Junji Ito’s Deserter: A Cabinet of Creeps

Deserter isn’t just a manga, it’s a time capsule of Junji Ito’s earlier horror work, packed with short stories that range from “mildly cursed” to “I’ll never sleep again.” This collection is best for readers who want bite-sized, classic Ito weirdness with plenty of haunted boys, obsessive love, and unsettling what-the-hell moments. It’s uneven, but that’s the charm, some stories hit you in the throat, others just vibe.