HORROR SPECIAL: Soichi
Author: Junji Ito
Illustrator: Junji Ito
Publishers: Viz Media
Age Group: Older Teen
Genre: Horror
Type: manga; short stories
Content Warnings: Disturbing Imagery, assault, Death, Child Abuse, Creepy Dolls
Spoilers ahead
Plot
Soichi, the unhinged second son of the Tsujii famiy, chews nails and makes them clatter and clack as he spouts horrific curses to bring about the most bizarre happenings. Whether it’s summer holidays or a birthday party, Soichi can turn any occasion into a nightmare in a heartbeat. What is the terrible secret of his origin? Then, tormented by his little brother’s never-ending pranks, older brother Koichi has a soundproof room built. But why does it have a series of four doors? And there’s also the strange phenomenon surrounding the handmade casket their grandfather left behind. What on earth-or-hell has the family seen there?
Ten tales that celebrate the sinister and hilarious world of Junji Ito’s favorite antihero, Soichi!
Character Development
Soichi is our creepy protagonist that we see not only from his perspective but also the perspectives of those around him such as his brother Koichi, and his second cousin, Michina (whom he really hates). His personality is a kid that likes to do pranks but takes it too far. He doesn’t listen to his family and blows them off. He’s the definition of a troublemaker with a twist. He’s actually really good at puppetry magic curses. He’s not afraid to use his abilities to get back at those that annoy him in anyway.
One thing that I noticed about Soichi’s character is while he curses schoolmates and his extended family, he doesn’t actually curse anyone in his immediate family. This may be a boundary of his, though that doesn’t stop him from just pranking them and being a nuisance.
World-building
The world-buillding is a slice-of-life into Soichi’s world with his family, school, and extended family. Yet, there’s also a bit of mysticism thrown in with his abilities to curse others. This type of set-up is par for the course for Junji Ito. It’s his element and he does really well stitching the stories together that involve Soichi.
Themes
Don’t mess with the creepy kid.
Soichi will curse anyone that annoys him from classmates to extended family.
Observations & Predictions
The one thing I do not agree with is the back cover mentions that Soichi is more of an anti-hero. The definition for that is someone who is central to the story, doesn’t have the traditional qualities of a hero, and makes questionable moral decisions. While Soichi is all of these things, he makes his decisions knowing they're the wrong ones. He doesn’t care at all. I would say this makes him more of a villain as the central character. Not a morally gray character. His only redeeming quality is he doesn’t actually curse his immediate family. I don’t consider that enough to be a morally gray character that makes him an anti-hero.
Recommendations
Any of Junji Ito’s work
My Ranking
Plot: 9
Character Development: 9
World-Building: 9
Overall: 9/10
