Horrifyingly Hit Or Miss
Junji Ito is the undisputed king of horror manga. His books are well known for their grotesque and shocking content, as well as their well written and unstoppable page-turning qualities. Uzumaki is one of the most famous of his works, but it’s not the only one worth reading. Sensor, GYO, and No Longer Human are all excellent examples of his writing. ..
In many ways, Liminal Zone is an experiment with an equal number of highs and lows. This collection brings together 4 different ideas and attempts to flesh them out – ideas that Junji Ito writes in his Afterword were floating around in his notebook for a while. Tellingly, he also writes: “Perhaps I’m tired from drawing manga for years on end.”
While Liminal Zone isn’t exactly tiring, it does feel like tired storytelling at times, with ideas that don’t quite work or have the same pizzazz as Ito’s previous concepts have had. That’s not to say this is a disappointment, but it’s a surprisingly tepid book overall that’s unlikely to stand out next to his other bodies of work.
The four stories in this anthology are all strange and quirky, but they all have a common goal: to make you laugh. “Weeping Woman Way” is the shortest story, and it’s the most straightforward – it’s about a woman who can’t stop crying, and her boyfriend who tries to help her. But even though it’s the shortest story, it has the most interesting plotline. In fact, it might be one of the strangest stories in this anthology.
This is the weakest of the bunch, with a lack of development or explanation around Mako’s connection to this. I won’t spoil much more but given there are several pages here dedicated to exposition around the origin of the weeping women, not explaining Mako’s importance to them feels like a missed opportunity to expand on the plot.
The first story is about a new student at a private school who quickly learns that there’s something wrong with the Principal and his wife. The second story has more clarity, and as a result, the narrative flows smoothly through to the end.
In the final tale of the series, “The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara,” we follow a group of people as they explore the strange cave known as Dragon’s Mouth. What lies inside is still a mystery, but it seems to be a place where the dead can come back to life.
In “Slumber,” a man who dreams of being a killer is revealed to be living life in reality. Out of all the stories, this one is the least imaginative. Those who have watched Fringe will instantly recognize the premise from season 1’s “Bad Dreams.” And for those who haven’t seen Fringe, the synopsis to that episode reads: “FBI agent Dunham believes that she is killing random people in her dreams.”
Although the narrative quality is a bit hit or miss in this collection, the artwork is still fantastic. The hand-drawn panels are as enticing as they’ve ever been, drawn entirely in black and white. Some of the full-page reveals, complete with accentuated lines and twisted, deformed faces, still send chills while you’re reading. It’s just a pity that this isn’t reflected in the storytelling.
Ultimately, Liminal Zone is an enjoyable but underwhelming collection of stories that have flashes of promise that are never quite sustained. Fans of horror manga will still find enough to enjoy, but this is unlikely to be a book you’ll return to in a hurry. ..
