When the storylines are, to a degree, guessable as an avid horror fan, it doesn't surprise me when the stories go the way they do. With the idea of mental instability, you can kind of guess which direction this story heads.Īgain, the artwork. breaks a curse on a tomb, similar to the theories of many Egyptian tombs, and the curse is passed onto his daughters. I believed the game may have taken inspiration from this one-shot, but quickly found this is not the case, although vaguely similar.Īs with many other Ito stories, it comes down to the artwork within this story, for me. This is one of a few Junji Ito stories that has no overt supernatural element (depending on your interpretation of the true cause of the "Army of One".Layers of Fear is another simple, not as short (forty-ish pages) one-shot by guro author Junji Ito and made it onto my reading list tonight simply for being a one-shot.Īt first, I was attracted to this after recognising the name from the 2016, psychological horror game of the same name (it's an amazing game, I recommend watching a gameplay of it).The "Serial Killer" carrying out the murders was never caught and the ending suggests that it is not the work of a single individual but a form of mass hysteria caused by the brain-washing fliers being sent out in great effect.The military planes (Fighter Jets) sending the fliers out at the end of the story could be a nod to this. The planes dropping the fliers could be a reference to the Allies dropping propaganda material during WWII to citizens living in areas sustaining bombings, although "Army of One" makes the fliers themselves dangerous.Overhead, the fighter jets are revealed to be dropping the Army of One's fliers as well. He finds her sewing her (dead) parents and their dog together, singing the Army of One song to herself. Michio, heartened by the prospect of the Army of One's defeat, runs over to Natsuko's house to tell her he loves her. As he heads to see her, the Army of One planes fly overhead and drop fliers but fighter jets from the Japanese air force arrive, apparently in pursuit. Michio is prepared to risk his life and go to her house to keep her company. Michio calls Natsuko, who is depressed over Sakai's death and becoming suicidal. They later turn up sewn together, including Natsuko's fiancé Sakai.įrom then on, people avoid all forms of social contact or leaving the house. Michio is caught trying to sneak into the ceremony to see if Natsuko is safe she persuades security to let him in, but when they arrive, all five hundred people who had been waiting for the ceremony are missing. The class reunion and "coming of age" ceremony go ahead in spite of official warnings not to congregate in groups. The Army of One is officially labeled a terrorist organisation, though no one is sure who or what the Army really is with some speculating they are an alien presence. On Christmas Eve, the "Army of One" song plays over the radio and the following day, hundreds of dead bodies turn up, sewn together into bizarre patterns and decorating the streets and Christmas trees. Michio learns of internet rumors that the Army of One is behind the so-called "stitch murders." Keisuke disappears after attending a singles mixer (which Michio declined an invitation to) and his body is found several days later, sewn together with those of the other party guests. A plane flies overhead and drops fliers for the "Army of One", which regularly advertises on the radio for new members, but does not provide any details. However, upon learning that Natsuko is about to marry Sakai, Michio becomes dispirited and leaves. On the way home, he discovers six dead bodies sewn together. Michio reluctantly agrees to go to a cafe with Natsuko and two former classmates, Noriyuki Sakai and Keisuke Kasagi. Meanwhile, the dead bodies of a couple who went missing are found sewn together with fishing wire. Everyone from their class in middle school turns 20 this year and will legally become an adult in Japan. Michio is a hikikomori (a person who remains shut inside the house and withdraws from society.) One day, his former classmate, Natsuko Horie, invites him to attend a class reunion for their "coming of age" ceremony. One of Junji Ito's most popular one-shot stories, Army of One is unanimously praised by readers and is often said to be Ito's magnum opus - even as far as saying the short manga is better than its parent manga, Hellstar Remina. Army of One, also titled Billions Alone, is a bonus story after the conclusion of Hellstar Remina.
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