The illustrations that's Junji Ito does is always masterful and is done with the creepy detail that readers know and love by him. Unfortunately, the short stories that accompany his drawings do fit his usual story telling style but because it is the written word, it's a new format that doesn't possess the same scare factor due to the lack of the suspense that comes from the page turn in Ito's Manga. If the short stories possessed some kind of societal theme rather than most stories being an uncertain possibility of it being a ghost with odd supernatural happenings, it may work in the favour of the story especially since the images didn't enhance any scare factor but instead just added more so an atmosphere.

Junji Ito! Every time! I enjoyed this title so much and it had the hand standing up on my arms in the second half. Thank you so much for the digital ARC!

The stories are short and relatively basic. I had a hard time getting enveloped in them. It was like “this is odd. Aaaand the story is done.” The art rules. That helped tremendously. Worth checking out.

2.5 ⭐

I have grown to enjoy Junji Ito's work over the last few years so even though he didn't write this collection of short stories (he just did the artwork for them) I decided to still give it a shot. I will say that Ito's contribution is the best part of this collection. These (very) short stories are meant to be scary but they are so short that nothing really gets developed and you're just left with shells of potentially good ideas. The collection felt like a children's horror anthology. Ito's artwork does help add a tad of creepiness to each story but doesn't make any of them exceptionally good. Overall, it was incredibly easy and quick reading, but I don't know if I would recommend someone going out and buying the book (unless you truly are a fan of Ito's artwork and want everything he's ever drawn).

Thank you to @netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This quick read is a collection of short stories revolving around Japanese urban legends and decorated with Ito’s signature macabre artwork. The nine short stories average 8 pages each, with Ito’s illustrations placed throughout each story. Each story has numerous small illustrations throughout and all have at least one full page illustration (all artwork is black/white). Some stories have 2-page spreads, further highlighting Ito’s distinctive linework. The text and the beautiful illustrations work together to build anxiety, anticipation, and a sense of dread. This however is not always successful, as some short stories lack intrigue, are awkwardly told, and rely entirely on the artwork to convey the horror. However, these short, simple stories can be a solid match for younger readers who are already fans of short stories and manga. This is a great choice for younger readers, particularly those who were/are fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps. Also a great choice for reluctant readers who are just starting to read prose fiction. Older teens/readers looking for more intense, complex narratives or scarier illustrations will need to look for said scares elsewhere. However, for a young reader who is just dipping their toes in the waters of horror, getting through this book may feel like an accomplishment!

Many thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the advanced reader copy.

Jungi Ito's illustrations steal the show, but the extremely short stories contained here are underwhelming. The writing is too weak to deliver any impact. The stories come across as generic and underdeveloped.

This might be the first disappointing Junji Ito work I've ever read. The stories were so generic and forgettable that the brilliant illustrations couldn't save them.

Stitches was a neat little collection of eerie tales.

The stories in this volume are not quite what you would call "horrific" or "terrifying". Instead they're ghost stories that create a pervasive sense of unease and mounting dread around the mundane, everyday aspects of ordinary people's lives. This brand of lower intensity, lingering, everyday, horror definitely has merit and doesn't always get the attention it deserves in modern media when it seems like everything is trying it's hardest to scar you for life.

I worry that people will see Junji Ito's name and immediately expect a Junji Ito level horror manga, (which this is not, he was merely the illustrator for these tales), and become frustrated when that's not what the book is. This hardly seems fair and on its own merits this collection is a spooky, unsettling series of stories good for a pleasant afternoon read.

People wanting a scarring, mind warping Junji Ito manga will be disappointed but that is not at all the fault of this collection.

Stiches is more of a short story collection than a manga, but it's still a fun time! The stories are quick and spooky, this is not a book that asks for a lot of your time. Ito's art pops off the page, as per usual and adds a nice touch to the book as a whole. If you're looking for a shorter horror experience, you might want to give this a shot!

I enjoyed the 9 short stories in Stitches, especially the bonus story from Ito. I think this would be a great scary story book directed toward younger audiences interested in getting into the horror genre or Ito’s work. It reminded me of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books but with a fresh updated spin. Each story felt unique in tone and voice but all felt within the same world which I loved.

This should not be advertised as a Junji Ito manga. I requested this because Ito is my favorite mangaka and I was incredibly disappointed that this wasn't an adaptation like No Longer Human or the bonus chapter. Speaking of the bonus chapter, reading a digital version is incredibly annoying since I had to scroll past the story and had it all spoiled. Flip the pages so that digital readers can enjoy it. If it was a physical book, it would be fine. Before requesting this, I thought the low rating was weird since Ito is incredibly popular and well-loved, but as soon as I opened the file, I understood why it's so low. This is a light novel, not a manga.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.*
This was a visually stunning horror-filled graphic novel that was intense and easy to read. The simplicity in the drawings made the book more terrifying.

The art was phenomenal, no surprise there. The stories themselves were underwhelming. I can’t think of one that was particularly evocative which is the point of ghost stories.

The bonus manga was an interesting start to something, but reading it digitally did mean having to swiping through every page just to get to the beginning which definitely lessened its effect.

I love Junji Ito’s art, but the stories in this aren’t great. I’ll stick to his original stories in the future.

This book is much milder than I expected, reminding me of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" but quite as engaging. The stories have rushed endings and/or seem unfinished (including the Ito manga at the end). The art accompanying is beautiful.

I was disappointed with the stories and felt they lacked substance. Ultimately, I chose not to finish the book despite the artwork as I wasn't getting anything from the narratives.

I feel like maybe I was sent the wrong book. On the back cover is a rating of Teen. The book is recommended to age 16 and older, and there is a warning of graphic violence. There was no graphic violence, or violence of any sort, really. Even Junji Ito's manga portion was pretty tame. The stories (minus Junji Ito's contribution) were only very vaguely creepy. This book is horror in only the very blandest sense.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley and VIZ Media for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The artwork for Stitches was amazing and essentially what drew my eye to this book. The cover illustration and the title depicted a book that should be eerie, scary and dripping with an intensity that would keep you wanting more.

Sadly, however, the stories fell short and didn’t really seem to be fully developed. Each story ended abruptly and left me waiting for the spookiness to kick in which really never did.

The pages had a watermark logo on them and at times, that logo covered up words making it impossible to read what was written. I understand it is needed but, it should have been placed in a way that didn’t detract from the reading.

Overall, the illustrations were on point, creepy, and fun to pour over. The stories themselves however, left you wishing for more and also left you craving for more of a spooky, horror element to them as the description of the book promised.

well, even the illustrations of junji ito couldn't save this one. first of all, i do not think this was marketed well. i was anticipating something more manga-adjacent, whereas this more so felt like the style of "scary stories to tell in the dark." which is fine! stand-alone illustrations can be great. however, they were the only compelling thing about these stories. they were told in an almost childish way, with very little depth and development. i understand they are meant to be fictionalizations of unsolved mysteries, but i was so unbearably bored. i think i may just not be a fan of kihara's writing style, but it just was lacking so much depth and made this difficult to enjoy.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

This was another book that I felt was lacking because despite having the classic fascinating horror illustrations from Junji Ito the story written by Hirokatsu Kihara and was not as impactful as Ito's own writing. I have come to expect a certain depth and creativity from Junji Ito's work and I understand that he is trying to lend his incredible talent to aid newer authors but these stories just did not hit for me. Overall I found the stories simple and boring and lacking any surprise elements. Not for me.