Junji Ito Maniac Shares Terrifying First Clip: Watch

When you think of anime horror, it’s hard for one to not immediately jump to Junji Ito’s spooky resume, as the mangaka continues to churn out new creepy tales in his decades long career. While Toonami is currently working on a new anime adaptation of Uzumaki, Netflix is looking to beat the Cartoon Network platform to the punch thanks to the upcoming anthology series, Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, with the streaming service releasing the new opening for the series arriving next year.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Junji Ito’s stories have made it to the small screen, with previous works such as Gyo and The Junji Ito Collection telling stories involving aquatic life climbing on land using spider legs and man-eating fashion models stalking their prey. In the future, Maniac also isn’t the only Ito work that will be released, as Toonami is continuing production on the anime adaptation of Uzumaki, a story that focuses on a town plagued by an obsession with spirals. 

Maniac, Maniac On The Floor

Netflix shared the first look at the new opening for the horror anthology series, which has already confirmed that it will be bringing Junji Ito tales such as Hanging Balloons, Where The Sandman Dwells, and Ice Cream Truck for the first time in an animated format:

Here’s how Netflix described the new horror anthology series:

“The genius Junji Ito has long been at the forefront of the Japanese horror manga world. Featuring a selection of 20 macabre masterpieces brimming with his original worldview and fascinating characters drawn in his stunning style, including popular titles such as “Hanging Balloon” and fan-favorite characters Tomie and Soichi, this animated series will totally immerse viewers in the maniacal charm of Junji Ito.”

Maniac is set to arrive on the streaming service worldwide on January 19th and horror fans are crossing their fingers that this upcoming anthology will be able to capture the terror that permeates each panel of Junji Ito’s work.

Which Junji Ito story do you consider to be your favorite? Do you think Maniac will be the best anime adaptation for the horror mangaka to date? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Junji Ito.