I am a huge fan of horror comics, and it still excites me when I stumble upon a work which is genuinely creepy.
The Enigma of Amigara Fault is one such comic.
It’s a short Lovecraftian horror manga by Junji Ito, which was originally published in the back of the second volume of his zombie/fish apocalypse book Gyo (which is a brilliant piece of work).
A boy named Owaki, and a girl, Yoshida, meet on Amigara Mountain, where a strange and unsettling discovery has been made.
Human shaped holes are scattered across the mountain face, and gradually it becomes clear that the holes are ‘calling’ to the people they are shaped like. Yoshida also feels this calling, although Owaki tries his best to help her.
What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. Suffice to say, those who are claustrophobic should think twice about reading this story, as certain images will linger with you and haunt your dreams for a long time!
There is a powerful symbolism in the story which delves on themes of compulsion, and the urge within a person to destroy their own self. Of course, the mountain is the source of their compulsion, and ultimately, madness.
It is difficult to find a copy of the manga today, but there are certain online sites like this one, where you can read it. Like many manga comics out there, one thing to remember is to read it from right to left otherwise it might leave you very confused.
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