sensor junji ito

So, this Sensor, right? Junji Ito, whoever he is, made it. They say it’s a horror thing, like a scary story. Kinda like those things my grandkids watch on their phones, all jumpy and weird. But this one’s in a book, a manga they call it. Fancy name for a comic, if you ask me.

It’s about some gal, Kyoko, who lived through a volcano thing. You know, like when the mountain coughs up fire and rocks? Yeah, one of those. She was the only one who made it, but then poof, she disappears. Then there’s this fella, Wataru, a news guy, spends years lookin’ for her. Years! Must’ve been important, or maybe just plain stubborn, like my old mule, Bessie.

Then there’s this town, all covered in hair. Golden hair, they say. Not the kind you brush, mind you. This hair is magic, or cursed, or somethin’. Makes everyone weird. Hair everywhere, can you imagine? Like when my cat, Mittens, sheds all over the sofa, only a whole town. Yuck.

• Volcano goes boom.
• Girl disappears.
• News guy looks for her.
• Town full of magic hair.

They call it “Sensor” or “Travelogue of the Succubus”. Sounds like gibberish to me. Succubus? What in tarnation is that? Sounds like somethin’ the preacher warned us about. Always going on about demons and such. Made me think of old Mrs. Henderson, screamin’ about goblins in her garden. Poor old dear.

Junji, the fella who wrote it, talked to his editor, whoever that is. Like a boss, I guess. They wanted to make it about people, not just monsters. Smart, I reckon. People are scary enough on their own. Look at the news, always fightin’ and fussin’.

This thing was in some magazine called Nemuki+. Never heard of it. Probably one of those city things. We only got the local paper here, and it’s mostly about the church bake sale or Farmer Johnson’s prize pig.

Folks who read it, they say it’s good. Premise, they call it. Fancy word for story idea. And the details, they matter. Like when you’re makin’ a quilt, every stitch counts. Otherwise, it all falls apart. Makes sense, I guess.

Japanese somethin’-somethin’, they say it is. Sensā, I think. Ranked 44,743rd. Whatever that means. Lots of numbers. Reminds me of the lottery tickets my son buys. Always dreamin’ of winnin’ big. Never does, though.

There’s even a fella named Ito, a master of horror. Sounds important. Like a master carpenter, only with scary stories instead of wood. Probably makes a lot of money, scaring folks.

So, this Sensor thing… Hair and volcanoes and missing girls. Sounds like a mess. But maybe it’s good, like a stew with lots of ingredients. Sometimes the weirdest mixes taste the best. Or maybe it’s just a bunch of nonsense, like those dreams I have after eatin’ too much cheese before bed. Who knows? You gotta read it yourself to find out.

Just remember, don’t let no magic hair get ya. And stay away from volcanoes. Nothin’ good comes from mountains spitting fire.

Tags: Junji Ito, Sensor, Manga, Horror, Mystery, Volcano, Hair, Curse, Japanese, Succubus