Manga Review: Gyo by Junji Ito

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Synopsis:

Something is rotten in Okinawa…

The floating smell of death hangs over the island. What is it? A strange, legged fish appears on the scene… So begins Tadashi and Kaori’s spiral into the horror and stench of the sea. Here is the creepiest masterpiece of horror manga ever from the creator of Uzumaki, Junji Ito. Hold your breath until all is revealed.

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My Review:

I was wanting a new manga to read, and my boyfriend’s brother suggested that I read Gyo. He said that it was something that he felt that I would enjoy. And he was right! (Don’t tell him that).

This manga follows a young couple, who were attacked by a dead fish skittering around on a strange contraception. The stench from it was overpowering; it was the smell of death. It seemed like a strange thing but was it a one-off? A figment of their imagination?

No! Soon more and more plague-riddled fish crawled out of the ocean. The virus evolves into an epidemic transferring from fish to humans. These creatures move at an alarming speed, rotting and spreading death across the island. The story gets stranger as they make discoveries over what caused the deadly fish and I found the land shark genius. The ending of the story doesn’t tie everything up in a neat little bow, and even when you are given an answer to what caused the whole event, you are still left with more questions.

The version that I read came with a bonus story at the end, “The Enigma of Amigara Falls” and that story is equally as creepy. It’s strange and leaves you with a feeling of dread, and more questions than answers. I’m glad that this was also included because I enjoyed reading this short story.

This manga was one that I am glad I picked up. Ito is a masterful storyteller in all things strange and grotesque and I can see why he is popular. I plan on picking more of his work up soon and I will be happy to tell you my thoughts on those when I do.

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