The Graphic Library
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Us
  • Other Resources
    • Research

Venus in the Blind Spot by Junji Ito

9/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Cover of Venus in the Blind Spot
This volume is a collection of short stories, some of which have been published before, or the first time published for a majority of them. Like much of Ito's other work, these stories are creepy and capitalize on our sense of propriety to give us the heebie-jeebies. In "Billions Alone," there are people being sewn together. "The human chair" has a creepily obsessive love story. "Venus in the blind spot," this volume's namesake, was one of the more creative stories surrounding a woman who disappears when she gets too close to men who adore her. Then, there's "The licking woman," with a monster who has a poisonous tongue. The story of "Master Umezz and me," gives us a glimpse into Ito's own life and his inspiration for writing horror stories. In "How love came to Professor Kirida," an obsessed student violates Kirida's privacy and wishes. "The Enigma of Amigara Fault," tells of weirdly alluring holes that are shaped for specific people. This collection is rounded out with "Keepsake," where a baby is mysteriously born to a dead woman inside her casket.

Some of these stories were really interesting and gave me the heebie-jeebies in the right way.  Others had very cliché cop-out endings.  I'm not sure if other Ito stories are constructed the same way, but in almost every one of these stories, the twist ending was on the last page.  There was hardly any falling action or repercussions to the actions in the story.  The "Venus in the Blind Spot" story had a really great set up, but the ending was lackluster and disappointing.  The other story that has stayed with me long after reading it was "The Enigma of Amigara Fault," which built up steadily and delivered a creep-factor that was satisfying.

The art is really detailed and definitely embodies the horror. Some illustrative pieces are repeated - several of the women characters look the same across several stories.

This volume is definitely more suitable to mature audiences. There is necrophilia, agalmatophilia, implied rape, adult situations, and some graphic illustrations. VIZ rates this as Teen Plus.

Sara's Rating: 6/10
Suitability Level: Grade 12


This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: August 18, 2020
ISBN: 9781974715473 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 6/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Horror, Story Collection, VIZ Media
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students.

    Read More

    Search this site


    Picture
    Ko-fi icon
    Picture
    Picture

    Subscribe to get all the latest delivered once a month.

    * indicates required

    Ratings, Audience, and Subject Tags

    All
    Ablaze
    Abrams ComicsArts
    Action Adventure
    Adaptations
    Animals
    Art
    Autobiography
    Biography
    BOOM! Studios
    Career
    Comicbooks
    Culinary
    Dark Horse
    DC Comics
    Dead Reckoning
    Del Rey
    Demons
    Disabilities
    Dungeon
    Dystopian
    Ecchi
    Educational
    Family
    Fantagraphics
    Fantasy
    Farming
    First Second
    Folklore
    Friendship
    Graphic Fiction
    Graphic Nonfiction
    Graphic Universe
    Greenwillow Books
    Grief
    HarperAlley
    Hill And Wang
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Horror
    Humanoids
    Humor
    IDW
    Image Comics
    Inklore
    Isekai
    Iyashikei
    IZE Press
    J-Novel Club
    Kana
    Katie's Reviews
    Kodansha
    LGBTQ+
    Mad Cave
    Magic
    Magical Girl
    Manfra
    Manga
    Manhua
    Manhwa
    Marvel
    Mecha
    Megascope
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Moni's Reviews
    Music
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    Nonfiction
    OEL Manga
    One Peace Books
    Oni Press
    Otomoisekai
    Paranormal
    Penguin
    Race Relations
    Rating: 10/10
    Rating: 3/10
    Rating: 4/10
    Rating: 5/10
    Rating: 6/10
    Rating: 7/10
    Rating: 8/10
    Rating: 9/10
    Realistic Fiction
    Regressor
    RH Graphic
    Romance
    Saturday AM
    School Life
    Science
    Science Fiction
    SelfMadeHero
    Seven Seas
    Skybound
    Slice Of Life
    Sports
    Square Enix
    Steampunk
    Story Collection
    Suitability: Adult
    Suitability: Elementary School
    Suitability: High School
    Suitability: Middle School
    Superheroes
    Supernatural
    Surrealism
    Survival
    Suspense
    Ten Speed Press
    Titan
    TokyoPop
    Top Shelf
    UDON Entertainment
    Video Games
    VIZ Media
    War
    WEBTOON Unscrolled
    Western
    Yen Press

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

Picture

​© 2025 Sara Smith

Picture
Picture
Picture
​
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Us
  • Other Resources
    • Research