Excellent horror story from Junji Ito. Certain to appeal to his die-hard fans and not a bad manga to start with for those unfamiliar.

A story about a killer planet is always going to be goofy but, even accepting that, Remina is badly written and so coconuts as to be laughable. The dialogue is always awful, the plotting is child-like and one absurd thing happens after another until you don’t care about any of it.

Remina is the daughter of the scientist who discovered this killer planet and who subsequently names the planet after her. Then when the planet starts moving towards Earth, blowing up all the planets in our solar system along the way, seemingly everyone decides Remina is somehow calling this planet to her - based on nothing more than having the same name - and to appease the planet she has to die?!

It makes no sense and is just an excuse for the characters to run around screaming while Remina the planet sits patiently besides Earth (which doesn’t seem to have any effect on Earth’s gravitational pull, etc.) until the book nears its end and so gives the increasingly batty story a conclusion.

I have read quite a few of Junji Ito's works and this one fell a little flat. The idea of a sentient planet destroying the universe was interesting as well as the mob mentality that ensues, but the characters were very one dimensiona.l

This felt a little more sci-fi than Junji Ito usually does, and the plot was kinda hard to follow at times, but overall, I was thoroughly creeped out by this book (especially the one scene that I won't describe because spoilers, but I will say it did involve a cross...*shudder*). Two severed thumbs up.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

A typical Junji Ito. It is a weirdly wonderful premise with a smattering of other stories. Any fans of Ito will enjoy it.

This was a short read that progressed quickly. It also leaves you on a cliffhanger, but that is part of horror sometimes, no? The story shows how quickly we can lose our humanity in the face of dire circumstances but also explores the horror of certain death.

I read this book as a Member of ALA's Best Graphic Novels for Adults 2021 Selection Committee. I could not rate or review while on the committee.
I did purchase a copy for my library and have recommended it to people who have enjoyed Junji Ito's other books or enjoy horror.

This is far from the genre I normally pick up but this book is awesome and so crazy. In terms of science fiction it’s very heavy on the “fiction” but that is what makes it so fun. Every single moment from the point that a planet eating planet shows up on Earth’s front door to the very end is like a shark jumping obstacle course. Almost everything in this book is physically impossible and that is why it is so fun to read!
Full review to come on YouTube.

An excellent exploration of the horrors of humanity in a time of crisis. Truly chilling moments that can leave a reader awake at night - in true Junji Ito fashion. A great tale from the master of horror manga.

Marked with Junji Ito's trademark simple-but-dark art, this story shows the best and worst of humanity. It's a solid book, but unfortunately pales in comparison to other works by the author.

Junji Ito doesn't ever disappoint, and Remina is yet another example of that. Quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. One of the most distinct voices in horror -- there are absolutely no comparable artists out there at this time. Remina is equal parts terrifying, mystifying, and moving.

Honestly, I had a very difficult time reading this and it's taken me nearly a year to finish it. I was really excited about it, but it was either the art style or the story that I just couldn't get into and I really love graphic novels. I will try again in the future, but it didn't work for me.

Junji Ito captures the extremes of human emotion well in Remina. An interesting mix of sci-fi and horror, Remina would be a great addition to any Ito fan's library. I'm glad to see the release of so many of Ito's works, and I'm lookking forward to more.

Another Junji Ito! This one was so much better than the last one I read. I loved this concept and the more sci - fi elements of the space aspect of the story.

A typical Junji Ito. It is a wacky premise and a bit sillier than some of his other stories. Any fans of Ito will certainly enjoy it.

There are many ways to start a story, but you’ve got to start with a hook for the most part. Since this story’s title is simply a name, some attachment must be formed between the reader and the name very early on. That’s precisely what Junji Ito does in the first few pages of this sci-fi thriller. Simultaneously, the images are just so wild and extraordinary, and you’re left with no choice but to keep flipping through the pages to figure out what is going on.

A good sci-fi thriller keeps an air of mystery about itself. Throughout the beginning, as we are introduced to the titular character, there’s always an unsettling feeling within the panels of this story that made me sort of anxious for what could happen. It was that anxiety, I think, that kept me dug in until the very end. Remina is the daughter of a famous astronomer who has discovered a peculiar planet traveling through the cosmos. He names the planet after his daughter since the planet arrived in their universe on Remina’s 16th birthday. It is also 16 light-years away from the planet earth. With such a huge discovery, Remina becomes an instant sensation with her own fan club, sponsor, and tv deals. There are many eyes on her for what seems to be an arbitrary reason… nonetheless- the world loves Remina.

It’s that love that drives the story forward and thrusts the innocent young girl into a living nightmare. I mean that in both a literal and figurative sense. I haven’t indulged in much H.P. Lovecraft material but seeing Planet Remina as we progress through the story gave me chills. Also, it honestly made me feel very small- if not helpless. I can only speak for myself in saying that at a certain point, I had to accept that I was a bit uncomfortable with how I was empathizing with the human population in their desperation. Would I act the same way? If I had lost all hope- would my hopelessness turn into vindictive anger? Perhaps, Junji Ito wanted us to ask this question of ourselves- to feel what his fictional world was feeling because even though all the darkness that Remina endures, there are at least a few characters that allow us to see the best in humanity even at its absolute worst. Those little specks of light allowed me to be hopeful and made a race to the conclusion that more important to me and that much more satisfying.

Junji Ito’s illustrations in Remina are incredible and terrifying- The imagination this man possesses and then able to translate that to pen and paper is what really breathes life into an already interesting plot. There are definitely moments where the rough lines and blots of ink make it hard to determine things like perspective and distance. However, overall I think shock value in art weighs more than realism in his work. Scale played a huge part in making this story as convincing as it was. He tells a story from the human perspective, i.e., ground level earth, what is happening outside of earth, and how ground-level earth is affected. It’s a massive under taking, and as such, it made me step back a couple of times on a panel to take a moment to see what was actually happening. As much as Remina is a sci-fi thriller, it is very psychological, as with many of his works. Underneath the brutality and Lovecraftian prose and imagery is a quiet, perhaps shy commentary of the human condition. It’s a commentary that speaks to our best selves by showing us our ugliest selves. I encourage others to face this dark tale to see what Remina shows to them. I will say that this single volume is a bit tamer than previous works. There is certainly less gore if any. And while that kind of stuff certainly delivers a strong shock value, there are other ways to accomplish that. Remina is a testament to Junji Ito’s ability to strike fear into his reader’s hearts.

Okay, so, first things first: this isn't one of Ito's best. The thing is, a "not his best" from Junji Ito is still pretty freakin' good, y'know?
The basic story is a planet comes through a wormhole, and the scientist that discovers it names it Remina, after his teenage daughter. The two become instantly famous, and everyone loves them until it becomes clear that the planet is heading toward Earth in a hurry, eating (as in actually ingesting) any planet that gets in its way. The frightened public needs someone to blame, and they come after Remina and her father, thinking if they kill the two, the killer planet will disappear, because humans really are dumb creatures. I won't go into detail, but things get really real, and there's all kinds of violence and hate and general dark side of humanity stuff going on. As the planet Remina gets closer to Earth, things get intense, and Ito brings the dread hard and heavy. While the plot does require a fair amount of disbelief suspending, the cosmic horror of the Earth being destroyed with no way to stop it or to escape it does make for a good story. The art is well done, with lots of action and chase scenes, lots of darkness, suspense, and creeptastic images to make us shiver. However....
The characters leave a lot to be desired. They're one-dimensional and flat, with some being caricaturish. Remina herself is such a milquetoast that her only real purpose seems to be to provide a name for the planet. I wasn't invested in any of the characters. Well, except maybe the planet Remina. The planet is the best character in the story, it gave me the heebie-jeebies! Even with these issues, I'd still recommend this book to fans, new or old; just go in knowing there are some flaws.

#Remina #NetGalley.

Junji Ito never ceases to amaze me with his art and stories. He knows how to draw horror and bring it to life, it’s like watching a movie. This story is odd and out there( I mean what junji ito book isn’t) but I was very happy with the ending and I can’t wait to pick up a physically copy to add to my collection.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I found this book horrifying in a realistic way. Honestly, if something similar happened to our world, I believe this is how all the people would act. This book is a bit tame for Junji Ito, at least from what I have read of his titles. I felt it was more science fiction mixed with a bit of thriller and horror. The art, as always, is fantastic. Junji Ito really knows how to capture a scene and human facial expressions.

I think this is a great starting point for anyone who might be interested in reading Junji Ito, but who may not be sure how they feel about the horror aspect of his works.

Another weird and spooky, artful story from Junji Ito! I'm always worried he'll run out of stories to illustrate and tell, and they'll start growing old or boring, but he continues to surprise me every time! I appreciate his continued use of putting the lead up on one page and a spread of horror on the next to instill anxiety and suspense.

Definitely worth a read if you are a fan of horror, manga, or Junji Ito.