Review: Museum of Terror: Tomie 2
With a lot more free time on my hands, I've started reading some manga again. This time, I finished Museum of Terror: Tomie 2, written by Junji Ito and translated in English and published by Dark Horse Comics.
Tomie is a series of episodic horror stories about an alluring girl who drives men mad with lust--to the point that they usually end up violently killing her, though she has the power to regenerate rapidly. While most of the stories are stand-alone, some of them are connected, with recurring characters. I'd read 2 complete volumes of Tomie before, which I believe were the ones published by ComicsOne, and so I was familiar with the series. When I first heard of the premise of the Tomie series, I have to admit that I thought it was bland. Like Freddy and Jason movies where you can't kill the bad guy no matter what... it was sure to get repetitive after awhile. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the different situations in which the characters--not all of them susceptible to Tomie's charms found themselves with her.
Though Tomie's victims are clearly after her for lust, there is not much explicit sexuality here. While there is nudity, it's rendered in a non-erotic way, and this series is definitely not an ecchi or fanservice series. It is however, extremely graphic and gory, as Tomie's obsessed suitors come up with increasingly horrible ways to destroy her.
Tomie 2 consists of 11 chapters, with the final 3 being related.
I remember reading Assassins before in another translated volume. It demonstrates the persuasive power Tomie has over men, as well as the deadly jealousy that the multiple copies of Tomie have for each other. The atmosphere in this one was very appropriately dark throughout, and sets the tone for the outbreak of violence that will occur between multiple Tomies later in the volume.
Next is Hair, which I also remember reading before. A girl discovers a lock of hair in her father's study, and, upon discovering that the hair can be transplanted into one's scalp, begins to obsess over who the mysterious, beautiful hair once belonged to. I thought this one was interesting because of how, without actually being in the story herself, Tomie still affected the lives of those who came in contact with her (through her hair).
Adopted Daughter is the last of the chapters that I'd already read before, and I have to say that it's probably my favorite in this volume. It opens with some townspeople discussing the recent death of a girl who had been adopted by a local rich couple--the latest in a string of many similar deaths of young girls at the couple's hands. The gossip closes with people speculating over whether rumors that the couple suck the life out of all the young girls they adopt is true. Then, when the devoted maid of the elderly couple finds a beautiful young girl sleeping outside the mansion one rainy night, the secrets of the mansion are revealed.
I definitely enjoyed this one. There was a sinister air hanging over the house throughout the story--and not just because of Tomie this time. Though Tomie does tend to bring out the worst in people, it's interesting to see how some characters are evil of their own accord. I also felt very sad for Tomie's victims in this one, because they weren't the usual lust-filled suitors this time, just some unsuspecting people who she manipulated.
Little Finger was one I hadn't read before. It's interesting, and one of the few times in which a character proves (largely) insusceptible to Tomie's charms. This story sheds a lot of light on the nature of Tomie's craving for attention, and how it may be a lot more significant than just for mere vanity.
Boy and The Babysitter were interesting scenarios; again, different from the run-of-the-mill Tomie seduces a man, then gets killed by man plotline. I thought Moromi was the weakest of the stories, though it did have that "ick factor" that Ito is so good at producing in a lot of his works.
The message that I derived from The Gathering was that what Tomie inspires in people is not real love at all, though she really doesn't seem to want to have it any other way. It's always nice to see a character who is immune to her, however.
Finally, the chapters Passing Demon, Top Model, and Old and Ugly are all connected, with Top Model giving some history on the situation that crops up in Passing Demon and Old and Ugly. These were okay, but not spectacular. I'm not really a fan of the storylines where the Tomies are competing with each other.
All in all, a pretty interesting read. I got this volume purely because I enjoyed the first two that I read and wanted more. I wish Ito would write more of these stories, maybe give some more background as to what Tomie is and how she came to be, or something. The art is clean and fluid, and simply gorgeous. The stories are varied and while not as good as some of his other works, still a good read.
8/10
Tomie is a series of episodic horror stories about an alluring girl who drives men mad with lust--to the point that they usually end up violently killing her, though she has the power to regenerate rapidly. While most of the stories are stand-alone, some of them are connected, with recurring characters. I'd read 2 complete volumes of Tomie before, which I believe were the ones published by ComicsOne, and so I was familiar with the series. When I first heard of the premise of the Tomie series, I have to admit that I thought it was bland. Like Freddy and Jason movies where you can't kill the bad guy no matter what... it was sure to get repetitive after awhile. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the different situations in which the characters--not all of them susceptible to Tomie's charms found themselves with her.
Though Tomie's victims are clearly after her for lust, there is not much explicit sexuality here. While there is nudity, it's rendered in a non-erotic way, and this series is definitely not an ecchi or fanservice series. It is however, extremely graphic and gory, as Tomie's obsessed suitors come up with increasingly horrible ways to destroy her.
Tomie 2 consists of 11 chapters, with the final 3 being related.
I remember reading Assassins before in another translated volume. It demonstrates the persuasive power Tomie has over men, as well as the deadly jealousy that the multiple copies of Tomie have for each other. The atmosphere in this one was very appropriately dark throughout, and sets the tone for the outbreak of violence that will occur between multiple Tomies later in the volume.
Next is Hair, which I also remember reading before. A girl discovers a lock of hair in her father's study, and, upon discovering that the hair can be transplanted into one's scalp, begins to obsess over who the mysterious, beautiful hair once belonged to. I thought this one was interesting because of how, without actually being in the story herself, Tomie still affected the lives of those who came in contact with her (through her hair).
Adopted Daughter is the last of the chapters that I'd already read before, and I have to say that it's probably my favorite in this volume. It opens with some townspeople discussing the recent death of a girl who had been adopted by a local rich couple--the latest in a string of many similar deaths of young girls at the couple's hands. The gossip closes with people speculating over whether rumors that the couple suck the life out of all the young girls they adopt is true. Then, when the devoted maid of the elderly couple finds a beautiful young girl sleeping outside the mansion one rainy night, the secrets of the mansion are revealed.
I definitely enjoyed this one. There was a sinister air hanging over the house throughout the story--and not just because of Tomie this time. Though Tomie does tend to bring out the worst in people, it's interesting to see how some characters are evil of their own accord. I also felt very sad for Tomie's victims in this one, because they weren't the usual lust-filled suitors this time, just some unsuspecting people who she manipulated.
Little Finger was one I hadn't read before. It's interesting, and one of the few times in which a character proves (largely) insusceptible to Tomie's charms. This story sheds a lot of light on the nature of Tomie's craving for attention, and how it may be a lot more significant than just for mere vanity.
Boy and The Babysitter were interesting scenarios; again, different from the run-of-the-mill Tomie seduces a man, then gets killed by man plotline. I thought Moromi was the weakest of the stories, though it did have that "ick factor" that Ito is so good at producing in a lot of his works.
The message that I derived from The Gathering was that what Tomie inspires in people is not real love at all, though she really doesn't seem to want to have it any other way. It's always nice to see a character who is immune to her, however.
Finally, the chapters Passing Demon, Top Model, and Old and Ugly are all connected, with Top Model giving some history on the situation that crops up in Passing Demon and Old and Ugly. These were okay, but not spectacular. I'm not really a fan of the storylines where the Tomies are competing with each other.
All in all, a pretty interesting read. I got this volume purely because I enjoyed the first two that I read and wanted more. I wish Ito would write more of these stories, maybe give some more background as to what Tomie is and how she came to be, or something. The art is clean and fluid, and simply gorgeous. The stories are varied and while not as good as some of his other works, still a good read.
8/10