Kariett.

When this anime adaptation came out, I wasn't particularly excited knowing it was from the same studio that gave us Junji Ito Collection. And honestly, I'm disappointed that they didn't even bother to step up their game from the last series. Once again, they kick things off with The Strange Hikizuri Siblings as the first episode, just like they did with Souichi in JIC. If I were launching a horror series, I wouldn’t start with these kind of stories - they're practically a guarantee to give viewers the wrong impression of the entire anthology.

Really, I wish there had been more effort put into the details and the overall mood. You don't have to perfectly replicate Junji Ito's art style, but the dread and atmosphere should be there - those are some of his greatest strengths. And when I say that, maybe they could have used thicker lines, deeper shadows, or more unsettling sound design. The pacing could also be slowed down to build tension, letting the horror linger just a bit longer before revealing the unsettling visuals. Take The Bully, for instance. That manga panel had me seriously freaked out, but in the anime, it just feels flat and almost laughable—why does she look like a clown? Ugh.

Now we have viewers thinking, "What's so scary about these weird stories? There's nothing special about this author." I don't believe his works can't translate into anime - even Yami Shibai manages to nail the dread with nothing but cut-out pictures.

A few things did stick with me, though. They threw in a little revenge scene at the end of The Long Hair in the Attic, and I have to admit, that was brutal but oddly satisfying.

Also, The Mold wasn’t one of my favorite stories, but in the anime, it grossed me out enough to become my favorite episode in the whole series. This really confirms that the use of black and white suits Ito’s atmospheric works best.