Itou Junji Kyoufu Manga Collection: Souichi no Noroi Nikki

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Souichi's a godawful brat but he's also quite the interesting character. He's got the whims of a kid and he's not the good guy, two things which aren't common for a Ito-sensei MC. I couldn't even really dislike him because he'd occasionally just be relatable.

In addition, he's a character we've already met in Voices In The Dark and New Voices In The Dark even though it was under.... different circumstances, let's leave it at that.

Again, Ito-sensei manages to mix comedy into his horror! Reading episodes of the lives of a family and classroom where there's this weirdo kid who really believes he can put curses ... on people, with a bit of the otherworldly added in for drama, was very enjoyable.

I especially like the "terrifying inhuman model" character, Fuchi. Seeing her here explains her appearance in the Voices In The Dark books I guess. I really wish we could learn more about her? Like, how did she get into that magazine even? Why exactly does Souichi imagine himself marrying her in the other books? Because from the cliffhanger endings of the stories here you wouldn't be blamed if you believed she killed him.

This is mostly a continuation of the previous volume, with mostly the same cast. Souichi is involved for the first four chapters, while a new potentially recurring antagonist makes an appearance in the last two.

Story, 6: The premises were still good for this volume, but the overall execution didn't thrill me. There were a lot of unanswered questions (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I was left unsatisfied for most chapters). I appreciated that the overt occult from the previous volume was mostly abandoned in favor of ghosts or deteriorating psyches.

Art, 7: Solid as always. There were a few more ghastly-looking characters ... in this one that will surely creep some out.

Characters, 6: We get to see most of the recurring cast from the previous volume, though none of them really get a chance to shine other than Kouichi and Souichi, the latter of whom was developed a decent amount. His motivations still remain mostly unclear though, unless he simply likes to be a nuisance in petty revenge.

Enjoyment, 6: I wasn't a huge fan of this volume, but there were some gems to be gleaned about Souichi's character in the chapters that focused on him. The stories in general weren't as interesting for me, but it was a fine read.

Overall, 6: I would recommend this if you are a fan of Ito's work, particularly the preceding volume in this series, as most of the cast returns in some capacity. The art is fun to look at as always, so that may also be a pull.

Favorite Chapter: "The Room With Four Walls"; Least Favorite: "Fashion Model"