3/20/2024 0 Comments Manga travelogue of the succubusIf nothing else, I recommend fans seek it (and only it) out to read. It is the clear highlight of the book, but that's because it's mostly divorced from the unimpressive overarching narrative. There are bright spots of things I enjoyed: one standalone chapter ( Battle at Bishagaura) features a town plagued by grotesque insects possessed by the souls of suicide victims. The primary antagonist is evil for evil's sake, wanting Kyoko’s powers to become a god - but again, the consequences of that happening are so nebulous in the physical world that he’s an uncompelling non-threat at worst, and comical at best. Wataru and Kyoko behave more like spectators to the plot than active participants Kyoko especially lacks any significant reaction to happenings around her, despite all conflict centered around her agency. Sadly, characters have never been the star of any of Ito’s works, and Sensor is much of the same - only here, the premise of the story can’t prop them up to pick up the slack. Sensor may have been saved if its characters were compelling. His expert panel composition and use of the page-turn reveal are all on display, but it's all in service to a non-start of a story with zero tension. If you’re familiar with his style, it's all much the same. Nothing outstanding or noteworthy to put it above or below his typical standards. It took me several sittings to get through it, while nearly all of Ito’s other works I can consistently, and happily, finish the day they’re released. There’s no tangible threat present throughout the entire volume. He attempts to compensate in writing what Sensor lacks in compelling visual storytelling, but that only leads to overly wordy, drawn out scenes in which characters talk a lot, but say very little. Understandably, Ito struggles to visually depict such notional concepts in any threatening fashion. Ito’s known for his gruesomely detailed depictions of body horror - the absolute antithesis of S ensor’s primary danger: vaguely defined, abstract metaphysics. Sensor is one of the most boring, low-stakes stories Ito has ever put to paper - which is ironic, given the scope of the esoteric concepts on display. It’s in its execution, however, where Sensor stumbles down three flights of stairs directly into the basement of mediocrity. The bones of what could have been an existentially terrifying story are all here. The concept of infinite, forbidden knowledge inhumanly corrupting (and punishing) the curious and megalomanic is Lovecraft 101. Sensor desperately wants to be a cosmic horror story. Naturally, conflict spurs from various entities wanting this power, and thus Kyoko, for themselves. Partially strong psychics have the potential to grant omniscience and influence over the creation of reality itself. This process is depicted as euphoric for some, and addictive to others. The titular “sensors” refers to the means by which psychically gifted characters, like Kyoko, can heighten their five senses, and the senses of others, to the extent they perceive the existence of the universe itself (and everything in it), all at once. Once their stories collide in the latter half of the volume, the narrative becomes more linear as the manga draws toward an end. In this case: Kyoko Byakuya, the sole survivor of a volcanic eruption, gifted with otherworldly golden hair and phenomenal psychic abilities, and Wataru Tsuchiyado, a freelance reporter initially searching for her in pursuit of his next big scoop. Sensor, much like Ito’s Dissolving Classroom, begins as a series of vaguely related one-shots, connected only by the presence of two recurring characters. Originally serialized as Travelogue of the Succubus in 2018, Sensor is a directionless, dull, mess of a story that fails to neither compel nor scare readers in equal measure. Sensor isn’t like anything else Junji Ito has ever published - and that’s where its problems begin. MANGA REVIEW | Too Much Cosmic, Not Enough Horror in "Sensor"
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