Junji Ito's self-deprecating afterword tells of how these characters developed a mind of their own, resulting in a story very different from the one initially planned. It's insight that makes Sensor click a bit more, a strange, cosmic tale that's more experiential that narratively focused. Even at his less focused and not always accessible, Ito's latest release brings more of his delightfully macabre and distinct art style. It ensures plenty of nightmare fuel of the unexplained terrors converging from the farthest recesses of the universe.

After being a little disappointed after Junji Ito’s Lovesickness, I was a little worried about Sensor. I didn’t need to worry though, it was fun and entertaining. Definitely not as horrific as some of his other titles but I think the different stories flowed really well together.

Who doesn’t love Junji Ito? Well, probably lots of people. But if you’re a fan, you’re a fan! Here we have more of Ito’s delightfully creepy stories. Sensor is full of cosmic and existential horror with a metaphysical bent. We get cults, volcanos, magical hair, murdered missionaries, time traveling, and ESP. (Man, Ito has a thing about hair.)

This particular book is not his best, but it’s still weird, horrible, and fun. The story wasn’t entirely consistent, with a few meandering sections that didn’t really go anywhere. I really enjoyed the cult aspect at the beginning, but thing were a little too choppy for me to rate this higher. However, it’s a creepy little collection by a creator who can’t be imitated. Even his weaker stories are still better than most. If you’re a Junji Ito fan, you’ll find something to like.

I feel like Ito either works for you, or he doesn’t. And either way is okay!

Fortunately, this man is my JAM.

Such uncomfortable body horror. Such weird cosmic vibes of existential doom. SO MUCH HAIR. I HATE HAIR NOW.

Did I completely follow everything that happened? Big nope. Did I love it anyway? Big yep.

*thanks to netgalley for this ARC*

This lacks the power of Junji Ito's other work--it's less scary and also less compelling--and it also has the same flaw as his other collections (i.e., starting out strong with one idea and dropping it halfway through). The art is still beautiful and unsettling, though, so if you love his imagery this is still worth your time.

Sensor is a seven-chapter manga that tells a cosmic horror tale.

Sensor
Written by: Junji Ito
Publisher: Asashi Shimbun Publications Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: August 17, 2021

The story opens with a young woman Kyoko Byakuya hiking at Mount Sengoku and coming across gold-colored volcanic hair that’s falling from the sky. She is approached by a man who says that he’s been waiting for her, because the amagami (the “heavenly hair” that Kyoko found) told him and that she would come. He takes to his village, which is called Kiyokami, and it turns out the village is blanketed with the “heavenly hair.” This strange hair also attaches itself to the people who live there.

While in the village, Kyoko hears a story about how this village had sheltered a foreign missionary during an era when Christianity was prohibited, and how the missionary and those who protected him were thrown into the mouth of Mount Sengoku. The “heavenly hair” has rained down ever since, and it’s believed to be the hair of the missionary. The hair has brought happiness to the villagers and they have come to worship it, as well as the missionary who was thrown into the volcano. The title of Sensor comes from the fact that the “angelic hair” has the power to amplify the five senses (aka the “sensors”) in the human body. Suddenly, a shadow appears and shoots out jet black hair… and the village is destroyed.

We then learn the mountain has erupted for the first time in 60 years. Rescue workers who go to the mountain find a cocoon made with the “angelic hair.” The cocoon melts, and Kyoko Byakuya emerges from it. However, he hair is now the same as the beautiful, golden “angelic hair” and not the hair we originally saw her with.

It seems like the story is going to be narrated by Kyoko, but the second chapter shifts gears to Wataru Tsuchiyado, a no-name reporter who witnessed a cloud near Mount Sengoku while he was on an airplane. Nothing appears on the news, but he discovers after some digging around, that someone has posted a picture of the cloud on the internet. After learning where the photograph was taken, Wataru goes to the location and sees Kyoko Byakuya running through the woods. But she, along with Wataru, is captured by a group called the Indigo Shadow. They’re a supramysticism group seeking universal truth. In the incident that took place with Kyoko, she gained the power of clairvoyance, and this group is using her as a medium in order to access the Akashic Records. A tragic accident occurs when the group tries to meditate and bring about more of the Akaschic Records, but Wataru is able to escape with Kyoko.

After the second chapter, the rest of the manga is told from Wataru’s point of view. He spends time trying to track down Kyoko Byakuya. The connections he discovers and the events that Wataru goes through fit in with the type of horror stories that I’ve come to expect from Junji Ito. This particular story also utilizes a form of “time traveling” in it, both for Kyoko and Wataru. The story of Sensor evolves and the stakes become higher and higher as more revelations are made. In a lot of respects, it doesn’t quite go as “over the top” as Remina did, but it still becomes a bit of a wild ride. It was interesting to see how various elements introduced throughout the story come together in the climax and to see how everything falls into place in order to bring the story to its conclusion.

When it comes to the art in Sensor, there is a chapter where Wataru finds out about a clinic where Kyoko had received hypnotherapy after being found in the cocoon, and Ito was able to use some of the grotesque style that he’s known for when one of the therapists becomes so enamored with Kyoko that he puts himself under hypnosis. The bugging out of the eyes and the transformation this character goes through is almost “nightmare fuel.” These are panels I’m not going to forget easily.

In the Afterword, Ito admits that this manga hadn’t gone in the direction he had intended because the characters weren’t cooperating with him. He addresses how Kyoko was supposed to serve as the narrator, but the story quickly evolved into one where she couldn’t play that role. Wataru’s role also ended up not quite being what Ito had originally intended, either, because this no-name reporter was refusing to write about his investigation into Kyoko Byakuya. Having this background information after reading the manga, I have to say that Ito still pulled off a riveting horror story, even if it hadn’t turned out the way he had initially envisioned it.

Now that I’ve read several of Ito’s works, I have to say that he has a distinct style for both his art and his writing. This isn’t a bad thing, though, because I never feel like he’s truly recycling old story ideas. His art style is distinctive, and while some of the characters may have certain qualities to their designs, I never feel like characters between stories look so much alike that he’s being lazy on his character designs.

If you’re already a fan of Junji Ito’s work, then you should give Sensor a try. If you’re a fan of horror manga, this title would also be worth giving a look at. For those reading this review who have no familiarity with Junji Ito’s works, I would recommend starting with one of his compilation manga titles, such as Venus in the Blind Spot in order to get a feel for Ito’s style before delving into a long-running story like Sensor or Remina.

This was a mixed bag for me. There were some really great chapters that were pretty creepy, but there were other chapters that left. me scratching my head unsure of what was really going on. Overall this seems to have a cosmic Lovecraftian vibe to it. I did enjoy the (sometimes grotesque) artwork throughout.

Having only read Lovesickness I am not sure how this falls within the rest of the Junji Ito cannon, but this one left me wanting sometime a little more. I enjoyed Lovesickness a lot more than this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viz Media for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I've read quite a few Junji Ito books and I have to say I wasn't that impressed with this one. I loved the art (as always) but the story was a little...lacking. There were some great aspects and ideas in the book but overall, it just didn't do it for me.

Sigh. Junji Ito's work will always either blow me away, or leave me bored and wanting so much more - sadly, this was the latter. That said, I think anyone who is a Junji Ito fan should at least give this a try, as it's definitely unique from the rest of his works that I've read and it carries an interesting premise! I think I was mostly thrown off by the weird religious storyline that really comes into play near the end.

With another amazing manga Juni Ito writes a new psychological horror story to get in the heads of the reader. With the plot was beautifully laid out with every chapter and it left you wanting to know more the further you read. The art style is captivating and finds a perfect way to make horror beautiful.

Creepy as always! Some truly grotesque pictures. I started reading this before bed but decided it's better consumed during the day. I prefer Ito's short form storytelling, but the premise of this was interesting enough to keep me engaged.

I liked the concept of this book top to bottom --and I wish he had kept The Travelogue of the Succubus idea going here. Still, the weird pseudo body horror of the hairs and interconnected cosmic thoughts was interesting. Junji Ito takes an unusual perspective in this book of adding horror elements both to the religions of the missionaries and native Japanese peoples. The layers of Heian(?) era Shinto religion, Christian missionaries, and latter application to Buddhist ideas was really well done. There is no moral judgement attached to these religious movements; rather he shows the creeping into each of something unnatural in the world around us. There is something ethereal and unnatural that weaves in and out of humans psyches regardless of belief.

I think he also does a great job here of taking some semi-humorous digs at the cultural fetishization of blonde hair here. That is something we certainly see in prevalent manga and anime characters (ie Sailor Moon). Indeed, he makes the hair a pivotal focus and in some cases a cosmic actor on the behalf of the protagonists.

Mount Sengoku is mysteriously shooting out beautiful blonde hairs, called Amagami, which give extrasensory perception (ESP) to whoever they land on and stick do. A girl finds a village completely covered in these hairs and its inhabitants, who all have ESP, worship Amagami. During this visit, Mount Sengoku, a dormant volcano, erupts lava for the first time in sixty years, completely destroying the village. The Amagami protect her in a cocoon of golden hair, and when she emerges, she has a full head of golden hair completely composed of the mysterious Amagami; giving her the ability to perceive the entire universe simultaneously.

Occultist groups, journalists, and medical professionals seek her out to study her, report on her for fame, help her, or use her for their own paranormal purposes. Along the way, Junji Ito's classic art style portrays terrifying warped visions of the human body, creepy obsessions, and a level of atmospheric horror more in line with Uzumaki than Ito's more shock-oriented short stories. The story is more coherent and less episodic, which Junji Ito pulls off spectacularly. In addition to disturbing lovecraftian monsters and body horror, there is a psychological and philosophical horror in line with House of Leaves present in Sensor. The story is well-executed, creepy, and will sit with you a long while after you finish. Still not for the faint of heart; but also not as Junji Ito's other works.

I have seen a few other reviewers liken Sensor to Lovecraft, and I will admit that this was also my first impression. This comparison is drawn, I believe, because Sensor is focused on cosmic horror. In my opinion, one of Ito successes here is that he has clarity on his side. In these tales of cosmic horror, the source of the terror are these great powers that exceed estimation. The powers of evil (and sometimes good) are so incomprehensibly large that you stand in horror before them. Ironically, however, it becomes difficult to care when the stakes are so high. This was my experience with Sensor.

To its credit, this story was entirely unique to me. So much horror now is derivative. However, there were several elements present in Sensor that I had never heard of nor considered. This is the first of Ito’s works that I have read, so I may not have the most educated opinion on this. To me, though, this was unlike anything I had ever read before. The art was both beautiful and horrible. I found myself just studying some of the images and quickly looking away from other. I enjoyed many elements of Sensor, but the actual plot did not interest me. This is a cosmic fight between good and evil throughout space and time, and the actual concern feels so distant.

Speaking of distant, Kyoko Byakuya is a lovely but confusing figure. She is presented as a woman who “has her way with the world.” In reality, she is just kind of wandering around and lost most of the time. Nine times out of ten, she’s just sprinting away from anyone who approaches her. Having such a quiet and enigmatic hero (?) increases the difficulty in immersing yourself in this story. Wataru Tsuchiyado is a reporter and does make a much better narrator than Kyoko who barely speaks throughout the narrative. His intentions do make sense because, in all honesty, you would probably try to figure out what was going on with sprinting golden-haired woman too, right?

Although the images and language are so clear, I was confused about how these stories fit together and in what timeframe they took place. The individual stories were interesting and had elements that have stuck with me, but they did not seem to fit together in any discernible way. As Ito hints in his afterword, it is clear that the concept outgrew his original intentions. Despite the fact that it did not live up to my expectations or its own potential, Sensor was still an enjoyable read with elements that I will remember for a long time and images I cannot forget.

The latest translated volume from Junji Ito combines his honed brand of body horror with cults, deities, historical and speculative fiction all in one. Reading this volume alongside the previously released Remina really drives home some of the themes of Ito's work (Uzamaki also comes to mind) while also highlighting how much tighter Sensor is than Remina for me.

The premise begins with a young girl, Kyoko, travelling to the Japanese countryside and inadvertently becoming recognized as a deity upon a life changing transformation. The volume branches out from there from not only Kyoko but also a broader cast of characters whose stories interweave around the cult she has become a part of.

Definitely worth a read for established Ito fans. Plenty of eyeball popping horror to behold with some really wonderful cosmic horror imagery. I'll be returning to this one for sure.

An Expected Horror Masterpiece – Sensor

Mangaka: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural, Thriller
Published: August 27, 2021

In this day and age, Junji Ito has made himself as a legend when it comes to horror manga. His works have expanded and extended its goosebump-inducing reach to anime and film. As eerie as the manga are, the animated adaptations have their own unique eerie vibes about them. The fandom may be divided as to whether one medium is superior to the other, but everybody will unanimously agree that Junji Ito is a master of his craft. That said, yet another of his great works, Sensor, hits the English limelight.

Contains Spoilers

Discussion Time

Unlike most of Junji Ito’s works, Sensor is a standalone series that is contained within a few chapters. The series follows a certain girl that’s been attracted by an inexplicable power to go to Mount Sengoku. There, the girl meets a peculiar village worshipping strands of golden hair that came from a volcano. With Junji Ito’s signature storytelling, it obviously didn’t end there. After the volcano erupted and covered her in a golden hair cocoon, one weird thing after another started to occur.

Why You Should Read Sensor

1. Just as What We Expect

As we've already stated, Junji Ito is a master of his craft. Just knowing that Sensor is a work of his already elicits a set of expectations, albeit voluntarily or involuntarily. Sensor meets those expectations and did Junji Ito justice. Sensor is exactly what you will think of yet another Junji Ito story. Unlike other horror manga that focus on demons and whatnot, Junji Ito uses disturbing concepts that are borderline creepy and humane.

2. Surprise Grotesque

With a Junji Ito story, we just don’t know what could possibly happen next. After all, Junji Ito is known for his unique way of thinking. In this aspect, Sensor has shocked us in various scenarios. For one, the moment the hypnotherapist became obsessed with the female lead and his transformation to a terrifyingly enlarged facial organ or to the point of him exploding into thousands or even millions of neurons in outer space.

3. Great Story
As great as Junji Ito is, it doesn’t mean that he never commits mistakes or that his works are flawless. Being perfectly honest, some of his short stories just fall flat. For Sensor, however, things are quite different. Sensor is very neatly paced and is overall interesting. It doesn’t waste space from including unnecessary bits, and the premise itself is quite fascinating. The plot is quite simple and linear, but the mystery of not knowing what possible monstrosity Junji Ito can come up with manages to maintain that sort of horror.

Final Thoughts

There really isn’t much to say. The bane of a famous individual is his own fame. The higher the threads, the higher the expectations of people are also. Sensor has definitely reached the standard of other Junji Ito series. That being said, Sensor is a creepy but really interesting series.

By: Christian Markle

"Sensor" by Junji Ito was a unique graphic novel that gives me the vibes of a 90's horror movie. Its tone is eerie and unsettling, and the imagery gets into the grotesque. The images were beautifully drawn and highly stylized.

Plot-wise it could have done more. I felt like I was waiting for things to happen more often than they actually did happen. This is great for building suspense, but just not my cup of tea.
I've never read any Ito stuff, but now I want to explore some of his other work.

Thanks, Netgalley for an arc of this book.

tw: suicidal, suicidal ideation, stalking

Beautifully drawn and deeply weird, I just didn't find this as compelling as the other Ito that I've read. For someone who is looking for something less directly horrifying this may be a good fit, but I found it to be a bit jumbled and not as engaging.

The distinctive illustration style is something that remains as solid as ever.

I am usually a fan on Junji Ito’s works but I found this one wasn’t my favourite. The story seemed to drag on and didn’t have the same strong impact of his other works. It was hard to feel anything for either of the protagonists as I found them fairly one dimensional. It just wasn’t a page turner like the rest of his works. Still rated 3 stars as worth a look if you’re a fan of Ito and horror but not as riveting as I was hoping for.

I couldn't finish it for personal reasons. I hate HATE bugs. However, story is fantastic. Creepy, gross, haunting... sticks to your mind. It gives you that not nice tingly feeling on the back of your neck. The art is always fantastic. Mr. Ito's illustration is special where you read not only his words but the illustrations. Definitely a creepy addition to your library and shelf.