Tomie by Junji Ito

[Posted 10 June 2024]

Tomie follows the encounters unassuming people have with a malicious entity named Tomie who takes the form of a gorgeous teenaged girl that seductively inspires an irresistible desire in the men who fall for her to chop her to pieces. Naturally, to counteract her many inevitable deaths, she has an uncanny regenerative ability where new Tomies grow from the pieces left behind or otherwise sprout from her body. This is not my first foray into the work of Junji Ito, but my first time reading his first work that launched his career. How this collection stacks up to his other work is beyond my capacity to say as it’s been far too long since I’ve read it.Tomie is a veritable feast for the eyes jam-packed with nightmare fuel feats of haunting body horror. Ito is renowned for his iconic inking style which artfully dominates the page in a truly remarkable way from even the first chapter. The episodic nature of each chapter eventually fell a bit on the repetitive side, but I was never left with the feeling of any chapter being especially weak compared to the others. Which is not to say they were all at the same level of quality. A few, while enjoyable, I would have very little to say about if pressed. Tomie, the woman/monster, has a magnetic charm about her that lures you in with morbid curiosity about the harms that will befall those who have the misfortune of encountering some form of her. You become easily enchanted by the sight of her whilst at the same time feeling that sinking sense of dread every time you glimpse that characteristic mole. My only major complaint is that the characters aren’t particularly compelling and feel often like missed opportunities. This is understandable given the episodic structure of the stories, but I was left wanting more out of them. Overall, an excellent read worth checking out for fans of body horror.