Junji Ito’s New Horror Manga Collection Set to Haunt Readers in 2026!

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In discussions about horror in anime, it’s often hard to steer clear of the works by renowned author, Junji Ito. With classics like Uzumaki, Gyo, Tomie, and The Hanging Balloons under his belt, this master of horror has been spinning some of the scariest tales in any form of media for years. More recently, Viz Media revealed a number of exciting updates regarding manga coming to North America, one of which is a compilation of Ito’s own horror stories. Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection is making its way across the ocean and Viz has given fans an estimated release date for this anthology.

Viz Media has announced that a new horror manga anthology titled “Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection” is set to arrive in spring of next year, but they have not yet specified an exact date. This upcoming release from the manga publishers promises to be terrifying, featuring headless statues, a teacher’s grisly murder, a cursed river ritual, and more nightmarish scenarios concocted by the Eisner award-winning master of horror, Junji Ito. The anthology will likely include both classic stories from Ito, such as those focusing on headless killer statues, as well as at least one original story based on past releases.

Junji Ito Manga Meets Anime

Before the new anthology collection comes out, you might want to explore the chilling tale of “Statues” in “Junji Ito’s Maniac: Japanese Tales of The Grotesque”. The original anime series on Netflix revolves around a teenager who encounters numerous eerie statues that seem to have lives of their own. Apart from the terrifying statue story, the Netflix series also features other tales such as “The Hanging Balloons”, “The Sandman’s Lair”, “Long Hair in the Attic”, and “The Bully”, among others. Regrettably, much like several other anime adaptations of Ito’s work, many horror enthusiasts felt that the Netflix series fell short when compared to the original source material.

As an admirer of Junji Ito’s works, I’ve often felt a sense of apprehension when his creations are adapted for the small screen. The belief among many fans is that translating his unique style and unsettling narrative proves to be nearly insurmountable. The highly anticipated Uzumaki, however, commenced with a promising start, but subsequent episodes sparked debate among creators who were dissatisfied with the creative process behind the scenes. To this day, there’s a widespread opinion that achieving a perfect Junji Ito anime adaptation is an unattainable goal, yet here’s hoping for a chilling series someday that does justice to the master of horror’s legacy.

Fortunately, Ito’s works are set to hit the big screen through Fangoria Studios, who are planning a live-action trilogy release. So far, two films have been confirmed: “Bloodsucking Darkness” and “The Haunted House Mystery,” both of which are distinct stories that still manage to be incredibly terrifying. Interestingly, these tales haven’t yet been adapted into anime, but that could potentially change in the future.

Via Viz Media

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2025-06-07 18:14