This is my first full-length Junji Ito read, as I’ve only looked at his short works before. As a standalone, this has a somewhat odd narrative, but the visuals and cosmic horror are top notch—creating a perfect atmosphere for that feeling of slightly unsettled in your own skin. The main downside is that the plot had a lot of conveniences and was overall a bit strange, with odd pacing throughout. There is also a rather large cast of characters that pulls the story in a few different directions, which can be jarring.

Still, the central concept of the ‘alien’ planet that comes to threaten earth raises a lot of interesting philosophical and more physical questions—like who gets to survive a catastrophic event, and what qualities are needed to survive in such circumstances. I wanted some more depth from this, but it was a relatively short work, so I wasn’t too surprised in that regard.

The visuals, in classic Junji Ito style, are the best part of this. Every perspective on the planet of Remina is stunning and terrifying at the same time. The cosmic scenes and faces of horror are spot on. It’s just a pity that the characters and plot drag behind, but given the quality of the art and the fact that it was a quick read, it was still enjoyable.