Manga Review: Frankenstein

Manga Review: Frankenstein by Junji Ito

High atop the world in the Arctic Circle, Captain Walton never dreamed he’d see one mysterious figure driving a sledge, let alone two. The latter figure is exhausted, and stays a while aboard the ship, and in return for the captain’s kindness, tells him a tale to chill the soul….

And thus begins the story of the monster Frankenstein, and his creation. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s most famous novel has been adapted many times over the years, so it’s no surprise horror manga creator Junji Ito has tried his hand at it. His detailed art and gift for grotesquerie serve the tale well.

The early part of this version sticks pretty closely to the novel, but don’t go trying to use this as the basis for your book report, because toward the end it suddenly veers into elements from The Bride of Frankenstein before switching back to the novel.

That said, this is a superior adaptation, and well worth a read.

To fill out this volume, the editors have selected several original Junji Ito stories. The Oshikiri sextet is six stories about a short high schooler who lives alone in a Western-style mansion while his parents are away on business. The first three stories don’t seem to be in continuity with each other, but the fourth one reveals that they very much are, and the last two stories deal with the consequences of that. Creepy imagery abounds!

“The Hell of the Doll Funeral” involves a plague that’s turning children into dolls, which is creepy enough, but the changes don’t stop there. “Face Firmly In Place” is a more “realistic” story of a young woman stranded in an orthodontist’s office when he goes out and suddenly drops dead. How did she get out of that chair?

And then there’s two Non-Non stories, about the artist’s mother’s dog, contrasting his horror art style with relatively innocent pet antics.

There’s a lot of body horror here, and some gore.

Recommended to Frankenstein fans looking for a graphic presentation of the classic.

And hey, Juni Ito had an animated series a bit ago: Here’s the opening!