So I only have a few for Hellstar. The man in the mask (Goda), licks her while she is on the cross, almost implying it is at the same time as the. The Reveal: The tenacious cultist is Goda, the president of Remina's fan club, and the hobo is the older Mineichi brother. Sealed Room in the Middle of Nowhere: once Planet Remina eats the Earth, the only survivors are trapped in an airtight fallout shelter drifting through the now-empty solar system. They have enough supplies to last a year.
Welcome back to Obligatory October-Themed Horror Month! I sure love Junji Ito, but if only he wrote something about an evil space monster eating planets.Oh! A scanlation of the very thing I vaguely described exists! Enter 'Hellstar Remina,' about a love between a girl and a hellstar that would never die. Okay, it's an apocalyptic tale, again.
This one's different, however. Unlike Uzumaki, confined to one town, or Gyo, limited to Earth, the threat lies in the Solar System! Okay, the focus is on Earth, but still.Remina's father discovered a 'heavenly' body that appeared 16 light years ago, the same Earth-time as Remina's sixteenth birthday. He names the planet 'Remina,' which makes people think, 'Wow, she's pretty AND has a planet named for her! Let's idolize her!' So she gets Katy-Keened by society, famous for no reason, out of nowhere, and with various potential boyfriends.Of course, this is Junji Ito, so it turns out that the planet is a Hellstar.
It's eating the planets leading up to Earth, making escape futile and doom inevitable. Along the way, Remina has some WACKY adventures, like crucification, betrayal, and flying through the air because Hellstar Remina is oh so silly!Let's talk about the Hellstar Remina. Yikes.Hellstar Remina, unlike Ito's other works, is. Loads of fun? Scary as a Hellstar? But it feels that a lot is lost in the one-volume story.
I don't know, the mob mentality is too insane, even for a mob mentality. Even for Ito! 'She's Remina, so the planet wants her. They don't successfully kill her, but her father does die. Seriously, some of the desperation is bizarre. A jerky rich kid and his equally obnoxious family decide that the only safe planet is the Hellstar, considering it can't (or won't) eat itself.
Yeah, perfect. With the smog, tentacles, and living planet, there's no way this could go wrong.OH!
I just remembered! I really like to think that one was inspired by the other.Look, HS Remina is Hell and Yivo from Futurama is Heaven.
Tentacles, intimate nature, only mouths and eyes for facial features, loves one woman. I don't know, just call it Heavenstar Yivo.HS Remina licks Earth really sensually, which is equal to two Gyos. This causes Earth to rotate too quickly, allowing a lack of gravity for Remina and her pursuers.
It is ridiculously fun to read. Oh, then there's a romantic subplot. 'Spoiler, I was the jerky kid's astronaut brother! Did you care?' Remina and the astro-not find two boys and two girls, find shelter in the Jerkington's emergency shelter, and Earth is devoured. The shelter survived, with enough provisions for a year, enough time for s miracle. Everyone laughs and remain hopeful, excluding Remina who wistfully peers out the window, lamenting the loss of her father and the joy she once knew.
An unusually kind, yet welcome, ending for an Ito work.THEN 'ARMY OF ONE,' A BONUS STORY WHERE PEOPLE ARE SEWN TOGETHER. It's okay, and I didn't see it coming, but I've never been more baffled by an ending.I really liked Hellstar Remina, and I'm disappointed it's never been produced in the states. Most of Ito's works have remained in Japan, and I'm glad we have anything at all from him, but I need my fix. As for Remina, I really appreciate the tone of this one. The romance was definitely underplayed, as it should, since Earth was being eaten up and out. Definitely a must-read for Ito-philes.Tune in for more Manga Monster Murder Month! You'll love it!