Junji Ito is famous for his work as a horror manga artist. He has been active since the late '80s and has produced a number of horror stories, leaving fans always wanting more. He was part of the Silent Hills project before its cancellation.
Junji Ito's horror stories are always based on something from his real life. Whether he sees it, dreams it, or twists stories he's heard from others, it's always a horrific rendition. Here are some of his best bone-chilling works to read based on your zodiac signs.
12 Aries (March 21-April 19) - The Hanging Balloons
Aries are all about taking action, sometimes even before they think things all the way through, which is the case for the characters in The Hanging Balloons. The balloons are filled with determination and never stop until their goal, killing their human counterpart, is complete. Because of this, people instinctively start to fight back only to find out that anything done to the balloons is also done to the human. The main character of the story also acts on impulse and heart, rather than thinking things through, which ultimately becomes her downfall.
11 Taurus (April 20-May 20) - Uzumaki
Tauruses are known for their stubbornness and resilience to change. In Uzumaki, Shuichi Saito is the first to notice the infesting spirals. He begs his girlfriend, Kirie, to run away from the town, but she refuses. Kirie is like a Taurus in that she stubbornly doesn't want to leave her town and family.
But also like a Taurus, Shuichi stays, wanting to make sure that his girlfriend stays safe and nearly always comes to her rescue when the spirals become too much. He is strong-willed and a loyal lover.
10 Gemini (May 21-June 20) - Dissolving Classroom
Like the twins of Gemini, Dissolving Classroom follows a pair of demented siblings throughout a slew of short stories centered around the havoc they cause. The older brother, Yuuma, always apologizes for Chizumi's (his sister) demented mannerisms. However, Yuuma turns out to be even worse than his sister. Chizumi often times warns Yuuma's victims of his ulterior motives well before anything happens, but due to his seemingly kind nature, they never listen until it is too late. The siblings here are like an extreme version of the Gemini twins.
9 Cancer (June 21-July 22) - Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu is the perfect blend of horror and comedy. In this manga, the horror artist illustrates his day to day life with his two cats, Yon and Mu, and wife A-ko. While this story is just about cats, the horror manga artist sticks to his unique style, making the characters sometimes appear ghastly while doing mundane activities. Cancers are emotional beings with large hearts and in this story, J-kun (Junji Ito) must overcome being a dog-person to fall in love with his new pets. He does so with a big heart and ends up caring very deeply about Yon and Mu.
8 Leo (July 23-August 22) - Tomie
Tomie is another of Junji Ito's completed volumes and was actually his first story published in 1987. The story follows a girl who never dies. Tomie has succubus like abilities, making men fall in love with her so much that they do anything and everything she says. She is constantly killed but comes back time and time again with regenerative powers, oftentimes producing more copies of her in the process.
One of the most iconic Leo stereotypes is that they are self-centered and proud creatures. Tomie fits these negative qualities perfectly. She is so proud and sure of herself, she becomes unafraid of everything, knowing everything will always work out for her.
7 Virgo (August 23-September 22) - Hellstar Remina
Virgos are the beauties of the zodiac. With gentle hearts but shy natures, they may seem very cold to the world. This is the case for the protagonist, Remina, when everything goes wrong in Hellstar Remina. After discovering what appears to be a star in the night sky, Remina's father names the it after her. People quickly and strangely become obsessed with the two Reminas, boosting the girl's stardom into the celebrity spotlights. However, once people discover the star is actually a world eating planet, they figure the best way to handle it is to kill its namesake.
6 Libra (September 23-October 22) - Whispering Woman
While The Whispering Woman is an extra short story attached to Fragments of Horror, it fits so wonderfully as Libra that it deserved to be its must-read story. Whispering Woman is the tale of a young woman, Mayumi, who can't make any decisions for herself. Her father hires Mitsu, who later becomes the whispering woman, to act as the girl's consultant and help Mayumi decide what to do in day-to-day life. Libras are notorious for their inability to make decisions, always weighing their options. Mayumi is an extreme example of this and could be a good reminder to readers to not overthink.
5 Scorpio (October 23-November 21) - Fragments of Horror
Fragments of Horror is a collection of some of Junji's best short stories. All the stories in the manga are a bit grittier and sexual compared to the rest of his works. In Fragments of Horror, characters are often punished for cheating on their spouses or women obsessed with strange obscenities.
Due to the Scorpio stereotype of their aggressive yet passionate behavior, the characters in Fragments seem to fit the description in a highly negative manner. The "villains" of these stories are mysterious and assertive, easily getting their ways with the more submissive protagonists.
4 Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) - The Enigma Of Amigara Fault
Sagittariuses are known for their call to adventure, their joy of travel. The characters in The Enigma of Amigara Fault decide to travel to an eerie new sight, with little fear of what could happen. After a violent earthquake creates a fault line along Amigara mountain, hikers, scientists, and travelers everywhere come to see the new "world wonder." Along the walls of the fault, it is discovered that there are thousands of perfectly sized human-shaped holes. Like a Sagittarius, the characters in this story become immensely curious as to how the holes were formed and why they look exactly like them.
3 Capricorn (December 22-January 19) - No Longer Human
No Longer Human is unlike any other Junji Ito manga. It's not a typical horror story but rather conveys the horrors of real life. Based on the proclaimed autobiography by Osamu Dazai, No Longer Human is about a boy's struggle through life with anxiety who wears a mask of slapstick comedy.
Yozo Oba is everything a Capricorn is not. He allows people to have his way with him. Capricorns are also said to appear cold and practical, Yozo appears as neither. No Longer Human would be a truly haunting and depressing read for any Capricorn.
2 Aquarius (January 20-February 18) - Black Paradox
Black Paradox features a group of strangers who meet on the internet and make a suicide pact. Each character has a different reason, all deriving from fear. Many of the characters strongly identify with Aquarius traits, ranging from robotic-like behavior to seeing the future. Aquarius is said to be the most visionary of the signs, with the ability to foresee the future. That is the main plotline for one of the four main characters. All of the characters appear as shy yet energetic when faced with differing situations.
1 Pisces (February 19-March 20) - Gyo
Pisces, the fish of the zodiac, are known for their daydream personalities and sensitive emotions. Gyo is a Pisces nightmare. This story is about sea creatures gaining the ability to walk onshore due to a parasite called The Stench taking over them. The main couple in this story is on the run, trying to avoid creatures that come along with it. While the fish in this story act as a symbolic reference to Pisces, the main couple also constantly feel like they're in a dream as the story gets crazier. The two are very compassionate towards one another, acting as each other's driving force.