JAPANESE HORROR | JUNJI ITO
My Interpretative Reflection : The Ongoing Tale of Oshikiri
Caution: Contains elements of horror that may be unsettling for some readers
Mio’s role as an intervenor emphasizes the importance of bystanders in preventing and stopping conflicts, it’s a collective responsibility to address and curb bullying.
The experimentation on Mio and Aoyama by Oshikiri’s counterpart reflects on the abuse of power. Those with authority might exploit and manipulate others, touching on the ethical implications of unchecked power and the potential harm from that.
Different versions of a person existing in countless dimensions is a contemplation on the complexity of human nature, acknowledging the multifaceted nature aspects within individuals.
The conflict between the two Oshikiris for control mirrors the societal pressure to conform and the inner battles individuals face in reconciling different aspects of themselves.
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for at least 30 seconds to help me support my work as per Medium's new changes.The Ongoing Tale of Oshikiri
A scared girl rushes through Oshikiri’s house, fearing he’ll catch her. Oshikiri recognizes her as Mio Fuji, a classmate. He questions her about the late-night visit, but she screams and ran away, mysteriously vanishing as he tries to grab her.
The next day, Mio acts like nothing happened. Oshikiri thinks that his house might be a doorway to other dimensions, suggesting the frightened Mio he saw last night was from a parallel universe.
A bully named Aoyama taunts Oshikiri and they start to find when Mio intervene’s and stops the fight.
At home, Oshikiri contemplates the alternate Mio and her fear. Suddenly, he hears Aoyama’s voice. Aoyama transforms into a giant, then dissolves.
Next day, Aoyama acts like nothing ever happened.
Oshikiri and Mio grow close. Mio learns about Oshikiri’s castle-like house and wants to see inside. Oshikiri agrees but says it has a portal to another dimension with their doppelgangers.
Mio thinks he’s making it up. She follows him back to his home and she just vanished suddenly.
Mio’s gone for three days and Oshikiri believes she’s trapped in the alternate dimension. He hears her voice and finds Mio turned into a monster like Aoyama. She cursed him for turning her into a monster before she dissolves.
Oshikiri realizes his counterpart caused chaos in the parallel dimension.
Suddenly, Oshikiri finds himself on another floor, where his counterpart is experimenting on Mio. He reveals that he experimented on Mio and Aoyama before. Both versions of Oshikiri fought and struggle for the syringe. One of them was stabbed and turned into a monster.
As he explains himself as the ‘real’ Oshikiri, he frees Mio.
The alternate Oshikiri reveals that there are more malevolent versions exist in countless dimensions before he dissolves.
Now, both of them have to figure out how to return to their own world.
- This story was previously published, but it has been rewritten and republished to include an interpretative reflection on underlying social commentary. Readers are invited to share their personal interpretations as responses.
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sources, which will lead to external websites, unless stated otherwise.Source
The Strange Tale of Oshikiri | Junji Ito Wiki | Fandom
伊藤潤二『押切異談』ストーリー・おすすめポイント【ネタバレ】 | えむ異談 (mnb-y.com)
押切異談（漫画）- マンガペディア (mangapedia.com)
