HORROR SPECIAL: Mimi’s Tales of Terror
Author: Hirokatsu Kihara & Ichiro Nakayama
Illustrator: Junji Ito
Publishers: Viz Media
Age Group: Older Teen
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Type: Manga
Content Warnings: Disturbing Imagery
Spoilers ahead
Plot
University student Mimi and her boyfriend Naoto encounter one chilling mystery after another. There’s the enigmatic neighbor woman dressed in black from head to toe — but if she’s so odd, why does it seem like there are many others like her? Then, whose eyes track Mimi;S movements from the cemetery next door? And why does a bizarre red circle drawn on a basement wall change with each passing day?
Nine scary stories that really happened, drawn from the famed collection of urban legends Shin Mimibukuro (New Earmuffs), and adapted into manga by horror genius Junji Ito.
Character Development
Mimi is a sweet university student who seems to have bad luck. She goes from one supernatural thing to another without meaning to. She’s not an annoying protagonist either. She’s how we would all be. Curious, slightly scared, and questioning the world around her. She does get scared when she sees otherworldly entities. Which is to be expected. At the same time, she’s got a good head on her shoulders and doesn’t overly freak out. She’s more low-key paranoid.
Her boyfriend, Naoto, is more of a skeptic. He’s a laid back guy but is there for her and his friends. He likes to have fun.
World-building
The world-building is slice-of-life feeling because the stories seem linear in Mimi’s life. We go to average locations but with a twist. It feels like a dimensional overlap or the veil has thinned (like during Halloween). There’s wonder and suspense mingling to make unique tingling stories that are easy to read and understand.
Junji Ito does an excellent job coloring in the world around Mimi. He creates very detailed backgrounds using the grayscale spectrum to his advantage. Humans are usually clean and crisp while the world around them has a lot of detailing and shading. It feels like the world has layers. There seems to be an air of mystery.
If the background is dark, Junji makes a small halo around the characters so they stand out. It’s subtle and doesn't detract from the rest of the panel. It’s very well done so you see the character clearly. They don’t bleed into the background.
On the other hand we get the monsters which are usually dark shadows. When we get close-ups, that’s when the fun begins. They’re unsettling and slightly unnerving. Human enough we recognize what they could be, but strange enough that we’re unsettled. The biggest thing that allows for this is how Junji Ito used shading to create dimension in the close-ups of the monsters.
One of my favorite parts of world-building are the two page spreads. They’re eerily beautiful. I could stare at them forever. It reminds me of midnight walks.
Themes
Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat. It attracts that which bumps in the night.
Observations & Predictions
I picked this book up because the main character is named Mimi, the same name as my giant, black, floof monster. (Lol)
Recommendations
Any of Junji Ito’s other stories.
Read the original: Shin Mimibukuro if you can find it.
My Ranking
Plot: 8 - easy to follow, short stories
Character Development: 10
World-Building: 10
Overall: 9/10
