Junji Ito is the famed author of various horror manga like Uzumaki, Tomie and Gyo. His spine-chilling tales will make you question the sanity of the author, however, his real-life personality is the exact opposite of his niche. This bubbly author loves cats and often thinks of becoming a V-Tuber.
In an interview with Crunchyroll, Junji Ito talked about his latest anthology, the Liminal Zone, which comprises of four stories. The mangaka also talked about his experience as an author and what methods he finds best to fuel his creativity.
Junji Ito Has Gone Fully Digital to Create Manga
Uzumaki by Ito Junji | Credits: Viz Media
While a select few mangakas still prefer the manual method of drawing their series, a majority of authors have shifted to digital drawing methods. Junji Ito himself admitted in the interview that he has completely adapted to digital forms of drawing. The author finds it far more effortless to create his storyboards and do editing work now than before when he was manually drawing his drafts.
It’s easier because all I have to do is copy and paste: Moving pages, replacing certain graphics is easier with a digital device.-Junji Ito
More and more mangakas are shifting to digital means of creation, but a stigma is still attached to it. While physical drafts are more likely to get damaged and redrawing is another huge headache, newer digital means ensure that authors do not have to fret as much if they make a mistake. Ito himself admits that his creation procedure takes far less time now.
Uzumaki by Junji Ito | Credits: Viz Media
Some still prefer the manual method simply because they are too used to it or because it is nostalgic. Ink and paper have always been the traditional way to create manga, and it is still appealing to some mangakas as well as readers. Digital drawing quickens the process and is more comfortable. However, the freedom that comes with physically drawing something and the satisfaction it gives is unparalleled.
The Liminal Zone is Junji Ito’s First Digitally Serialized Manga
The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito | Credits: Viz Media
The Liminal Zone is Junji Ito’s first manga that was not serialized in magazines and was aimed to be released as a digital manga from the very beginning. One big change that digital releases bring is the lack of a page limitation. The author explained that when there’s no limitation on how many pages he can use, he can just continue writing, and his work becomes very long.
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When his works are published in a physical magazine, he has to fit his story within the page limit, which ultimately leads him to cut and delete panels that he otherwise wouldn’t want to. Thus, Junji Ito was able to follow his instinct with Liminal Zone.
So in that sense, with this series, I could just follow my instincts. I could do the layout just the way I wanted to do it, so in that way, it’s very satisfying to be able to draw and write as much as I can.-Junji Ito
However, there’s also a downside to it. If the author has no limitation on pages, he ends up making a story that’s too long. Sometimes, editing and deleting parts of the manga makes the story more concise or improves the tempo and readability. Thus, the author has to be extra careful not to prolong the story unnecessarily.
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The Liminal Zone manga by Junji Ito is available to read on Viz Media.
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