#ibitsu

MyAnimeList synopsis under the cut.

Ibitsu is also one of my favorites and is in the list of my most recommended manga! This manga holds a special place for me because it was one of the first series, alongside Junji Ito's works and Fuan No Tane, that really got me hooked on horror in manga. When I first read it, I was genuinely scared - probably because I made the mistake of reading it at night and kept imagining myself in the same horrifying situation as the main character.

I'm a huge fan of the art style. The way the creepy Lolita character is drawn, especially with her lifeless eyes, unsettling facial expressions, and creepy/grotesque 'movements' (seriously, can you imagine this animated?) really brings the horror to life. And the way you can almost smell her, with all those fluids seeping out of her body and her nasty stuffed toy - it’s such an effective use of horror imagery.

I’ve always had a thing for creepy stalker women in fiction. Zashiki Onna comes to mind as being similar, and there’s also a newer series called Mushibami Hime that fits that vibe too!

I got lucky the other month and found a copy of Ibitsu lying around in Indigo, and re-reading it now brings back so many nostalgic feelings!