The anime horror world has been a genre that needs more representation. While series like The Summer Hikaru Died have helped bring some spine-chilling moments to the anime world, there is one master of horror who always seems to be in the conversation. Junji Ito has helped create some of the scariest stories in the manga world, with the likes of Uzumaki, Gyo, Tomie, and The Enigma of Amigara Fault. In a surprising twist, Netflix is planning to release a live-action anime adaptation this year that might have fallen under the radar of fans.
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The upcoming television series, Bloody Smart, has been confirmed to arrive later this year. The Netflix production will have an overarching story while bringing in several different characters and works created by Junji Ito to the live-action world. Made in Taiwan, the upcoming series will feature Ito characters, including Tomie, Slug Girl, the Hanging Balloons, and Souichi. Bloody Smart has yet to reveal its specific release date, but a new preview has been released along with a description of the upcoming spooky series, “In a tightly regulated school town obsessed with elite ideals, a Bloodfruit Tree quietly takes root, bearing crimson fruit. By legend, the fruit is delivered by a boy in black, only to those who truly ‘need’ it. As the fruit awakens long-suppressed desires, sealed emotions begin to slip free, setting the town on a slow path toward an irreversible unraveling.”
Junji Ito’s Anime Horror
This upcoming live-action adaptation isn’t the first time that Junji Ito’s works have been brought to this medium, and it certainly won’t be the last. In Japan, several Tomie feature-length films have been released in the past, along with a live-action Uzumaki film. In the future, a trilogy of films will arrive from Fangoria Studios that will depict the stories of Bloodsucking Darkness and The Mystery of the Haunted House, though the release dates for these films remain a mystery as of the writing of this article.
As for the anime world, Ito isn’t being forgotten here either. Junji Ito’s Crimson series was announced last year, set to arrive on Crunchyroll and slated to once again house several stories from the master of horror’s body of work. To date, we have yet to learn which stories will hit the anthology, though there are still plenty from the mangaka’s history that have yet to be brought to the screen. In terms of Ito’s output, the artist has spent decades creating campfire stories that have made him a household name, and Junji hasn’t hinted that he is stopping anytime soon. From adapting classic works like Frankenstein and No Longer Human, Ito has found a niche for himself in the manga world, and it will be interesting to see how some of his creepiest creations look in this brand new live-action series.
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