Viral TikTok Unearths Rare Art From Junji Ito: Watch

Junji Ito is about to receive a new anime adaptation later this week as Netflix is planning to release a spooky new anime anthology in Junji Ito's Maniac: Japanese Tale of the Macabre. While the stories used in this new television series will be hitting the small screen for the first time, several characters that spawned from Ito's mind will be making some grand returns on January 19th, with a new viral Tik Tok video showing off original art from the master of horror.

Tomie is far and away Ito's most popular character, appearing in a number of stories from the mangaka and set to return in Netflix's upcoming anime adaptation. First appearing in 1997 via a titular manga series, Tomie is a mysterious woman who also just so happens to be a succubus, enthralling men to her whims while also sporting some disturbing looks in the process. Besides having a role in the previous anime anthology series, The Junji Ito Collection, Tomie has received a staggering eight live-action movies in Japan, one of which was hilariously titled Tomie Vs Tomie. There was also meant to be a live-action television series in the West that would have brought Tomie to North America, though the project died with the shuttering of the streaming platform known as Quibi.

Tomie Art

Tik Tok user, Moon's Rare Books, took the opportunity to share original artwork from Junji Ito that was an early take on Tomie, showing how long the artist has been weaving stories for the scary succubus that is set to return in only a few days' time thanks to Netflix:

@moonsrarebooks

I’m a big fan of Junji Ito. #manga #booktok #mangaart #moonsrarebooks #mangacollection

♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) – 山口夕依

Besides Tomie, Maniac is planning to release quite a few stories that Junji Ito fans have been dying to see brought into the anime format. On January 19th, viewers will be able to see the terrifying arrival of giant head balloons, a sinister sandman looking to break free from his dream prison, an ice cream truck that is far more sinister than it appears, and a vast menagerie of creatures. While not yet confirmed, horror anime fans are also hoping that Toonami's long-awaited adaptation of Uzumaki will also arrive this year.

Who has been your favorite character and/or creature to spring from the mind of Junji Ito over the years? 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.