This is what awaits you at Junji Ito Horror House. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. (Junji Ito Horror House pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

What would you do if you passed a playground only to see a teen girl smiling eerily at you? Would you walk down a corridor lined with grotesque mannequins belonging to an elderly man you just met?

Until Nov 30, manga and horror fans can plunge themselves into the twisted world of Japanese artist Junji Ito at LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre. Welcome to the Junji Ito Horror House!

The 1,765-sq-m ticketed exhibition brings to life 12 of the famed artist’s unsettling stories, with creepy characters portrayed by live actors alongside spooky artworks and special effects.

All in all, this horror house – which has already featured in a number of Asian cities including Taipei and Bangkok, promises a terrifying immersive experience.

“The appeal of Ito’s works is that it’s the type of horror that will linger and stay with you long after you look at them,” said Chan Wei Ken from Adnology Labs, the agency representing the event.

“His horror is not the jumpscare sort – it’s truly spine-chilling,” he told FMT Lifestyle.

Body horror and bizarre scenarios are prominent in Ito’s creepy creations. (Junji Ito Horror House pic)

Many of the 60-year-old artist’s manga have been adapted into anime, movies and video games, the latest of which is Netflix’s “Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre” series.

In 2019, Ito picked up an Eisner Award for his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic classic “Frankenstein”, and snagged two more for “Remina” and “Venus in the Blind Spot” in 2021.

Indeed, what makes Ito a master of the macabre and gained him a global cult following is his ability to transform everyday life into disturbing, spine-tingling, and sometimes outrightly bizarre scenarios that will leave you unnerved.

Don’t believe us? Step right in. The horror house unfolds in two distinct sections – Hall A: Ville of Vengeance, and Hall B: Ville of Evil. Not ominous at all!

In Hall A, visitors get to experience Ito’s “Long Hair in the Attic”, “Library Vision”, “The Tunnel”, “Tomie: Photo”, and “Unendurable Labyrinth”.

Meanwhile, in Hall B, “The Grooming Drain”, “Headless Statue”, “Soichi’s Beloved Pet”, “Hanging Balloon”, and “The Bully” lurk.

Visitors can wear either the Tomie or Soichi face mask before entering the horror house. (Junji Ito Horror House pics)

FMT Lifestyle decided to find out just how horrifying this horror house is. Warning – spoilers ahead.

Visitors start their immersive journey in groups of eight, and can choose to enter either hall.

Before entering, you will be given a mask depicting Ito’s characters Tomie or Soichi, depending on which hall is picked. This results in a claustrophobic visual experience owing to the loss of peripheral vision.

Participants are then required to hold on to a thick rope and make their way through the dimly lit corridors and eerie rooms together-gether. Red lighting dominates the dark rooms and alleys, evoking an otherworldly realm and leaving you to wonder if anything sinister lurks in the nooks and crannies.

One room in particular will make your blood run cold thanks to the use of strobe lights that, at regular intervals, reveal something terrifying that grows alarmingly closer. Try not to scream!

Ito’s authentic hand drawings are on display in Hall C. (Mohd Afzal Idrose @ FMT Lifestyle)

Both halls eventually lead to Hall C, where stunning artworks and interactive installations based on Ito’s three-volume “Uzumaki” series are displayed, perfect for sharing on the ‘Gram.

So, what’s the verdict? Ito’s frightful works of art are, well, artfully brought to life, immediately and effectively transporting you into his bizarre universe.

Sadly, the experience in each hall lasts only 10 minutes. Considering the price of admission and the potential for a truly macabre experience, you just might leave disappointed.

Moreover, the brilliance of Ito’s works lies in their capacity to psychologically disturb through the use of body-horror elements, while the horror house contains more jump scares than anything else.

Perhaps a narrative that immersed visitors in a proper storyline and quests could have made the experience so much stronger.

Ultimately, if you are a diehard Ito fan or horror enthusiast, the Junji Ito Horror House will likely be up your alley, providing you with a much-too-quick dose of fright.