You know that feeling when you're washing your face and you hear a sound coming from the drain? Not just a gurgle. A human-sounding noise. That’s the specific brand of nightmare Junji Ito has been selling us for decades. Honestly, if you haven’t felt a chill down your spine looking at a bathroom pipe, the Moan Junji Ito Story Collection is here to fix that. Or ruin it.
This isn't just another random dump of old stories. VIZ Media released this hardcover in late 2025 as a pivotal piece of the "Masterpiece Collection." It’s actually one of the final volumes needed to complete the English set of Ito’s essential works. But there is a lot of confusion about what is actually inside this book.
Why the Moan Junji Ito Story Collection title is confusing
If you’ve been scouring the internet for this book, you might have seen it called "The Groaning Drain" or Umeku Haisuikan. That's the same thing. VIZ has a thing for these punchy, one-word titles lately—think Shiver, Smashed, Tombs. "Moan" is just the localized punch to the gut for the lead story.
Kinda weirdly, the cover features Tomie. Fans saw that and immediately thought, "Oh, a new Tomie story!"
Wrong.
The cover art is a throwback. It’s originally from a 1994 Japanese release called Junji’s Horror Stories. Back then, that specific volume happened to include a Tomie chapter. In this 2025 release? No Tomie. It’s a bit of a bait-and-switch if you aren't paying attention to the fine print, but the stories we do get are arguably creepier because they deal with the mundane stuff. Sinks. Classmates. Soil.
What’s actually in the book?
Let's get into the guts of it. This collection runs about 272 pages and packs six stories. It’s technically the smallest book in the Masterpiece line, mostly because VIZ stripped out a couple of stories to avoid repeats.
They left out "Hanging Blimp" and "Marionette Mansion" because those are already in the Shiver collection. It makes sense—nobody wants to pay $25 for stories they already own—but it does make the physical book feel a bit "thin" compared to the massive Uzumaki or Tomie omnibuses.
1. Moan (The Groaning Drain)
This is the heavy hitter. It’s about a family of "clean freaks" who are basically obsessed with hygiene. They start hearing this rhythmic moaning coming from the pipes. If you’ve ever had a stalker or just a weird neighbor, this story takes that "invasion of privacy" fear and turns it into a literal plumbing disaster. The final pages are some of the most claustrophobic body horror Ito has ever drawn. Period.
2. Supernatural Transfer Student
This one feels more like a classic Monthly Halloween era story. It’s about a kid who transfers into a new school and—surprise—weird things start happening. Flowers blooming in the shape of eyeballs? Yeah, that’s just Tuesday in an Ito manga. It’s a bit campy, but it captures that "urban legend" vibe perfectly.
3. Blood Orb Grove
A couple gets into a car accident in the mountains and ends up in a desolate village. They meet a man who has a... very specific diet. It’s basically Junji Ito’s take on vampires, but way grosser. Think less Twilight and more "pulsing red fruit that shouldn't exist."
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4. Flesh-Colored Mystery
This is an old-school favorite. It involves a kindergarten teacher and a student with some very, very strange skin issues. It deals with the pursuit of beauty and what happens when that obsession goes through the floor. It was actually one of the first Ito stories ever translated into English back in the day by ComicsOne, so seeing it in a high-quality hardcover is a treat for long-time collectors.
5. Near Miss
This is more of an atmospheric "spooky" tale. It’s about a missing airplane and the search for survivors. It doesn't rely as much on the "gross-out" factor as the others, focusing instead on that lingering feeling of dread and the unknown.
6. Under the Ground (In the Soil)
Imagine a high school reunion where you dig up a time capsule. Now, imagine what Junji Ito would put in that time capsule. It’s a story about being "stuck in the past" in the most literal, horrific way possible. It’s the perfect ending for a collection that’s obsessed with what's hiding beneath the surface.
The "VIZ Edit" Controversy
If you’re a completionist, you’ve probably noticed that the Japanese version of this volume (Masterpiece Collection Vol. 8) has more content. Some fans are pretty annoyed. They feel like removing "Hanging Blimp" makes the book feel incomplete, even if the story is available elsewhere.
Basically, if you want the "true" Japanese experience, you'd need multiple books to piece it together. But for most of us? Having these six stories in one sturdy, oversized hardcover is the easiest way to read them without hunting down out-of-print paperbacks from twenty years ago.
Is it worth your money?
Honestly, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re a die-hard collector, you need it. It’s one of the last few volumes before Statues hits the shelves.
If you’re new to horror manga? It might not be the best first choice. Shiver or Smashed usually have "higher" quality stories on average. The Moan Junji Ito Story Collection is a bit of a mixed bag. Some stories are 10/10 masterpieces, and some are just... okay. But even an "okay" Junji Ito story is usually more creative than 90% of the horror movies coming out today.
The art is the real selling point here. By this stage in his career, Ito’s line work was becoming incredibly detailed. The way he draws "gunk" or "clogs" in a pipe is disturbingly realistic. You can almost smell the mildew.
Actionable Next Steps for Collectors
If you're looking to add this to your shelf, keep these things in mind to make sure you get the best version:
- Check the ISBN: Ensure you are getting the 2025 VIZ Media hardcover (9781974754663) rather than an older, smaller paperback if you want the oversized art.
- Don't overpay for the "Tomie" cover: Remember, she isn't in the book. If you're buying it just for her, stick to the Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition.
- Read Shiver first: Since two of the stories originally intended for this volume are in Shiver, read that one first to get the full context of Ito's "Best Of" era.
- Inspect the spine: VIZ’s Masterpiece Collection looks great on a shelf, but the white/black spines can show wear easily. If you're buying in person at a shop like Barnes & Noble, check for "corner dings" which are common on these heavier books.
Whatever you do, maybe just avoid looking directly into your kitchen sink for a few days after you finish the title story. You’ll thank me later.