There's something about Junji Ito's work that I have a hard time putting into words. While reading this, I didn't feel particularly fulfilled after each short story. Some were quite weak and some were pretty strong. Some had interesting premises and execution, some were just kinda silly. But even after reading some of the best stories in this collection, I didn't feel a lot of satisfaction. Then, after I finished the book, it dawned on me: Junji Ito's work is a slow burn. It just sticks with you, coming to mind when you least expect it. It haunts you.

Not that his work is particularly scary to me, at least not these stories specifically, but it just stays with you. It hangs out in the back of your head, and when you see a trigger, you immediately think of one of his stories. Next time I see a futon, I will think of that silly futon short story. If I see a particularly nice house, I will think of the woman who had the hots for houses. If I'm having a hard time making a small decision, I will think of the whispering woman who constantly whispered detailed instructions on a girl's ear. This phenomenon occurred to me when I read Ito's Dissolving Classroom, a book that I thought was okay but not all that great. In that series, whenever the main character would apologize profusely to someone, they would eventually start to melt. So now whenever someone apologizes to me a lot, I always recall that book a crack a joke about it. As such, I have a higher appreciation for it than I did when I read it. I think the same applies to most of Ito's work.

The stories are good for the most part, but it's a mixed bag. The art, however, is great throughout, whether it be depicting mortified characters, gore, body horror, creatures, or insanely detailed spreads. The paneling remains simple, but very effective and well paced. My main complaint with the art is that some characters look too much alike. A few are pretty memorable though.

All in all, I'd give this collection an 8/10. Some stories were kinda weak, so I was gonna go a point lower, but I think that the strong stories of the bunch more than make up for it. Dissection-chan alone is worth buying this book for.

Quick individual short story reviews:

Futon: 3/5
The shortest and simplest of the eight storiest. I thought the story itself was very weak, but the art was at its strongest here with some amazingly detailed spreads.

Wooden Spirit: 3/5
A twist on the haunted house trope. Not great, but still fairly enjoyable. The art was great, with some very detailed interiors. Story was just good enough to be creepy.

Tomio / Red Turtleneck: 4/5
This one actually got to me a bit. I could feel the existential horror of Tomio holding his head in place lest he lose it. The cockroach thing made me very uncofortable. Ending was good. Strong art that really showed the terror of the situation.

Gentle Goodbye: 2/5
This one's a big meh. It wasn't awful, but it was fairly predictable and unsatisfying. Weakest story and art of the bunch.

Dissection-chan: 5/5
Easily the best short story of the book. Amazing premise and execution. Ended very appropriately too. The art was some of the best of the book, showing some detailed inner anatomy. The main character is very memorable, and her creepy face is one of the best.

Blackbird: 4/5
I really didn't like this at first but by the time I was done, I was very creeped out. I think it could've been done better, but overall it was a satisfying turn of events and ending.

Magami Nakanuse: 3/5
Ehhh, I really didn't like this one much, but the premise of jailing people to see what tics they develop in captivity so you can write about it is very interesting. Besides that I found this one a bit boring. There was some cool art, especially the odd poses and faces.

Whispering Woman: 4/5
This one was pretty good. It's relatable to get anxious about decision-making, even when it comes to small things. Seeing decision-paralysis taken to a comical extreme here was interesting. There was a lot more development in these 30 pages than I expected, and the ending was quite good.