Reinterpretation Of No Longer Human Through Surrealism And Horror

Abstract

This paper examines Junji Ito’s 2019 manga adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s 1948 novel, No Longer Human, a hallmark of Japanese literature. The stark difference in medium, genre, and audience has resulted in an adaptation that both captures the essence of No Longer Human and distorts the story to be much darker than originally intended. Dazai’s frank tone may lend comfort to readers, sometimes distracting one from the dark contents of the story, which include suicide, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and drug addiction. Ito’s style is the exact opposite. He aims to disturb, shock, and confuse audiences with his elaborate illustrations of violence, gore, and body horror not present in Dazai’s version. Ito’s changes to the original plot mainly consist of added plotlines and exaggerated surreal imagery. I will explore how Junji Ito’s experience as a renowned horror mangaka shaped his interpretation of the story and the effect that these changes have on the narrative as a whole. Trigger warning: This paper mentions sexual abuse, child abuse, suicide, self-harm, drug abuse, and alcoholism.