TV Tokyo announced a new live-action omnibus series based on 13 distinct manga stories from horror master Junji Ito. The series, titled Strange -Junji Ito's Strange Stories for Sleepless Nights-, is slated to begin airing on TV Tokyo's 'Drama 24' programming block on July 3 at 24:12 (effectively July 4 at 12:12 a.m.). Viewers can also catch it on BS TV Tokyo starting July 12.
The collection will bring to life well-known tales such as "Lovesickness," "The Mansion of Phantom Pain," "The Rib Woman," "The Bully," "Face Thief," "A Father's Love," "Memory," "In Old Records," "Penpal," "Further Tales of Oshikiri," "Earthbound," and "Tomio: Red Turtleneck." Most of these stories have seen English translations, with "In Old Records" previously adapted in the anime series Junji Ito 'Collection'.
Directing the adaptation are Atsuhiro Yamada, Yūta Shimotsu, and Ryōta Kondō, with Daisuke Hosaka overseeing the scripts. Tatsurō Inamoto, known for his work on Trigun Stampede and Pluto, is also contributing as a scriptwriter. The series' opening theme, "Jigsaw," will be performed by the South Korean group IVE.
This live-action project follows a string of recent adaptations and accolades for Junji Ito, including the Netflix anime Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, the Toonami mini-series based on Uzumaki, and Ito's induction into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame in July 2025.
