Junji Ito's Nightmares Become Reality: 13 Horror Stories Are Being Adapted into a Live-Action Series
Great news has arrived that will excite fans of the genius of the horror world, Junji Ito. 13 of the artist's chilling short stories are being adapted into a live-action anthology series titled Strange: Junji Ito's Sleepless Strange Tales (Strange - Ito Junji no Yoru mo Nemurenu Kimyou na Hanashi). The series is set to premiere on July 3, 2026, on Japan's famous TV Tokyo channel during their popular 'Drama 24' block, airing every Friday at midnight at 24:12.
Among the works to be adapted in this new project is Lovesickness (Shibito no Koiwazurai), one of Ito's most well-known works, which follows a mysterious fortune teller in a foggy town. Additionally, other fan-favorite dark stories such as The Mansion of Phantom Pain and The Rib Woman will be included in this 13-episode selection. How well each episode will reflect Ito's unique visual language and psychological tension has already become a subject of great curiosity within the community.
Junji Ito, who has been shaping the horror manga genre since the 1980s, is particularly known for masterpieces such as Uzumaki, Tomie, and Gyo. The artist's works have been adapted for cinema and anime many times before; most recently, the Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre anthology released on Netflix made a big splash. However, reflecting Ito's detailed and grotesque drawing style in a live-action format—that is, with real actors and practical effects—is always seen as a challenging yet equally rewarding task for directors.
TV Tokyo's midnight block, 'Drama 24', is known for hosting bolder and more experimental productions. This increases the hope that Ito's disturbing body horror and supernatural themes can be brought to the screen without censorship. For horror lovers, this series seems to be a candidate for one of the darkest and most impressive productions of the summer. The cast and the names in the director's chair are expected to be clarified in the coming weeks.
