Smashed by Junji Ito: What’s Inside This Manga Collection
Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection packs 13 short horror manga stories into a single 416-page hardcover, published in English by VIZ Media under their VIZ Signature line (VIZ’s premium manga imprint). It hit shelves on April 16, 2019, and it’s one of the meatiest single-volume Ito collections you can get.
The stories inside were originally published across two Japanese volumes: Voices in the Dark and New Voices in the Dark: Splatter Film. VIZ compiled nearly all of those stories here — the one exception is “Glyceride,” which ended up in the earlier collection Shiver instead.
What kind of horror are we talking about? It’s a mix:
- Supernatural horror — ghosts, curses, doppelgangers, forbidden substances with nightmarish consequences
- Cosmic/existential dread — people becoming permanently rooted to the ground, libraries that reveal your future
- Dark comedy — three stories feature Soichi, Ito’s mischievous recurring troublemaker. Soichi is a creepy kid who chews on iron nails and fancies himself a dark sorcerer — he’s equal parts annoying little brother and genuine menace, and fans love him for it. His stories blend creepy and funny in a way only Ito pulls off.
Fan-favorite stories in this collection include “Bloodsucking Darkness,” “Earthbound,” and the title story “Smashed” — all of which showcase Ito at his most inventive and unsettling.
Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection (Hardcover)
Complete Story List with Descriptions
Here’s every story in Smashed, in reading order. No major spoilers — just enough to know what you’re getting into.
1. Bloodsucking Darkness
A college student investigates an abandoned building that’s become home to a colony of vampire bats. But these aren’t ordinary bats, and the building holds something far worse than an infestation. This one starts with a seemingly simple premise and spirals into body horror — horror that focuses on the human body being transformed, damaged, or violated in disturbing ways. It’s one of the longer stories in the collection and hits hard right out of the gate.
2. Ghosts of Prime Time
A TV variety show keeps capturing ghostly figures on camera during live broadcasts. The production crew tries to figure out what’s happening, but the ghosts seem to be multiplying with each episode. Ito plays with the idea of media and spectacle here — the horror of something wrong happening on live television that nobody can stop.
3. Roar
A mysterious, deafening roaring sound descends on a neighborhood. Nobody can find the source. It doesn’t stop. People start losing their minds. This story builds enormous tension from a single, simple concept. The sound itself never gets explained in a neat way, which makes it linger in your head long after you finish reading.
4. Earthbound
People are becoming literally rooted to the ground. They stand in one spot, unable (or unwilling) to move, and gradually become part of the landscape. Others walk past them. Life goes on. This is one of the most haunting stories in the collection — not because of gore or jump scares, but because of the quiet dread of the premise. What if you just… stopped? And couldn’t start again?
5. Death Row Doorbell
A condemned prisoner is executed, but his ghost begins ringing doorbells in the neighborhood where he committed his crimes. The residents know who it is. They know what he did. And now he’s at their doors. Ito takes a revenge-ghost setup and gives it a deeply unsettling spin — the horror isn’t just the ghost, it’s the guilt and fear of the living.
6. The Mystery of the Haunted House
A group visits a supposedly haunted house, and things go predictably (and then unpredictably) wrong. This story sets up the next one — read them as a pair.
7. The Mystery of the Haunted House: Soichi’s Version
The same haunted house events, retold from the perspective of Soichi — the nail-chewing kid introduced earlier, who causes supernatural mischief wherever he goes. Seeing the same events through his eyes completely changes the tone. What was scary becomes darkly funny, and what seemed random suddenly has a cause.
8. Soichi’s Beloved Pet
Soichi adopts a pet. He really, really shouldn’t have. This is pure dark comedy — Soichi’s boundless confidence combined with his terrible judgment makes for a story that’s creepy and genuinely funny at the same time. Even if you’re meeting Soichi for the first time in this collection, his personality comes through immediately: he’s a kid who thinks he’s the scariest thing in any room, and the gap between his self-image and reality is where the comedy lives.
9. In Mirror Valley
A town near a valley of natural mirrors starts encountering doppelgangers — perfect copies of themselves that emerge from reflections. The copies aren’t friendly. Ito has been exploring doubles and reflections throughout his career, and this story is one of his most focused takes on the concept. The art in the mirror sequences is especially striking.
10. I Don’t Want to Be a Ghost
A woman is terrified — not of ghosts, but of becoming one after she dies. She’s so afraid of haunting others that the fear itself starts to consume her life. This one’s surprisingly emotional. Ito takes what sounds like a punchline setup and turns it into something genuinely sad and unsettling.
11. Library Vision
A library contains books that reveal readers’ futures. Naturally, people can’t resist reading them. And naturally, what they find isn’t good. The concept is elegant and the execution is pure Ito — the horror comes not from monsters but from knowledge you can’t un-know.
12. Splendid Shadow Song
A musician’s song becomes an inescapable curse that lodges in listeners’ minds with increasingly destructive consequences. Ito uses the premise to explore obsession and the dangerous power of art taken to extremes.
13. Smashed (Title Story)
The collection’s namesake. A traveler discovers a forbidden nectar deep in the mountains. It tastes incredible — life-changingly good. But consuming it comes with a horrifying price that the locals know all too well. This story is everything Ito does best distilled into a single tale: a simple temptation, an irreversible choice, and consequences drawn in excruciating detail. It earns its place as the title story.
Where Smashed Fits Among Junji Ito’s Manga Collections
VIZ Media has published several Junji Ito short story collections in English. If you’re trying to figure out how Smashed compares to the others, here’s a quick breakdown:
| Collection | Year | Horror Style | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fragments of Horror | 2015 | Atmospheric, subtle, experimental | Shorter stories, more literary feel; a good second or third Ito book rather than a starting point |
| Shiver | 2017 | Body horror, visceral, gross-out | Includes Ito’s author commentary explaining his creative process; strong entry point |
| Smashed | 2019 | Supernatural, ghostly, dark comedy | 3 Soichi stories, most variety in tone; great as a second collection after Shiver |
| Venus in the Blind Spot | 2020 | Mixed — sci-fi horror, classic ghost stories | Includes Ito’s adaptation of a story by Rampo Edogawa (a classic Japanese mystery/horror author); another solid pick after Smashed |
A few things that make Smashed stand out:
- It leans more supernatural than Shiver. Where Shiver is heavy on body horror and visceral disgust, Smashed gravitates toward ghosts, curses, and eerie phenomena. If Shiver felt too gross for you at times, Smashed is generally less visceral and more creepy.
- It’s the only standalone collection with significant Soichi content. Three of the 13 stories feature Soichi. These stories are lighter and funnier than the rest, giving the collection a nice tonal range you don’t get in Shiver or Fragments of Horror.
- It has the most variety. You get vampire horror, existential dread, media satire, ghost stories, dark comedy, and cosmic weirdness all in one book. No two stories feel alike.
Who Should Buy Smashed (and Who Might Want to Start Elsewhere)
Smashed is a great collection, but it’s not necessarily the first Ito book to pick up. Here’s a quick guide to whether it’s right for you:
Smashed is a great pick if you…
- Already read and loved Shiver and want more short-form Ito. Smashed is a natural companion volume in VIZ’s Junji Ito hardcover lineup — same format, same short-story approach.
- Prefer supernatural horror over body horror. Ghosts, curses, and unexplained phenomena are the main event here.
- Love Soichi. This is the only collection where Soichi gets three stories. If you’ve encountered him in Junji Ito Maniac (the Netflix anthology) or in fan clips and want more, this is where to go.
- Want tonal variety. Some Ito collections are relentlessly dark. Smashed lets you breathe between scares with the Soichi comedy stories.
Consider starting somewhere else if…
- You’ve never read any Junji Ito before. Uzumaki is a single continuous story (not disconnected shorts), which makes it easier to get absorbed in Ito’s world and understand why his horror works so well. Shiver is the other strong entry point because it includes author commentary where Ito explains his creative process, giving you context that makes every other collection richer. Either one will give you a stronger foundation before diving into Smashed.
- You want maximum body horror. Shiver and Tomie deliver more of the visceral, skin-crawling imagery Ito is famous for. Smashed has its moments, but it’s not the grossest collection.
That said — there’s no wrong door into Ito’s work. If Smashed is the one that caught your eye, grab it. Every story stands on its own, and you don’t need any prior reading to enjoy it.
Where to Buy Smashed
Smashed is widely available in both physical and digital formats. The MSRP for the hardcover is $25.00, though you can usually find it discounted.
Physical (Hardcover)
The hardcover is a VIZ Signature release — nice paper quality, solid binding, and it looks great on a shelf. It’s available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and most local bookstores (or through their special order systems). You can also order directly from the VIZ Media website.
Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection (Hardcover, 416 pages)
Digital (Kindle / E-reader)
If you prefer reading on a tablet or e-reader, Smashed is available on Kindle, Apple Books, and VIZ Media’s own reading app. The Kindle version is usually priced lower than the hardcover.
A couple of things to keep in mind if you’re new to reading manga digitally: Like most manga, Smashed reads right-to-left — you start at what would be the “back” of an English book and read each page from the right panel to the left. The Kindle and app versions handle this automatically, so you just swipe and read. Also, Ito’s art is incredibly detailed and linework-heavy. It looks best on a larger screen — a 10″ tablet works well, while a standard Kindle can feel a bit cramped for double-page spreads. If you have the option, the hardcover is the better way to experience the art.
Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection (Kindle Edition)
Can You Read Smashed on MangaDex or Mangago?
You might find Smashed stories floating around on unofficial upload sites like MangaDex or Mangago. These are unauthorized copies — the translations aren’t official, and the image quality is typically worse than the licensed release. VIZ Media is the only licensed English publisher of this collection, and the official version is where the translation quality and print reproduction are at their best.
The hardcover is reasonably priced for 416 pages of content, and the Kindle version is even more affordable. If you’re deciding between an unofficial upload and the real thing, the official release is worth the money.
Quick Reference
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Author / Artist | Junji Ito |
| Publisher | VIZ Media (VIZ Signature imprint) |
| Format | Hardcover, 416 pages |
| English Release Date | April 16, 2019 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1421598468 |
| Number of Stories | 13 |
| MSRP | $25.00 (hardcover) |
| Source Material | Voices in the Dark + New Voices in the Dark: Splatter Film (minus “Glyceride”) |