Is Gannibal, a horror comic by Masaaki Ninomiya, folk horror? It definitely satisfies many of the requirements for the subgenre. It explores how ritual can affect isolated groups and how it seems to outsiders—and, perhaps more crucially, how outsiders appear to the locals—in the setting of an odd, remote mountain village. The story is similar to Higurashi in that it deals with themes of ceremonial cannibalism and mistrust of external authority figures. Just the surface of things, no time loops or bishoujo trappings here—when They Cry. However, Ninomiya may not necessarily see things that way.
“I’m not particularly familiar with folk horror; I just learned the term for the first time.Folklore and historical tales possess depth rather than fear because of their complexity. A fear of the unknown also affects people, whether it be rituals or cannibalism.” That’s definitely true, and the fear of the unknown is what makes the horror subgenre so powerful, especially when combined with the sister genre, terror.
A family of outsiders is followed in the Gannibal narrative as the husband accepts a job in Kuge Village. According to Ninomiya, he was well aware of the town’s isolation, describing it as “a closed space cut off from the outside world.” A recurring theme in Gannibal’s first book is the sense of being far away, practically alone, and cut off from the outside world.
Due to a traumatic experience in her childhood, one of the characters—the young daughter of the Agawa family—is nonverbal, which has caused her to become even more cut off from the village and her parents. “When I thought of the last scene for the first chapter, if it were a normal child, they would have been able to tell their parents about the situation,” Ninomiya said in response to a question concerning the choice to have her trauma appear in this way. Additionally, I believe that the urgency would have been altered.”
The horror components are enhanced by a character who is unable to inform those in positions of authority of what she has seen. Her young age seems to acknowledge both the historical significance of children in horror literature and the diverse ways that tragedy may impact individuals. It’s important to keep an eye on that as the narrative develops, particularly when we discover more about the fate of Agawa’s predecessor and observe how others respond to each horrific incident.
While Ninomiya’s works can be classified as folk horror or terror, those are not the genres in which he deliberately intended to create.
“When I drew it, I wasn’t particularly thinking of it as scary. I believe that the reason my works seem scary is that I strive for content that is surprising. However, I didn’t want to write horror fiction; it just happened by necessity. In the future, I’d also like to try sketching more horror-themed artwork. I haven’t deliberately read horror books or manga as a result of that. But The Shining was the film that first revealed [Gannibal] to me. Thus, I believe that [the movie] had an influence on [the manga].”
Ninomiya said that a wide range of media, including prominent shonen comics and horror movies, influenced his work. He mentioned that one “interesting new movie” that drew his attention was the Taiwanese horror flick Incantation. His manga readings included works by Hideki Arai (The World is Mine, Miyamoto kara Kimi e) and Kazuhiro Fujita (Ushio & Tora, Karakuri Circus).
“Of course, I’m not only influenced by those two but also by all kinds of manga and movies,” Ninomiya stated. For instance, the final sequence of [the film] The Hunt served as the inspiration for the final scene of Gannibal’s second chapter. Even if it wasn’t on my mind at the time, I believe that every scene in Gannibal is affected by something [see above scene]. This blending of inspirations is evident in the manga’s style and tempo, which combines recognizable aspects of seinen and shonen works.
One of the most notable aspects of Ninomiya’s body of work is that piece. The forest is a character in and of itself because of its density, which is evocative of Shigeru Mizuki’s artwork. “Like the forest, you never know what will emerge from beyond the darkness,” observed Ninomiya. You could argue that dread of the unknown stems from a fundamental lack of curiosity, which is something that significantly adds to the manga’s overall mood.
What’s even more amazing is that they are primarily the product of Ninomiya’s imagination: “Most of the backgrounds are created by mixing several images I’ve shot or by using the exact same photos as they are. My workroom is lacking in reference materials, therefore I have to sketch things myself.
Even though drawing vast forests from a few photographs and your imagination might not seem like a big deal, the amount of labor that went into the backdrops for the area around Kuge Village is astounding. Ninomiya stated, “It’s entirely drawn on a computer, without using any paper.” I use a computer, but it’s only an assistive device. So I draw virtually all the time while I’m not sleeping. It wears you out.” Unfortunately, this meticulous attention to artistic detail does not always allow for all the designer would like to work on. Ninomiya was not able to explore burial customs and other related folklore aspects as thoroughly or create more ornate garments. It should be noted, though, that the manga doesn’t make this very clear.
The Gannibal manga, published by ABLAZE, is not the first time the narrative has been adapted for international readers. A live-action version with English subtitles was created in 2022 and can be viewed on Hulu. Although Ninomiya is generally happy with the adaption, she did express some concern, saying, “I wasn’t sure how excellent the drama would be until I watched it. However, it’s of a high caliber, and I believe they were attempting to create something truly outstanding. Thus, I wasn’t concerned about the response from viewers in other countries.”
He continued by stating, “I’m much more worried about how the manga will be received in English-speaking countries.” That’s always a legitimate concern, but Gannibal has a lot going for it: a folk horror mix with graphic gore, and a cast of people who believe they’re acting not just morally but exclusively. The remote location of the story adds to the impression that the people are warped by the area rather than the other way around.
“Although this is a story about Japan, an island nation in the East, I wrote [Gannibal] so that it feels like it could realistically happen anywhere in the world,” Ninomiya stated. Even though he informs us, “You don’t have to listen to this author’s opinion,” he has generally been successful in that endeavor. Nothing will make me happier than for you to take up [Gannibal] and enjoy reading it.”
This is definitely worth a try if you enjoy horror manga. After expressing his anticipation for the responses from readers who speak English, Ninomiya added, “I’ll be egosurfing, so please let me know what you think on social networks. I’m excited about it!”
