Pretty great collection of Japanese urban legends, adapted in Ito’s wonderful house style.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Junji Ito is always a classic! The art is an obvious standout, and the stories work really well as well. A great addition to Ito's collection of short stories. ( )

Minhas histórias favoritas desse foram; A Praia, A Sós com Ela e A Placa no Campo. A review ta meio bagunçada mas ta tarde e eu to com sono, vai ser assim mesmo.
A Praia é o meu favorito, o mar completamente calmo enquanto o homem desesperado falando que as crianças estão se afogando me deu uma agonia, o afogado passando pela janela dela enquanto os outros dormiam e a menina misteriosa dando o aviso foi muito bom também. A parte final em que as fotos foram reveladas foi muito boa, nossa que desfecho incrível.
A Placa no Campo é uma história extremamente curta, mas muito boa, a sombra da placa se estendendo como a de uma criatura foi tenebroso.
Eu me caguei de medo lendo A Sós com Ela, nossa ela voltando pro quarto e vendo o bixo se materializando na cama dela e saindo pra chegar perto da menina, e ela lá na porta sem se mover pra ajudar a menina, tremendo na base ashdetufgyahe Nossa e nesse capítulo em específico acontece uma coisa; é a primeira vez que eu vejo na obra do Junji Ito um personagem procurar alguém pra resolver o problema, e eles realmente resolverem o problema.
Nossa essa coitada não tem um minuto de paz, não aguento ela falando pro namo dela as coisa e ele cagando, falando que é coisa da cabeça dela, olha o gaslight, larga essa bosta menina. Pior que depois que ela largou o cético de merda, ele realmente foi e ajudou ela asdyueiufhaj serviu pra alguma coisa, teve uma mini redenção ali.
Histórias muito tenebrosas, nossa que medo que deu ler sobre o cadáver que eles encontraram na floresta, não entendi o que era o negócio preto caindo da buceta dela mas ok, deu um medão quando estavam correndo e o cadáver estava virado pra eles. Amo o estilo artístico dele, é extremamente cativante e viciante de ler, as história que ele adaptou e recontou são muito intrigantes já que a maioria não tem uma resposta pro mistério horrível que surge no meio da trama. ( )

Junji Ito loosely adapts stories originally published in the series 新耳袋, a/k/a Shin Mimibukuro or New Earmuffs, by Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichirō Nakayama, which tells urban legends that happened to various people. Ito makes the material his own by creating one of his typically bland female heroines and having all the scary stuff happen to or in front of her. "Happen" is a key word, as a lot of these are less stories than just "so that happened" anecdotes.

On the Utility Pole

Mimi spots an old woman on top of a pole. And that's it. Not a real scary start.

The Woman Next Door

When Mimi goes to complain about an upstairs neighbor's loud music he points out that the women next to him don't complain, but then again they are also super eerie. Mimi investigates, in one of the few stories of the book that allows Ito to flex his talent at macabre illustrations.

Rustling in the Grass

Mimi and her boyfriend discover a corpse during a hike and are freaked out by the noises it makes.

Grave Placement

Mimi's new apartment overlooks a cemetery that has mysterious sounds every night and leaves her feeling as if she is being watched. The bodybuilder next door makes the story more amusing than horrific.

Seashore

Mimi, her boyfriend, and a couple of friends hit the beach for a fairly cliched story of drowned ghosts.

Just the Two of Us

Mimi visits her family, only to find that they have temporarily taken in a child whose mother has just died. Mimi's the only one who believes the girl when she says she is being followed by a shadow creature.

Scarlet Circle

Mimi's friend Misa shows her a room recently excavated under her grandfather's house where, one by one, her grandparents and uncle have mysteriously vanished. This is the only story that momentarily took a different direction than I expected, but quickly returned to the generic.

Sign in the Field

A sign casts an unusual shadow. And that's it. Not a real scary finish.

Bonus Story: Monster Prop

This book is a new, expanded edition of Ito's ミミの怪談 [Mimi no Kaidan], with the major difference being the inclusion of this bonus story. Unlike the other stories, it does not feature Mimi. A woman named Sakurai, whose company designs props for amusement park haunted houses, pitches the recreation of a scary moment from her own childhood exploration of a real haunted house, but the road to fruition is plagued with strange and bloody events.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: On the Utility Pole -- The Woman Next Door -- Rustling in the Grass -- Grave Placement -- Seashore -- Just the Two of Us -- Scarlet Circle -- Sign in the Field -- Mimi's Tales of Terror Afterword [original edition version] -- Bonus Story: Monster Prop -- Afterword [reissue edition version] ( )

Mimi's Tales of Terror, penned by the masterful Junji Ito, definitely delivers bone-chilling narratives. The stories center on Mimi, a young woman with a penchant for seeing the paranormal. Ito weaves tales that unsettle and intrigue as Mimi faces off against eerily horrific encounters. One of my favorite quotes, from 'Seashore'- "Nothing scary is going to happen."- definitely lends itself to setting the tone! And I want to know what's on the pictures!!!

Another truly terrifying tale, 'Just the Two of Us', creates a haunting and visceral sense of fear on many levels. I found it the most disturbing of all these stories. Ito doesn't shock with cheap tricks, but rather relies on the slow build-up of dread and terror. This knack for coupling captivating plots with intricate illustrations makes Mimi's Tales of Terror a delight for horror aficionados.

Some tales felt too open-ended, leaving many questions unanswered. However, that ambiguity might enhance the horror element for some readers. In sum, Ito's Mimi's Tales of Terror provides a first-rate read for those seeking a complex mix of fear, macabre, and superb storytelling. Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley & Viz Media for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )