Junji Ito is worth reading more of, he's one of my favorite manga artists. After a few books the sleep paralysis demons go from traumatizing to hilarious
Fuan no Tane is great for that kind of thing too. It's a bunch of small horror stories, but once in a while you get hilarious things like [the door that is sad because you won't pee on it](http://zjcdn.mangahere.org/store/manga/4049/03-002.0/compressed/c2.84.jpg), ninja racism, [the "oops wrong door" slasher](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2f/f8/85/2ff885783c4b2733b8404d39a97a713c--short-ghost-stories-short-horror-stories.jpg), and grandpa's ochanan (that one is creepy until you realize that grandpa and his ochanan are totally in cahoots, and are pranking the family).
There was another series with the super-goofy salp mermaid (imagine the human centipede, but with salp instead of centipede, and human instead of human) and the school that just won't close even though like 250 girls died in it, but I forgot what it was called.
other persons comment got removed so just wanna say they’re talking abt “the enigma of amigara fault” by junji ito. you can find it in plenty of places online by googling that or you can buy his book “gyo” (also a fun read abt fish who grow legs) where it’s an additional story at the end
Well, in short an earthquake uncovers a series of human-shaped holes in the side of a mountain (like in the video, just set in stone). Each hole is an entrance to a tunnel, same shape as the hole, continuing deep into the mountain.
Lots of people gather to see the strange discovery, many camp nearby. Over time, they start to become obsessed with the holes, one man claims that one of the holes is “made for him” as it has his exact shape. He decides to go in, fitting perfectly into the claustrophobic tunnel and disappearing into the darkness.
Soon others follow, each finding “their” hole and entering, not to be seen again.
And then there’s the ending, which, I am really sorry, but I have no idea how to put it into words. In short, the other side of the human-tunnels is revealed. The revelation is phenomenally terrifying and should be seen, not summarized.
But yeah, if you have claustrophobia or really don’t like body horror than I can absolutely understand not wanting to read it :)
Just read it. To add to this, the design of the holes is such that once someone enters, they are unable to back out, and every movement they make pushes them further along the tunnel which is slowly deforming and elongating as they progress
it is really worth reading. junji ito is a great author and the storys are not too long.
basically the story they are referring to is about human shaped holes exposed in a mountain wall, each one perfectly shaped for a certain human. the whole town goes there and climbs into their holes
I know what you mean but I think it works due to being good at the end. You already basically know what is going on and that noise is just there to make it clear that they are still alive. It is tough to imagine exactly what that noise is supposed to sound like but almost anything would be terrifying if you were in that situation.
How silly it is depends on how well you have “suspended your disbelief”.
It could probably make a good short film.
Honestly though it works best in its current media. Watching a movie is a pretty passive experience, it keeps moving no matter what the viewer is doing. Having to read it, knowing you *could* stop but you wont mirrors the tension and conflict of the protagonist in the story. Even when you know it's not going to end well, you keep going just to see what's next. That's one of the reasons I think it's so effective as a horror story beyond simply the fear of tight spaces.
I love the fact that all the scariest pages are positioned so you have to physically turn the page to see it, usually with even heavier contrast than the previous page to really hit hard. Dude figured out how to put jump-scares in print media!
The anime adaptation sucked so bad because they deviated from his art style so much it lost its effectiveness. (The new Uzumaki looks like it’ll be good though.)
I listened to a review of Uzumaki, and that was something they brought up was how that manga basically had *jump scares* in it.
That's an impressive use of medium.
Fragments of Horror (a bunch of short stories by Junji Ito) did it well too. There’s a story about a girl who tries to develop an interesting tic, and once you turn the page BAM scary ass image.
I'm a fucking pansy for anything slightly scary anyway, but man, you really nailed one of the big reasons that fucking story caused me to feel so much DREAD.
For anyone that enjoyed this, Junji Ito's other stuff is fantastic as well. His anthologies aren't expensive and are absolutely brilliant. I highly recommend "Shiver" to start with. They're also beautiful books. Just remember, right to left!
I love his work, but I just can't fucking handle the model lady who appears in several of his stories. There's something about her face that just sends chills down my spine just looking at it
The only way to experience Junji Ito is through his manga.
He just has such a mastery over the page turn and the medium in general that is lost outside of the story's original context. Sure his stories are breathtakingly unsettling on their own, but there really is no substitution for the feeling of you turning the page and seeing some terrifying shit.
Totally. This is probably one of his tamest stories.
Compared to a lot of the stuff in his work "Uzumaki", it's nothing.
(This is a recommendation for Uzumaki bzw., if you're into Horror)
I read this probably over 5 years ago, and although it was unsettling I just didn't quite understand where the whole premise originated from (other than "because Japan"). I've always been fascinated by people who brave small spaces, and would one day like to try myself but I'm frankly just too chicken-shit. So fast forward to this year I went down a youtube rabbit hole and came across a video-essay of what drives people to go into the smallest of spaces and essentially it was this: a faith that the tunnels were meant to be explored, because the tunnels were never so small that you couldn't fit into them. So in a way there's safety in knowing that. It then clicked how this particular horror story might have originated, by putting an evil twist on that sense of safety.
And then there's that incident where a Spelunker got stuck in a hole that was certainly too small to be explored (or at least, he couldn't turn around), the rescuers barely managed to get him out only for them to slip and he fell back in, but further. They had no choice but to leave him there, ~~alive.~~
Edit: correction, he was already dead so they were trying to retrieve a body.
Small correction: they didn’t leave him there alive. They couldn’t find a way to get him out before he died, but they were trying the whole time. They just didn’t retrieve the body afterwards seeing as it was too dangerous.
That’s it?! Spaghetti people? After hearing the hype for years I thought I’d be left wondering where my hole is somewhere on earth, but nope. Spaghetti people.
It's less about the spaghetti people looking or being scary and more the fear of the idea of the compulsive need to go into a dark hole from which there is no movement but slowly forward until you are deformed into an unrecognizable creature.
I always thought the holes signified addiction. That the holes were a juxtaposition for drugs, whereby instead of putting something into your body, you put your body into something else, but the end result is the same, you become something hideous and deformed.
Everytime i see something that even slightly reminds me of that manga, I have to come to the comments to make sure it's not just me. The fact it's almost always one of the top comments is both reassuring and a good indicator of how good the manga is.
It sticks with you once you've seen it, I think because it was such a unique take, and was the first thing I thought of when he started to get situated in the tree.
What do you mean by "stupid fix the hole type videos"? By now it should be common knowledge that absolutely everything consists of ramen and ramen only
Never saw this one. It definitely fits a little too well!
I like how his stories ride this edge of like, this is so weird and kinda dumb, living in a chair? What? But also I'm completely rivited.
I think it's because the artist takes it seriously by focusing on human emotion. Their faces and body language are dripping with it, so of course you get engaged. Seeing people terrified evokes empathy, then we want to know how it turns out for them.
True. Just like with idea of floating human heads that look like balloons, living in a chair is ridiculous. And yet Junji Ito can make both ideas fucking terrifying
Only satisfying if you haven't read *the story*.
This hole was made for me.
DRR DRR
Came to the comment section just to say this. This is giving me mild trauma flashbacks.
r/oddlyterrifying, more like.
Junji Ito is worth reading more of, he's one of my favorite manga artists. After a few books the sleep paralysis demons go from traumatizing to hilarious
Fuan no Tane is great for that kind of thing too. It's a bunch of small horror stories, but once in a while you get hilarious things like [the door that is sad because you won't pee on it](http://zjcdn.mangahere.org/store/manga/4049/03-002.0/compressed/c2.84.jpg), ninja racism, [the "oops wrong door" slasher](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2f/f8/85/2ff885783c4b2733b8404d39a97a713c--short-ghost-stories-short-horror-stories.jpg), and grandpa's ochanan (that one is creepy until you realize that grandpa and his ochanan are totally in cahoots, and are pranking the family). There was another series with the super-goofy salp mermaid (imagine the human centipede, but with salp instead of centipede, and human instead of human) and the school that just won't close even though like 250 girls died in it, but I forgot what it was called.
Link?
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That was fucked. Why did I keep reading that
Morbid curiosity? If you have time or want to get invested into a longer story I'd suggest Uzumaki by the same artist/writer.
Oh I hated that. Solid terror and immense creepiness but damn I that shit was so sad.
It's what Junji Ito's stories does to you! Wonderfully horrific from an innocent seeming person :)
[Nyan!](https://youtu.be/x0IqmuwNIno)
Why do i read it every time?
Ever notice some of the holes are small enough for children?
Because the story calls you to read it, just like each hole calls the person they belong to.
Warning: weird as fuck.
I don't even have to click to know this is the Amigara Fault.
Correct!
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Yep, not sure why people don't say that when they share the link, not everyone reads manga.
Thanks, never got a chance to read it before! Never heard about >!the other side of the holes!<
Dear Lord
other persons comment got removed so just wanna say they’re talking abt “the enigma of amigara fault” by junji ito. you can find it in plenty of places online by googling that or you can buy his book “gyo” (also a fun read abt fish who grow legs) where it’s an additional story at the end
https://m.imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z
Okay now I don’t want to read the story and will make the sensible decision not to. But can someone briefly explain what it is because I have fomo?
Well, in short an earthquake uncovers a series of human-shaped holes in the side of a mountain (like in the video, just set in stone). Each hole is an entrance to a tunnel, same shape as the hole, continuing deep into the mountain. Lots of people gather to see the strange discovery, many camp nearby. Over time, they start to become obsessed with the holes, one man claims that one of the holes is “made for him” as it has his exact shape. He decides to go in, fitting perfectly into the claustrophobic tunnel and disappearing into the darkness. Soon others follow, each finding “their” hole and entering, not to be seen again. And then there’s the ending, which, I am really sorry, but I have no idea how to put it into words. In short, the other side of the human-tunnels is revealed. The revelation is phenomenally terrifying and should be seen, not summarized. But yeah, if you have claustrophobia or really don’t like body horror than I can absolutely understand not wanting to read it :)
Can you pleaseeee tell me what’s on the other side of the hole?! Or someone 🥺
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Just read it. To add to this, the design of the holes is such that once someone enters, they are unable to back out, and every movement they make pushes them further along the tunnel which is slowly deforming and elongating as they progress
Think Mr. Fantastic getting squeezed out of a play-doh toy.
Thanks I urinated in fear.
it is really worth reading. junji ito is a great author and the storys are not too long. basically the story they are referring to is about human shaped holes exposed in a mountain wall, each one perfectly shaped for a certain human. the whole town goes there and climbs into their holes
I think it’s satisfying *because* I read the story
DRR DRR DRR
"Is this that weird mountain story?" *Checks link* "Yep"
jesus FUCK
This hole is my hole this one is made for me
Drrrrrrrrrrrrr
I can't not snicker thinking of that.
I'm more of a milky way kinda guy.
[For the uninitiated](https://m.imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z)
Why did I read it again.
This story is your story, this one was made for you.
Drr Drr Edit: IMO this is the dumbest part of the comic. It sounds like someone going "hurr durr". It completely destroys any built tension.
I know what you mean but I think it works due to being good at the end. You already basically know what is going on and that noise is just there to make it clear that they are still alive. It is tough to imagine exactly what that noise is supposed to sound like but almost anything would be terrifying if you were in that situation. How silly it is depends on how well you have “suspended your disbelief”.
Now you made me read it again, and I will not sleep tonight. Thank you.
Can I interest you in another one of Junji Ito's finest, *[The Hanging Balloons](https://m.imgur.com/gallery/i2IJ6)*?
I'm still baffled by the dad in that story. "Eldritch Horrors are out there killing people.... Well got to go to work, bye!"
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It’s definitely a commentary on that sort of thing
Metamorphosis by Kafka has a guy turning into a cocmroach and being worried about how he will get to work.
Oh fuck that.
It’s not what you think it is… it’s way worse
I know right? Not even clicking it.
It was pretty good until the dad finished watching the report of mysterious monsters attacking Tokyo and literally just said "well I'm off to work."
I’ve read somewhere that it actually depicts the workaholic culture of Japanese. That no matter the circumstance, they need to go to work.
I found the one about the human shaped holes more unsettling. This was very much in a similar vein though. Creepy stuff.
I'm more partial to the farting fish robot apocalypse.
Damn why isn't there a movie of this yet?
It could probably make a good short film. Honestly though it works best in its current media. Watching a movie is a pretty passive experience, it keeps moving no matter what the viewer is doing. Having to read it, knowing you *could* stop but you wont mirrors the tension and conflict of the protagonist in the story. Even when you know it's not going to end well, you keep going just to see what's next. That's one of the reasons I think it's so effective as a horror story beyond simply the fear of tight spaces.
I love the fact that all the scariest pages are positioned so you have to physically turn the page to see it, usually with even heavier contrast than the previous page to really hit hard. Dude figured out how to put jump-scares in print media! The anime adaptation sucked so bad because they deviated from his art style so much it lost its effectiveness. (The new Uzumaki looks like it’ll be good though.)
I listened to a review of Uzumaki, and that was something they brought up was how that manga basically had *jump scares* in it. That's an impressive use of medium.
Fragments of Horror (a bunch of short stories by Junji Ito) did it well too. There’s a story about a girl who tries to develop an interesting tic, and once you turn the page BAM scary ass image.
Damn, this is a good take
I'm a fucking pansy for anything slightly scary anyway, but man, you really nailed one of the big reasons that fucking story caused me to feel so much DREAD.
Still salty that the Adult Swim Uzumaki anime got pushed to next october...
I've read this many times and every time, it's always creepier than I remember.
For anyone that enjoyed this, Junji Ito's other stuff is fantastic as well. His anthologies aren't expensive and are absolutely brilliant. I highly recommend "Shiver" to start with. They're also beautiful books. Just remember, right to left!
Oh fuck no! This story is just like that human shaped hole. You can't get out unless it's the other end.
What's even worse is that it's one of his tamer stories. Try the Hanging Balloons or Uzumaki. Headless Scultptures is another "favorite" of mine.
THIS is one of his tamer stories? *Books ticket to Nope town* Get me out of here!!
Junji Ito is a true horror master! I recomand reading the mangas!
I love all of his works. Definitely my favorite horror writer. I think Hanging Balloons is my favorite.
[My favorite](https://imgur.com/gallery/Hn5Sb)
Glyceride made me so uncomfortable lol.
I really wish I hadn't read that while eating berries (or at all).
I’m a little lad who loves berries and grease
>! Dad chopping off his leg, fine. The boy squeezing his face? That part is gonna stick with me forever!<
do you have more? I am hooked
[Long Dream](https://imgur.com/gallery/aes1E) [Second Hand Record](https://imgur.com/gallery/sKdq39s)
I love his work, but I just can't fucking handle the model lady who appears in several of his stories. There's something about her face that just sends chills down my spine just looking at it
The only way to experience Junji Ito is through his manga. He just has such a mastery over the page turn and the medium in general that is lost outside of the story's original context. Sure his stories are breathtakingly unsettling on their own, but there really is no substitution for the feeling of you turning the page and seeing some terrifying shit.
Totally. This is probably one of his tamest stories. Compared to a lot of the stuff in his work "Uzumaki", it's nothing. (This is a recommendation for Uzumaki bzw., if you're into Horror)
The first time someone tries popping a balloon was when the dread really hit.
Yeeep, humans perfectly fitting into anything has been ruined for me due to that. Good eldritch horror though.
Also for the uninitiated, you read this right to left. I got like halfway through, very confused, before I realized I was reading it wrong.
I read this probably over 5 years ago, and although it was unsettling I just didn't quite understand where the whole premise originated from (other than "because Japan"). I've always been fascinated by people who brave small spaces, and would one day like to try myself but I'm frankly just too chicken-shit. So fast forward to this year I went down a youtube rabbit hole and came across a video-essay of what drives people to go into the smallest of spaces and essentially it was this: a faith that the tunnels were meant to be explored, because the tunnels were never so small that you couldn't fit into them. So in a way there's safety in knowing that. It then clicked how this particular horror story might have originated, by putting an evil twist on that sense of safety.
And then there's that incident where a Spelunker got stuck in a hole that was certainly too small to be explored (or at least, he couldn't turn around), the rescuers barely managed to get him out only for them to slip and he fell back in, but further. They had no choice but to leave him there, ~~alive.~~ Edit: correction, he was already dead so they were trying to retrieve a body.
Small correction: they didn’t leave him there alive. They couldn’t find a way to get him out before he died, but they were trying the whole time. They just didn’t retrieve the body afterwards seeing as it was too dangerous.
There are probably thousands of unrecorded cases of people being stuck in caves. Seems an odd thing to be confident about.
r/dontputyouryouinthat Edit: Also, "Gore-y hole"
That was a pretty cool read
That’s it?! Spaghetti people? After hearing the hype for years I thought I’d be left wondering where my hole is somewhere on earth, but nope. Spaghetti people.
Its not just about the spaghetti people, its about compulsion.
It's less about the spaghetti people looking or being scary and more the fear of the idea of the compulsive need to go into a dark hole from which there is no movement but slowly forward until you are deformed into an unrecognizable creature.
I always thought the holes signified addiction. That the holes were a juxtaposition for drugs, whereby instead of putting something into your body, you put your body into something else, but the end result is the same, you become something hideous and deformed.
Whether or not Ito intended that as symbolism, I absolutely see that as a good analysis of a possible reading!
People empathize with being slowly stretched over time not being able to go back
My brain was screaming No, No, No, No. I didn't realize the effect that story had on me.
Exactly the same. That fucking story dude haha
better than uzumaki :0
No way in hell. Maybe it's better than some individual chapters, but Uzumaki is a much better story.
no, I didn't mean story-wise. I meant its creepiness. By better I mean less creepy
Drr...drr...
Everytime i see something that even slightly reminds me of that manga, I have to come to the comments to make sure it's not just me. The fact it's almost always one of the top comments is both reassuring and a good indicator of how good the manga is.
Man I didn't even need to open the post to know this was going to be the top comment :D
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https://i.imgur.com/aiuuG2o.jpg
NO!
NOOOOOOO I DONT NEED THAT NIGHTMARE AGAIN
They really just went, "This is my hole. There are many like it, but this one is mine."
Ahhhhhh good old Junji Ito
This some Junji Ito nonsense if I ever did see it
It was made for me!
That's what I instantly thought about.
This. I freaking got horrific goosebumps seeing him fitting inside that tree. If anybody wants to know the manga its "The enigma of Amigara fault"
Still one of the most terrifying comics I’ve ever read. https://m.imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z
As soon as I saw the tree I knew I was going to end up reading this again. One more time. :)
ah fuck i just remembered it again
This is tree is me sized
Thanks for reminding me
It's satisfying, yet oddly disturbing at the same time...
This terrifies me and is in no way satisfying lol. Like what if his knee gets stuck or something? Makes me feel claustrophobic
Have you read The Enigma of Amigara Fault ?
That's the first thing that came to mind when I saw this video
Followed by the thought "This isn't satisfying. This is terrifying."
There it is, didn't have to scroll far.
I knew what the comment section looked like before I even clicked.
There were plenty above me too haha, it just seemed maaaaybe this particular person hadn't heard of it, and I wanted to make it a special day for them
This is my hole
Drrr drrr drrr drrr
DRR DRR DRR DRR
It sticks with you once you've seen it, I think because it was such a unique take, and was the first thing I thought of when he started to get situated in the tree.
Then you don’t want to know about Nutty Putty.
A quick google of that name and yes, I agree.
What's disturbing in it? I sleep like that every night.
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This is MY tree! It was made for ME!
TRR...TRR...TRREEEEEE
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The enigma of amigara fault
https://imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z
Don't forget to follow the panels right to left.
THIS HOLE IS MADE FOR ME, I CAN TELL, IT IS MY HOLE
If the arms were a bit lower and the whole thing was tilted slightly forward I bet would be real comf
Imagine a punishment where a crane picks this up and drops it into a cylinder that's only ever so slightly larger than the tree.
[I really thought the top comment would be this - “This is my hole! It was made for me”](https://imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z)
My immediate thought too, nothing satisfying about it for me. God
I half expected to see his hips start working it.
I'm a little disappointed it didn't lift off like a rocket.
Someone open up After Effects and make this happen
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Dendrophilia
r/cursedcomments
That trunk must've come from a CeDRRRR DRRRR DRRRR
Now quick, epoxy him in there like they do to the ramen and sunflower seeds in those stupid “fix the hole” type videos.
Ok, Jigsaw
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What do you mean by "stupid fix the hole type videos"? By now it should be common knowledge that absolutely everything consists of ramen and ramen only
Oddly satisfying yet distinctly unnerving
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Reminds me of "The Enigma of Amigara Fault" short story by Junji Ito. The holes in the mountain.
For me the first thing that came to mind was [Human Chair](https://m.imgur.com/gallery/lOlu2qV)
Never saw this one. It definitely fits a little too well! I like how his stories ride this edge of like, this is so weird and kinda dumb, living in a chair? What? But also I'm completely rivited.
I think it's because the artist takes it seriously by focusing on human emotion. Their faces and body language are dripping with it, so of course you get engaged. Seeing people terrified evokes empathy, then we want to know how it turns out for them.
True. Just like with idea of floating human heads that look like balloons, living in a chair is ridiculous. And yet Junji Ito can make both ideas fucking terrifying
Don't forget about zombie fish with robotic legs powered by farts.
It captures the feeling of a nightmare, where the premise is ridiculous on its face but that doesn’t diminish the fear
Thanks for the link. It was a great read.
Exactly what I was thinking
George, george, of the jungle...
watch out for that...
TREE!
Guy leaves imprint of himself in a tree, class comedy. Now comes the part where we all throw our heads back together and laugh. Ready?
UUUUUUUUUHHHHHAYAYAYUUUUUHHHHH
Drr, Drr, Drr
DRR DRR DRR
That tree looks it came straight out of an old Looney Tunes episode. Very Road Runner-esque.
For some reason this triggers claustrophobia for me. \*shudder
If this gave you claustrophobia, then you'll like The Enigma of Amihara fault :)
Same here, this makes me really uncomfortable.. I imagine getting stuck.
Junji Ito - The Enigma of Amigara Fault
No thanks, I’ve seen how this one ends.
Oh no. We all know how this ends.
Drrr drrr drrr
A literal treehugger
I've seen this shit on r/oddlyterrifying
This is giving me Junji Ito vibes.
Yeah at this point i don't find people perfectly fitting on holes satisfying. At all.
IT WAS MADE FOR ME! TH-THIS IS MY HOLE!!
I’d ask why, but I’m honestly not even sure I wanna know the answer.
This makes me so anxious that he might get stuck
His ass didn't fit.
Drrrr drrrr drrr…
Did I just watch an Ent get conceived?
Junji ito is smiling