Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition (Manga)

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Written by Junji ItoTomie

Illustrated by Junji Ito

Published by VIZ Media

Suitable for ages 16+


Fans of horror manga will always recognize the name Junji Ito. Subsequently, his titles Uzumaki and Gyo are also memorable. There’s one other name though that equally resounds with dread, Tomie. Perhaps one of Junji Ito’s most unforgettable characters, Tomie is an immortal young woman that lives solely to terrorize humanity. VIZ Media recently re-released Tomie in its entirety in a hardcover deluxe edition. A hefty volume to say the least, it compiles all of Ito’s tales of the beautiful Tomie in a single tome.

Who or what is Tomie? Is she a demon? A succubus? A zombie? Whatever you want to call her, she’s not your average immortal.

Every tale in Tomie tends to follow a similar format. Tomie takes an interest in someone, they fall for her, and eventually they try (and usually succeed) to brutally murder her. In some of these stories you almost feel bad for Tomie. What sort of existence is it—immortal or no—if it means you’ll be killed in the most devilish ways possible. If living forever means suffering at the hands of those you thought loved you, is it worth living? For Tomie, it certainly is. While Tomie is often about betrayal, it’s also about a ruthless young woman who only cares about herself. Some iterations of Tomie are gold diggers. In one instance she has an elderly couple adopt her, has them both killed, and then inherits their fortune. Another chapter in Tomie has her bewitching a young boy, teaching him to call her mother, only to leave him utterly broken in the end. If the titular character is nothing else, she’s brutal. Humans are dust in the wind to Tomie. She’ll have her fun and leave us to die. Tomie is a series of stories that’ll leave you happy you’ll never meet her.

As for the organization of said narratives within Tomie, they seem fairly random for the most part. The exceptions are the first and last stories, which work as bookends. The first chapter feels like an origin story, slowly revealing Tomie’s true nature. The last chapter almost functions as a permanent death for Tomie. You’ll have to read the tale to learn exactly what that means. Past these two specific chapters, the others mostly read as standalone stories. There is at least one character that pops up multiple times. He brings a few different chapters together as one. But for the most part, be prepared to cycle through a myriad of different characters that you’ll never see again.

If there’s anything negative to be said about Tomie it is that it is an anthology. While there’s absolutely nothing inherently wrong with anthologies, it’s just important to mention. For someone picking up Tomie blindly off a shelf, there’s not really anything that indicates it as an anthology from the get-go. For fans of short story collections, anthologies, or Junji Ito’s work in general, this won’t be an issue.

One important factor in Tomie that we haven’t mentioned yet is of course the artwork. Junji Ito’s work is considered much different than any other manga artists out there. This is visible in Tomie for sure. Ito utilizes dark tones and solid blacks masterfully. While manga is typically a black and white medium to begin with, Tomie uses much more black than white. The lines in the artwork are slightly thicker, and the backgrounds are usually pitch black or full of shadows. One chapter in particular shows Tomie in a beach setting. This would typically be bright and shining due to the sunny nature of ocean beaches. However, in Tomie, even the beach looks as dark and dreadful as death. Another memorable part of Ito’s work is the visual interest and uniqueness of his character’s expressions. Even though it’s a 2D medium, the emotions on characters’ faces feel three dimensional. Their sorrow, their horror, it all reads like a black and white film. Tomie is worth the read for the artwork alone.

For tales of desperation and horror, you generally can’t go wrong with anything produced by Junji Ito. The same is true of Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition. If you want a high quality hardcover manga to add to your collection, it’s worth the buy. The artwork within Tomie is as dark and grim as the narratives. When you’re glad you never have to worry about meeting a character in a horror story, you know it’s affected you correctly. It’s good to be aware that Tomie is a collection of mostly unrelated plots. However, that shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying it. Tomie is a character for the ages, a terrifying specter that will stick with you long after her many, many deaths.

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