten bored with the current run of tics their associates have and needs to find new ones. Hence the reason for Kaoru\u2019s presence. Can Kaoru provide the ultimate tic the author is searching for? The problematic part of the story is that it is revealed the villain is a transgender woman, where the main character exclaims, \u201cShe\u2019s a man\u2026?\u201d with a disgusted facial expression. It could also be a look of surprise–it really can be viewed both ways. The character is written as a fairly distasteful person. Regardless, this could have been written without the \u201cman in a dress\u201d stereotype.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In \u201cWhispering Woman,\u201d Mayumi cannot make decisions on her own. She requires someone to tell her what to do constantly. Mitsu Uchida has been hired as the girl\u2019s latest attendant. Mitsu has an uncanny ability to be at Mayumi\u2019s side at all times, despite the fact that her health is clearly being effected. Mitsu becomes frail and emaciated, but she is faithful to her charge. What would happen if Mayumi\u2019s external voice fails?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fragments of Horror <\/em>isn\u2019t my favorite Ito collection. It feels like more of an exercise or warm-up to get back into his rhythm of horror. However, I would recommend this for the Ito completist. There are a few strong chapters, such as \u201cTomio: Red Turtleneck\u201d, \u201cGentle Goodbye\u201d, and \u201cDissection-chan\u201d, so it is worth reading. Just do not expect Ito\u2019s best work in this volume. Recommended.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reviewed by Lizzy Walker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito Viz Media, 2015 ISBN: 9781540050465 Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition Buy:\u00a0Bookshop.org |\u00a0\u00a0Amazon.com Junji Ito\u2019s Fragments of Horror, consists of\u00a0eight original manga horror stories published in Nemuki+ in 2014, created after a hiatus from horror. Tales have a wide range in terms of content and atmosphere. In \u201cFuton,\u201d<\/p>\n