Junji Ito to Debut New Horror Anime Later This Year

Junji Ito has made a name for himself over the years as a manga artist by telling stories that send shivers down his readers’ spines. To no one’s surprise, the horrific manga tales have received anime adaptations in the past, with Netflix diving into Ito’s mind via the upcoming Junji Ito’s Maniac, Japanese Tales of the Macabre. During the latest TUDUM event, the streaming service revealed when fans can expect the horror series to make landfall on the platform.

The stories that will make up this new anthology will include creepy stories such as The Hanging Balloons, Tomie: Photo, The Room With 4 Walls, Intruder, The Long Hair in the Attic, Bullied, The Strange Hikizuri Siblings: The Seance, and Where the Sandman Lives to name a few. The Hanging Balloons especially is a major entry in the horror mangaka’s resume that has yet to be brought to life, focusing on a world that is terrorized by horrific doppelgangers aiming to hang people from nooses as they float in the sky. While all the stories have yet to be confirmed at this point, there is another major story that has yet to be brought to life in The Enigma of Amigara Fault. Perhaps, this tale will also find its way to the Netflix series.

During the latest Tudum Event, Netflix revealed that Maniac would arrive on the streaming service on January 19th of next year, along with a new Twitter post that gives horror fans a closer look at the upcoming stories that will be sure to send shivers up the spines of those who watch them:

Revealing cast and stills from 4 of the 20 stories in Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre

The new cast members are:

Riho Sugiyama
Daisuke Kishio
Rie Suegara
Yumiri Hanamori
Yuji Mitsuya
Hiro Shimono#TUDUM#TUDUMjapan#JunjiItoManiac pic.twitter.com/6vZ2VSKlkI

— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) September 25, 2022

To this day, Ito is still working tirelessly on creating new stories that are unlike anything in the world of horror today, so should this upcoming series seek to adapt further tales of terror, Netflix will have plenty to choose from. Adding another Eisner award to his resume this year, Junji Ito has proved himself time and again as a master of horror not just in the realm of anime, but in the genre of horror overall. 

Which tale of terror are you most looking forward to in Maniac? 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.