Junji Ito’s Most Disturbing Story

Рет қаралды 1,488,377

Жыл бұрын

WORLDSMITHS ➤ nebula.tv/videos/talefoundry-...
Go watch our video on the author of this story himself, Junji Ito! You will absolutely be shocked how wholesome a video about a guy who makes stories like this can truly be. Definitely worth giving a watch, along with all the other videos in the series! Only available over on Nebula.
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The Enigma of Amigara Faults is perhaps Junji Ito’s best-known story, but also one of the hardest to understand. For such a simple story, it’s got a shocking amount of depth.
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Пікірлер: 2 500

@mophia339 Жыл бұрын

Best part is, Junji Ito doesn't put this amount of thought into his horror, he just goes, you know what would be fucked up? And then he draws it.

@AgentMulder120 Жыл бұрын

Godspeed

@9a_23_tyrantqiu7 Жыл бұрын

Junji draw, fans theorise, we get life lesson

@virtualjayna Жыл бұрын

Exactly why I love his work so much. Most of his stories don’t have a set meaning, so interpretations and theories are wild.

@muigokublack6487 Жыл бұрын

Following in the great tradition much like Alfred Hitchcock. It's not the monster that frightens us but what could lurking in the dark. It gives us just enough to go off of and the imagination fills in the gaps and art by it's nature is open to interpretation and personal to the beholder.

@dirtworm979 Жыл бұрын

Haha for real

@jazzycat8917 Жыл бұрын

Ito's very deliberate inclusion of a couple of tiny, child sized holes casually mixed in with the rest is the part that truly disturbs me. No focus is given to them, they're just there in the background, and once you notice them (especially in hindsight) its just another layer of true despair. The man is a master not only of high octane in-your-face eldritch abominations, but also subtle horrors that'll get you on the re-read

@KindredKeepsake Жыл бұрын

+JazzyCat Oh my god, there were KIDS destined for that? That's really sad. (EDIT) Eep, I see them now... How did I miss that extra bit of nightmare fuel!?

@BoonieBearsLover Жыл бұрын

Holy shit I never even noticed

@Grizabeebles Жыл бұрын

If one interprets the story as people's lives being shaped by time and outside pressure, then the inclusion of "adult-shaped" holes is the odder choice.

@ArDeeMee Жыл бұрын

2:24 For those who‘d like a timestamp. And no, I didn‘t register them until they were pointed out. =/

@toolatetothestory Жыл бұрын

Maybe they were just for... small people

@johndutra8302 11 ай бұрын

I think Junji Ito is the only author who could make a story about human shaped holes in a mountain and use it as a metaphor for Japan's social pressure for young people to get in the job market and be sucessfull no matter what. Having done it purposelly or not...is still a work of genius.

@SnailHatan 10 ай бұрын

Uh, no. If it was accidental, it’s just luck.

@edenwayne8407 10 ай бұрын

I don't think it was on purpose, it's just an artist in his craft. But still, that doesn't negate our interpretations.

@LootFragg 9 ай бұрын

@@edenwayne8407 Yea but where does art come from, you know. Is it pure coincidence that artists who have experienced the Cold War and the fear of nuclear annihilation include a lot of that dread in their works? The horrors we imagine are in some form based on our world. Even if unintended, the influences are sometimes hard to ignore.

@karaltar7914 9 ай бұрын

It was probably subconsciously made that way

@jeanserrano2395 9 ай бұрын

even if he didn’t intentionally insert that meaning, the fact that you got that out of it is a clever interpretation

@RevenantMain1 Жыл бұрын

"It's you... made wrong" That concept is so fucking horrifying and I wish more media made masterpieces related to the topic

@claramonti3889 Жыл бұрын

So many really fascinating body horror stories focus on that. A mind unwillingly trapped in a body of someone else’s design, or worse, the same mind, slowly convinced the body is right, and good.

@AegisGaming99 11 ай бұрын

like the "Us", "The Thing", etc.,

@matthewallen2273 9 ай бұрын

Disfigurement, amputation and other unrecoverable conditions are so scary for the same reason. You'll never be whole again, missing a literally piece of yourself, less then what you could've been.

@SirLuckySlime 9 ай бұрын

Perhaps that could be used as a metaphor for body dysmorphia?

@wren_. 9 ай бұрын

@@claramonti3889literally me (i have gender dysphoria)

@nah9935 Жыл бұрын

This story fully traumatised me as a teenager. The idea that there is a spot for you in metaphorical and literal hell no matter the time period freaked me out.

@ye4439 Жыл бұрын

Traumatized me when I was in 4th grade lol

@jademoonphoenix Жыл бұрын

Traumatized me as an adult!

@Featheryfaith7 Жыл бұрын

It is called, "Despair."

@LeifMaelstrom Жыл бұрын

And the best part is that it is true. There is a place for you, if you like, to fit perfectly into... Destruction. Your destruction and the annihilation of every good thing around you. You can make hell right where you are! The hole is here. Waiting. And you can always choose to enter it... Except... ... That's not true either. Because the hole was made for you as you are when you discover it and humans do not long remain as they are. If you were to grow, to develop yourself so that you no longer fit the hole... Well you would not be in heaven, but you would no longer fit into hell.

@Kraxel-North Жыл бұрын

I read it for the first time when I was around 10 and I think it's the biggest reason almost nothing ever shocks me anymore.

@AppliedCryogenics Жыл бұрын

I think this story is also a fitting metaphor for harmful compulsions like drug addiction, that can change people until they are unrecognizable.

@Featheryfaith7 Жыл бұрын

Sometimes we have bad habits and we cannot fully repent due to not fully cured of our passions. Voluntary and Involuntary sins. Repenting is a struggle. That is why God said that it is better to repent sooner than later. Sometimes people are meant to sin as well. Thou not judge for reasons. You not in control, only God is. Fate..and free will intertwined? 🤔 ☦

@finn2828 Жыл бұрын

@@Featheryfaith7 not everyone is religious

@Grizabeebles Жыл бұрын

The metaphor goes just as much for working a job we hate or staying in a relationship that's tearing us down from the inside as it does for drug use. Often when we try something new there's a lot of pleasure and very little pain, but over time that pain grows. Meanwhile, we can slowly become dependant on the very thing that's hurting us. It still provides a certain amount of support. Eventually, we can find ourselves in a situation that's pretty much all pain and no pleasure and the pain of getting out would be just as bad or even worse than the pain of continuing.

@masuooo4452 Жыл бұрын

@@finn2828 yeah but i think thats how they interpreted it.Honestly based off their other comments i don’t think they are the kind of person to hardcore spam religious stuff.

@-hello6177 Жыл бұрын

drug addiction doesn't take in account quite a few of the story's elements, although considering them with the idea of drug addiction is pretty funny

@Sara-sn5gd Жыл бұрын

I think there is also a flipside to the horror, not shown in the manga: the dread of NOT finding that hole when everyone else does. Imagine being there in a group and all the others find their holes and go while you're left behind. You don't know about the warping happening, all you know is that somehow, there was something 'made' for everyone else but you. You are alone, forgotten, left behind. Maybe that's more sad than horror inducing, but it is a thing I thought about

@SallyBerry9 Жыл бұрын

I know this is an old comment, but man I was about to write something very similar, mainly off the 'finding your niche' bit; since it's hitting very close to home right now. Living as a person without a 'you shaped hole' is very isolating.

@changsangma1915 Жыл бұрын

Or the non realisation of not needing to fit a pre determined hole so as to not end up like the rest....but then human life is structured in such a way that without fitting into any hole means the very end of your existential worth.

@SallyBerry9 Жыл бұрын

@@changsangma1915 that’s very true and very sad, unfortunately

@user-nb5jo2xi1g Жыл бұрын

I get what you mean but I rather not find mines because I'll just die-

@sapriyansyah5247 Жыл бұрын

This is exactly what i had in mind when i read the story. "How about those who dont get hole :(("

@gregjayonnaise8314 9 ай бұрын

I think what’s most horrific is that the people in the holes make it to the other side. You’d think that halfway through, you’d suffocate to death, or starve, or die of thirst, or the deformation of the tunnel would prevent you from moving any further and you simply die of your injuries, or a wrong angle of the rock would break your neck and paralyze you. For all intents and purposes, no one should make it to the end of the fault. The implication that those who walk in make it to the other side means that SOMETHING in the fault compels them to do so. Something stronger than pain or death or exhaustion, that keeps them alive and suffering, until they reach the very end.

@bunnybird9342 6 ай бұрын

The thing is that they are implied to be alive the entire time.

@frcdstcr 5 ай бұрын

I thought the fault was slightly tilted? Seems like at least at some point, they're being pushed through the rest of the fault by gravity.

@suziebelle3738 2 ай бұрын

@@frcdstcr thats not really how it works. gravity in the hole would have to be, like, several times the amount of earth's gravity in order to forcefully push someone through an increasingly warped passageway.

@suziebelle3738 Ай бұрын

@@atomdecay yeah, but that dude was saying that you would go through via gravity, when thats not how it would work. I agree with you though, i think it is like a “every time you struggle it only gets worse” thing

@someoneawesome8717 Жыл бұрын

The compulsion to enter a mold also has a social aspect. How often do parents push their children to pursue a different path because their answer to "what do you want to be" is not satisfactory?

@someoneawesome8717 Жыл бұрын

This is mostly personal because as a kid I wanted to be a marine biologist but my dad wanted me to be an engineer (I found a compromise and am going to be spending a year on a submarine doing repairs)

@conq1273 Жыл бұрын

@@someoneawesome8717 You almost became Jotaro

@furiousdestroyah9999 Жыл бұрын

@@someoneawesome8717 Follow your inner Jotaro bro. Just make sure not to have your daughter lose against the gay priest trying to go fast

@someoneawesome8717 Жыл бұрын

@@furiousdestroyah9999 I never watched JJBA but the fact I have similarities to a character is pretty cool, and I look forward to the glowing deep ocean fuckery next year

@nickeni3050 Жыл бұрын

I remember being asked what i wanted to be when I was like 4, I said a singer and they dismissed it.. I love art but because of my fear that they'll just tell me it's not a real job or that I won't make enough money from it I ended up changing my "want to be" to surgeon, nurse, gynecologist, scientist, lawyer since those sounded more practical I'm currently studying microbiology coz I felt that it sounded more complex than just studying biology, and would make them more contented Fortunately, I've started getting more in touch with my artistic side during my time in uni.. I even got myself an art mentor who teaches me the ropes every now and then when I'm not busy

@thematrixator Жыл бұрын

I love this story. While knives, guns, or other weapons may seem dangerous, Junji managed to make a hole wey more frightening that any of these. The way it manipulates you mind, it drives you insane and only when you are desperate and near to a mental breakdown, and then it sucks you in and begins slowly but constantly tear your entire body apart. It's a supernatural entity that only wants to kill the very essence of you in every possible way. And the best part, is that it's always there. Is not something you can escape from, because it's right there, in the mountain. It won't follow you. You will follow it.

@jamjar1726 Жыл бұрын

the bottomless pit has always been a terrifying prospect, for all human history.

@butterflystampede1945 Жыл бұрын

@@jamjar1726 unfortunately, it is not bottomless. The story ends with the shame of what you've become for the world to see. You might be unrecognizable, but they just need to see what was on the opposite side. This hole is life itself. It will fuck you up. Nothing to do about it. It is the shame to come. That which follows you always. You are never good enough. Life is hell, for it is horrifying.

@butterflystampede1945 Жыл бұрын

As I said above, that hole is life itself. I am afraid to enter it. Terrified of it, yet I've been in there since my first cry. We are born screaming.

@NoiseDay Жыл бұрын

Okay but can I fill it with concrete

@kadoj Жыл бұрын

@@NoiseDay no. Thats just it, you know; you can’t fill it with concrete, because there isn’t any more room for concrete, or anything else. That space is already spoken for, and already occupied. No room for concrete, because the hole is already filled….with you.

@Indian_gae_boii Жыл бұрын

When i saw the "other end of the hole" part i had to take a moment to just collect myself, the idea that the long hole would slowly but surely twist and turn until you became like that is so horrifying, your body would gradually start adjusting to whatever changes in the shape of the hole and slowly you become like that, sent shivers down my spine

@theworld8215 7 ай бұрын

i keep wondering if it hurts, seven months is a long time but not nearly enough to completely adapt to changes as drastic as those so i imagine being stretched and warped would hurt like hell but just enough not to kill you

@6maniac6metal6 Ай бұрын

What’s also is that if you do fully emerge you’ll more than likely collapse in a heap of broken bones after no longer being supported by the rock.

@smolsheriff 9 ай бұрын

Im not claustrophobic, but the character getting scared after getting stuck in the hole scared me the most that I couldnt look at the panel for too long. Something about being trapped helpless with no way back scared the heck outta me.

@olympiadeverre Жыл бұрын

“I am a broken doll and can never be fixed” That hit me straight in the heart. That was me, once.

@NoiseDay Жыл бұрын

I'm in that phase of my life right now and trying to claw myself out of it.

@Featheryfaith7 Жыл бұрын

Hmm, reminds me of Hazbin Hotel. Velvet? I see where Viv got the story from. Maybe her unconsciousness or research? I dont know. 🤔

@npc6817 Жыл бұрын

@@NoiseDay yeah, I was you once. In the video he says you can go back from the tunnel, but in actuality you have to break the the stone around you just to be able to even look back at the light on the other side, and you might be a bit warped already when you come out in the end. Still, it beats what waits for you on the other side, and it can be done. I went preatty far down, but I did make it back. It will take time before I can unwarp the parts of me that were damaged, maybe I won't manage in my lifetime, but I can live MY life now, and become who I want to be. And as broken and warped as I may be, I am happy, and I know you will be too. Keep up the good work in there, you'll get yourself out of this.

@ryanb4940 Жыл бұрын

“I’m am 14, and this is deep.”

@looniemoonie5955 Жыл бұрын

@@ryanb4940 "I am 28 and this is relatable("

@theletters9623 Жыл бұрын

I always interpreted this story as moreso being about that horrendous feeling when you're standing on top of of a tall tower or at the edge of a roaring river and your brain tells you to jump, even if you've never felt suicidal, for seemingly no reason at all. Something about "This is my hole, its made for me" makes me feel the same way that tug to oblivion always does. Forever dreadful, forever demanding. That being said the interpretation in the video kicks ass and I love it

@andrewramlall3560 Жыл бұрын

The call of the void

@SifaDukye Жыл бұрын

As someone with harm OCD, this is how I've always interpreted it. But seeing how OCD has twisted me as a person, I suppose the video's interpretation is also apt for me :')

@zOMGGaiaOnline Жыл бұрын

Ragnarox went into this actually, real cool vid aswell!

@ithinkiamlostareyoulostasw1971 Жыл бұрын

Interesting comment, so, near the manufacturer factory I work for, there's a dirty river, when the storm comes, this river grows exponencially, but the main question persist, why if there are two bridges, one old af and the other made 5 years ago, I pick the abandoned one? Well, kinda gives you that perspective of being so close to fall to that fury water, but a lot of people walks over the old abandoned bridge with metal structure too. You can also see a forest while you walk that little bridge, but the will to jump is still there, no matter how good life's going, you think, what would happen?

@robertlupa8273 Жыл бұрын

"This is my hole, it's made for me." O_O

@Ronen-808 Жыл бұрын

I love how almost every one of his stories is a different phobia. Like the fear of spirals (Uzumaki), Fear of seduction ig (Tomie) and fear of tight spaces (The enigma of something I forgor). It’s something so cool that I feel specifically targets specific people to really make them disturbed

@haqan7143 Жыл бұрын

I feel like the enigma of something is more like body dysmorphia horror, It was what scared me the most at least

@WhiteTiger950 Жыл бұрын

The Enigma of Amigara Fault.

@simpbane Жыл бұрын

I feel dissolving beauty is more fitting of fear of seduction, that's my opinion though.

@Ronen-808 Жыл бұрын

@@simpbane yeah, that sound better.

@youareanidiot7138 Жыл бұрын

@@WhiteTiger950 The Enigg-

@cracklpposu Жыл бұрын

Man, I saw this as a 10 yr old, guy narrating it, first ever manga I’ve watched and seen, was super mesmerised with the story but also scared shitless with it, went down a rabbit hole of psychological horror manga, best stuff I’ve seen, huge respect for Junji Ito and artists on the same department.

@roierandelman Жыл бұрын

bro... you good?

@irllvrpremium Жыл бұрын

lol i thought i waz the only one. forgot abt it 4 a few years, rediscovered it pretty recently

@lakshyaplayz007 Жыл бұрын

I watched it too when I was around 8 or 9 and the guy that was narrating was terror TV (I am not sure of the name as I don't remember it now)

@mcstabbins4501 Жыл бұрын

You see the artwork from PTSD Radio? That shits honestly more eerie to me

@AnzuSupremacy 8 ай бұрын

Me too

@Hodoss Жыл бұрын

I once let a friend rummage through my manga shelf, paying no mind to it. Suddenly she screams "WTF is this? Why do you have this? Are you insane?" I turn to her thinking she must have stumbled upon some raunchy scene I had forgotten about. Nope. She had started reading Tomie. She was at the "hair" part and freaking out. I justified myself saying Junji Ito is a reknown master of Horror and many have his books. She calmed down a bit but was still pretty shaken. She made me realise the impact Junji Ito can have, his work truly is disturbing.

@harpreetkaur4719 Жыл бұрын

Tomie ... was the first work i read from junji ito .... and i fell in love with it ...

@TotinosOtherBoy Жыл бұрын

Your friend is a lame fkin normie lmao

@thepurpleman119 Жыл бұрын

And then all the books clapped

@ae9581 Жыл бұрын

@@thepurpleman119 there's always that one guy...

@thepurpleman119 Жыл бұрын

@@ae9581 Ty, if I didn’t say it then nobody else would.

@lacountess Жыл бұрын

This analysis of the story is fantastic. The artist is from Japan, a country with a strict education and work force mandate that, I’ve heard, shapes its youth to become successful members of society from an early age. I can see the artist having those experiences in the back of his mind as he drew his manga.

@irene7772 Жыл бұрын

Well said

@raycearcher5794 Жыл бұрын

Also in the main guy's nightmare he sees (or imagines) that the holes were created by some paleolithic ancestor as a punishment. So society made you that hole because it hates you, and you owe it to society to enter the hole because you DESERVE it. People want to go into the holes but none of them are HAPPY to, even the frenetic first man we see go in looks harried and driven, not excited. And though you might want to just relax and be a young person (the campers) and pursue happiness and fulfillment (when he hooks up with the other visitor) in the end, you OWE IT TO YOUR ANCESTORS to go in the hole and become... unrecognizable. Crushed. Mindless. Spent.

@armorclasshero2103 Жыл бұрын

That's the ideal anyway, nevermind that few actually achieve it. It's pretty bad. Mental illness, abuse, etc.

@anti-sjwandsjwannoysme6603 Жыл бұрын

"The Artist is from japan, a country with a strict education and work force mandate". Youre talking like its only in Japan. Thats what we call CAPITALISM brother. Many countries are Capitalism. Groom kids to function like a robot for the system without questions. Exploiting people till death. Work work work and doesnt get the benefits that they deserve.

@Cheezbuckets Жыл бұрын

Many of Ito’s stories are known to be direct criticisms of Japanese culture from the pressure for quiet conformity at cost to your individual identity to Gyo’s very pointed call-out of Japan’s “science” developed during WW2.

@CadetRedShirt Жыл бұрын

I feel like a key wording (in english anyway) was each of them saying “it IS me, it’s shaped just like me, this is MY hole” etc. the concept of self is so strong here, it’s almost unnerving that these younger folks have that strong of a sense of self at their age… and i feel like a lot of that plays into the horror of the story also: To be so sure (and so compulsive) at the early to mid 20s age, and to have yourself mangled by the one decision to slide into the unknown. But as someone with body dysmorphia it definitely terrified me to see these people so sure of themselves become mangled and twisted to the point of unrecognizable. I’d also be curious to see what the id ego and superego in such a story would be, I’m not as prolific of a writer to be able to do the deep dive in as cohesive a way as Tale Foundry

@tonysparda9281 Жыл бұрын

Now I think about it "it is ME, it's my hole" and the story, and the video, screams so loudly about "individuality". This endless pursuit of "being yourself" and ignoring everything around you. The illusion of having found a truly unique and unique path, and this path is only yours......

@Buphido 11 ай бұрын

Interestingly and unintuitively, the more you explained the metaphor behind the mold, the less it disturbed me. Because I realised that I already broke out of my mold. I do computer science, but I also do mixed martial arts. I love science, but consider myself a feeler. I like pretty things, but I love go-karting. I used to disallow myself from feeling what I wanted to feel, but no longer.

@chemistrycoston8249 8 ай бұрын

I get that, I'm punk who also likes love joy and mcyts an author who reads classics, a comic book video game and ttrpg nerd whos plan career wise comes second to the people I want around me, my hobbies free time and pets when I envision my adult life

@Pancakeloverr 7 ай бұрын

Same, it disturbed me a lot more before all of it got explained

@bunnybird9342 6 ай бұрын

Tbh I'm more disturbed by all of the in-depth analyses than the actual story itself.

@Strideo1 Жыл бұрын

One thing I always wondered about this story: what happens when the twisted people come out? Are they monsters now? Will they just flop onto the ground in a groaning heap? Like, they're clearly still alive impossible as it would seem so... what ARE they?

@Delcat42 Жыл бұрын

Human. Isn't it so perfectly awful?

@conq1273 Жыл бұрын

@@Delcat42 yes

@hysterical5408 Жыл бұрын

I don't think they're alive. Even if they are they should probably be on the cusp of death given how much time it takes to get from one side to the other (I imagine anyway). I think if they come out, they'll just die from the impact of hitting the ground.

@Delcat42 Жыл бұрын

@@hysterical5408 I think this is the best case scenario and it is now my teddy bear for when I imagine *that* coming up the stairs to my bedroom, thank you good soul 🙏

@Axe-wieldingFox Жыл бұрын

the one question I have is pretty similar too, how did they move forward if they couldnt move back

@triggywinkle Жыл бұрын

This story was the first story i read from Junji Ito. He's so good at visualising feelings that every has experienced but is never able to put into words.

@KoderKat Жыл бұрын

This was weirdly inspiring for such a terrifying story

@kelthuzad7 Жыл бұрын

That was the first story I read from Junji Ito before I fell into the rabbit hole of his mysterious and disturbing stories. That might also be that one story I could never forget from him. But weirdly enough, I discovered this story from a Markiplier video where he referenced a human shaped hole in one of his endings from "A Heist with Markiplier". Junji Ito is truly a chilling experience. How can a human being think about such disturbing possibilities?

@judabug3235 10 ай бұрын

I just found this story from that same video!

@brianpj5860 Жыл бұрын

Ive read a bunch of his work, but Id say the most unnerving Junji Ito story, for me, is the one about that guy with a time-dilating dreaming illness. Where every-time he goes to sleep he will progressively experience a longer and longer period of time within his dreams. To the point where the time he experiences in a dream lengthen past his actual lifetime, and he starts losing his mind and crumbles away. Which to me is such a uncomfortable concept of dreams overlapping reality to the point where you cant tell which is the dream and what is reality.

@harpreetkaur4719 Жыл бұрын

What is the title of the story ???

@brianpj5860 Жыл бұрын

@@harpreetkaur4719 i believe its called “Long Dream”

@siaskies1704 Жыл бұрын

Long Dream is the one that truly filled me with fear. I couldn't sleep after I first read it.

@TomEllisLovesU Жыл бұрын

Long Dream was my first Junji Ito! Hard to forget it, especially when you have no idea what you're getting into

@dolphinswilltakeover Жыл бұрын

If I’m eating good, I would not care, it is what it is

@JanusKastin Жыл бұрын

I had a similar reading of the story. Most of the people in the story found their holes and decided willingly, even happily, to climb inside. If you asked them why they'd want to, what's so great about these holes, I doubt they'd give you an intelligible answer, but it's a moot point because no one actually DOES question it. What disturbed me most about th he story is how the deuteragonists are both anxious and afraid of entering their holes, and so they both decide okay, we just won't go. And then in the middle of the night... they go in anyhow. We never find out why.

@mrtiredeyes Жыл бұрын

Perhaps an analogy to how even the stronger people who don't approve of following the masses come to a point where they understand it's the only thing really left to do in order to follow societal expectations? Like having a job even if you shouldn't have it because everyone needs a home and food and you can't just live without the money tied to it. Either that or some supernatural shit lol, I'm still convinced this whole story is about how deadly societal expectations can be and seems very clear when I view it through that lens

@mrtiredeyes Жыл бұрын

@turtleanton6539 Жыл бұрын

Peer pressure

@insertname1841 Жыл бұрын

@@mrtiredeyes But how does one live without a job or money?

@cllncl Жыл бұрын

@@insertname1841 Exactly - you don't. Hence why they still went. There was no other way.

@honeycrispsnail4032 Жыл бұрын

I read this when I was 12, I found it at a mobile library that visited the reservation I lived on once a month since we were really isolated and had no good access to books. I don’t even remember how I chose the book, I just remember reading it. I didn’t know what story it was but it completely stuck in my mind for years until I was 17. Then I found more junji ito books online, and I thought it looked so familiar. It was like a fever dream to realize that he was the author of a story that completely terrified me when I was a preteen, one that I kept in the back of my mind until adulthood.

@StalwartTirith Жыл бұрын

I've said it before, but what I love about Junji Ito is that his horror is wide-scale. This isn't something affecting only a single family while the world goes on as normal; it represents a horror that ends life for that setting as they knew it.

@hochebriones2 Жыл бұрын

For me, the most disturbing aspect of Junji Ito's stories was the fact that i have no idea of the where and why he got his stories from. It's the dark unknown that's the most horrifying for me. Revealing it as a mere metaphor in real life takes much of the fear away.

@nathanielrodriguez1873 Жыл бұрын

That’s why I prefer to take Ito’s stories at face value at the most part. His stories are never character driven, and the protagonists aren’t developed. In most of his stories, the characters don’t suffer because they made a mistake or lapse in moral judgment. They usually just end up in this horrifying situation that will destroy them with no recourse or reason.

@fluffyphoenix8082 Жыл бұрын

@@nathanielrodriguez1873 it's quite like Japanese folklore in that regard. In some other folklore, people get cursed or attacked by angry supernatural forces for doing something wrong. In much Japanese folklore? Bad things just happen. It is no fault of the characters or their family or anything. It just... happens. It's honestly more terrifying to me that way.

@luclin92 Жыл бұрын

We do know he get a lot of it from his own fears and other things he have seen or heard.

@silvercandra4275 Жыл бұрын

@@fluffyphoenix8082 And most of the time, no matter what they do, they're pretty much dead the second they encounter some entitiy... There are tricks that can get them out of it, but a lot of the time, it's just an either or, and both options lead to death.

@EdricLysharae Жыл бұрын

Ever read *Uzumaki* ?

@ValeraMoth Жыл бұрын

Huh, i actually never thought about it, and it’s such a shame! This “hole”/“path” is a thing that followed me all the way from times when i was 7, when i was trying to shape my identity into something I would’ve actually love, thinking i would be happy.

@lynsimations6157 Жыл бұрын

This is a nice perspective on this story. The story also makes me think of OCD, how I always feel the need to overthink and break myself down, because it feels right to do. Like the feelings of self hatred and giving up are too hard to resist, and that if I keep going with it, I’ll become an empty shell with a life not truly lived. But I can always walk away

@jimena7450 Жыл бұрын

goddamn, that "I'm a broken doll and I'll never be fixed" got to me. I know it's about the character but I realized how many times I've said something similar about myself....this is a bit of a wake up call

@tdrendru2230 Жыл бұрын

When it showed the warped human shapes, knowing that transformation is what awaited all those unknowing poor souls who entered their holes, I literally felt the fear squirming in me for a moment.

@dumbdannia6326 Жыл бұрын

That moment made me literally pause the video for some good minutes, minutes that felt horrible

@perejilseven1769 Жыл бұрын

When I read it I felt the cold breeze she talks about when she was in the hole, that feeling didn't disappear after some days and I'm from a tropical country

@DarthLobitou Жыл бұрын

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Me, age 10: I want to be a writer. My mom, my uncles, my teachers, pretty much every single adult in my life at that point except for one: But how are you going to make money? My grandmother: Go for it. Here's a pen, here's a notebook, we'll go get some more books on the weekend. Twenty-five years later, I've yet to realize that dream outside the odd magazine publication, anthology colaboration, and a live literary broadcast project we've been building up for some time now, but thanks to that one push from that one person, though I have to work a job I don't much care for, at least I didn't throw my dream away and forgot about it completely. It's still there, periodically being woken up whenever inspiration or a chance to dust it off hit, which is more than many of my friends from back then who also wanted to be something else can say. Grandma isn't here anymore, I didn't get a chance to show her how much her encouragement meant, but someday I'm still hoping she'll look down from wherever and approve.

@anikbiswas4447 Жыл бұрын

What's your name?

@seraphywang4638 Жыл бұрын

Go for it! I wish you good luck in your endeavors!

@huynhvuongviet2410 Жыл бұрын

Your grandmother was based.

@deadlyninja112 Жыл бұрын

Gotta love grandma ❗️🙏🏽 my condolences

@AG-en5y Жыл бұрын

Should’ve dreamt to become a doctor bro

@phila9288 Жыл бұрын

I think it is reallt eerie how compelled I was to go out and buy this story once I heard everyone talking about it. It is like it was meant for me

@strawberryc3kee Жыл бұрын

Junji ito is my favorite manga artist, because his stories have deep meanings and they grasp the concept of our thoughts and the way most of us live,or think. He makes us realize that people really don't seem to be what they appear. And most of his stories has some sort of creatures,which are really just people who could not devine what they truly are. The concept of being judged,looked down on, bullied,lied to and even more is truly disgusting. But my point is his stories seem relatable and have a meaning. I call this the fruit of the eye. I don't know why I decided on that name,but it suits it bests. I can't find the words to explain it,but just reading it explains it all.. thanks for reading this if you made it this far.

@cookieskoon2028 Жыл бұрын

Your analogy about childhood brought up an experience I had with that question as a child. When adults would ask me what I wanted to be, my answer was always "I don't know." I even remember a teacher being angry at me for this. Yes, angry. My mother found it concerning since, when I was 8, I told her I could not imagine a future for myself. Though I did not put it as eloquently of course. Today I am an independent artist. I work on commissions and Patreon, etc. Primarily I work within the furry fandom. I have had and quit many normie joe-jobs and hated all of them with a passion. I had more money, but did not even want to bother waking up. Creating is the only thing that makes me feel happy and fulfilled. Nothing society wants of me ever fit me or suited my soul. Sadly, I am not very well off since our society is not built for humans, it is built for profits. I wonder if other artists, musicians and authors had a similar experience with that question as children.

@tishie42 Жыл бұрын

I was literally thinking about this yesterday. I never had a solid dream or goal as a child. It would change with the day. I never understood people when they would say things such as, "I always knew I wanted to be a doctor / teacher" or whatever. I knew I wanted animals. I knew I liked beauty. I couldn't draw very well. But I CAN groom dogs and (some) cats to whatever their behavior, fur and our imagination will allow. And it's a lucrative career. I'm miserable doing anything else. But that title ever crossed my mind as a child. Veterinarian, vet tech, farrier even once upon a time. But once I found grooming, I was done. 💚I wish I was younger when I had found it but all the other jobs showed me exactly what I DON'T WANT.

@cookieskoon2028 Жыл бұрын

@@tishie42 I am happy for you! Your passion lined up with something that makes good money reliably too. :)

@skorqion_art Жыл бұрын

I wanted to be a vet throughout my whole teenage years but my grades were too bad and my adhd made studying hard. Now I am trying to become a game artist and even if that doesn't work out, I'll always stay an artist first, It's my passion.

@Grizabeebles Жыл бұрын

I remember reading in a college psychology class about how mental illnesses like bipolar disorder seemed to "produce" so many professional creatives. The truth is that having a mental illness made it difficult to find and maintain conventional work and personal relationships. Art and creative work is irregular enough that people who "don't fit" in a regular work environment have at least *a chance* of supporting themselves. That's part of the reason why there are so many agents, producers, "talent scouts" and grifters out there claiming to provide a connection to the "wider industry" for a percentage.

@tuukkamatikainen3389 Жыл бұрын

As a kid I already had some ideas of what I wanted to be, but through the years... I have lost that. I don't know what I'll study, where I'll go or what I'll do. It's comforting, but terrifying. If I don't know what I'll do in the future, will I even do anything when the time comes? I know almost no one has a clue what they're supposed to be, but I still feel like an idiot. An outcast. The guy who has no passions, plans or dreams. All I can do is hope I find something interesting, if there even is a job for it. After all, no one can live off math homework and videogames. Rant over lol

@Nauta_ Жыл бұрын

Ito Junji is a genius. He has a talent for grabbing and pulling out the most disturbing human fears, and visualizing it into a story, with a well suiting drawing style.

@GokeyGamer 8 ай бұрын

I saw this video pop up in my recommended several times, and even put it in my watch later playlist, but this time I decided to watch it. And I'm so glad I did. The amount of relatability I have now that I wouldn't have if I watched the video immediately is wild. As somebody still trying to find their place in the world and their sense of self, or "hole", this really resonated with me, and I'll be thinking about this for quite a while. Thanks so much for making this!!

@mei-hehe Жыл бұрын

the thing about junji ito's work is that his work is not really 'horror'. i will never call his work 'horror'. his work is 'disturbing'. my first manga was tomie, because it was kinda like a trend. moreover, my friend recommended it to me. i thought that damn tomie is a badass character. but then i started reading his other mangas. my whole perspective towards his work changed. first i thought that his work is horror but it not really horror, it is something really messed up. he makes us feel like such accidents are happening to us in real life. which makes his work even more creepy.

@purpleguy319 11 ай бұрын

So, what is horror?

@MrClickity 10 ай бұрын

I would definitely call it horror. Horror isn't extreme fear in an of itself, though fear is definitely part of it. Horror is more a sense of profound wrongness. The feeling that whatever is happening right now, simply shouldn't be.

@machin8593 9 ай бұрын

I understand where you're coming from but it's disturbing because it's horrific in a way that's more subtle than what we think about when we mention "horror" as a genre. So it's horror, just a different kind of horror

@assiaelkhayate-sl8hu 9 ай бұрын

It's called psychological horror.

@areejps 8 ай бұрын

Yes exactly, his works make me confused and shock, they disturb my life and my vision to life, my vision to reality and everything around me.. Not necessarly made me panic.. But it is like i am entering a new phase of awakening in my life

@MysticMorigan1998 Жыл бұрын

I was NOT prepared for the analization that this is a metaphor for childhood molds. I have always loved animals, biology is my favorite subject and I'd love to have a positive impact on the world. Growing up I always said I wanted to be a vet. My family ran with that, because it makes a lot of money. Older realitives still ask me about it, and I've been out of high-school for over 5 years, and I had learned in high-school that I didn't want to go through that. The schooling, the hard decisions to make with a creatures life, the fact that you have to put down animals and euthanize them. They so desperately want me to fit their mold. Be more feminine. Get a better job. Lose weight. Get a tan. Make more money. Get this job. Be pretty in the way we want you to be pretty. This video was haunting for me. I felt my chest get tight. They so desperately want me to fit their mold of what they want me to be, and they don't really care about how it mangles me. My whole life it's been a up hill battle and fight to simply be myself and do things I enjoy and want to do. My grandmother has given me a complex about cutting my hair, as each time as a child I'd come home with a trim and she'd whine "ohhhh! You cut your hair! Mawmaw wishes you hadn't!"

@raym3239 Жыл бұрын

You be your individual self. In this modern day it's hard to not fall in line with the views and desires of our peers, because it's just... easier to do that. But to be who YOU want to be, to be the person YOU want to be, takes a lot of will and courage, because people will always criticize you for it. You can't make everyone happy, but in the end, it's your life and you should pursue what makes you happy, not what makes others happy because they said so. Define who you are, and love yourself and seek happiness. These aren't simple steps for many, for sure. But they're worth pursuing.

@carlosadamsgaming490 Жыл бұрын

Who knew the real monster all along was capitalism

@aquamass786 Жыл бұрын

OH..

@solomonkane8136 Жыл бұрын

The same reason I wanted to and then didn't become a vet.

@GrimmAdventuress Жыл бұрын

This hit me in the gut. Because your entire first paragraph is literally ME. From 2nd grade I’ve said I wanted to be a vet. By 10th grade id realized school was too stressful for me. Having to do surgery or put down a pet would be even more stressful. I decided against it. 11th grade, i showed interest in doing my hair. My mom wanted to be a cosmetologist but never pursued her dream. I graduated high-school at 16. She told me i wasn’t allowed to go to college… she had no issue putting me in cosmetology school though. I didn’t even get to choose the school. I was left money to do what i wanted with…. I had to use that money to pay for schooling that i didn’t want. Now my mom will make comments like “why did I send you to cosmetology school if you won’t even do my hair.” I literally just hate my life

@willhibbard6903 Жыл бұрын

*Me seeing video*: “Neat! A perfect listen while I do chores” *Proceeds to get slapped with a call out of existential proportions*

@alexdelosreyes8362 Жыл бұрын

Oh man. This was my first junji ito story. As much as I love his work, none of them creeped me out as much as this. Great video!

@randomstuff14688 Жыл бұрын

Looks like we both went straight for the deep end lmao

@TheMrrccava Жыл бұрын

I adore how everyone has a different most disturbing story from Ito

@TheRandomYoYo Жыл бұрын

The commentary on predetermination is also what gets me. Since there is a hole shaped like a kid it's safe to assume that the whole also predicts exactly when you will go inside of it. As kids can grow half a centimeter in some days. So the whole perfectly predicted when you will come to see it, and when exactly you will be undeniably compulsed to enter in.

@andrewramlall3560 Жыл бұрын

That just struck another chord of horror inside me. If you have a hole, you *WILL* go in it.

@misty8265 Жыл бұрын

This is a fascinating take. I’d like to just make space and acknowledge that adults come in all sizes too. Especially considering how certain disabilities effect growth.

@BlueDreamBeats97 Жыл бұрын

Breaking down manga storylines too???? This is OFFICIALLY my most favorite channel ever. Thank you guys, everyone that works on these. I cannot express how much I appreciate the content and this community. Thank you so much 🙏🏼

@bruhmomentos6548 Жыл бұрын

this was the story that caused me to buy all his books and as much junji stuff as possible, i came across it one day while at an overnight shift as a carer on a digital manga site, idk what site it was but im grateful, this story was and still is amazing and is a very strong story to start on for the junjiverse.

@amauridesenamotta8927 Жыл бұрын

11:56 the way he said ''the transformation'' sent shivers down my spine, just like the entire story.

@Chrisack593 Жыл бұрын

I love coming to these videos and getting genuinely good writing and personal advice. I find myself writing not for the love of it but for money and it's been killing my mood. It wasn't until I saw this video that I could put something like that into words. I was trapped in my own little enclosure that was shaping me and I didn't even know it.

@marlutteyestrelt3441 Жыл бұрын

The Enigma is something I always interpreted as the Grottos or Tunnels of Time, and how the entropy of life mutates, deforms and twists humans with experience that overwhelms them greatly. Where the evolution is discomforting and grotesque through the grottos of time.

@Mariue8553 Жыл бұрын

somehow this feels like a metaphor for depression. shutting yourself off and coming out of it, you're no longer like who you were before

@zeejacks8220 Жыл бұрын

discovering this story and reading it online in sixth grade was my first introduction to junji itos existence and it truly affected me sm back then, i love it. its also shamefully the only junji ito work ive actually read in full

@X3n0nLP Жыл бұрын

This... was one of the most comforting videos I have ever watched... I did let the fault decide what my hole was once... then I stepped back out seeing that it wasn't going to be me on the other side... only to step right into another hole the fault had chosen for me... after stepping out the second time I decided to really look at myself an then the exit holes. It was those that I should define my way with and I am now traveling through the hole I chose for myself. I may be shaped to fit into a mold, but a mold I chose knowing that I could be me still. And now I don't feel like I have to be ashamed of how long it took me... that I never knew who I was, because you're right. You are not, you become. Ever and always. And if you're lucky you become something that makes you happy.

@GonzPaoli Жыл бұрын

Nicely put!

@LeifMaelstrom Жыл бұрын

You will suffer. But the beauty of consciousness is that you may choose your suffering and the purpose of that suffering. Very proud of you. Good job.

@raineyartwork Жыл бұрын

I would love to buy his manga for Christmas. The Spiral, Tomie, The Enigma, etc. His artwork and other horror artists inspire me to want to draw horror too. Psychological and body horror is my thing.

@lainiwakura1776 Жыл бұрын

It's just Spiral, there's more than one spiral, and it's the Enigma of Amigara Fault.

@prof.laytonfan764 Жыл бұрын

Uzumaki aka Spiral is my personal favorite, right next to this one. I’m so glad its getting an anime adaption.

@hywel8235 Жыл бұрын

@@prof.laytonfan764 I've been so excited since it was announced. I can only hope they include the most iconic scene with the spiral girl. Since some adaptions left it out

@uchihasenpai5671 Жыл бұрын

just read online. why waste money on buying manga when you can read for free?

@Z4KK Жыл бұрын

if you buy the gyo hardcover edition it comes with the enigma of amigara fault in it as a side story

@isazurairi8751 Жыл бұрын

This is also the first Junji Ito story I read and it still remains one of my favorites. Your channel has such a unique aesthetic and this video has really changed my perspective about things. I'm clicking the subscribe button. This was really good and I thank the KZfaq algorithm for bringing me this video

@veemaxine5257 Жыл бұрын

This was so incredibly well done, and writing and analyzing aside- I needed to hear every bit of this, now, as a person, as a mother, as a being who's stuck. I love his stories, Spiral is the first one I ever read and his horror absolutely captivated me. The message you've pulled from this just added a whole new layer and has planted a whole seed in my mind. Thank you for your incredible work 💜

@Tarnished-bn5gq Жыл бұрын

This story encapsulates everything that’s so terrifying about the body horror subgenre, as well as the idea of the death of one’s humanity and identity in general. It also is a masterclass in the existential horror subgenre.

@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043 Жыл бұрын

this, you put it the best way, ever since i finished the first season of the anime "Made in abyss" ive though of the fact that for me, one of the biggest fears, one that creeps me up not in night only but also in day is fearing loosing your humanity, im still not quite sure why, theres obvious reasons but i feel like theres more to it than the combination of the reasons i think theres something so interesting about fearing loosing your humanity that makes me so terrified, more than death itself really, its just soo terrifyig seeing what a person used to be, to then see what they stopped being

@Tarnished-bn5gq Жыл бұрын

@@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043 the more disturbing aspect is how the viewer is tasked with determining when humanity ends and the other creature’s existence begins.

@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043 Жыл бұрын

@@Tarnished-bn5gq that is disturbing, the transformation itself, youre defenely right, but i still think its more disturbing to think about the concept of loosing your humanity itself so like the broader concept but you are very right in that the transformation itself is important and where one thing starts and the other ends is sometimes dificult to really know and understand defenetly a very underated topic which more horror should use and for us to understand it more

@Tarnished-bn5gq Жыл бұрын

@@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043 I don’t think it’s very hard to determine when identity death occurs, as it visibly happens when the front head/brain does. However you’re right about how the very concept of such a scenario makes body horror so disturbing.

@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043 Жыл бұрын

@@Tarnished-bn5gq i mean, fisically yeah, its easy, but sort of "philosofically" or from the perspective of the person who goes through that process its diferent, because as this video implies, when does anyone stop being who they are and more importantly: who are we? what determines who we are?our identity... and individuality...? the concept of "i" also, in real life people havent quite "lost" their humanity, but they have been robed of some of it, especially people who went through "lobotomy" the worse surgery in history

@nadaespecial4198 Жыл бұрын

This was my first Junji Ito Manga, and I simply couldn't had a better introduction into Junji Ito's work

@Sorrowdusk Жыл бұрын

It was also my first story by him. I personally loved Black Bird and A Town Without Streets. I also enjoyed Travelogue of a Succubus.

@randomstuff14688 Жыл бұрын

Same, just read it today which is why I'm here! Can't wait to get into the others!

@HashbrownMashup Ай бұрын

Alternate moral: Sometimes the only way out is through, no matter how twisted it makes you.

@summerwinter89 Ай бұрын

exactly. a lot of people lack purpose. they mask their pain with drugs.

@user-ye6zh9kg7n 5 ай бұрын

This story for me too has been the most disturbing and spine chilling from Junji Ito, it truly shocked me as a teenager many years ago.

@bubblegum1366 Жыл бұрын

This was the first of his short stories I read after reading Uzumaki, and it TRAUMATIZED me for years. It took me 10 years to reread it, even as he quickly became one of my favorite authors. I would always have to skip or avoid this one story.

@conq1273 Жыл бұрын

I still hate the Jack In the Box chapter of Uzumaki

@emptyallen3334 Жыл бұрын

Is there something wrong with me? I just laughed at the disfigured bodies.. ;-;

@conq1273 Жыл бұрын

@@emptyallen3334 is a fine reaction. The line between fear and funny is very thin

@EyeConic12 Жыл бұрын

I used to be deathly afraid of this story. It messed with me when I was younger. Junji Ito in general, I had the opportunity to read Gyo book form and this story was at the end. I reread it, the metaphor of compulsion speaks to me.

@spiderz5145 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for covering this, my whole life so far has been about self discovery, and this helped.

@rebelsnowflake15 Жыл бұрын

The horror of compulsion and body horror are my two favorite flavors of horror, so I absolutely love Junji Ito

@crowspirit5154 Жыл бұрын

i read this manga waaay way too young. im not ready to revisit it, honestly just thinking about it makes me feel genuinely nauseous. but its still a masterpiece of storytelling that it created that effect in the first place. i already had a fear of tight spaces, tunnels especially, and this was the perfect cocktail to get under my skin. a very well crafted story. i think its about a loss of control - once you've been broken down enough, a fixation that has presented itself to you will seem like a fantastic idea, no matter what it is, it transcends logic. it's your hole - it was made for you. so you step in, and immediately the consequences are ahead of you. there is no choice except to go forward to meet them.

@cthulhucy Жыл бұрын

This isn't going to be something a lot of you can relate to, but I vividly remember reading the Fault as a teenager and relating it to my experience going through puberty. Due to a defect, my testosterone was too high in puberty, and so for me it was like hell. I came out of it infertile, tall, wide, my voice was all messed up, I had hair on my face. I felt like I was dying. It took years to fix my body afterwards, and there's a lot I can't fix, ever, no matter what I do. For me, the Fault is about how puberty destroyed my body, and the horror of being unable to run from what it turned me into.

@nimluikham11 Жыл бұрын

This was an amazing take on the story! Made me think of how we do get twisted into unrecognisable forms if we don't think and mold our thoughts on a conscious level.

@calebdiamond3450 Жыл бұрын

I'm glad to see this video as early as of now. This was relatable, it has helped me think of who I am and prepare for the later adolescence in life. Its scary for how close that time for being an adult is.

@ScorbunGame Жыл бұрын

The path already traveled might be safe, but is it fulfilling? Does it really let you be your best self? Does it let you truly live? My answer is no, no it doesn't. Amarga Fault will always be horrific to me not because of the human extrusion mold but because it's so unapologetic about showing the horror of being trapped on a path you never wanted to be on. It's too easy to throw away your passions, throw away your humanity, to take the safe path, that's what the world expects from you after all. People let themselves be molded into husks of themselves out of fear, too scared of the future to pursue what they truly care about. It takes a tremendous amount of strength to resist the holes but giving into them will only lead to a shallow, sad, hollow life where you've sacrificed yourself to be in society's rigged system.

@KindredKeepsake Жыл бұрын

+Hop the Scorbunny That was brilliant. O.O

@seraphywang4638 Жыл бұрын

Brilliantly articulated

@anceptus Жыл бұрын

This sums up my experience with gender dysphoria with an eerie exactitude. Living to painfully fit inside a hole that its mysterious safety appeals to you, made _specifically_ for you, tailored to the uncanny similarity of your silhouette, the well-known path to adulthood - where you will also be painfully warped into a shape you would barely even be able to recognize yourself in. I feel this dissonant disconnection every time I look at old pictures of me, and this somehow nails to describe this familiar feeling. To stay in this claustrophobic hole is to lose authenticity, to throw away any other possibility of what you could've become, to abandon passions and everything that is really meaningful in order to fit a hole made "for you" by others who have no idea of who you actually are. To carve your own figure is to be familiarized with the scary dark side of the moon, with the unknown territory of self, and this beautiful venture is worth every painful step taken. If you managed to reach this far, thank you for reading, I appreciate your attention, and have a nice day.

@Spritzkrieg Жыл бұрын

Society and rules have their purpose, though. I'd be a hypocrite to suggest that trying to "be yourself" is a bad or wrong way of going about - I naturally lean a lot closer toward my own interests than anyone else's. But I think society and peer review are just as important - and just as dangerous in excess - as individuality and true freedom. To add my personal testimony to it, I think I'd be a conventionally better person if I let peer pressure and fear do their magic.

@Spritzkrieg Жыл бұрын

@@pomelo9518 What is?

@4shotpastas Жыл бұрын

Junji Ito is a really interesting guy, I'd love to meet him.

@LillethTheRabbit Жыл бұрын

really well-done and thoughtful video! i definitely never would have thought of it that way. unfortunately, whenever i'm confronted with this story, my thoughts sort of begin and end with "just don't go in the hole? who cares if it was made for you. just don't go in there. just Don't. walk away and do not approach the hole." so it ends up being very difficult for me to really understand why other people find it scary. this helps me understand! i remember a friend of mine a long time ago also compared the holes to addiction.

@ThatAlleyRat Жыл бұрын

I can foggily remember reading this years ago as a kid, I don't remember how or exactly when, early internet days for sure. I guess it was a stumble in the night while trying to spook myself. I rediscovered it recently and it was so odd, the imagery felt like a dream my brain had made up manifesting into reality. I was finally able to dive into this dude's works and dig into the beautiful horror. This is my favorite due to that rare fever dream moment, he is such a fantastic artist.

@birb180 Жыл бұрын

Junji Ito never disappoints

@handsomejack4125 Жыл бұрын

This story made me a Junji Ito fan. I was horrified by it, and absolutely love it. Junji Ito makes such horrifying environments and sets and I'm living for it.

@vanspacerobot87 Жыл бұрын

This video was very timely, since I was feeling trapped about something recently. I love watching horror because sometimes there's a deeper side to it and it's very inspirational. Love your approach on this, thank you!

@thewisebanana29 Жыл бұрын

His short story about the long night is relatable to me as sometimes, outside of my control, I have dreams spanning days, weeks, months and even years. They’re not terribly common but nevertheless the confusion from the detachment is always there.

@ItsLoHere Жыл бұрын

This reminds me of the concept of Neti Neti, which in Sanskrit means “not this, nor that”. It’s used as a meditation focus to help people understand that the true self is beyond concepts like profession, personality, role in society, etc. It’s hard to condense it all here but meditating on the idea does help unravel the conditioning that things we perceive to be identity are predetermined or templated. HealthyGamerGG talks about the concept better than I ever could in “Why do I get so mad when others are wrong”. I watched that video yesterday and now watching this and feeling the horrors of how we accept external influences to define us is definitely an experience.

@TheTaleFoundry Жыл бұрын

Love me some Dr. K. :) -Benji, showrunner

@BaobhanloreArt Жыл бұрын

My first Junji Ito work was Gyo, and though I do really appreciate the story, I couldn't help but finding myself preferring TEOAF, which came as a bonus in the hardback copy. Usually I don't recognise the stories spoken about on this channel, and just like to hear someone passionately speaking about art and philosophy, but it was a pleasant surprise to see the thumbnail and instantly know where it was from.

@TheArmyofHades Ай бұрын

You spoke to my heart. My entire life i have spent trying to figure out how to tell others who i am and what i do....and that cannot be easily answered. I am a nerd, but i also like working out, i like going to clubs and partying and also like tabletop games and also like street racing and i hang out with people of many different backgrounds, i am just an enjoyer of life thats it. And that is very hard for some people to grasp because you break the mold.

@Coychef Жыл бұрын

This idea is something in my self I struggled with thanks for your interpretation of this story kind is haunting but it is definitely food for thought

@YachiruALEPH Жыл бұрын

Enigma is by far my favorite of Ito's works because you can interpret it in so many ways and it would all make sense. The story can be a direct interpretation of the "Call of the Void", it can also be interpreted as a social commentary on "wanting to conform to everyone else and losing yourself because of it", it can also be a commentary on "drug addiction and how an irrational addiction to something may lead to drastic and disastrous changes to oneself", there's also a religious undertone of "humans are all devoid of free will and inevitably fall under the false sense of security that they are in control when metaphysical forces are the ones pulling the strings", and many more. There's even the moral implication of "predetermination", wherein something else has already predetermined a child's future since birth, and they become distorted and shackled because of it, unable to escape. The concept of "losing oneself" to become a mere cog in the never ending machine. Ito blends all those things seamlessly it appears. And that's why his brand of horror is so striking and compelling, but most importantly, *HORRIFYING*

@thebeetleball Жыл бұрын

this story is also something that really disturbed me as someone with ocd. I'm not saying that was the intent of the story, but the compulsive aspect just reminded me so much of the fears my intrusive thoughts have instilled in me, the paranoia that I could "give into them" and be some kind of monster

@cocokhan5794 Жыл бұрын

I love your interpretation of the story and even though I haven't read a bunch of Juji Ito's works I have time say this one is probably one of the most unsettling but also the most compelling, to me it feels like the horror of giving up your free will. you choose or let society and the world choose who want to be. But who exactly are we to choose and why does it matter. We make our own lives carve out our place instead of letting ourselves fall into an unknown mold that will transform us in ways we could have never conceived in the first place. Great video.

@tomikoo.7645 Жыл бұрын

Ive watched a bunch of his stories, im not a teenager yet but i freaking love his stories. He has amazing plots and the most nightmare-inducing stories. Im obsessed

@jarl-b_1124 Жыл бұрын

There was an Easter egg of this in one of the endings of ”Heist with Markiplier”. I had never heard of The Enigma before, and I was instantly captivated by the idea

@dakotaalexander Жыл бұрын

I love this video! I would've never drawn this from the original short manga, and I am glad I get to see a variety of perspectives on Ito's (as well as many others) work! All your videos are excellent too, btw...

@jeremiahnji6 Жыл бұрын

Brilliant explanation. Amazing how much meaning is in so few panels.

@rhydsnow851 Жыл бұрын

I love the idea that we can get out of the mass-produced expectations people have for us. "Be yourself" is such a common phrase, but I've never heard it put like the way you put it before. Cheers!

@markbrooks8623 Жыл бұрын

Much of Junji Ito's work is centered around things that are particularly frightening in a Japanese cultural context. This story is actually a commentary on the collectivist nature of Japanese society, a collectivism that even many Japanese find stifling. Yet the group pressure forces people to fit into the molds that Japanese society permits. To refuse to conform is to be excluded.

@chibibble Жыл бұрын

It’s fascinating to hear this interpretation. I had always been a little jealous of people whom I thought knew what they wanted to do from a young age. I usually get bored of whatever field of interest I explore rather quickly, usually somewhere around 4-8 years. Music, building, art, writing, video games, sewing, fashion, etc., no matter what I will eventually stop enjoying it and move on to something new. It’s always been a source of frustration for me, and makes me seriously worry about my future and whether I would be able to hold a stable job for more than 3 years. But listening to this reminds me that honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. The knowledge that I acquire during those brief stints of interest often help me with future interests, especially writing (that and art are the two interests that haven’t left, although they have diminished somewhat). I can take the knowledge I’ve accumulated and put it into my writing so that I may create unique and fascinating stories, if not simply more realistic ones. Thank you for the encouragement, Tale Foundry. I will continue to strive toward improvement and keep learning so I may expand my stories even further.

@nix3578 4 ай бұрын

beautiful video, it was eye opening in every way possible, thank you

@BoiFluffyFurry21 Жыл бұрын

Thanks alot Tale Foundry for this analysis of the story. I find this story surprisingly horrifying because, I personally don't want to live my life feeling like a trap and I'm slowly wasting my time away. I remember when I was young I was, I frequently asked questions on who I want to be from my relatives. All I ever said to them is "I don't know yet" and I feel very pressured to fit a certain role for the sake of getting role. It feels tempting to quickly find a role at a young age, and put your whole Identity based on the mold of other peoples expectations. Its the same as them in the present, asking me why I'm not interested in having a family in future even if I'm still in Senior High. I already gave them the answer based on my personal opinion, capabilities and happiness. Yet they still make feel like I need to fit the mold they wanted me to be, by making doubt my decision in being single for my entire life. Your video helped realized, I should not to try fit in the mold that others build for me, and I should learn to understand myself truly first before making a role for myself with freedom :).

@feyfox8005 Жыл бұрын

I just recently found out that I am an adult undiagnosed autistic who has a hard time understanding a lot of general social constructs. So when I first noticed this video I was immediately interested in this creators insight and why he finds its one of the scariest of junji ito's works, because I never really did. It was a very well done story, and it was a bit creepy in general, but not outright haunting for me. It wasn't until this guy explained the underlying social constructs that I really got what it was about. I laughed aloud when I realized I had missed such a big 'obvious' chunk of the story. 🤣 thank you for explaining it to me!

@NobodyxImportant Жыл бұрын

How did you go about getting diagnosed if I may ask? I’m an adult and I also think I’m autistic. Not just because I didn’t get the message of the manga.

@dr-_-trash7392 Жыл бұрын

@@NobodyxImportant they said they were undiagnosed. And diagnosis really depends where you are. It took til after I left school in the UK to get it as I was too "high functioning" for the FACT assessment. GPs can refer you as long as you aren't in education, otherwise there's lots of mess. I'd recommend making a list of all your symptoms. I'm unsure about US autism diagnosis things. And as a final thing, Ito literally doesn't put this much thought into his horror, in an interview he just said he wrote what he thought would be cool or scary.

@elephorofonius Жыл бұрын

i'm autistic too and if i read it before watching this video i know i would also completely miss the point, i'd just sit there like "well that was weird"

@ma1exu965 Жыл бұрын

@@elephorofonius same

@quademasters249 Жыл бұрын

I didn't find the story particularly creepy either. I suspect the more you live in a regimented society, like Japan, the more it'll speak to you. If you believe you're just a cog in the machine, this is sort of the ultimate next step.

@teejaykaye4357 Жыл бұрын

This was also the first Junji Ito story I encountered. Let it be known I had severe claustrophobia when I was younger. Triggered to develop by an experience I had as a child during a tour of a cave system where one of the caves was an extremely tight and narrow passage that I could feel all around me that scared me so much I rushed out and refused to go back in the rest of the day. I couldn't even go in elevators without panicking. Needless to say, Enigma of Amigara Fault fucked me up.

@Stolairity 5 ай бұрын

I am, at the time of this comment a young adult and after seeing this it really put into perspective the question I have been asking myself for years, ''who am I'' normally I tried to avoid the question, for the unknown and infinite possibilities that I could be, was so intimating that I shuttered at the thought of it. However thinking of it in the way you presented it made me feel re-assured about my own path in life, that I must follow even though it twist's, turn's, go's up, and go's down, and I don't know the end. It feels nice to have this comfort and to know everyone was at some or another exactly where I am now. Thank you Tale Foundry for this excellent video.

@greenyodais Жыл бұрын

I honestly thought I had imagined these stories. I was damn near traumatized as a kid reading them.

@MrScorpion132 Жыл бұрын

The fact that you so accurately rendered the carving of the hole to such an extent during the “what do you want to be “ segment is seriously impressive. I immediately got the unsettling realization you must have reading the enigma. Also it’s impressive because most people don’t capture the horror and sheer dread when trying to recreate that

@grandthanatos Жыл бұрын

I never thought about the story that way. It's a really cool theory/commentary on the story. BTW, do you think Tale Foundry might do a deep dive into The Sandman at some point?