Manga Review: Gyo V.1
Story:
Out of the ocean comes the invasion of the death-stench things: bizarre configurations of rotting fish and spindly, unnatural legs. Mindlessly they move forward like machines, purpose unknown. Their stench of death covers the land in horror…
Impressions:
Gyo is a very freaky manga. Downright insane at times. Exactly what one would expect from horror veteran Junji Ito. The plot is very simple. It covers Tadashi’s and Kaori’s, a young quarrelsome couple, reactions to the bizarre horrors that crawl out of the sea. The death-stench things are all manner of fishes with legs. Sounds ridiculous, but the way it is presented is brilliant. It starts with one fish with legs, but then it’s a shark with legs, then it’s an entire swarm of marine animals walking from the sea, till all of Japan is covered by them. Junji Ito manages to top one horror with the next in every chapter till the terror changes from the fear of the unknown to the fear of something we can’t see. He also uses the sense of smell to create a tense atmosphere of expected terror. An explanation is given for the death-stench things, while at the same time opening up the door to an even greater and more terrible horror. Just great storytelling all around.
The art is starkly realistic, showing every look of revulsion on the character’s faces. Junji Ito also has quite an eye for marine life, too, creating the natural yet completely unnatural creatures, Viz’s production for this volume is perfect. It’s minimalistic yet graphic on closer inspection cover grips you as soon as you see it. It gripped me in fact, enough to buy the book without knowing anything about it. I love everything about Gyo. It’s an unique and fresh concept that grabs you from the beginning and never lets go or loses its tension. In the contemporary manga market it’s great to see something so wonderfully different. A must read for any horror, manga reader or not, fan.
Oh yeah i read this. Very weird. Still… as long as there is a good author anything can be great.
Comment on October 27, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
Its actually one of the worst choices for a horror fan to buy. To call it scary - is to tell a lie. Its…sorta…engaging, but not scary at all. Revolting and disgusting, is more like it.
His other works, like “Flesh-colored horror” are what is usually referred to as “horror”, not “Gyo”, no siree.
Comment on October 28, 2007 @ 5:42 am
Have you read Uzumaki before? I thought this wasn’t as grotesque or chilling as it, but maybe that’s because the whole premise of Gyo didn’t seem as believable to me to begin with.
Comment on October 29, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
I plan to check for Uzumaki next time I go to a bookstore. I think maybe I should of phrased this review better, with more emphasis on starkly creepy than full blown terrifyingness.
Comment on October 29, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
The suspension of disbelief kinda died at one point when I realised that I was supposed to believe the machines were sentient and self-replicating. Uzumaki does it a lot better, with an epic end on the scale of H.P. Lovecraft, if you’re familiar with him.
Comment on October 30, 2007 @ 11:47 am
Oh yes, I am quite familiar with H.P. Lovecraft. Read every one of his stories. The epic horror brand of Lovecraft is my favorite kind, so I’ll really have to check out Uzumaki soon.
Comment on October 30, 2007 @ 3:22 pm