A horror curse has loomed over a long line of adaptations in the genre, but Netflix‘s upcoming Lovecraftian show might finally break it. In live-action storytelling, cosmic horror is one subgenre that will always be hit or miss. Some filmmakers manage to capture H.P. Lovecraft’s brand of “fear of the unknown.“
However, many others struggle to capture the sheer scale of existential dread and incomprehensible terror that makes the genre so effective in literature. Netflix’s upcoming cosmic horror show, titled Bloody Smart, is based on the works of iconic mangaka Junji Ito. Ito is known for drawing heavily from H.P. Lovecraft’s stories while merging existing cosmic horror tropes with his own twisted vision.
This is not the first time Junji Ito’s manga is being adapted for the screen. In fact, in recent years, there have been a wave of anime adaptations that have tried to translate his manga. Unfortunately, nearly all of these adaptations have been weighed down by a “curse.” From the looks of it, Netflix’s Bloody Smart will finally break this curse for good.
Netflix’s New Junji Ito Show Can Finally Break His Manga Adaptation Curse
Almost all manga-to-screen adaptations of Junji Ito’s works have been underwhelming. The live-action Uzumaki movie from 2000 is now considered a cult classic. However, the film is only considered decent because all other takes on Ito’s works have struggled to capture the Lovecraftian essence of his horror storytelling.
Unlike most literary works in the cosmic horror genre, Junji Ito’s stories do not work because of the “written word.” They instill chills and thrills in readers because of Ito’s incredibly terrifying artwork. In terms of narrative depth, most of his stories are just bizarre and chaotic, which does not translate too well to the screen.
Interestingly, Netflix’s Bloody Smart is taking a unique adaptation approach. Instead of treading the same path as most previous adaptations, the Netflix horror show will not directly adapt one particular Junji Ito story. Instead, it will combine all of them into one cohesive narrative about the lives of the students of a small town.
The show unfolds in a school town that is obsessed with academic perfection. Things take a strange turn when a mysterious Bloody Fruit Tree with crimson fruits suddenly shows up. The more the residents consume the fruit, the more their repressed desires and emotions are set loose.
With this storyline as its narrative foundation, the Netflix show will borrow terrifying imagery from multiple Junji Ito stories like Slug Girl, The Chill, Tomie, The Shard of Evil, The Hanging Balloons, Yon & Mu, Lovesickness, and Soichi.
While only time will tell whether this new approach towards adapting Junji Ito’s stories will work out, Netflix’s Bloody Smart has the potential to break the adaptation curse and finally bring us a worthy take on Ito’s work.
Junji Ito’s Lovecraftian Inspirations Make Netflix’s Bloody Smart Both Risky & Exciting
Junji Ito has always been vocal about Lovecraft’s influence on his work, especially in manga like Uzumaki (via PTSDarkness). It is these Lovecraftian elements that are often challenging to capture in live-action adaptations. Just like the overarching threats in H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, the evil forces in Ito’s stories are intangible and invisible.
Like Lovecraft, Ito uses humanity’s flaws, limitations, and vulnerabilities to portray the true nature of the dark and almost godly forces that loom above. Horror storytelling in the audiovisual medium usually has to be more explicit and clear with its portrayal, which is why it is often hard for movies and TV shows to preserve the unsettling ambiguity that makes cosmic horror so effective.
Netflix’s Bloody Smart, however, is seemingly taking a smarter approach by giving Ito’s intangible terrors a more psychological and atmospheric. This allows the show to capture the bizarre imagery from Ito’s manga while still delivering a relatable story about academic pressure.
Hopefully, the Netflix show will be better than most previous adaptations of Ito’s work and prove to be a worthy addition to the Lovecraftian horror subgenre.