Watch the anime opening of Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre:

Though Uzumaki is considered to be one continuous horror story, Maniac is going to be an anthology series, drawing from several of Ito’s most celebrated work. We have several short stories that will be adapted, and we’ll also be meeting some fan-favorite characters like Tomie.

Admittedly, Ito’s work has been having a hard time making its jump to anime, but the author has managed to get fame online for his disturbing and creepy manga alone. Not only do his stories have some horrifying visuals, but they also have some unique Japanese roots, and they’re almost always centered on some beautiful young women.

Though Uzumaki is still considered to be Ito’s most popular work, I think there’s still a lot of his signature style when it comes to Maniac.

The genius Junji Ito has long been at the forefront of the Japanese horror manga world. Featuring a selection of 20 macabre masterpieces brimming with his original worldview and fascinating characters drawn in his stunning style, including popular titles such as “Hanging Balloon” and fan-favorite characters Tomie and Soichi, this animated series will totally immerse viewers in the maniacal charm of Junji Ito.

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre starts streaming on Netflix on Jan. 19, 2023.

Here’s Ito himself announced Junji Ito’s Maniac: Japanese Tales of Macabre:

Junji Ito introduces his upcoming Netflix series, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre. Get ready as he reveals some of his works getting the anime treatment as well as gives a first look sneak peek at some of the character designs.

The series actually draws from several of Ito’s previous work including Tomie, Souichi, and The Hanging Balloons. While the series isn’t going to adapt all the stories, Ito does confirm that it hasn’t been decided which chapters will be making it into animation.

Though Uzumaki is probably Ito’s most popular work, Tomie is considered special for the author seeing as it was his debut manga. Hopefully this title doesn’t come with anymore delays from the announcement, seeing that we’ve had to wait almost a year since the last update on Adult Swim’s Uzumaki adaptation. I mean, we haven’t even gotten a proper trailer yet:

Admittedly, I am not a horror aficionado, but Ito’s work continues to stand out not just for its unique art style, but for its completely disturbing imagery as well which draws a lot of inspiration from its Japanese roots. Fingers crossed we get our first teaser for Maniac before the year ends.

No specific release date has been set for Junji Ito’s Maniac: Japanese Tales of Macabre, but it is set to hit Netflix sometime in 2023.