On multiple occurrences, I felt uncomfortable or uneasy while reading, which is expected, and I could feel these characters’ struggles. The issues it explores, such as our obsession with idols or famous people, and how Junji Ito connects this story to our world, albeit through a far more twisted lens, is incredible. Luckily, it takes up a large chunk of this book, so it’s definitely still worth the read. “Lovesickness” is by far the best story in Junji Ito’s newest release, and for me, it was the only one in the collection that I can say I enjoyed reading from start to finish. But when a strikingly handsome boy appears, mysterious deaths start occurring and Ryusuke takes it upon himself to stop him, but of course, there’s more to the story that you’ll discover as it unfolds. In this town, people have become obsessed with “Crossroads fortunes,” which people receive by standing in an intersection and asking the first person who comes by to give them their fortune whether it be good or bad. The collection opens up with “Lovesickness”, a story that follows Ryusuke, who moves back to his childhood hometown. This collection contains multiple stories, so it has quite a bit of content to dig into, but unfortunately, only one of its stories continued to haunt me by its end. Much like his other works, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, outlines his characters' descent into madness as they each become obsessed in various ways. Junji Ito is a master at storytelling and his distinctive art style and approach to horror have made his creations, like Uzumaki, which is one of the top horror manga, and Tomie to name a few, some of his best to release.

Love sick junji ito