Gyo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gyo | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Horror, Science fiction |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Junji Ito |
| Publisher |  Shogakukan |
| Serialized in | N/A |
| Original run | – |
| No. of volumes | 2 |
Gyo is a horror manga by Junji Ito.
The plot of Gyo centers around the "death scent", a revolting smell first encountered in connection with creatures appearing to be bizarre fishes with scuttling, sharp legs. At first they appear merely as smaller fishes, but later also as larger sea creatures such as sharks.
The creatures are eventually revealed to consist of a small metallic, legged structure with the carcass of a dead animal (and later, human) strapped on top. Germs infecting the rotting body produce a gas - responsible for the terrible "death scent" that surrounds the creatures - that makes the metal construct move. Later, It is found that the army was researching the "death scent" for use in warfare in other countries. Enemy planes sunk the ship carring the prototypes for the "death scent" walking machines, which ran entirely on the gas. Now, underwater the machines have attached themselves to the fish and moved from the island to the mainland, attacking the humans. Later it is found that the machines might have a will of their own, and that they are not man-made: the disease has apparently mutated to be able to construct the walkers from the metal hulls of sunken battleships.
[edit] The Enigma of Amigara Fault
The Enigma of Amigara Fault is a somewhat popular backup story found in this manga.
In the beginning of the story a young man is hiking towards the Amigara fault, a mysterious formation that emerged from a mountain during an earthquake. He meets a girl, also on her way to the fault. As the reach the site, they see a huge crowd and university scientists, all there to see the strange wall of human shaped holes. As they wonder at the formation on man strips to his underwear and climbs to one of the holes, proclaiming "This hole, it was made for me" and steps into the hole, and fits perfectly. Due to the perfect fit, it is impossible to turn around, and he can only continue moving forward. The scientists rush to the site with an optic cable camera, but find no trace of the man, who has apparently shuffled over 30 meters into the mountain.
Others also enter the holes during the rest of the day, all claiming the holes are their exact shape, as they turn out to be. The girl reveals she also saw a glimpse of one hole and immediately knew it was her. The two find the hole, and terrified, seal it with rocks. They share an intimate night in a tent, but as the boy is sleeping the pull of the hole becomes too strong, and the girl tears down the makeshift barricade, and enters the hole.
The boy has claustrophobic nightmares about the holes, people going through them and being eventually stretched beyond natural boundaries, whilst still somehow alive. Shocked by the disappearance of his friend, he also finds his hole and enters it.
The epilogue of the story takes place months after the first occurrence, a group of scientists, have found the other end of the holes, which no longer appear human-shaped. As one of them peers into one of the holes, he is shocked to see one of the people moving towards him, so deformed by the tunnel as to be barely recognisable as human.
