As Esculturas sem Cabeça

伊藤潤二傑作集 [Ito Junji Kessaku-shū] #7

by Junji Ito, Drik Sada (Translator)

No antigo prédio vazio da escola, há apenas um estúdio de arte cheio de esculturas aterrorizantes. Você se atreveria a entrar e descobrir qual é a intenção do artista?

As Esculturas sem Cabeça é a mais nova compilação das principais publicações do início da carreira do mestre dos mangás de horror Junji Ito, com doze tenebrosos e inesquecíveis contos. Lançados originalmente entre 1990 e 1992 na clássica revista Halloween, da editora japonesa Asahi Sonorama (atual Asahi Shimbun), eles agora integram a coleção de obras-primas do mangaká!

Na história que dá título à antologia, Shimada e Rumi participam do clube de arte de sua escola, e seu professor, o senhor Okabe, é um escultor em meio a preparativos para a exposição de suas peças — uma coleção de esculturas sem cabeça. Os dois alunos concordam em ficar até mais tarde para ajudá-lo,sem desconfiarem que essa seria a pior decisão de suas vidas. As esculturas sem cabeça não são meros objetos... São algo mais!

Entre os demais contos, temos uma vila que sofre com o retorno dos mortos após seus rituais fúnebres; um circo comandado pelo próprio diabo; uma cidade onde é impossível andar sem acabar completamente perdido; garotas que ganham beleza em troca de tempo de vida; uma rixa entre amigas que ultrapassa a barreira da morte... Histórias focadas em acontecimentos de ordem sobrenatural incompreensível, um dos temas favoritos de Junji Ito!

Com o típico formato de luxo da editora Pipoca & Nanquim, o mangá tem papel pólen bold de alta gramatura, miolo com acabamento colado e costurado (para garantir o melhor manuseio das páginas), sobrecapa com verniz localizado, e vem acompanhado de um marcador de página e mais 4 CARDS EXCLUSIVOS, que compõem uma belíssima coleção de cartas com os principais personagens do autor (serão 32 cards ao todo, distribuídos por outros mangás do autor lançados em 2023).

Genres: Manga, Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Short Stories, Comics Manga

396 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Junji Itō (Japanese: 伊藤潤二, Ito Junji) is a Japanese cartoonist and illustrator, best known for his horror manga.
Ito was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan in 1963. He was inspired to make art from a young age by his older sister's drawing and Kazuo Umezu's horror comics. Until the early 1990s he worked as a dental technician, while making comics as a side job. By the time he turned into a full time mangaka, Ito was already an acclaimed horror artists.
His comics are celebrated for their finely depicted body horrors, while also retaining some elements of psychological horror and erotism.
Although he mostly produces short stories, Ito is best known for his longer comic series: Tomie (1987-2000), about a beautiful high school girl who inspires her admirers to commit atrocities; Uzumaki (1998-1999), set in a town cursed with spiral patterns; Gyo (2001-2002), featuring a horde of metal-legged undead fishes. Tomie and Uzumaki in particular have been adapted multiple times in live-action and animation.

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mhh, I was really hoping for a hot pink colorway on the cover and spine of the English release, but the publisher didn't dare. Pretty good collection, though.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one about the red string, the circus one, the statue one, and the bridge were my favorite stories! junji ito never misses.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a particularly DISTURBING collection of stories—which made it so enjoyable!

We get to see what is so great about Junji Ito shine here—revealing the horror in the mundane when taken to extremes. Bridges, statues, scarecrows, feeling ugly—anything can become horrifying. You don’t necessarily need to craft an eldritch horror; we have those at home.

At least, that seems to be what Junji Ito is positing with this collection—to great effect.

Personally, I thought “Scarecrow” was the most unsettling but still somewhat distinct in that it is punctured by an oddly sweet ending. It reminds readers that grief is still an expression of love.

Satisfying collection! Would recommend~

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I’ll curse and kill you. I’ll be the ghost that haunts you. I’ll hound you to your death."

It’s no surprise that I’m oddly obsessed with everything Ito releases. I hear about a new book coming out and I’m chewing my fingernails off waiting for a copy to land in my lap. As soon as I get it, everything else is pushed aside. No one can top the creative genius that is Ito!

This was hair-raisingly terrifying. It started off a little slow but picked up with each new story. By the end your heart is pounding and your eyes are as wide as they can get. I’m not even sure if I blinked in awhile… The stories got more bizarre and a lot more demented as you read on. That last one was a doozy. It’s one of the reasons why I love Ito. He never disappoints but he sure as hell knows how to get under your skin.

[Chrissana Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junji ito colección masterpiece 7:

Relatos:
- El hilo rojo.
- El disco de segunda mano.
- El hombre de los regalos.
- El puente.
- Ha llegado el circo.
- El nido de avispas.
- La ciudad de los mapas.
- Estatuas sin cabeza.
- Morir joven.
- Escalofríos.
- Los espantapájaros.
- La nota de despedida.

[Erin Talamantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!

My favorite stories were red thread, the bridge, town of maps, and scarecrow!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so confused... Only 3 of these felt new. Am I crazy? Are these stories reappearing in multiple volumes, or am I confusing the animations with the books? I just feel disappointed after reading this because so many of them were overly familiar. It has to be because of the anime, right?

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 2 out of 5]

Z tymi krótkimi formami Ito mam tak, że przed lekturą jest lekka podjarka na zasadzie: "czym ciekawym zaskoczy", a potem im bardziej w głąb, tym mniej ciekawie i w sumie po kilku pierwszych stronach każdej historii wygląda to dosyć przewidywalnie. Jako czytelnik cierpiący na trypofobię, wzdrygnąłem się wprawdzie widząc podziurawione i pokryte nićmi ciała w "Dreszczach" i "Czerwonej nici", ale oprócz tych dwóch momentów, reszta raczej bez emocji

[Rylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this story collection.

Red Thread 5/5: This one actually made my skin crawl, the illustration was so unnerving. I really like the idea of a literal red thread of destiny.
The Giver 3/5: It was fine, I thought the end was more funny than scary. The hypnosis stuff didn’t really make sense to me.
The Bridge 4/5: The towns in Ito’s stories have the weirdest traditions. I thought this was creepy, but I wish it didn’t have the cliche dream sequence.
The circus has come to town 3/5: The crowd was way too nonchalant about all of the performers dying lol. I liked the ending.
Hornet Nest 5/5: I don’t get the obsession with the nests but I loved the illustrations and the concept.
Town of Maps 2/5: Did not make much sense to me and was kind of boring.
Statues 5/5: Love this concept, it’s such a classic Ito story.
Die Young 4/5: Intriguing but there’s no why or how. It seems like Ito had a cool idea but just didn’t want to have to explain it at all. I still liked it.
Scarecrow 5/5: I love this concept, too. Inanimate objects being creepy or possessed is an Ito strong suit.
Suicide Note 3/5: Meh.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strong collection with stories ranging from the comically absurd (such as The Circus Has Come To Town) to full on body horror in the titular story. My favorites were The Bridge, Die Young, and Scarecrow, but there weren't any I disliked.

[jamie]

Ooooo I’ve missed my father Junji Ito

[Luthfi Ferizqi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another compilation from Ito that’s too boring to follow.

[Patrick Saindon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid collection 4.1

[The Leppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wanted to say that whoever is curating/determining the story order for these collections is doing an awesome job.We start off slow with some of Ito's more creepy-weird-silly stories and then descend in to his more outright horror stories and this volume had some absolute *awesome* ones.

I liked the majority of these stories:

Red Thread: creepy and had a great scene with grandma. This one made me chuckle.
The Giver: worked the least for me out of the whole volume.
The Bridge: Love the idea and Ito's art sells it and I got that creepy growing dread feeling I want from his work. It's a solid folk horor type of tale.
The Circus Has Come to Town: This was more amusing/creepy. Interesting idea and I like the ending because it's reminiscent of a Souichi story ending.
Hornet Nest: Weird-creepy and I liked it but I wasn't exactly scared.
Town of Maps: I feel real bad for Miki :/
Statues: oh yeah~ this is where the stories really ramp up the dread and scares! love the last panel!
Die Young: I really love Ito. I feel like this could be connected to Uzumaki's Medusa chapter and Tomie. They are thematically similar and I'll stop there but I love it.
Scarecrow: holy cow... terrifying! I just wow... it's creepy as heck and touches on greif and freaked me out.
Suicide Note: really creepy and a good premise for sure.
Just talked myself into a 5star because I think some of these will cling to me.

[Nashia Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what I expect from Junji Ito. Still finding new and creepy stories to tell!

If you like Juni Ito, you'll like this.
If you've never read Junji Ito, this is definitely a good way to dip your toes in. This collection gives you a taste of not only his art style, but also his story structures.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC

[Carol Godoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse homem não decepciona nunca 😮‍💨

[DaniPhantom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Statues without heads, ghosts with unfinished business visiting the living, and weird maps are some of the themes of this banger of a book. Is it bad I want to live in the Junji Ito universe?

[Nina Sabak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junji Ito remains the best to ever do it.

[isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5*

[Dekisugi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ngebayangain patung patung tanpa kepala yg mencari kepala buat melengkapinya aja dah ngeri ...

Dari awal tahun udah nggak dikasih nafas ma Akasha , Manga Junji Ito keluar mulu . Di Junji Ito Compilation 7 ini terdapat 12 cerita pendek ala junji ito dan yg menjual dari manga kali ini adalah Headless Sculpture, ada The Scarecrow, Written Will , Bridge dan lain lain ... Tapi personal aku lebih suka BRIDGE. Pernah di animekan juga , tetap aja vibes horror absurdnya gag ketolong.

Ohya terdapat 2 cerita dari shiver yg diceritakan lagi disini Second Ha d Vinyl Record dan Cold.

[Euan Fukui · Rating 4 out of 5]

So no head? Consistent quality as usual, would recommend.

[joan☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

some chapters of this genuinely made me scared shitless lol... as expected from the master of horror himself

[Evan Dewangga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sesuai standard Junji Ito, tidak ada cerita brilian yang baru. Ceritanya lebih ke mengerikan dibanding menyeramkan.

[osa · Rating 4 out of 5]

uncanny and triggered my trypophobia

เรื่องนี้กระตุ้น trypophobia มาก เห็นแล้วมีฟีลหน้ากระตุกเล็กๆ ขยะแขยง น่าขนลุกไปหมด

1. ด้ายแดง - ขนลุกอยู่เหมือนกัน เพราะนึกภาพตามว่ามีด้ายเย็บอยู่ตามผิวตะปุ่มตะป่ำอยู่ทั่วตัวแล้วเวียนหัว ค่อนข้าง disturbing ภาพในหัวที่จินตนาการกับผิวมนุษย์จริงๆคือไม่ไหวเลย

2. แผ่นเสียงมือสอง - เสียงร้องของคนตายที่ได้ทำตามเจตนารมณ์ของตัวเอง เป็นเพลงต้องคำสาปที่ใครได้ยินก็มักหลงใหลและอยากได้มาครอบครอง

3. คนแจกของขวัญ - มีความรู้สึกว่า pointless ไปหน่อย แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นก็ดำเนินเรื่องได้ถึงจบ

4. สะพาน - ที่จริง setting ฉากน่ากลัวใช้ได้ เนื้อเรื่องน่าสนใจ เกี่ยวกับความเชื่อและพิธีกรรมจัดงานศพ

5. ละครสัตว์มาแล้ว - ชอบเรื่องนี้ เป็นละครสัตว์ที่ไม่ว่าทำอะไรก็ล้มเหลวไปเสียหมด ไหนจะตกมาจากที่สูง, มีดปักคอ, หรืออุบัติเหตุมากมาย แต่ถึงเป็นแบบนี้เจ้าของละครสัตว์ยังดันทุรังให้โชว์จนจบ ซึ่งเรื่องไม่ได้จบแค่นั้นแต่วางพล็อตมาได้น่าสนใจ

6. รังต่อ - ทำมาเป็นหนังสนุกแน่ มีกลิ่นอายความสยองขวัญ ความน่าขยะแขยง ผูกปมฆาตกรรมเอาไว้ ถ้าเขียนบทดีๆ แล้ว cast นักแสดงคุณภาพมาเล่นบทหน่อยนี่ว่าสนุกอยู่

7. เมืองแห่งแผนที่ - เมืองที่ผู้คนจำทางไม่ได้ต้องคอยดูป้ายหรือแผนที่อย่างเดียว มีคู่รักเดินทางมา honeymoon แต่กลับกลายเป็นว่าต้องมาเจอเหตุการณ์ประหลาดๆของเมืองนี้

8. รูปปั้นไร้หัว - พอใช้ได้อยู่ อันนี้รีวิวไม่ได้เยอะมากเดี๋ยวสปอยล์ 5555

9. อายุสั้น - ลึกลับ ไม่มีคำตอบให้ ที่จริงเวลาอ่านผลงานของ Junji Ito นี่รอคอยคำตอบตลอดเลย เพราะรู้สึกว่าถ้าเฉลยออกมาคงสนุกไปอีกแบบ แต่อันนี้เป็นเรื่องที่ผูกกับ "ความสวยงาม" และ "ความลึกลับ"​เข้าด้วยกัน

10. หนาวบาดเนื้ออ - สุดๆละ พออ่านถึงเรื่องนี้ในหัวให้ 4/5 เลย ขนพองสยองเกล้า trypophobia คือกรีดร้องสุดๆ นี่เขียนรีวิวยังรู้สึกขยะแขยงอยู่ ทำถึงจริง

11. หุ่นไล่กา - เมื่อปักหุ่นไล่กาบนสุสาน หุ่นตัวนั้นรูปร่างจะเปลี่ยนเป็นคนตายที่ฝังอยู่ใต้ดิน เรื่องนี้พอใช้ได้

12. จดหมายลาตาย - โห ตอนแรกคิดว่าเจอผีไทยแล้วผีอื่นๆทำอะไรไม่ได้หรอก พอเจอเรื่องนี้มีความหลอนใช้ได้ อาจจะยังทิ้งความรู้สึกขยะแขยงจากเรื่อง 'หนาวบาดเนื้อ' ไปไม่หมด ทำให้อ่านเรื่องนี้ยิ่งจิตตก ผูกปมไว้ดี ปิดจบได้สวยงาม

[Tiffany Seward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manga | Horror | Eerie

•Plot: Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection features 10 creepy short stories.
•What I liked: The red thread story puts a spin on soul ties and makes the thread seem more harmful than romantic. The circus one is very demonic. The story of Statues turns an art class into a nightmare.
•What didn’t work for me: Although very creepy, not as scary as his other work. His other work is far darker, not to say this one isn't dark; it's just this one is not as dark. Really, a long time ago I used to like reading horror stories, but as I got older, I don't enjoy them as much, and I read this one because I was curious to see what Ito came up with this time around.
•Themes / Ideas: Suicide, Theft, Murder & Entities
•Who I’d recommend it to: Those who like horror and being left with an eerie feeling.

Overall/Thoughts: Most of the stories end on a cliffhanger or at the climax of an eerie occurrence. Ito’s work is still unsettling. Compared to his other works, I’d rank this about average, but definitely not the creepiest he has ever made. He has other work that will make you rethink common objects in a nitemare fuel type of way. On the other hand, this manga has most of its stories where the instigation stems from the characters doing something that causes it. Unlike in his other mangas the horror just happens to the characters against their will.

[clarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

hay muchas cosas espectaculares, el promedio total es del 3,6/5, me cagué bastante, vamos x partes:

- El hilo rojo 2/5 medio poronga, medio bodrio, bastante miedo cuando todas las viejas le estaban cosiendo el hilo
- El disco de segunda mano 4/5 who is this DIVA💜
- El hombre de los regalos 1.5/5 un reverendo alfajor de caca
- El puente. 4.5/5 me cagué toda m encantó
- Ha llegado el circo 3/5 copada, pero me enoja porq tenía el potencial para ser cine
- El nido de avispas. 4.5/5 místico, odio a las avispas y me dan terror y me siento tan validada de q junji ito haya apelado a mi miedo gracias corazón
- La ciudad de los mapas. 3.5/5 nueva fobia desbloqueada✨️ quedé con un malestar en el estómago gracias x tanto junji
- Estatuas sin cabeza. 5/5 no tengo palabras
- Morir joven. 3.5/5 buena alegoria a la anorexia la vdd
- Escalofríos. 5/5 posta sentí que me meaba encima, q puto asco todo, totalmente espectacular
- Los espantapájaros. 3/5 medio choto pero me perturbó bastante asi q la dejo pasar
- La nota de despedida. 4/5 jaja q facil serian las cosas si hubiesen garchado una sugerencia nomas!!!

[Mas Alif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ada yg sudah ku baca dan ada yang belum.
Aku urutkan mulai dari yg paling ku suka, yg pernah ku baca ga masuk list yah.
1. Bridge (Jembatan Kematian) - Horor tapi ceritanya bagus dan orisinil banget.
2. Unlucky/ Die Young (Kecantikan yang menular) - Ini juga dari segi ceritanya yang bagus.
3. Circus (Sirkus amatiran) - Bayangin orang lewat terus dijadiin anggota sirkus dan kematiannya di tonton banyak orang, gokil sih.
4. Wasp Nest (Kepala dalam sarang lebah) - Gore tapi masih ok lah.
5. Red String (Benang merah takdiri) - Gore juga tapi tanpa darah hanya lilitan jutaan benang.
6. Written Will (Teman Bundir) - Horor tapi ceritanya agak maksa.
7. The Giver (Patung Ngejar) - Jadinya kek komedi.
8. City of Map (Peta Menyesatkan) - Rada nyebelin.
9. Scarecrow (Orang-orang sawah) - Ini bagus kok. Harusnya di 4 ini. Males hapus aja.

Tiga sisanya pernah ku baca seperti
1. Headless Sculpture (Patung Pencari kepala)
2. Second Hand Vinyl (Lagu Kematian)
3. Cold (Lubang-lubang angin) yang ini sih paling bagus dari semua ito junji collection, sampai sering banget di munculin di berbagai seri ito junji.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection! Statues had some great jump scares and Junji Ito really leaned in to the creepy and scary side of horror this time around. The past couple of collections have felt like the final ending scene was created and the rest of the story was made to fit around it, whereas most of these have a great build-up and, generally, great payoff or disturbing ending.

The visuals were really on point here, both beautiful and terrifying, especially in Statues; Dying Young; Scarecrows; and Suicide Note.

✨ Everyday normal things to add to the list of phobias: ✨
- Glow-ups (especially if occurring within a large group of teens)
- Maps (as someone with a generally terrible sense of direction, I am in big trouble - IYKYK)

Also feeling quite justified in my lifelong fear of mannequins after reading the titular story Statues 👀😩😭

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest complete collection but still a handful of super scary and psychologically scarring stories to be had in this collection featuring the tell-tale style and storytelling of the master, Ito.

Favorites from the collection include "Die Young" about a bunch of school girls who go from being frumpy to good looking only to ultimately die yet it isn't just one or two girls, it becomes an epidemic of sorts that is puzzling the community.

"Statues" the namesake is probably the most hideous with the headless statues and the gore of the beheaded and the awakened statues in their nakedness and vengeful spirit.

Then of course I have to love "Scarecrow" for the majority of the setting is in a cemetery and features the mourning family of a young woman whose death is lamented by a former lover who the family despised but now that a scarecrow is set up near the grave, it takes on the attributes of the person buried beneath with more deaths that follow.

[Tilápia frita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arte belissima, tudo é muito bem desenhado e as histórias são bem fechadinhas, é uma compilação muito boa.
Fio Vermelho do Destino, Disco Velho, Ponte, Colmeia, Cidade dos Mapas, As Esculturas sem Cabeça, Calafrios e Espantalho são excelentes!!! É incrivel ver como em algumas delas não tem o que fazer, de qualquer jeito a pessoa não pode escapar de seu cruel destino, é impressionante ver como o sobrenatural e o inexplicavel caminham juntos e você não sente que a obra está incompleta ou incompreensivel.
O compilado é bem fraco em algumas histórias, como a do Presenteador, O Circo Chegou, Vida Curta e Bilhete Suicida, mas ainda assim elas ainda conseguem ser muito boas e intrigantes, pelo menos até um pouco antes do fim em que é revelado o motivo daquilo tudo, ou que se tem uma reviravolta surpreendentemente estúpida. Apesar de ter alguns pontos fracos, continua sendo uma excelente leitura, eu lia um capitulo e ja ia pro próximo querendo saber mais.