If you enjoy reading books by Junji Ito then you might also like the following authors:
Kazuo Umezu is a Japanese manga artist known for his work in horror. His stories are unsettling and often blend the eerie with the absurd. One of his standout works is “The Drifting Classroom.”
In the story, an entire school vanishes after an earthquake and reappears in a barren wasteland. The students and teachers must figure out what happened while facing the horrors of their new reality.
The mix of survival, paranoia, and strange twists keeps the tension high throughout. If you enjoy Junji Ito’s unsettling style, Umezu’s works are worth exploring.
Hideshi Hino is a Japanese horror manga artist known for creating eerie and grotesque tales that dig into the darkest corners of human nature and fear.
One of his works, “Panorama of Hell,” tells the story of a mad artist who paints with blood while describing his tormented life. He recounts his abusive childhood, a family filled with violence, and the sheer chaos of his surroundings.
The story grows darker as he leads the reader deeper into his twisted world of suffering. Fans of Junji Ito will find the same unsettling atmosphere and raw terror in Hino’s work.
Suehiro Maruo is a manga artist known for blending horror with surreal imagery. His work often explores dark, unsettling themes with striking visuals.
One of his standout stories is “The Strange Tale of Panorama Island,” which follows a struggling writer, Hitomi, who fakes his death and assumes the identity of a dead friend to claim an inheritance.
With the money, he builds an extravagant island filled with bizarre landscapes and indulgent fantasies. The story has an eerie, dreamlike quality, where beauty and horror mix in unexpected ways.
Shintaro Kago is a Japanese manga artist known for his unique style, blending horror with surrealism and dark humor. One of his works, “Fraction,” follows the chaos that breaks out when individuals discover they can physically split themselves into pieces and still survive.
The story explores how this bizarre phenomenon affects society, with strange consequences for personal relationships and human behavior. Kago’s art is detailed and shocking, creating a nightmarish yet fascinating world.
Fans of Junji Ito might find Kago’s works equally disturbing and captivating.
Itoh Yu is a Japanese author known for blending elements of science fiction and horror in fresh and thought-provoking ways. If you’re a fan of Junji Ito’s unsettling narratives, you might find Itoh Yu’s work captivating.
One of Itoh’s notable books, “Harmony,” explores a dystopian future where society is obsessed with creating perfect health and harmony through advanced technology and extreme social control.
The story follows Tuan Kirie, a woman haunted by a tragic event in her past, as she begins to question the world she lives in and the system that enforces their ideal of perfection.
It’s a haunting tale that makes you think about freedom, humanity, and control, while keeping you hooked with its strange and sometimes eerie twists.
Go Nagai is a Japanese manga artist known for creating dark, intense stories that dive deep into horror and the human psyche. One of his standout works is “Devilman.”
The story follows Akira Fudo, a kind-hearted teenager who merges with a demon to gain the power needed to protect humanity from an invasion of terrifying creatures.
As the battles grow more chaotic, the story explores themes of love, betrayal, and the cost of survival in a world on the brink of destruction. The visceral imagery and emotional twists in “Devilman” create a haunting atmosphere that sticks with readers.
Osamu Tezuka, often called the father of manga, explored unsettling and dark subjects in works like “MW.” This book tells the story of a priest and a psychopathic criminal connected by a horrifying toxic gas incident years earlier.
The criminal, Yuki, hides his depravity behind a charming and successful facade, while his former friend, Father Garai, is torn between guilt and his moral obligations. The story dives deep into themes of revenge, corruption, and human evil.
Tezuka’s work has a disturbing edge that fans of Junji Ito might find equally fascinating.
Daijiro Morohoshi is a Japanese manga artist whose work often dives into eerie and mysterious worlds, blending folklore, history, and the supernatural.
One of his standout works is “Yokai Hunter,” a series about Reijiro Hieda, an archaeologist who investigates ancient ruins and uncovers strange otherworldly phenomena. The stories often feature unsettling encounters with yokai and hidden secrets buried in Japan’s past.
In one tale, Hieda explores a cursed village where time seems to twist and villagers hold dark rituals tied to forgotten gods. Morohoshi’s ability to craft atmospheric stories with unsettling visuals makes his work appealing to fans of Junji Ito.
“Fuan no Tane” by Masaaki Nakayama is a collection of unsettling short stories that focus on small, eerie moments rather than elaborate tales. Each story taps into simple, everyday fears and twists them into something disturbing.
In one story, titled “The Visitor,” a teacher notices a figure standing silently outside a classroom window. No one else seems to see it, leaving a sense of unease that lingers long after the story ends.
Nakayama’s work plays on quiet horror, offering subtle chills that fans of Junji Ito might appreciate.
Gyo Fujikawa was an artist and writer whose work often captured a mix of charm and eeriness. In her book “Ghosts and Goblins,” she presents a collection of spooky tales and illustrations that balance whimsy with a sense of unease.
Each page invites readers into a world of mischievous spirits and odd creatures. There’s a story about a ghost who plays tricks on villagers and another involving a goblin with a taste for moonlight.
The book carries a sense of quiet unease without ever being too harsh, creating an atmosphere that fans of Junji Ito’s unsettling stories might enjoy.
Kentaro Miura was a Japanese manga artist best known for his dark fantasy series “Berserk.” The story follows Guts, a lone swordsman with a brutal past, as he battles his way through a world filled with demons, corrupt rulers, and endless violence.
The atmosphere is grim, and the characters face some truly harrowing challenges. Early in the series, Guts meets Griffith, a charismatic leader of a mercenary group, and their relationship becomes a driving force in the narrative.
If you enjoy the eerie, unsettling worlds in Junji Ito’s work, you might find “Berserk” equally captivating.
Tsutomu Nihei is a Japanese manga artist known for his dark and atmospheric sci-fi works. One of his most famous stories, “Blame!”, takes readers into a vast, almost infinite labyrinth of a city controlled by machines.
The protagonist, Killy, searches for something called Net Terminal Genes, key to restoring balance in a world where humanity has almost disappeared. The towering structures and relentless sense of isolation create a haunting setting that pulls you in.
The silence of the characters combined with the strange, mechanical creatures gives the story an eerie feeling that fans of Junji Ito might find fascinating.
Naoki Urasawa is a master of suspense and psychological storytelling. His manga “Monster” pulls you into the life of Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant surgeon whose decision to save a young boy’s life spirals into a nightmare.
Years later, that boy grows up to become a dangerous killer, leaving Tenma to grapple with guilt and a tense chase across Europe to stop him. The story is full of moral questions, shocking encounters, and eerie twists.
If you’re drawn to Junji Ito’s unsettling and gripping tales, Urasawa’s ability to layer tension and explore human darkness might catch your interest.
Eiji Otsuka is a talented Japanese writer known for exploring dark and unsettling narratives. One of his works, “The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service,” follows a group of students who have a strange job: helping the dead find peace by fulfilling their last wishes.
The story mixes horror and mystery, featuring eerie events tied to unclaimed bodies. One character, a spirit medium, communicates with the dead, which often uncovers secrets or unresolved stories.
If you enjoy Junji Ito’s creepy and thought-provoking style, you might find Otsuka’s work equally fascinating.
Takashi Nagasaki is a talented writer and collaborator who has worked on several gripping manga and novels, often blending suspense and psychological depth.
If you enjoy Junji Ito’s knack for unnerving storytelling, you might want to check out his work “Master Keaton,” a story about Taichi Keaton, an insurance investigator with a fascinating background in archaeology and Special Forces training.
Each chapter takes readers across the globe, with Keaton solving unusual cases tied to ancient artifacts, mysteries, and human conflict. The mix of personal struggles, history, and unexpected twists makes it stand out.