Why Junji Ito Manga is so hard to translate into animation

Key recommendations

• Junji Ito's anime adaptations have been divisive, with mixed reviews for all releases.
• Ito's horror works are difficult to animate due to the detailed panels and the difficulty of capturing the aesthetic.
• Adding filler to Ito's works for an anime adaptation would spoil the horror experience.

In the field of manga and anime adaptation, by Junji ItoThe works had some of the most divisive anime releasesof all time.Being one of the most famous horror manga authors of all timeJunito Itoworks parthatobvious candidates for adaptation. With works likeUzumakiclass dissolution,andHellstar Reminaseeingto Itoiconic artworkaccordinglypresented on the silver screen is the dream of many, especially those who have never had the opportunity to experience them. In fact, a proper anime adaptation may be one of the best ways tothe master of manga horror, Junji Ito,to reach a tiewiderpopulation of horror fans.

Junji Ito's works have had some of the most divisive anime releases of all time

However, unfortunatelyanythe manga author's adaptation so far has been met with mixed to poor reviews. Even the newest adaptation ofUzumaki,although it starts off strong, it seems to have fallen off beyond the first episode. As many fans havealreadynoticed, Junjito Itowork isextremely difficultto translate from manga to anime. Here are some reasons whyto Itoworks are almost impossibleto properly represent inform ofanimation.

Why is Junji Ito so hard to animate?

Too many details in horror

To properly understand why Junji to Ito the most frightening works are difficult to animate, to understandto Itostyle is paramount. First of all,to Itothe works on which it is often basedextremelyshocking and detailed panels. When you read something likeUzumakithe horror comes from suddenly seeing a human being horribly disfigured, deformed into an incomprehensible shape. Outside of these impact designs, Junjito ItoThe works are designed specifically for the manga medium, using the medium's strengths and weaknessesto better present the story as a whole.

I made Uzumaki very realistic, so I think he will use that in production.

Already,Whenmoving into the realm of animationthese impactful and terrifying framesI'm already going tobe hard to animate.Looking at the newest Uzumakianime adaptation,itseasy to seeonlythe lower the qualityis comparedto the manga. Inherently, anime is more about seeing what corners can dobe cutto still present a fluid and coherent product.Of course, this much less detailed style takes far too much away from the horrific impactthat every drawing shouldcapture.

Plus, the translation of Junji's impactful moments to Ito manga to anime would transformwhat isit should be a complicated and detailed scene in nothing more than a jumpscare. A Junji Ito panelit is understoodto be analyzed, giving the audience a chance to absorb every horrific detail.Howeverin an animelingering too long on a visual will only detract from the overall look of the animation and unnecessarily increase runtime.Additionally, trying to frame these moments as a jump scare can be effectively scary and take less time, although it will fail to surprisetrueJunji Ito aesthetics.

Junji Ito's work deserves no filler

Anime Fluff will ruin the horror

Outside of animation, Junjito Itothe work, noted as the best horror manga, is also difficult to animate, as its most famous stories tend to focus less on a short series of collections rather than a massive plot. When it comes to anime, adding filler tends to be the go-to strategy for extending a show's runtime. However, any unnecessary element added to one of the Junjito Itoworks will completely ruin the overall experience, cheapening the horror.Along with an already difficult time keeping details with so manyanimation frames, any fluff added is like a death sentence to a Junji Ito anime adaptation.

Although it is not impossiblein the endJunito Itowork, like Uzumaki, it is most likely best left as some of the best surrealist horror manga.Masterfully using the limitations of manga to his advantage, such as using the page turn to lead to a shocking jumpscare, makes the medium the best place to experience his works.in general.Although an animation would be easier for awiderthe audience to share, if it means cutting corners and cheapening the workin general, it might not be worth it.