Let’s face it, horror manga author Junji Ito is having a stellar year. With his stories Tomie and Uzumaki getting new adaptations and his Crunchyroll Expo exclusive clothing line a smash hit, he’s certainly gearing up for a very busy 2020. But a comment from his Crunchyroll Expo panel makes me wonder if it couldn’t be made even better. As noted by Deb Aoki, Junji Ito played a game where he was asked to rate whether anime cats were cute or scary. One of the cats shown was from the cover of Animorphs #2: The Visitor, which depicts protagonist Rachel turning into a cat. He had this to say on the subject:
The panel asks Junji Ito what he thinks of Animorphs – “when they’re morphing, is there a chance that they get stuck in the in-between state? If yes, then 7 on (1-5) scary scale!” #crx2019 pic.twitter.com/A97iVAiOPt
— Deb Aoki (@debaoki) August 31, 2019
While no one manages to get stuck mid-transformation in the series, the series as a whole would be right up Junji Ito’s alley. First published in 1996 by Scholastic Books, author K. A. Applegate managed to turn the trope of a group of kids saving the world from aliens into a moving commentary on friendship, morality, the horrors of war, and other themes that weren’t as prevalent in children’s literature in the ’90s. It’s a property that hasn’t been touched by the nostalgia machine just yet, which makes sense, considering the books are incredibly dark for a series that was meant to be read by children. Even the live-action adaptation by Nickelodeon couldn’t stop the series from being nightmare fuel.
Not to mention the astronomical amount of body horror and other visceral imagery, which includes everything from characters being dissolved by stomach acid, turning into a dolphin and then getting bit by a shark, the apparent horror of morphing into ants and termites, watching people you know get possessed by the alien-slug villians the Yeerks, and leaving a character stranded on an island while trapped in a rat body, most likely for eternity.
The series doesn’t end all wrapped up in a neat little bow either. Characters develop PTSD and depression, die, are tried for war crimes, get kidnapped, and struggle with the long-term ethical and moral decisions of their actions, all before they’re even old enough to drink.
The depth and nuance of the series is right up Junji Ito’s alley, and it’d be great to see his work on a longer running series. Now the only thing I’m wishing for is that someone asked him what creature he’d like to turn into if given the chance. Even if it is most likely to be a cat.
Featured Image via: Viz Media
