bollier

If you are looking for a manga that is strange/macabre, then Junji Ito is your man.  Gyo is just one example of his work that shows us that even the most ludicrous ideas can be truly interesting if done correctly.

STORY: 7/10

The basic premise of Gyo is that fish mysteriously obtain insect-like legs and start overrunning Japan. Tadashi and his girlfriend, Kaori, must survive this insanity while trying to find the source of it and end it. As mentioned before, this idea is very strange, but Junji Ito does a magnificent job of making it work.  The first volume does have some moments, however, that are notably a little silly, such as the main characters being attacked by a shark with legs.  It is in the second volume in which things get truly frightening.  I won't spoil anything, but what occurs in this volume will truly make your skin crawl.  Finally, the ending is a little...strange, but I guess it really fits the general feel of the manga.

ART: 9/10

The art is where this series shines.  Everything in this series has an eerie feel to it, which fits in beautifully with the story.  It takes a lot to make walking killer fish seem like at least a semi-serious, and Junji Ito does a great job of this.  The art is clean and crisp, and adds a lot to the story. 

CHARACTERS: 7/10

The characters in the story fit well, yet seem a little flat.  Kaori, for example is shown to have a sensitive nose as well as a jealous streak, and that is basically all the characterization she gets.  Tadashi pretty much sets out to protect Kaori, and that is as far as he goes.  Another character, Doctor Koyonagi, is your typical scientist obsessed with solving the mystery of the walking fish, and despite his stereotypical nature, he does add some flair to the series.  None of the other characters truly stand out as amazing, yet their interactions are interesting enough to fit in the story without detracting from it.

Gyo is a very interesting read.  The story maintained my interest throughout both volumes, despite generally uninteresting characters, and for that, I give it a solid 8/10 overall.