Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection: Junji Ito Story Collection

Another great collection.

So Junji Ito ... my wife is addicted to his writing and manga ... so when he was at SDCC ... I knew I was in trouble. So we went to his speaking engagement and the man is really brilliant (honestly I had no idea who he was prior to this) ... I felt bad for him because his hands are very badly gnarled because of years of drawing. But no one can take away the horror he inspires with everything he writes and draws. He creates horrors that give nightmares horrors ... the things he writes and draws is amazing and terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The stories are all enthralling and tell tales that will give you nightmares but you will soon realize that even your nightmares pale in comparison to the nightmares he is writing. It's truly awe inspiring to be honest. One day we will lose this horror genre master but for now, I recommend everyone buy his books and be both inspired and terrified.

I really enjoyed this one, so I bought a second copy for my brother as well. After the main story, there are several fun shorter stories after. It's strange, creepy, and sometimes humorous with really fantastic art. I have yet to read a Junji Ito that wasn't a big hit for me

Very good and very nice

My girlfriend loves this book

Lovesickness is a chilling collection of short stories by, Junji Ito that delves into the darker side of human desire and obsession. Here are some of my observations: As expected from Ito, Lovesickness is rife with unsettling body horror. He masterfully depicts grotesque transformations, unsettling mutations, and the horrifying consequences of unchecked desire. The collection explores various facets of obsession, from the obsessive pursuit of beauty to the destructive power of unrequited love. While the body horror is prominent, Ito also excels at creating psychological dread. The stories often leave a lingering sense of unease and discomfort, even after you've finished reading them. Some of the most memorable stories include: The Hanging Balloons. A chilling tale of a woman obsessed with maintaining her youthful appearance, leading to grotesque consequences. The Strange Hikizuri Siblings. A disturbing story about a family with a unique and disturbing method of sibling bonding. The Rib Woman. A classic Ito story that blends body horror with social commentary on the pressures of beauty standards. Overall, Lovesickness is a collection that showcases Ito's mastery of horror. It's a disturbing and unsettling read, but also a testament to his unique and unsettling imagination.

The love sickness collection isn't the best story collection out there (it might be either smashed or Frankenstein for me personally) but its still a really good collection to read/own. It is over 400 pages long and contains mostly longer stories. So before I begin the stories in this collection are: The lovesickness collection which is 5 stories and over 200 pages long. This is pretty much the bulk of the book. The strange Hikizuri siblings which is 2 stories about 40-50 pages long in total. The mansion of phantom pain The rib woman Memories of real poop The love sickness stories tells a tale of a boy named Ryusuke who has to move back to his childhood town after years of being far away. The town is unique because it has a old "outdated"(use to be popular in Japan but not anymore except this town) game where kids, teens and adults walk up to the first person they see on a foggy night at a crossroad and ask questions like "should I ask X out?" or "do they really love me?" and whatever the person answers is their fortune. The problem is someone is running around telling bad fortunes and making people act crazy. The thing is that person looks like Ryusuke. I don't want to spoil anymore but its a decent read. I haven't read it in awhile so re reading it again I forgot some of the twists and turns the story has. This is pretty much the main feature of the book and I think it definitely is the best story in this entire collection. The next two stories are The strange Hikizuri siblings its two separate stories about basically his version of the Addams family. Except they aren't wholesome they are mean, abusive, and just psychotic to each other. I have to be honest these stories weren't my favorite. Everyone is just unlikeable and I get it that's the point of the stories, but even Souichi is a little monster but has some redeeming qualities while the siblings have none of that. The mansion of phantom pain is a okay story. Its not bad but definitely weird. Basically a kid that lives in a mansion feels pain outside his body and people have to try to soothe him. The ending is actually the best part of the story. The Rib Woman is another decent but odd story. A doctor performs a special surgery that removes some rib bones to make women look more petite. But there is someone out there attacking women. Its not a bad story but once again just kind of weird. Memories of real poop is the last story and I have to say they butchered it. Its a quick 4-5 page story about how Junji Ito bought fake poop as a kid. The issue is the translation isn't great. The fan made translations knew what Junji Ito was going for this wasn't as funny as the actual fan translations. I rarely if ever complain about translations but this story definitely suffers from it. Overall though its a solid collection. It doesn't have a lot of stories compared to previous collections, but the love sickness stories definitely make up for it. Not his best but certainly not his worst either. I enjoyed reading love sickness again and glad I got this collection. I definitely though can see why people don't like this collection though.

I like it

If you are a fan of junji ito its a must but and quality is very good but as always cocoblu has worst packaging with not even polythin wraped

Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection is a chilling anthology that centers around the titular story—a fog-drenched town plagued by a mysterious fortune-telling ritual and a beautiful boy whose presence drives young women to suicide. Ito masterfully weaves themes of romantic obsession, urban legend, and existential dread, creating a narrative that’s both eerie and emotionally unsettling. The protagonist Ryusuke’s return to his hometown sets off a spiral of guilt and horror, as he confronts both supernatural forces and buried trauma. The collection also includes The Strange Hikizuri Siblings, a grotesque family drama steeped in dysfunction and dark humor, along with shorter tales like The Rib Woman and The Mansion of Phantom Pain. Each story carries Ito’s signature blend of surreal imagery and psychological tension, with artwork that amplifies the grotesque beauty of his characters and settings. While some readers find Lovesickness less viscerally terrifying than Uzumaki or Tomie, its strength lies in its slow-burn atmosphere and emotional ambiguity. If you're drawn to horror that explores the fragility of identity and the dangers of longing, this collection is a must-read. I can also help you compare it with Smashed! or Shiver to explore how Ito’s themes evolve across his anthologies.

I really loved this story junji ito. It was the first book i had ever bought from him and i just really enjoyed it. Especially the horror elements and the shockingly brutal pages really stricked to me and made my spin shiwer when i was reading it in my bed :) even though story structure is sometimes really messy and you start wondering if a new story has started or the old one gets a continuiation the overall feel and tone really struck my eye and my taste for horror. Clear recommendation for me!

Beautiful series of stories based on a town folklore of crossroads fortune telling GONE WRONG! Another engaging series of small stories full with gore and psychological terror

Inicialmente, eu não possuía muita expectativa sobre Lovesickness, visto que não via muitas pessoas comentando sobre, e acredito que isso foi um dos motivos de eu ter me surpreendido e gostado tanto desta obra, pois não esperava nada dela e acabei me encontrando com um ótimo mangá. Apesar de ter uma história interessante, curiosa e bizarra (padrão Junji Ito), o que mais me conquistou aqui foi a arte maravilhosa que é apresentada. Por se passar em um ambiente, em sua maior parte, com bastante névoa, a ambientação de Lovesickness é pesada e opressora, visto que o traço do Mestre Ito não decepciona e passa uma sensação constantemente desconfortável e intimidadora. Pelo fato de a arte ser uma das coisas que me fez ser um fã de Junji Ito, Lovesickness é um prato cheio pra quem busca um visual estonteante e medonho.