For those of you wondering about the people reaction inside the tunnels. The tunnels were at an angle sloping down inside the mountain. So no matter how hard you struggled you had no choice but to move forward. Also the extremely tight fit, combined with your inability to control your movement would trigger your bodies survival instincts of intense fear and loss of all logic.

I still understand that the premise of this story makes little or no sense, but I’m trying to explain that the reactions once inside the tunnel are quite realistic. But there is no way you could ever get me inside one of those things, regardless of how much it looked like me.

Actually, I’m not sure which is creepier. Trapped in a deforming hole for months (but somehow alive at the end), or dying trapped in there and your deformed corpse emerges.

And as for the dream, it did kind of spoil it - it made the end just a “shock horror image” rather than an expected “twist” (excuse the pun). Perhaps if in the dream, the holes remained in shape and you eventually emerged fine; but due to the effects of the quake, the holes (and its travellers) ended up as something else entirely.

In any case, I still found it amusing/creepy. And I’d probably default towards assuming they’re still alive, simply because “DRR DRR DRR” is a very funny sound for any living thing to make. Go ahead, say it.

DRR DRR DRR

@kid_icarus
Yes, in addtion to that, just entering the holes could represent how we sometimes do bad things or surrender ourselves to a “destiny” that we don’t want but become fixated on.

For another good short, read his short story, “The Central Pillar”. It’s a great allegory on the stress placed on the breadwinner by Japanese society.

All of Ito’s work that I know of has been listed here except for Tomie, which is about an immortal girl that is repeatedly killed by men she has driven insane.

It had some really good elements, enough to keep me reading to the end. Reminded me of classic comics like Strange Tales, Tales from the Crypt and Strange Worlds… but not as fully developed.

keep in mind, people, that this is a comic. i haven’t read any manga, but this one would definitely make me want to read more. it was interesting and gruesome. just imagine if this actually happened… what would YOU have said if you were on the other side observing the mangled gross bodies coming out? eww.. it’s like old chinese feet-binding… slow and painful…

With such great prose like “We’re all looking for our holes” I should have known better to continue reading.

for instance, you do something wrong, you know it’s wrong and you feel guilty about what you’ve done. you continue to punish yourself (either conciously or not) until the view of yourself becomes grotesque and disfigured. well….something like that. i think you get the gist.

either that or the holes make bananas. i never said it was a good theory.

Amusing how some folks want everything explained. Just use your imagination. It’s not necessarily a cave-person punishment thing - that was his dream. The dream spoils the ending, by the way. You’re not surprised by the last page at all.

It’s a great read, but I’m not a big fan of promoting copyright violation, despite the fact that this scan has exposed a great talent to a lot of of people who might never have otherwise read it.

I find it interesting that people think the last page is unnecessary as I thought the sequence on page 26 (and the end of 25). The last page worked well, as did the first dream, but the second one possibly provides too much of a hint about the ending - I’d have preferred it to be more misdirection because once you see the oddly shaped holes on the penultimate page it rather spoils the final panel. Also “It’s slowly coming this way” rather spoils the sense of imminent dread, as you’d expect a reply like, “well I suppose we should think about getting away in the next day or so!!” That said they are minor niggles in an effective tale.

Those looking for more should read Uzumaki (and watch the film as it works well too) and Gyo. Info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junji_Ito

throw ye ol logical brain factor in, and anyone would come to the conclusion that if you were a chubby person, you’d need only wait till you dropped some weight (provided you had water) to get back out.

Also why would anyone deform themselves. Wouldn’t they stop when it started to hurt, and instead start wailing for help?

DRR DRR DRR

There is no part two….that was the end! Sooooo Good!

Thank you!

Good idea though. Would like to read part 2