If you are a fan of all things horror and you love reading manga, then you should read the many Junji Ito manga series because he is the master of this genre!
The world of manga has many genres: comedy, romance, action, adventure, and more. These genres tend to be the most popular. But some people enjoy all kinds of manga, including those that tackle the obscure, bizarre, and mind-blowing world of horror.
When it comes to this genre, Junji Ito is probably the most renowned author. As a master of horror, the author does not mind approaching different stories and is unflinching in creating graphic scenes that leave strong impressions on people, even if it means relying on the grotesque and horrifying.
Some of his pieces are also beginner-friendly. Titles such as Mimi’s Tales of Terror and Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu are good for starting your journey, even if you are not used to reading graphic series with many horror elements.
Of course, he has a vast repertoire of titles, but once you start this horror-filled journey, I believe following this list is an excellent way to tackle his work. With all that said, let’s begin the list with the most popular manga series by Junji Ito!
Best Junji Ito Manga to Read in 2025
1. Uzumaki
Uzumaki tells the story of two Shuichi Saito, the boyfriend of Kirie Goshima. He claims that their town is cursed, not by any monster of the Japanese folklore or a regular person, but by the concept of spirals.
But why would Shuichi have such a thought?
If you carefully look around, you’ll see that many things are spiral-shaped. Everything seems to resemble spirals, from simple sea shells to the waters surrounding the town.
But things don’t go as far as that; madness slowly starts to swallow its inhabitants, deforming their minds and bodies. It’s up to them to discover the mysteries of the curse and what lies beyond the spiraling reality they are facing.
2. Shiver
Junji Ito is not only a master at creating a horror series but is also well known for many of his manga collections, which cover a wide range of short stories. One of his most famous collections is Shiver, showcasing nine different stories.
For instance, “Shiver,” also known as The Chill, is one of those stories. It follows Yuuji, Rina’s neighbor, who has an unknown illness that causes her to see a swarm of bugs near her, which makes her regularly scream in despair. Rina’s family claims that she’s just hallucinating, but as Yuuji gets the opportunity to see Rina, she notices that her body is filled with holes, similar to the hollows you would find in a hive.
The “Shiver” collection also consists of other stories, such as:
- Used Record
- Greased
- Fashion Model and Fashion Model: Cursed Frame
- Hanging Blimp
- Honored Ancestors
- Marionette Mansion
- The Long Dream
- Painter
3. Remina
The universe’s wonders are pretty much unknown to the people of Earth. However, we have the opportunity to glance at a fraction of its mysteries. As a scientist observes a new planet in the distance, he names it after his only daughter, Remina.
Of course, Remina herself is acclaimed for having the same name as the planet. At first, she’s afraid of adoration and fame until the reality behind the planet is discovered. It’s a world-consuming planet approaching Earth, destroying everything in its path.
The adoration Remina (the girl) once enjoyed quickly turns into fear and hatred as rumors spread, claiming that Remina and her father are the culprits behind the tragedy. Remina is then hunted as if she were a witch, and she has to do her best to survive in a world influenced by the planet’s shine, even when the end is near.
4. Tomie
There are many frightening creatures in horror fantasy, but Tomie is both beautiful and dreadful. When you look at Tomie, you could easily fall in love with her charms, especially her long and beautiful black hair and the small beauty mark below her left eye.
Men fall so deeply in love with her that things get chaotic, resulting in violent outcomes.
This is all thanks to Tomie’s stratagems, manipulating others emotionally or psychologically to induce them into rampages caused by jealousy.
Anyone would say that Tomie is nothing but a puppeteer, but the more you get to know her, the more you understand that Tomie is a remarkable creature out of this world.
5. No Longer Human
No Longer Human is Junji Ito’s adaptation and representation of an old piece of literature from 1948, also known as “Ningen Shikkaku” in Japanese, which could be translated into “Human Failure.”
This story is rather sad and realistic, a unique approach to horror, following the steps of the novel’s author, Osamu Dazai. It follows the life of Ooba Youzou as he struggles to connect with others and is overwhelmed by his thoughts.
To be perceived as “normal,” Ooba acts as a clown around his family and schoolmates. Still, inside, he is rather calculative and intelligent, overthinking everything to the point of not sleeping at night because of the most minor things.
This title is recommended for those looking for something combining human nature with a pinch of horror and the supernatural.
6. Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu
Like No Longer Human, this one focuses on something other than horror. I recommend this title if you want to get to know Junji Ito a little more as a person and if you want a unique, gentler approach to his work.
As you might have expected, this one involves J-Kun (Junji Ito’s drawn persona) as he lives with his fianceé and her two cats, Yon and Mu, showcasing his many experiences with them.
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary is an ordinary tale about a person suddenly becoming responsible for two new creatures. Although nothing scary happens in the story, Ito’s drawing of his characters gives the title a horror vibe. Although the story often feels a bit creepy and eerie, it’s anything but that!
The title is worth reading if you love reading Junji Ito manga but are not in the mood for anything scary.
7. Frankenstein
If you have never had the chance to read Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein from 1818, you should give this one title a chance. As an adaptation of the story from Junji Ito’s perspective of the original book, it is acclaimed as one of the best adaptations of the original piece.
As you might have expected, it is an adaptation of the author’s original piece about a mad scientist who wants to create a living being from scratch.
Still, Junji Ito’s Frankenstein manga also contains other short stories! It’s a relatively affordable book, so I would recommend giving this one a try if you have never read anything from Junji Ito and want to read a short and easy-to-consume manga.
8. Gyo
Gyo, which translates to “Fish,” is a horror story about fearful fiends from the depths of the sea. It is among the longest titles you can find from the hands of Junji Ito, reaching 20 chapters, just like Uzumaki.
The story follows Tadashi and Kaori, a couple who travel to Okinawa for their vacation and try scuba diving. Things become weird once they notice a fish with its legs growing from its belly. With its presence, Kaori quickly notices a foul stench coming from it, like the smell you would find from the rotting corpse of an animal.
As the story progresses, Tadashi, Kaori, and the residents of Okinawa face a horde of legged fish, followed by the smell of rotten flesh and death!
9. Smashed
Also known as Yami no Koe or Voices of the Dark, Smashed is another compilation of stories by Junji Ito. It is a good choice if you prefer reading short stories instead of stories that develop themselves as you read them.
This title is a collection featuring 13 short stories showcased in both Yami no Koe and Shin Yami no Koe Kaidan. Its first one, Blood Sucking Darkness, is the longest of the 13 stories, divided into seven parts. The other short stories include:
- Ghost of Prime Time
- Smashed
- Roar
- Splendid Shadow Song
- Earthbound
- Library Vision
- Death Row Doorbell
- I Don’t Want to be a Ghost
- The Mystery of the Haunted House (Including Souichi’s Version)
- In Mirror Valley
- Souichi’s Beloved Pet
10. Mimi’s Tales of Terror
Also known as Mimi no Kaidan, Mimi’s Tales of Terror is another compilation of short stories centered around a young girl named Mimi who is unlucky enough to deal with multiple paranormal and horrific situations.
It has a total of 7 chapters, each portraying a different story Mimi experienced and the people surrounding her.
Mimi’s Tales of Terror is usually considered Junji Ito’s lightest work. Although it does portray some rather scary situations, it’s by far the less grotesque and bizarre piece of work he has produced.
I would recommend it for those who want to start reading Junji Ito’s manga series but don’t have the heart to begin with other pieces since many of his titles are known for being unsightly, which might put off newcomers.
11. Dissolving Classroom
Dissolving Classroom might be one of the most grotesque you can find solely because of its premise and its two main characters. It was claimed to be one of Junji Ito’s best pieces, but it is not usually the one I would recommend for beginners.
If you have already read some of Junji Ito’s stories and are accustomed to his portrayal of horror, you might want to try this one.
The plot follows two brothers, Yuuma and Chizumi, as they (willingly and unwillingly) create a path of suffering, destruction, and pain wherever they go.
Chizumi, for instance, is the devil reincarnated as a little sister. In contrast, Yuuma, an innocent and kind person, has the unique ability to melt down people just by apologizing to them.
12. Black Paradox
Black Paradox is a progressive manga with eight chapters, the last two of which are one-shots. The title follows a group of people who involve themselves with one another to commit group suicide, each dealing with their own problems.
For example, Marisol can predict the future and wants to die to avoid suffering the things she knows will happen. Taburou, on the other hand, managed to encounter his doppelganger, an event rumored to end in misfortune.
Piitan was used as the model of a robot that surpassed him in all aspects, and he felt that life was not worth living after that. Barachi, a person with facial disfiguration, claims that a new living being is growing from it.
All characters will involve themselves in multiple events, some involving paranormal situations that will change their fates.
13. Soichi: Junji Ito Story Collection
Soichi is a rather peculiar character, even to Junji Ito’s standards. First, he’s regularly found biting or sucking nails to fight his iron deficiency, and he can spit said nails to use them as darts to fight other people.
He’s also a young man quite obsessed with the occult, to the point of entangling himself in rituals and similar approaches to the paranormal, regardless of the results they could cause to people, including himself.
The thing about Soichi’s Stories is that although they involve a lot of horror elements, just like many of Ito’s titles, this one also involves a certain level of comedy since many of Soichi’s plans tend to backfire, causing somewhat comedic situations that bite him as a result.
14. Fragments of Horror
Like many Junji Ito manga collections, Fragments of Horror is also a collection of short stories first published in 2013 and 2014. It has eight short stories, each independent of the others.
To showcase some examples of the stories you will find in this collection, you have:
- Futon, which features a man who refuses to leave his futon under any circumstances
- Wooden Spirit, which focuses on the relation of a couple with an accursed house
- Tomio and the Red Turtle Neck, which follows Tomio as he’s being hunted by a fortune teller
- Gentle Goodbye, which follows Riko as she leads a life filled with nightmares about her father’s death as she marries a member of the Tokura family, which has the strange ability to create and see afterimages of people
- Dissection Girl, which features a medical student, Tatsuro Kamata, who is stalked by a girl obsessed with the idea of being dissected
The background behind Fragments of Horror is also fascinating. Junji Ito had stopped drawing horror for eight years before creating this title!
15. Deserter
Deserter is another collection from Junji Ito, one of its longest since it contains 12 stories. One of the stories, Deserter, showcases the story of a family who hides a war deserter and constantly feeds him lies about war to make him think the war never ended.
Some of the other stories you can find also include:
- Bio House
- Bullied
- Face Thief
- Village of the Siren
- Where the Sandman Lives
- Unendurable Labyrinth
- The Devil’s Logic
- A Father’s Love
- The Long Hair in the Attic
- The Reanimator’s Sword
- Scripted Love
What Is Your Favorite Junji Ito Manga Series?
Now you know where to start if you are interested in reading some of Junji Ito’s titles. Most of his titles and collections are available online, officially translated into English, for you to enjoy in a physical format.
If you end up falling in love with Junji Ito’s pieces, you can always research even more of his work for you to enjoy since Junji Ito has been drawing for years now, coming up with different plots in most of his works.
So, let me know which of these best Junji Ito manga series you liked the most, and don’t forget to share the article with your friends!
