Itou Junji: Collection – 10
Well, this was certainly a notable episode of Itou Junji: Collection this week. It contained the most disgusting chapter so far, by far (and that’s saying something), and probably the scariest (which is also saying something). I’m struck again by what a vast and warped creative field Itou-sensei’s mind seems to cover – he’s a comprehensive horror writer if ever you’ll see one. Some hit big and some miss wildly, but his stories certainly don’t all blend together.
I have to say, there were moments during that first part that I literally had to cover my eyes. Man, that was gross – when child cannibalism isn’t even in the ballpark for most disturbing element, you know you’re cooking with oil. Lots and lots of oil – disgusting, sticky, smelly oil. Saturation level 100%. The worst part, surely, were the pimples – which makes me wonder if there’s something allegorical going on here as it comes to adolescent anxieties. Seriously – that was some disgusting stuff, and I can’t say that’s a style of horror that I really enjoy – it’s viscerally unpleasant and relatively lazy as a writer, but in this case it was certainly impactful.
The second chapter was far, far better – classic horror in the best sense. The gradual death of rural Japan (it’s a very real thing) is surely the reason why stories like this seem to have so much resonance with the Japanese. But this was really beautifully told – that beautiful but creepy old stone bridge, the ghosts calling out to poor Osode-chan. This was oppressive and bone-chilling in a good way – it felt real on a visceral level. I don’t know how common rituals like the funerals in this village once were in Japan, but seriously – “it’s tradition” just isn’t a good enough reason to keep doing shit like that…
Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens – 09
You know, Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens has turned out to be pretty darn good. Some shows are better when they aren’t trying to be too serious, but I really believe the opposite is true with this one – HTR shines brightest when it keeps its absurdity in check. This was certainly the heaviest episode yet and I’m not saying they all have to be at that level (the Enokida Arc was nicely balanced), but it does reveal that Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens can do dark quite well.
Things start out innocently enough, with a discourse on trying to teach Lin signs (to non-fans, signs in baseball look incredibly ridiculous) but then things take a rather jarring turn as an offhand comment about trusting your teammates sends Lin off on a trip down memory lane (a street lined with horrors in his case). It wasn’t the greatest pretext for an origin episode, but the origin story itself was excellent.
After seeing Lin’s childhood it’s easy to understand why he’s as unhinged as he is a lot of the time. Children sold into slavery certainly does happen (in China and elsewhere) and there certainly are places where young boys are trained to be professional killers (soldiers more so than hitmen) from an early age. Beyond that I won’t speak to the realism or lack of here, but the introduction of Fei-lan (Shimazaki Nobunaga) as Lin’s partner in the prison camp brought a nice jolt of pathos to the story.
This all builds up to the “final exam”, the moment when Lin meets his fate. Even though I kind of saw it coming for a while it was still an effective device, and also a nice setup for the next phase of the story – which is apparently going to see Fei-lan return to the story and seek revenge for- well, for Lin doing what any person would have done in his situation.
animealex
March 9, 2018 at 11:43 pmI was surprised how good this episode of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens was. I mean, I like the show with it’s absurdity and whatnot, but I felt my heart pounding like crazy during the whole Lin-flashback. I’m not certain why, but this semi-realistic scenario of systematic child abuse (and what else is this really?) got my blood boiling unlike anything I’ve watched in the last few months. Uuugh!
With that out of the way, I wonder how many of the poor boys who “graduated” took their own lives after this. In a way, you can even see how Lin stopped living and after the death of his sister his death wish became manifest. And it was only because he ran into Banba (and friends), that he started to live again. (Does Banba suspect any of this and is that the reason he’s so goofy and nice to Lin?) But in a way, Fei-Lan did Lin a favour there. If he didn’t show his scumbag side so drastic and open, I believe Lin would not have been able to kill Fei-Lan (or killed himself after all that shit). Which makes me wonder, was that on purpose? Was all that kindness a lie the whole time? He seemed as shocked as Lin when the death match started. Lin showed his quick thinking in finding a way to try and break out, but it was hopeless. Unlocking the cage, surrounded by heavy armed guards with automatic weapons? No way that would have worked. Perhaps Fei-Lan staged this, as a last act of kindness. He seemed genuinely touched, after Lin basically offered to make him a part of his family. (Fei-Lan being the unloved son of a whore and all that implies).
It’s probably me over thinking things again. But if true and revealed in the future, that would make this show really great, because having an at least partially sympathetic antagonist instead of card-board villains (like the mayor’s son) is imho one of the hardest feats to pull of.
Guardian Enzo
March 10, 2018 at 8:42 amIt’s an interesting theory, but it doesn’t feel right to me that Fei-lan staged that. I think he just showed his true survivor colors at the moment of truth.
The wild guesser
March 10, 2018 at 8:35 amThough people an debate left and right advice to whether the anime adaptation can do Itou’s art justice, at least it is giving this talented writer another platform of exposure.