The Return of Hanging Balloon by Junji Ito

If you are looking for an end to the smashing Hanging Balloons by Junji Ito, then you are mistaken. It is as creepy and weird as the first, there is no shred of doubt there, but like a true master of horror with a tinge of sense of humor, this oneshot raises more questions, than answers with a very interesting insight, and a reveal.

You can read Hanging Balloons fan analysis review here.

Hopelessness originates from hope, this is where the Return of Hanging Balloons begins. You see characters, just like the readers, trying to figure out a strange phenomena, and get to find an fascinating reveal. That reveal turns out to be again a terrifying bit in the comic.

I would therefore take a moment to bring to the attention the graphic detail in how the vivid imagination brought to life.

This terrifying picture is followed by another terrifying panel. I love the artwork, it’s both gruesome and so alive you can see it play around right away. That’s the beauty of comics and for that to discuss you need another post to explain. But this is the magic of the letterer, and the artist working together who combine their forces to bring beautiful horror material.

Which results in this terrifying panel. The intricate layers of lines, and aggressive strokes denotes the depraved image of rotten loose skin, which is cringeworthy, and so scary. Face is our identity. To play around like that is attacking our visual sense with alarming force. This is why Hanging Balloons and the Return of Hanging Balloons are so bloody cool.

Here’s a bonus shot for you guys to know what is happening in these terrifying panels.

If you like Hanging Balloons, then surely give this one a read too, I mean it is recommended ofcourse. Junji Ito’s stories are more than just graphics, they are intricate storylines that are weird and wacky and yet manages to successful strike a wonderful chord by speaking human emotions.

If I have to sum up the return of hanging balloons then I would say it is more like a tease, given the popularity of the previous outing. But I am so glad that the return is made the way it is made.

Horror is about suspense. And this one aspect of the short is highly interpretative. I would go on to say that this is one of the most interpretative shorts there is! Since Hanging Balloons is about suicides, death, compulsion and so much more, the very real aspect of what really is threatening is the actual face, and the identity of the dead. The entire dangling part of a lifeless body is terrifying. You see the difference, about how a subject as childish is made shit scary when you add the bit on identity, and a corpse running about the lanes of a bustling city. That is scary!

The Return of Hanging Ballloons doesn’t deviate from the previous outing and really glad for it. It is much scarier because of it. The fear of unknown is real.

You can read The Return of Hanging Balloons Here.

Not many folks might like it, but I enjoyed it thoroughly and hopefully you will enjoy it too. To conclude, The Return of Hanging Balloons is a fascinating Manga horror short comic you MUST read & experience. Highly recommended.

If you like this review from Junji Ito, then also read,

1. Hanging Balloons Here
2. Human Chair Here 
3. Gentle Goodbye Here
4. Phantom Mansion Here
5. Library of illusions Here
6. Whispering Woman Here
7. Layers of Fear Here
8. Uzumaki Here
9. Love as Scripted Here
10. Long Dream Here
11. The Enigma of Amigara Faults

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