GoKawiilHBO Max brings live-action Junji Ito anthology 'Tales for Sleepless Nights' to US
HBO Max has begun streaming the live-action horror anthology Strange: Junji Ito's Tales for Sleepless Nights, which originally aired a 12-episode season on TV Tokyo. Two episodes are currently available in the US, and a third, 'Face Thief' directed by Yûta Shimotsu, premiered at New York Comic Con based on Ito's story 'The Face Burglar.'
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The release suggests growing appetite among US streamers for Japanese horror adaptations beyond anime, potentially widening Junji Ito's audience abroad. Director Shimotsu's comments about reworking the ending and critiquing social conformity indicate these adaptations are not straight translations but reinterpretations shaped for new audiences.
- HBO Max is streaming the live-action anthology series based on Junji Ito's manga.
- The series originally debuted as a 12-episode season on TV Tokyo this summer.
- Episode 'Face Thief,' directed by Yûta Shimotsu, premiered for US audiences at New York Comic Con.
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (Manga Box Set) — If the live-action adaptations are giving you chills, the original manga delivers the same unsettling dread in Ito's meticulously detailed artwork. These collected volumes let you revisit the source material behind stories like "The Face Burglar" and "The Bully" at your own unsettling pace. A perfect pick for horror fans wanting to dig deeper into Ito's twisted imagination.
See Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (Manga Box Set) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: wired.com — Max Evry, 2026-10-15
Published there as: “Junji Ito’s Manga Horrors Hit Harder as Live-Action TV”
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