JAPANESE HORROR | JUNJI ITO

The Thing That Drifted Ashore

Caution: Contains elements of horror that may be unsettling for some readers

The beach is teeming with people. A carcass of an unknown sea creature has washed ashore causing a commotion. Researchers have gathered to investigate this extraordinary find.

The creature is massive and serpent like with luminescent parts, similar to those of an anglerfish. It is possible that this creature lives in the deeper, darker level of the sea using its bioluminescence for navigation.

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Crowd control becomes necessary as police are called to manage the throngs of curious onlookers, despite the sweltering heat.

The stench emanating from the decaying creature is overpowering as the it’s already decaying. Recognizing the creature as discovery of the century, they know they must act swiftly before it decomposes entirely.

A woman named Mie nearly faints but is assisted to a shaded, cooler area by a man. Both harbor a dislike for the ocean, yet something has drawn them to this spectacle today.

The man, afraid of fish and Mie, still grieving for the loss of her fiancé seven years ago in a ferry incident near the Izu coast, where everyone on board went missing.

Meanwhile, the researchers found transparent patches of skin which judging from its position should be the intestinal area of the creature. There, they discovered there are people trapped inside. From the looks of it, they haven’t been digested at all.

They decide to dissect the creature to release the deceased. Hundreds of people spill out, with webbed fingers and long nails, yet strangely they are all still alive.

Among them, Mie recognizes her fiancé, Tadashi. These are the passengers from the ferry incident seven years ago.

As researchers debate the possibility of seven years of survival within the creature, Mie attempts to communicate with Tadashi but he and the others react aggressively.

The man who aided her earlier pulls her away, explaining that Tadashi and the rest are no longer themselves.

They have become parasitic creatures, surviving by absorbing nutrients from the sea creature.

The humanoid creatures start marching away on all fours from the beach.

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My Interpretative Reflection

This story is a metaphor for humanity and the Earth. The humanity’s parasitic relationship with the Earth where human as a collective, often exploit and overcrowd the Earth’s resources.

The exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and deforestation are parallel to the parasitic human draining the life from the sea creature.

The aggressive behavior of the humanoid creatures signifies the resistance to acknowledging the damage inflicted upon the Earth.

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重層と漂着！『伊藤潤二 マニアック 第八話』ネタバレ解説・感想・あらすじ／Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023) (maruyamapot.com) 伊藤潤二コレクション 漂着物 / 88❘伊藤潤二❘無料・試し読みも【漫画・電子書籍のソク読み】 (sokuyomi.jp) Amazon.co.jp: 漂着物（伊藤潤二コレクション 88） (朝日コミックス) eBook : 伊藤 潤二: Kindle Store 伊藤潤二『マニアック』 各話情報 #08 | 株式会社スタジオディーン (deen.co.jp)