I encourage new readers of Uzumaki to make the most of the silliness of its earlier chapters. By the end, you're likely to be begging for that silliness back.
Junji Ito's works are absolute chaos for me. I actually agree with the flaws you pointed out, and normally i also would criticize them, but for junji i find myself leaning into them?? There's something about the flaws that help add to the feeling of offness. Like when you mentioned how bland the characters themselves are, it's supposed to be a flaw, we can't relate to them all that much so you'd think it wouldn't scare/unsettle us all that much, but it just works somehow. Their blandness adds to the creep factor, we know that humans aren't supposed to be like that.
It's because Junji Ito writes his stories more like creepypasta or urban legends imo. If a camp counsellor at the campfire went "So there was this girl living above the restaurant of her father. And because he cooked with so much grease, the grease got soaked into every fiber of their house's wood..." you wouldn't start expecting elaborate characterization for the girl. The main attraction in the story would be the grease and the atrocities, and the girl is barely more than a camera recording the story for us to experience. I like to imagine that Ito often conceives stories by laying awake at night and suddenly going "If human women drank blood while pregnant like mosquitoes do, would that be effed up or what" and then he goes and makes sure all his readers will lay in bed with the exact same thought later on, lol.
Love the fact that at least 3 times you've said 'And this is where the manga gets really weird', and every time it just does. Ito is an endless font of squick and body horror. I also have some hypotheses about the spiral symbolism though I will save it to the end in case you go in that direction anyway. When I first read Uzumaki I didn't really grasp the whole 'a few unrelated stories stitched in', so it was a bit confusing and felt unfocused first time. Your explanation makes so much sense and now I want to go back and re-read it with that in mind.
The part where Suichi's mother stabs herself in the ears with scissors used to horrify me, but after learning more about how hospitals and other medical environments work the scene has been kinda ruined for me. If the nurse/doctor/assistant isn't near the patient or has to leave the room then it is required to put away the sharp pointy objects being used. Or place them somewhere far out of the patient's reach.
I mean it’s not exactly unheard of for even professionals to make mistakes like that either by forgetting about it or just not following protocol for whatever reasons they might have. I think you’re putting way too much faith in healthcare workers, they’re still humans just like the rest of us and thus will make mistakes either by accident or design. I’m not saying they’re all reckless and endanger their patients but there’s always gonna be someone to fuck up, even there. There’s been news and stories of much worse neglect, abuse and endangerment than just leaving sharp objects around self harm risk patients
Junji Ito operates on such a different level than most horror mangaka. Or even horror novelists. His work just... doesn't fit into the framework applied by comparing him to those other authors. Ito's stories share much more DNA with creepypasta than horror novels. Which is why calling him "Stephen King of Manga" really irks me. Pretty much every story Ito tells feels like it could actually be whispered by a campfire or in the dark during a pajama party. Which explains the blandness of the protagonists, too. Campfire stories and urban legends aren't concerned with fleshing out their main characters - those characters are just a vague tether to ourselves.
This was actually me... I just got a plate of food, turned on the computer and went. "Oh sweet! Owl is doing Uzumaki! Let me just watch this while I eat." then I am silent for five seconds and just like.... Why... why would I do that? How dumb am I? I will though totally watch the entire video with a cup of tea later. But NOT while eating spaghetti!
Your mention of row houses reminds me of what a pal of mine from high school that lives there told me. When he first arrived in rural Japan for his teaching job, he had no choice in rental options except what was four posts, a roof, and floor, a single electrical outlet on the floor. He literally had to buy pre-fab walls at the hardware store.
I love Ito's work sm. The man has one Hell of an imagination and draws beautifully! Also, I have a t-shirt with the image from 5:45 on it that I found at a thrift store.
i think criticising uzumaki/ito for silliness or not being scary enough is pretty futile - the absurdity is pretty much the point, and a huge aspect of the horror. it's less about scaring you in a traditional sense/making you jump than unsettling you and building an atmosphere of strangeness; morbid curiosity and being unable to resist is a huge theme in ito's horror. absurdity in horror resonates with people and humor often walks hand in hand with that. i think the vignette format of the storytelling works perfectly in tandem with that too, as things get increasingly stranger but less and less funny; we get to watch a town slowly destroyed as it succumbs to madness, piece by piece. the reader's journey mirrors kirie's in terms of accepting what is happening to the town.
I tend to think the shonen-esque opening chapters are part of a misdirect to make you think there is some chance of escaping the spiral, that the story is just going to be a standard monster-of-the-week affair.
I kinda remember the movie they made from this, but I don't remember enjoying it sadly. Also, I think I've encountered a couple of "Azami" types in my life, but they were all nowhere near as hot as they thought they were. I'd always roll my eyes and walk away from them, which honestly, just made the mad, not obsessive. shrug.
So many questions on these stories…and yet…so little answer….these are stories that are definitely over the top and questionable endings to it; the lack of answer and cliffhanger is what makes it….somewhat mysterious. In aspect of these stories that still seems…weird, like twisted souls, even after all these events happing-god only knows how many times
When I read this, I remember really liking the first few chapters only to start scratching my head part why through and wonder why everyone sung its praises. Granted, the imagery is fantastic, and when it is good, it is really good, but parts like the hair battle were really dumb. After I ranted about it to my wife, she said I was clearly getting entertainment from it, and that's what made me finish it, because she was right. If nothing else, it is an entertaining read.
The scorched concrete at the end of part 3/Scar resembles the steps of the national bank in Hiroshima where the imprint of a sitting man was burnt in place by the Little Boy atomic bomb.
That's something he takes after King & Lovecraft, he writes so much there's bound to be something inspiringly great and just as inevitable there's something frustratingly disappointing, but like them both he doesn't limit his creativity either. Still it's surprisingly interesting hearing how the cultural norms fed into the awkward horror.
The second story is that one that scared me the most, and the most memorable to me, as it is the one most based in reality. There is the supernatural aspect of the story, but when you think about, this was just a woman having a psychotic break after a traumatic experience, which could happen to anyone in the real world. Stabbing herself in the ears, damaging them enough to keep her in a constant spiral until she died?! No thank you, I’m good?!
I will say as a woman, Junti Itp's approach to Asami here, and of course much more famous Tomie is just interesting to me. Junti Ito himself said those stories are written on the fact that beautiful women scares him, and really... I don't think we as women really appreciate what a huge power we actually DO have on men, especially pretty girls. It's not a power of strength, nor having positions of being in command, none of that. But it is something insanely powerful too, that make many men do absurd and crazy things for this woman. And we see it in real life, men being brought down by these beautiful women who has this power and hell... Can take down EMPIRES because they got to the Emperor and captured him. Which makes it such a shame that apparently modern Hollywood thinks the only way for a woman to be powerful is to be like a man and have strength that is higher than a man. When the true, and to some, extremely frightening power of a woman is this thing that is entirely unique to women, and we see here with Asami, with her vanity, her spitefulness, her desire to the center, how she has control over the boys and relish it, and the one time she doesn't have control she turns to spite. and this EXISTS! This we see! Hell... We see women who had this power, but then grow older and lose the power they relished so much in and then they become incredibly spiteful and vengeful. So it's so interesting to me to see Ito and others, usually eastern creators, actually address this and use this for a story and create female characters who are indeed... incredible female and could never be anything else than female.
Idk. I feel like that idea of this power is one very much conceived by men and reflecting their irrational fears much more than an actual reality. It's all over mythology, with people like Helen of Troy... but I can't even think of a single instance in real life right now. Hilariously, women who actually DID get infamous for this kind of power are rarely even considered beautiful by most men, like Yoko Ono or Camilla of the English royalty. For a famous historical example, Cleopatra was actually frequently remarked for NOT being very beautiful, but her smarts and personality won men over. Women who actually do get known for their enchanting beauty actually end up exploited so much more often - Marilyn Monroe is a prime example. Or they are attacked viciously by the media, like for example Meghan Merkle. I genuinely think the idea of this power is much more fictional than most people realize. Sure, the halo effect exists, beauty privilege exists... but the history of women being seen as objects in some way turns this apparent power into almost more of a curse.
@@Broeckchen It's funny you say that... But then mentions two historical events where it DID happen. And the thing is... The things Hollywood wants us to think are beautiful are rarely what it's actually about. Clearly Yoko had something, and often what it comes down too is attitude, confidence and well... some psychological manipulation that some women are just really good at. Now not ALL men are as easily fooled by this, it does depend on the man too. But there is a power dynamic here where yeah the man is physically stronger. But some women can really bend the men to their will through other means, and again it's not ALL men who will fall for it, but a large chunk can be slaves to these women. And it changes the dynamic of a room when a woman steps in. Which is hard to realize where you are the women, but I tried twice in my life where I was the only woman in a room full of men, I was very quiet doing my own thing and they kind of forget I was there. Then as they realized their whole attitude changed and they started to really apologize and so on. So yeah... my very presence there changed their behaviour. Women don't realize this happens, but it does.
@@MoonPhantom I mean, those historical examples still don't represent what you described though? Both Camilla and Yoko are loathed by most people looking on, and each at most managed to enchant one man of note. I wouldn't exactly call that a power that can bring empires down... in fact, Yoko Ono's influence on the Beatles is massively overstated due to some heinous shit her and John's employees pulled after his death and the fans correlating two simultaneous events (Yoko's appearance and the Beatles dissolving) as a causal chain when actually, the suicide of their old manager had much more to do with the corroding of the band. So... no, those cases disprove the myth more than proving it. Also yeah, the presence of a woman can change the dynamic in a room full of men but... that doesn't denote power of women? That's just code-switching, all people do that all of the time. The presence of a child also changes how adults act in a room, but we'd never equate that to children holding power over adults on a grander scale.
@@Broeckchen Yeah loathed by outsiders, but in the room they really managed to change the whole cause of history. It isn't about controlling ALL men on the planet, it's about controlling the men in the room. Same with Tomie here, she is controlling the room, but is hated by the wider world BECAUSE she has that power. And heck the people who tend to just hate these sort of women the most... are other women. We see that all the time. There are men who is afraid of and hate this women too, but still succumb to them.
@@MoonPhantom You're vastly overstating the historical significance of these women. Charles never married for love, but he produced his heirs and moved on. If it hadn't been to Camilla, it had been with someone else or by just basically quietquitting his marriage. What actually did affect history was the overwhelming presence of paparazzi in Diana's life, who drove her into that accident. The Beatles began their decline when their father figure, mentor and emotional center died and left them exposed to the viciousness of the industry, alongside two of them being pretty strongheaded auteurs. And a rock band has very little historical significance in the first place. Tomie also doesn't control shit. It's literally a part of her curse that she cannot control the men she bewitches. Otherwise they wouldn't kill her. In a bonus chapter where a bodysnatcher takes over her body, the creature soon realizes that the effect is so strong that it can barely even look in a mirror without wanting to tear itself apart. The whole point of her curse is that it creates that fatal attraction. She needs to exploit it at least temporarily to survive, but it's a constant balancing act that can turn her worshippers into her enemies in moment at any time. She much more closely resembles fates like Marilyn Monroe's, whose beauty was worshipped by men, resented by women, and led so many people to entitlement to her body that there are hints that she was physically exploited even after her death. This isn't to act as if Tomie wasn't a huge b with an itch, but how much of what keeps happening to her does she really deserve for just being an unpleasant person? You're right that a lot of those resenting the beautiful women are also women! But it wasn't women who wrote manifestos and shot up sororities. It sure as hell wasn't women who made Monroe's body disappear for a suspiciously long time after her death before she showed back. It wasn't a woman who shot Lennon. So I'd say between the wider social pressure of gossip and the physical threat of murder and violence, we can't put all of that hatred on women.
Love this video and I look forward to the next one. Uzumaki was the 2nd horror manga I purchased. I relay like it as a whole, but have to admit, some chapters felt quite weaker than others. I like listening to all the facts about Japan from someone who was living there. By the way, do you plan to resume your Dead by Daylight streams sometime in the future?
On "The Scar", I do think Junji Ito has a thing about manipulative pretty girls. This chapter is one example, while Tomie is a prime example of another. It is not just the manipulative girls, but also about men getting obsessed over pretty girls, as there is also some of his stories where the pretty girl is sweet and innocent, but men get obsessed with her (I know Remina of "Hellstar Remina" suffers that).
I am lightly bemused to hear the Red String of Fate is of Asian origins, as I know of it through fanfic. Maybe it entered fanfic through anime fandoms.
Hair and uniform - I know I got a little of that in my school years. I was in a church school, in Australia, and it could be a bit strict, beyond normal Aussie school uniform standards, as being religious includes a sense of modesty and lack of materialism as encouraged by Christianity. Like, jewellery is not only frowned on, but could end up confiscated. Certainly pierced ears were discouraged. I in fact lost a couple of cheap jewellery items to strict teachers and failed to get them back. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 16 and in a state school, and even then still got vague issues over it because my church minister questioned them when I was trying to do baptism classes (my church only did knowing baptism - so usually somewhere in one's teens when one could express an understanding of doctrine, or when an adult joins the church). I didn't get baptised until the next minister, who was a bit more liberal.
kinda new to the channel but loving the content cant wait for you to finish the uzumaki seris because it was my first horror manga ito has been a main one i was looking for videos to watch found your in a nutshell playlist first video you asked what to name the playlist just thought it would be easier to find it or rather what i was exactly looking for with a different name for it not important i suppose jus thought i agreed with you about the name i like the theme you had with THE BEST YOU'VE NEVER READ just the name caught my eye with your videos before i found you loving the ptsd radio seris right now keep up the amazing work and thanks for the content keeps me focused while doing my work
Thanks mate! I'd also check out my Made in Abyss videos and my Satougashi video as those I'm pretty proud of. Ditto Gantz, which should be out next week Friday.
@frightranker will do made in the abyss will be perfect for the car ride. I found everything except for the satougashi even looked it up. I couldn't find anything. Is that the name of the artist? I'm still daydreaming about the art style for ptsd not gonna lie. Thanks for taking the time to read
In the pottery story the kill is a metaphor for the brazen bull...( Used in the persecution of Christians in the 6th century BCE). But there were variations throughout history.
Bro this is probably my final uziga waita comment uh can you do a video about the dude or his books I can find like no information on him and all his photos he looks like he’s on substances
Azami reminds me of a lot of experiences I had in high school. Its weird, but Junji Ito nails the high school experience between girls. The combination of nation of a lack of self-esteem blowing back against the "Azami" of the class. Ironically, this can drive a lot of girls farther down that path. Boys will give them validation that girls won't, you hear this i the phrase "I find it easier to be friends with guys". From the "non-Azami" group (me) we will judge other women for having things we desperately wish we had, and will often pin blame on other people for "stealing" men from us.
Hey there i'm sorry to bother you for such a trivial thing, but what is the song that plays at The Spiral Obsession from 18:10 onwards? I've heard it in other videos of yours, but i haven't been able to find it.
Kamui in the Naruto manga didnt get revealed until 2005 and wasnt really hinted at until post time skip so its not really possible for this to be based off of it. ON THE OTHER HAND, its entirely plausible that Kamui might have its roots here or the idea of it, Kishimoto has gone on record saying hes of fan of Junjis work.
do you know about the live action movie adaption it came out before the ending of the manga and in my opinion the movie has a better ending than the manga itself I dont know if thats a hot take
I honestly don’t mind the absurdity and occasional comedy of Ito’s works because I consumed too much grim, grungy, miserable horror during a less-mature, “edgier” phase of my life and now I just don’t have much desire to touch what I’d consider to be the “misery porn” sector of horror and thriller stories. Even though I think it’s fair to critique his meandering storytelling, because he does tend to lose the plot a bit in his longer works, I think his works are just more enjoyable if you run with the nonsense of it all.
I just started reading Tommyknockers again, which I have only read once and was blackout drunk through the entirety… Stephen King on drugs was a hell of a thing 😳
Fam pls check the publication date of Uzumaki before making claims that Ito may have referenced Tokyo Ghoul. Tokyo Ghoul was referencing Uzumaki, centipede and all.
Can you please send me the background music you used for this video? Specifically at 18:11 is the one I liked. I wanted to use that eerie soundtrack for an album I’m working on. @FrightRanker
I encourage new readers of Uzumaki to make the most of the silliness of its earlier chapters. By the end, you're likely to be begging for that silliness back.
The dispair seeps in so slowly and then all at once with the light house chapter imo. This manga is insane
I like that you're covering a bunch of diff titles at once but now I find myself waiting for like 3 videos instead of one😅
Haha just wait. This is going to get worse before it gets better.
Junji Ito's works are absolute chaos for me. I actually agree with the flaws you pointed out, and normally i also would criticize them, but for junji i find myself leaning into them?? There's something about the flaws that help add to the feeling of offness. Like when you mentioned how bland the characters themselves are, it's supposed to be a flaw, we can't relate to them all that much so you'd think it wouldn't scare/unsettle us all that much, but it just works somehow. Their blandness adds to the creep factor, we know that humans aren't supposed to be like that.
It's because Junji Ito writes his stories more like creepypasta or urban legends imo. If a camp counsellor at the campfire went "So there was this girl living above the restaurant of her father. And because he cooked with so much grease, the grease got soaked into every fiber of their house's wood..." you wouldn't start expecting elaborate characterization for the girl. The main attraction in the story would be the grease and the atrocities, and the girl is barely more than a camera recording the story for us to experience.
I like to imagine that Ito often conceives stories by laying awake at night and suddenly going "If human women drank blood while pregnant like mosquitoes do, would that be effed up or what" and then he goes and makes sure all his readers will lay in bed with the exact same thought later on, lol.
Love the fact that at least 3 times you've said 'And this is where the manga gets really weird', and every time it just does. Ito is an endless font of squick and body horror.
I also have some hypotheses about the spiral symbolism though I will save it to the end in case you go in that direction anyway. When I first read Uzumaki I didn't really grasp the whole 'a few unrelated stories stitched in', so it was a bit confusing and felt unfocused first time. Your explanation makes so much sense and now I want to go back and re-read it with that in mind.
The part where Suichi's mother stabs herself in the ears with scissors used to horrify me, but after learning more about how hospitals and other medical environments work the scene has been kinda ruined for me. If the nurse/doctor/assistant isn't near the patient or has to leave the room then it is required to put away the sharp pointy objects being used. Or place them somewhere far out of the patient's reach.
I mean it’s not exactly unheard of for even professionals to make mistakes like that either by forgetting about it or just not following protocol for whatever reasons they might have. I think you’re putting way too much faith in healthcare workers, they’re still humans just like the rest of us and thus will make mistakes either by accident or design. I’m not saying they’re all reckless and endanger their patients but there’s always gonna be someone to fuck up, even there. There’s been news and stories of much worse neglect, abuse and endangerment than just leaving sharp objects around self harm risk patients
Junji Ito operates on such a different level than most horror mangaka. Or even horror novelists. His work just... doesn't fit into the framework applied by comparing him to those other authors.
Ito's stories share much more DNA with creepypasta than horror novels. Which is why calling him "Stephen King of Manga" really irks me. Pretty much every story Ito tells feels like it could actually be whispered by a campfire or in the dark during a pajama party.
Which explains the blandness of the protagonists, too. Campfire stories and urban legends aren't concerned with fleshing out their main characters - those characters are just a vague tether to ourselves.
This was actually me... I just got a plate of food, turned on the computer and went. "Oh sweet! Owl is doing Uzumaki! Let me just watch this while I eat." then I am silent for five seconds and just like.... Why... why would I do that? How dumb am I?
I will though totally watch the entire video with a cup of tea later. But NOT while eating spaghetti!
23:17 I pronounce cochlea as "coke-lee-ah," but APPARENTLY it's supposed to be "kaa-klee-uh"
It's so great to see FR getting some love for a series other than made in abyss
Want uzumaki released in late 90s how could it reference tokyo ghoul and naruto?
-_-
Yeah that's...a good point.
Your mention of row houses reminds me of what a pal of mine from high school that lives there told me. When he first arrived in rural Japan for his teaching job, he had no choice in rental options except what was four posts, a roof, and floor, a single electrical outlet on the floor. He literally had to buy pre-fab walls at the hardware store.
I love Ito's work sm. The man has one Hell of an imagination and draws beautifully! Also, I have a t-shirt with the image from 5:45 on it that I found at a thrift store.
I've loved this comic for yeeeears, so seeing you do a deep dive on this is incredible! Sending love to the fam ❤
I recently just bought uzumaki, i now own 3 junji ito books. The first time i found junji ito, i KNEW hed become one of my favorite authors/artists
i think criticising uzumaki/ito for silliness or not being scary enough is pretty futile - the absurdity is pretty much the point, and a huge aspect of the horror. it's less about scaring you in a traditional sense/making you jump than unsettling you and building an atmosphere of strangeness; morbid curiosity and being unable to resist is a huge theme in ito's horror. absurdity in horror resonates with people and humor often walks hand in hand with that. i think the vignette format of the storytelling works perfectly in tandem with that too, as things get increasingly stranger but less and less funny; we get to watch a town slowly destroyed as it succumbs to madness, piece by piece. the reader's journey mirrors kirie's in terms of accepting what is happening to the town.
Fair enough.
I tend to think the shonen-esque opening chapters are part of a misdirect to make you think there is some chance of escaping the spiral, that the story is just going to be a standard monster-of-the-week affair.
This book scares me as much as playing through silent hill 2 and for the same reason. It will always be in my head rent free
Yeah... they'd never get away with that with me... i am SEVERELY allergic to hair dye. Thats crazy dangerous to force kids to do.
One girl 🙋♀️ unbuttoned one button once a week and thought she got a way with it until summer came and she realized it was her scarf that hid it
I love your videos always, and I love Uzumaki! I think you nailed it here man - thank you as always! :)
I kinda remember the movie they made from this, but I don't remember enjoying it sadly. Also, I think I've encountered a couple of "Azami" types in my life, but they were all nowhere near as hot as they thought they were. I'd always roll my eyes and walk away from them, which honestly, just made the mad, not obsessive. shrug.
COKE-leah
You were doing a wonderful job going in depth to one of my fave books of all time
Check the link in the description for the full version.
@@frightranker Will do, thx
21:00 Oooh, please do! Shi ki is one of my favorites 🤩
So many questions on these stories…and yet…so little answer….these are stories that are definitely over the top and questionable endings to it; the lack of answer and cliffhanger is what makes it….somewhat mysterious.
In aspect of these stories that still seems…weird, like twisted souls, even after all these events happing-god only knows how many times
When I read this, I remember really liking the first few chapters only to start scratching my head part why through and wonder why everyone sung its praises. Granted, the imagery is fantastic, and when it is good, it is really good, but parts like the hair battle were really dumb. After I ranted about it to my wife, she said I was clearly getting entertainment from it, and that's what made me finish it, because she was right. If nothing else, it is an entertaining read.
The scorched concrete at the end of part 3/Scar resembles the steps of the national bank in Hiroshima where the imprint of a sitting man was burnt in place by the Little Boy atomic bomb.
That's something he takes after King & Lovecraft, he writes so much there's bound to be something inspiringly great and just as inevitable there's something frustratingly disappointing, but like them both he doesn't limit his creativity either.
Still it's surprisingly interesting hearing how the cultural norms fed into the awkward horror.
Is the you spin me ride around song appropriate for this video?
The second story is that one that scared me the most, and the most memorable to me, as it is the one most based in reality. There is the supernatural aspect of the story, but when you think about, this was just a woman having a psychotic break after a traumatic experience, which could happen to anyone in the real world. Stabbing herself in the ears, damaging them enough to keep her in a constant spiral until she died?! No thank you, I’m good?!
I will say as a woman, Junti Itp's approach to Asami here, and of course much more famous Tomie is just interesting to me.
Junti Ito himself said those stories are written on the fact that beautiful women scares him, and really... I don't think we as women really appreciate what a huge power we actually DO have on men, especially pretty girls.
It's not a power of strength, nor having positions of being in command, none of that. But it is something insanely powerful too, that make many men do absurd and crazy things for this woman.
And we see it in real life, men being brought down by these beautiful women who has this power and hell... Can take down EMPIRES because they got to the Emperor and captured him.
Which makes it such a shame that apparently modern Hollywood thinks the only way for a woman to be powerful is to be like a man and have strength that is higher than a man.
When the true, and to some, extremely frightening power of a woman is this thing that is entirely unique to women, and we see here with Asami, with her vanity, her spitefulness, her desire to the center, how she has control over the boys and relish it, and the one time she doesn't have control she turns to spite. and this EXISTS! This we see!
Hell... We see women who had this power, but then grow older and lose the power they relished so much in and then they become incredibly spiteful and vengeful.
So it's so interesting to me to see Ito and others, usually eastern creators, actually address this and use this for a story and create female characters who are indeed... incredible female and could never be anything else than female.
Idk. I feel like that idea of this power is one very much conceived by men and reflecting their irrational fears much more than an actual reality. It's all over mythology, with people like Helen of Troy... but I can't even think of a single instance in real life right now. Hilariously, women who actually DID get infamous for this kind of power are rarely even considered beautiful by most men, like Yoko Ono or Camilla of the English royalty. For a famous historical example, Cleopatra was actually frequently remarked for NOT being very beautiful, but her smarts and personality won men over. Women who actually do get known for their enchanting beauty actually end up exploited so much more often - Marilyn Monroe is a prime example. Or they are attacked viciously by the media, like for example Meghan Merkle.
I genuinely think the idea of this power is much more fictional than most people realize. Sure, the halo effect exists, beauty privilege exists... but the history of women being seen as objects in some way turns this apparent power into almost more of a curse.
@@Broeckchen It's funny you say that... But then mentions two historical events where it DID happen.
And the thing is... The things Hollywood wants us to think are beautiful are rarely what it's actually about.
Clearly Yoko had something, and often what it comes down too is attitude, confidence and well... some psychological manipulation that some women are just really good at.
Now not ALL men are as easily fooled by this, it does depend on the man too.
But there is a power dynamic here where yeah the man is physically stronger.
But some women can really bend the men to their will through other means, and again it's not ALL men who will fall for it, but a large chunk can be slaves to these women.
And it changes the dynamic of a room when a woman steps in.
Which is hard to realize where you are the women, but I tried twice in my life where I was the only woman in a room full of men, I was very quiet doing my own thing and they kind of forget I was there. Then as they realized their whole attitude changed and they started to really apologize and so on.
So yeah... my very presence there changed their behaviour.
Women don't realize this happens, but it does.
@@MoonPhantom I mean, those historical examples still don't represent what you described though? Both Camilla and Yoko are loathed by most people looking on, and each at most managed to enchant one man of note. I wouldn't exactly call that a power that can bring empires down... in fact, Yoko Ono's influence on the Beatles is massively overstated due to some heinous shit her and John's employees pulled after his death and the fans correlating two simultaneous events (Yoko's appearance and the Beatles dissolving) as a causal chain when actually, the suicide of their old manager had much more to do with the corroding of the band.
So... no, those cases disprove the myth more than proving it.
Also yeah, the presence of a woman can change the dynamic in a room full of men but... that doesn't denote power of women? That's just code-switching, all people do that all of the time. The presence of a child also changes how adults act in a room, but we'd never equate that to children holding power over adults on a grander scale.
@@Broeckchen Yeah loathed by outsiders, but in the room they really managed to change the whole cause of history.
It isn't about controlling ALL men on the planet, it's about controlling the men in the room.
Same with Tomie here, she is controlling the room, but is hated by the wider world BECAUSE she has that power.
And heck the people who tend to just hate these sort of women the most... are other women. We see that all the time.
There are men who is afraid of and hate this women too, but still succumb to them.
@@MoonPhantom You're vastly overstating the historical significance of these women. Charles never married for love, but he produced his heirs and moved on. If it hadn't been to Camilla, it had been with someone else or by just basically quietquitting his marriage. What actually did affect history was the overwhelming presence of paparazzi in Diana's life, who drove her into that accident. The Beatles began their decline when their father figure, mentor and emotional center died and left them exposed to the viciousness of the industry, alongside two of them being pretty strongheaded auteurs. And a rock band has very little historical significance in the first place.
Tomie also doesn't control shit. It's literally a part of her curse that she cannot control the men she bewitches. Otherwise they wouldn't kill her. In a bonus chapter where a bodysnatcher takes over her body, the creature soon realizes that the effect is so strong that it can barely even look in a mirror without wanting to tear itself apart.
The whole point of her curse is that it creates that fatal attraction. She needs to exploit it at least temporarily to survive, but it's a constant balancing act that can turn her worshippers into her enemies in moment at any time. She much more closely resembles fates like Marilyn Monroe's, whose beauty was worshipped by men, resented by women, and led so many people to entitlement to her body that there are hints that she was physically exploited even after her death. This isn't to act as if Tomie wasn't a huge b with an itch, but how much of what keeps happening to her does she really deserve for just being an unpleasant person?
You're right that a lot of those resenting the beautiful women are also women! But it wasn't women who wrote manifestos and shot up sororities. It sure as hell wasn't women who made Monroe's body disappear for a suspiciously long time after her death before she showed back. It wasn't a woman who shot Lennon. So I'd say between the wider social pressure of gossip and the physical threat of murder and violence, we can't put all of that hatred on women.
Love this video and I look forward to the next one. Uzumaki was the 2nd horror manga I purchased. I relay like it as a whole, but have to admit, some chapters felt quite weaker than others. I like listening to all the facts about Japan from someone who was living there.
By the way, do you plan to resume your Dead by Daylight streams sometime in the future?
Maybe, when I have the time. Baby Owl is a lot right now.
On "The Scar", I do think Junji Ito has a thing about manipulative pretty girls. This chapter is one example, while Tomie is a prime example of another. It is not just the manipulative girls, but also about men getting obsessed over pretty girls, as there is also some of his stories where the pretty girl is sweet and innocent, but men get obsessed with her (I know Remina of "Hellstar Remina" suffers that).
I am lightly bemused to hear the Red String of Fate is of Asian origins, as I know of it through fanfic. Maybe it entered fanfic through anime fandoms.
Hair and uniform - I know I got a little of that in my school years. I was in a church school, in Australia, and it could be a bit strict, beyond normal Aussie school uniform standards, as being religious includes a sense of modesty and lack of materialism as encouraged by Christianity. Like, jewellery is not only frowned on, but could end up confiscated. Certainly pierced ears were discouraged. I in fact lost a couple of cheap jewellery items to strict teachers and failed to get them back. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 16 and in a state school, and even then still got vague issues over it because my church minister questioned them when I was trying to do baptism classes (my church only did knowing baptism - so usually somewhere in one's teens when one could express an understanding of doctrine, or when an adult joins the church). I didn't get baptised until the next minister, who was a bit more liberal.
kinda new to the channel but loving the content cant wait for you to finish the uzumaki seris because it was my first horror manga ito has been a main one i was looking for videos to watch found your in a nutshell playlist first video you asked what to name the playlist just thought it would be easier to find it or rather what i was exactly looking for with a different name for it not important i suppose jus thought i agreed with you about the name i like the theme you had with THE BEST YOU'VE NEVER READ just the name caught my eye with your videos before i found you loving the ptsd radio seris right now keep up the amazing work and thanks for the content keeps me focused while doing my work
Thanks mate! I'd also check out my Made in Abyss videos and my Satougashi video as those I'm pretty proud of. Ditto Gantz, which should be out next week Friday.
@frightranker will do made in the abyss will be perfect for the car ride. I found everything except for the satougashi even looked it up. I couldn't find anything. Is that the name of the artist? I'm still daydreaming about the art style for ptsd not gonna lie. Thanks for taking the time to read
In the pottery story the kill is a metaphor for the brazen bull...( Used in the persecution of Christians in the 6th century BCE). But there were variations throughout history.
It’s funny that you keep reversing the references like with kamui in naruto. This scene can’t be a nod to something that hasn’t happened yet lol
Yeah, things I realized later on >_
I love Junji Ito's mangas
this es excellent! insta subscribe. like the japan trivia.totaly forgot about the medusa fight oO
Bro this is probably my final uziga waita comment uh can you do a video about the dude or his books I can find like no information on him and all his photos he looks like he’s on substances
A video on Waita? Probably not, unless someone was willing to commission one - no way to monetize it.
Azami reminds me of a lot of experiences I had in high school. Its weird, but Junji Ito nails the high school experience between girls. The combination of nation of a lack of self-esteem blowing back against the "Azami" of the class. Ironically, this can drive a lot of girls farther down that path. Boys will give them validation that girls won't, you hear this i the phrase "I find it easier to be friends with guys". From the "non-Azami" group (me) we will judge other women for having things we desperately wish we had, and will often pin blame on other people for "stealing" men from us.
29:40 as a woman, no, it doesn't work.
37:22 *laughs in irvine* no joke that is the entirety of this stupid city, everything is identical. God I hate the suburbs
My school just had weird shoulder requirements
Yep, that's a thing. I can move both eyes independently. lol
Hey there i'm sorry to bother you for such a trivial thing, but what is the song that plays at The Spiral Obsession from 18:10 onwards? I've heard it in other videos of yours, but i haven't been able to find it.
Not sure, it is off the Diablo IV OST, early on.
Kamui in the Naruto manga didnt get revealed until 2005 and wasnt really hinted at until post time skip so its not really possible for this to be based off of it. ON THE OTHER HAND, its entirely plausible that Kamui might have its roots here or the idea of it, Kishimoto has gone on record saying hes of fan of Junjis work.
Yeah, I made a boner. Fixed it in part 2.
@@frightranker it's funny I watched part 2 immediately after and I was like " damn" lol 🤣
That story where they kept going into that hole that only they could fit really freaked me out. What’s the name of that one?
do you know about the live action movie adaption it came out before the ending of the manga and in my opinion the movie has a better ending than the manga itself I dont know if thats a hot take
W Archer reference
I honestly don’t mind the absurdity and occasional comedy of Ito’s works because I consumed too much grim, grungy, miserable horror during a less-mature, “edgier” phase of my life and now I just don’t have much desire to touch what I’d consider to be the “misery porn” sector of horror and thriller stories. Even though I think it’s fair to critique his meandering storytelling, because he does tend to lose the plot a bit in his longer works, I think his works are just more enjoyable if you run with the nonsense of it all.
I just started reading Tommyknockers again, which I have only read once and was blackout drunk through the entirety…
Stephen King on drugs was a hell of a thing 😳
If you watch the tv mini series of the same name you will not be disappointed. Its awe inspiring.
*Everything* is a "whole other thing".
XD
❤❤❤
You are a spiral!
Fam pls check the publication date of Uzumaki before making claims that Ito may have referenced Tokyo Ghoul. Tokyo Ghoul was referencing Uzumaki, centipede and all.
Shhh...nobody noticed that yet.
@@frightranker Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did.
Bro please review mpd psycho
Spirals and speeen
33:35 BOOOO :P
For the algo
😂 spiral people there's nothing sad about it just ridiculous
Can you please send me the background music you used for this video? Specifically at 18:11 is the one I liked. I wanted to use that eerie soundtrack for an album I’m working on. @FrightRanker
It's a mix of Silent Hill 2 and Diablo IV, not sure of specific track names.