Warning: Contains Imagery Readers May Find Disturbing. Reader Discretion Advised
Legendary mangaka Junji Ito has given horror fans some of the most terrifying artwork in the medium that graces every cover of his work. The stories Ito creates have made him an iconic voice in the genre. Some of his most terrifying works have proven to be pure nightmare-fuel for readers thanks to his unique brand of body horror mixed with his signature style. However, to sell people on picking up his stories, the covers of his collected works need to grab their attention.
Published primarily by Viz Media, the cover art for Junji Ito’s work can be remarkably terrifying because of how abstract it can be. Some are reminiscent of Lovecraftian works, based on how the horror is so extreme that it’s incomprehensible. Others draw heavily on the grotesque to create a frightful first impression.
These covers have sold many readers over the years that have helped him get new fans, with some of them being the scariest artwork fans of horror can find at their local bookstore.
10
No Longer Human’s Simplicity Leads to Unimaginable Terror
Published in 2019 by Viz Media; based on the Novel by Osamu Dazai
Upon first inspection, the cover for No Longer Human seems to be not quite as up-to-par as some of Junji Ito’s most notable work. It comprises a primarily white cover with the title of the graphic novel in big letters. The only major artwork is showcased in a small circle featuring distorted faces letting out silent screams. However, the simplicity behind this cover is what makes it so terrifying.
The fact that Ito’s artwork is confined to such a small space not only fits thematically with the story following a man hiding his true self from the world, but also works as a way to gain reader intrigue. This tiny circle holds what seem to be horrors too unimaginable for readers to understand, and it only makes them want to read it more. It’s incredibly minimalist, but for the story No Longer Human is trying to tell, it conveys the horror of the narrative through a simple image, which is something that Junji Ito excels at with his craft.
9
Ryusuke From Lovesickness Stares Into Readers’ Souls
Published in 2021 by Viz Media
This collection of ten terrifying stories from Junji Ito primarily focuses on a town’s experience with a ghostly figure known as Ryusuke haunting them in a thick fog. While not every story follows the people’s interactions with this mysterious entity, it is a major focal point of the collection. Thus, Ryusuke was bound to be the primary subject for Lovesickness‘ cover. What fans got was a hauntingly beautiful piece of art too terrifying for words.
The artwork consists of a greenish hue mixed with tints of blue to emphasize the eerie atmosphere of the stories. A lone figure is shown in an alleyway obscured by the fog. However, Ryusuke is shown front-and-center, staring directly at the reader with blank eyes. The way he glares at fans with an expressionless look is incredibly haunting, perfectly setting the tone for what tales of terror await inside.
8
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary Turns Makes His Felines Fearsome
Published in 2015 by Kodansha Comics USA
While not a common Junji Ito horror story most fans would expect from the mangaka, this hilariously dark glimpse into Ito’s own life with his pet cats, Yon and Mu, captures just how harrowing pet ownership can be. What makes it even better is putting these stories through the perspective of Junji Ito’s artwork, making for a great horror comedy that cat-owners absolutely love. However, the cover art is the true star of the show as it perfectly lays out the darkly comic tone of the manga.
This cover for the English translation features Junji Ito holding his cat Mu, while his other cat, Yon, chases him down a hallway. However, Yon is much bigger and is extending a razor-sharp claw as Ito flees in terror. Meanwhile, an uncanny version of his wife, Ayako Ishiguro, smiles, amused by the sight. It’s an incredibly funny cover that’s equal parts terrifying because of how it takes something as mundane as cats and makes them horrific beasts. Of course, Ito treasures his cats, but this humorous take on them is incredibly wholesome and frightening at the same time.
7
Remina Exudes an Ominous, Eldritch Aura
Published in 2020 by Viz Media
Junji Ito’s tale of cosmic horror has become known as one of his greatest. Putting people under a microscope in times of chaos makes a story ripe for social commentary, and he completely delivers. However, the planet on a collision course with Earth is the true focus of the story, especially after the reader realizes that it’s not inanimate at all, but a giant destructive organism. This ramps up the terror behind the extraterrestrial threat, and when this 2000s-era story was brought to the US over a decade later, its cover art sold fans on just how ominous it truly is.
The cover for Remina is fairly simple, featuring the massive planet closing in on Earth as people have no choice but to stare in fear at their impending demise. What makes this cover work so well though, is the blood-red coloring used to illustrate this horrific moment. It gives the planet Remina an ominous, other-worldly feel that makes it way more terrifying than it has any right to be. It spreads a message that doom is coming for the people of Earth, sending a chill to passersby when they see it at their local bookstore.
6
The Liminal Zone Shows the Horrors of Duality
Published in 2022 by Viz Media
This horrifying collection by Junji Ito features a plethora of his most terrifying stories. However, it’s the cover artwork that stands out as the most interesting aspect. It features a woman with two conjoined faces. One is crying, while the other seems to be exuding anger with the two meeting in the middle under one shared eye.
What makes this artwork great is the raw emotion readers feel just by looking at it. There’s noticeable conflict between the two faces, as demonstrated by the hands showing different body language to match their emotions. Plus, with a purple-esque background, it gives off a weary feeling that makes those that see it uncomfortable and a bit disturbed. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the brilliant mind of Junji Ito, which also shows just how fantastic his abstract artwork is at experimenting with emotion.
5
Fragments of Horror Pays Homage to Classic Artwork in Ito’s Unique Voice
Published in 2014 by Viz Media
In one of Viz Media’s earliest collaborations with Junji Ito, this collection of horrifying stories pays homage to the iconic painting The Scream by Edvard Munch. It features one of Ito’s many characters uttering a horrific wail in the midst of an unsettling landscape filled with abstract terrors. With eyeballs on fence posts and unseen human forms in the background, it’s a disturbing portrait ripe with imagination. However, the details are what make it stand out.
The more fans look at the cover for Fragments of Horror, the more terrifying it gets. There are eerie little details strewn throughout the cover art that make it feel other-worldly. The eyes on the handrailing are incredibly easy to miss at a first glance, but as soon as readers notice it, the artwork gets even stranger. And that’s just the start of it. The cover for this anthology is so terrifying that it makes fans feel like the subject in the center, screaming in silence in fear of what unknown horrors lie beyond.
4
Alley Swims Into the Depths of the Uncanny Valley
Publishing in 2024 by Viz Media
This latest collection of Junji Ito’s works contains a variety of horrifying stories featured in the well-made mixed bag anime Junji Ito Maniac. The titular story follows a man in his new apartment who hears mysterious voices in the walled-off alleyway below. It’s an overall creepy tale that was executed well in the anime. However, the cover artwork takes the terror to a whole other level with its uncanny details.
The cover for Alley features the lost souls from the story in the alleyway, lacking defining features on their bodies. Their eyes have hollowed out, staring at nothing with their pitch-black sockets. It’s all rounded out with a blueish-green hue that makes the alley feel outside the realm of reality. It’s a cleverly constructed cover that captures the eerie vibes of the original story, luring fans in to learn the haunting secret of the alley on top of additional works that lie within the anthology’s pages.
3
Shiver Masters the Art of Formless Terror
Published in 2015 by Viz Media
Shiver is undeniably the defining collection of Junji Ito stories that fans must read. This anthology of stories contains his most notable works, including his scariest story Hanging Balloons, in one complete set. What’s even better is they’re all accompanied by introductions by Ito himself, who discusses the process he went through to create each one, shedding new light on how he crafted his best work. However, the cover for this anthology really stands out as one of the best due to how it masters formless art.
The cover for Shiver features elements from every story featured in the collection, coming together to form an amorphus entity. Three balloon versions of various characters take the center, connected by the endless centipede-like foreheads featured in another story. It’s difficult to define just what the reader is looking at, and that’s what makes it so terrifying. There’s no justifiable way to identify this formless terror, accentuating fans’ fear of the unknown.
2
Deserter Features Junji Ito’s Most Disturbing Artwork
Published in 2021 by Viz Media
Junji Ito’s work has consisted of some of the most disturbing drawings that horror fans can find in manga. Whether it’s a warped body spiraling in a container or a person smashed against a wall, his imagination can concoct some of the most visually upsetting work that make him one of the best the genre has to offer. However, Viz Media’s 2021 Junji Ito anthology collection takes the cake for most unsettling.
The artwork for Deserter features a rotting corpse with its skeleton mostly exposed. The eyes have disappeared, and the nose is slowly coming apart. The only sign of its fading humanity is a skeletal grin cradled by a hooded cloak. What makes this cover exceptionally eerie is the color work that shows the skin oozing as the corpse’s body melts. The mixture of reds, blues and peach tones make the body incredibly upsetting to look at and makes the disturbing sight give off a horrific phantom odor that readers can feel just by looking at the image. It’s an image that is an absolute nightmare to look at, chalking it up as one of the best Ito covers.
1
Smashed Encapsulates Everything Fans Love About Junji Ito
Published in 2019 by Viz Media
When fans think of Junji Ito, many things come to mind. Usually, it’s his mastery of body horror that’s seen as a highlight. However, others look to his gorier artwork or surreal drawings. There are many things about his craft that have made readers worldwide love the mangaka’s signature style. Smashed takes the best of everything and puts it all into one collective image.
The cover art based around the titular story sees a gory pile of blood strewn across the ground with the face of the victim laid out in a horrifically gory manner. Meanwhile, a woman whose head has begun to split open rises from the pool in a surreal image that’s incredibly haunting to look at. This pulpy, gory masterpiece brings out the best of the mangaka’s artwork to create an unsettling image that ranks among his very best work. It’s undeniably the best cover featuring the terrifying tales of Junji Ito and is destined to become an iconic image in horror.
Junji Ito
