Gyo by Junji Ito

I first came across Gyo through a review on YouTube. I don't read much manga, but this one sounded really interesting and creepy, so I picked it up when I happened to notice it in a comics shop at a mall. Junji Ito is known for his horror stories, so it matched up perfectly with the Book Junkie prompt to read something gruesome, gritty, or gory. Plus, mangas are generally quick reads, so I figured that now was a great time to actually try it. After reading a string of sad books of varying quality levels over the past week, I was in need of something less emotional. I had a feeling this would do nicely.

The story begins on a beach in Okinawa where a young man named Tadashi and his girlfriend Kaori are vacationing. Suddenly, a strange, rotting stench begins to fill the air and the fish begin to walk out of the sea. All of creatures in the ocean, from tiny fishes to great white sharks, have somehow sprouted legs and are on the move. Chaos soon ensues, with everyone scrambling to get out of the streets and hide. Tadashi and Kaori manage to escape back to the home they are staying in, but they are soon attacked by a particularly vicious and persistent fish that they can't seem to shake. Tadashi incapacitates it and secures it in a garbage bag. He plans to take it to his uncle, who is a scientist.

As Tadashi and Kaori make their way back home, the fish continue to crawl out of the ocean and gradually invade all of Japan. They attack any human they come across and begin to spread a hideous disease with their bites. The country is in crisis; martial law is declared and the armed forces begin waging war on the creatures. Tadashi, hoping that his uncle can help figure out what is happening, brings the fish from Okinawa to his lab. His uncle does have some insights, and what he uncovers draws Tadashi and Kaori into a terrifying nightmare.

I realize that summary sounds absolutely ridiculous, and it is, but in the best way possible. Gyo is crazy! I alternated between being creeped out, laughing, and saying "ew" all throughout my reading; I thoroughly enjoyed myself the whole time. The novel is very action-heavy and moves quickly, so I can't describe a lot of it without spoiling too much. What I will say, though, is that the plot is outrageous, bizarre, and very engaging. The illustrations match the content of the story well and are both interesting and gross to examine. This is unlike anything else I have ever read and I was delighted with the experience. It's not a particularly deep or meaningful story, but it's creepy, twisted fun.

Gyo is a wild time, and I would most definitely recommend it to any fans of horror looking for something different to fall into. This would also be a fun pick for anyone interested in trying out manga, as this is a complete story; you can buy the whole thing in one collected volume and avoid being overwhelmed with collecting multiple, short pieces of it. It takes less than an hour to read and is totally worth the time, if you don't mind some gore and a totally bonkers storyline. This was just what I needed after reading too many serious novels in a row! I'm glad that I chose to include this in my read-a-thon.


Challenge Tally
Book Junkie Trials (Orc Grove - Read a gruesome, gritty, or gory book) 10/17
Finally in 2019: 30/6 Books Read - Complete!

Total Books Read in 2019: 48